casamance

Due to the time I spend in remote Gambia, I lost some days to spend in Casamance, southern Senegal. Casamance is reknown for its rebels, who are quiet at this moment in time. There were travel warnings, but beside an enormous presence of military, tanks, and guns, I didnot experience anything negative nor dangerous. I went to Ziguinchor, as there was a festival at the coast, which meant all the accomodation would have been full. Ziguinchor is on the mouth of the river Niger, and surrounded by mangroves, I found it very pretty, calming and restful.
I took a day trip to Cap Skiring, and in hindsight I wish I had spend all my time there! It was stunningly beautiful, warm ocean, white beach and NO people! Perfect!
As soon as I accepted that the local people would NOT allow me to walk alone across the road, I had fun! I accepted the fact that I "needed" a guide, to tell me that the fishing boats were full of fish! To tell me where the beach was! I spend the day shopping and swimming! Bought a bracelet as a souvenir, and ended up bargaining for a Bob Marley dress I didnot really want! Only in Senegal eh! I was sad that the visa ran out and I had to leave for Mali!! I thouroughly enjoyed Senegal especially Casamance!

remote gambia

My time in Jali, the remote village in The Gambia, was very short, but I did manage to participate with a celebration of some sort. A lot of boys had just been circumcised and the women celebrated this fact with music and dancing. It was quite interesting as some of the women dressed up like men, and acted in a real macho and arrogant way! What fun I had, dancing with the men/women!!
Until the local translator told me that in two weeks time it would be the girls circumcision!
He said that a lot of Europeans had problems with this, but he said, it is just the same as the boys!!
I sugested that it was NOT, unless they cut of the testicles of the boys! Then it could be similar! He advised me strongly NOT to mention this, as people would just kill me!
It was hard to keep my mouth shut, as all the people who know me are aware off, but I managed. It was interesting to see that the local women seem to have no problem with any of this and see this as a white person;s problem!
The circumcision practise is outlawed by the government, but in the remote parts of the country nobody takes any notice at all!
Overall it was a wonderful opportunity to experience life in a remote village! It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

the gambia

Ah! The Gambia! What a relief to be able to speak English again! I think the first day I spoke to literally everybody in the market! To the extent that people started to give me free gifts! To shut me up ; may be; but they did tell me it was because I was so friendly! Gambia is a very small country; surrounded by Senegal! I stayed in the capital; Banjul; for a few days. I made a day trip to Jufereh and James Island; of Roots fame. I was told by everybody I met; that you couldn;t go there on your own. This was of course suficient for me to make sure I DID do it on my own! It was a rather long trip with the local bus; quite an experience. This time there were chooks on board and two goats on the roof top! Jufereh and James Island made me rather sad; but I was glad I went there: I must re read Roots as it has been a long time since I have read the book. From the capital city I went to Senekunda; a large fishing port. Very touristy and a lot of sex tourism. This means that the bumpsters constantly harrass; for money; sex; drugs without the rock and roll! I had a lovely hotel where there was a fully operational swimming pool! So I read; swam and read some more! Bliss! On the way to Casamance border; I met a young peace corps worker; who invited me to visit her little village. Since I was just regretting not having seen the rural aspect of The Gambia; I jumped at this change! I spend two days in a very remote village! What an experience this was!

sensational,sensuous, senegal

As soon as you cross the Senegal river, you just know that you have left Arabic Africa behind! Here it is , the real Africa! The women are more outgoing, the colours more vibrant, the music louder, and the men more flirtier than in Mauritania. THe police man at the border, asked blatently for a "tip"! He made a mistake in his book, for which he wanted me to pay! Then he stamped my passport with the wrong date, and asked for money to fix it! He was determined, but never met a more stubborn bitch then me! I don't pay at bordercrossings, not now and not ever! He let me go when I did my so called "mama mia " act! Ask my children what I mean by that! Playing the drama queen BIG time. He ended up laughing and letting me go. It was a delight to all the senses to be in Senegal. In MAuritania, the people in general are quite timid and rather shy. The women don't speak to you at all, and the men are soft spoken and very helpful without wanting anything else in return. Not so in Senegal!! The people are outgoing, loud and very, very colourful! They still want to help you , to take you where you want to go, or not want to go! In Saint Louis it all became a bit much. I actually got cranky once! Oops! I have now recognised that this means I must stop moving for a few days. Can't travel as I used to do in Latin America anymore. Funny that! I need a big break every second or third day! I went to Dakar, where I stayed in a lovely hotel on the foreshore, with a private beach. The idea being that you wouldn't get hassled by the millions of sellers! Didn't really work, but once in a while the boss lady would yell out of the window and all the sellers would scatter, only to return five minutes later! I met a gorgeous woman from Barcelona, Magdalena. We had great fun together. Visited the island of Goree. If I had know it was so gorgeous there I would have stayed on the island and make hundreds of waterclours. As it was I went for the day and did nothing! Told you I am getting lazy! After Dakar I went further south. Found a little hide away paradise. A small islan near the border of The Gambia. You have to take a boat, then a donkey cart. Finally you come to this little village. It is build like an African village. Straw huts, solar heated water. MY bathroom was under the stars. It was absolute bliss. Warm water for swimming. Free kayaking. Mangrove walks. I saw so many birds typical for Senegal. And I saw my very first monkeys!! Green monkeys they are called for some reason or other. Wonderful. I also heard and saw the footprints of hyennas and jackalls. I laughed a lot. Swam a lot and became fully relaxed. NObody trying to sell anything at all! Bliss! A shame there was a booking for over 40 people for the weekend, and I was forced to go on! The border to The Gambia was only 20 kilometers down the road, so that is where I went next.

into the desert

Atar is a lovely place, where time has stood still! I found a gem of an auberge, Bab Sahara, The door to the Sahara, run by a very friendly Dutchman, Justus. His German wife was not there, but Just was helpful, funny and very very nice. I didn;t do much at all in Atar! Getting lazy in my old age, but just hanging out in an hammock was awesomely good for the soul! I travelled from Atar to Chinguetti, where I spend five days in the desert. I had planned to make a six day trip from Chinguetti to Terjit on a camel! The guy at the hotel suggested that I go for one day first! How right he was! I had to be dragged off the beast! Decided I need NOT to prove anything to myself and to let go of very wild dreams! Hence I did lots of watercolours and read lots of books! Chinguetti is in the middle of the desert. I visited two oasis and climbed up the highest sanddune! That was my effort for the week! I enjoyed seeing all the antique , handwritten Koran books. If it was anywhere else the books would be behind glass! As it was they were just stored in cardboard boxes! I returned to Atar for Christmas, where I had an international Christmas with a whole bunch of wonderful people. I had spend one day in Terjit, where I met the most amazing people ever. Mauritania was all round an amazing experience. People are very poor but give away anything they have. So incredibly hospitable, helpful and kind. I loved it! Nouakchott, the capital, was really nothing to write home about! I needed to go to the Senegal Embassy to apply for a visa to move on. And move on I did as I had planned to spend New Years Eve in Senegal!

sand, sand and more sand

This is Mauritania! Sand, dand and more sand! Going over the border from Morocco to Mauritanis was indeed quite dangerous! While putting in the petrol in the taxi, the guy bend over the petrol tank, indeed , with a burning cigarette in his mouth! If I hadn;t screamed like mad, and just did everything to attract attention, I would have been blown sky high to smithereens! I went over the border about a week after the kidnapping of three spanish people! I figured out that it had all ready happened and I would be safe!
Don;t ever confuse the actions of mad fundamentalists with the average moslim! Bombing, kidnapping and the killing of people is HARAAM! Or in English a sin. And indeed the people of Mauritania are kind, gentle and rather sweet. Men feel like protecting me and want to help me. This impressed me over and over. Without wanting anything else but to be kind. I spend some time in Nouadhibou, a border town. Border towns are by nature very ugly, but this one won the major price! It made Yuendumu win the tidy town award! People just live literally on a garbagedump. Very depressing. It is a town with many different nationalities .People hoping and wishing to get from there to somewhere else, except it is the end stop for many.
From here I took the iron ore train to Choum. This was an experience never to be forgotten. I had so much fun. The young conductor, who sold me his bed, well wooden plank barely wide enough for my bottom, let alone anything else! Of course he refused the money several times. He mad me tea the whole eight hours, which was not really very good. If you have ever needed a train toilet in a third world country,you know what I am talking about. If you never have, take my word for it, it is NOT a pleasant experience! In Choum at 2.00 AM in the morning I was tossed of the train and hauled into a four wheel drive. This car took over two hours to be loaded and re loaded! Needless to say when I finally squeezed into my allocated spot, i doubled over from laughter! Here I am in the middle of nowhere, with the most amazing night sky ever!! With about 8 moslim nomad men, being squeesed into a spot a child wouldn;t fit in! BUt of course I did fit and I did travel! It was amazing. I arrived in Atar around 5.00 AM where you just crawl onto a mat and go to sleep until it is light! Atar was lovely, time has stood still there.

moroccan marvels

Morocco; I had not pictured the smells. Shelves upon shelves of auromatic oils.Sacks of herbs and spices. Some of the sacks tops rolled down to show the smooth red henna. Lumpy ginger stems, shiny black carob sticks all letting off their spicey, incensy perfume into the air! Visiting souq after souq these smells will linger forever in my mind!
Morocco; I had not pictured the Grand Taxies! The Mercedes, normally built for four or five, in Morocco the drivers fit in four people on the back seat and two passengers on the front seat! Although in Sidi Ifni there was SIX people on the back seat! It is compulsory that one passenger is at least obese! Everybody pays for one place! You have to be squashed as a tourist and you have to have at least one elbow in your kidneys! But it gets you there, to you destination, faster and cheaper than the local buses!
Morocco; Where the young boy in the pizza bar plays with the knife as if he is shaving himself, than wants to cut your pizza with the same knife! I don;t think so! Morocco where you ask for a sprite and they open a coke! Where it doesn;t matter because the teenager working in the pizza parlour finishes off everybody;s soft drinks anyway, and he likes coke! Morocco ; where in the south the people have difficulties giving change! Always in their favour though!
Tomorrow I will go over the Mauritania border. I am aware of the dangers, I have heard of the three spanish aid workers who were kidnapped! I am taking an informed decision. Just know that I love you all. Life is good and god is great!