Something got lost in the translation! Over here if you have a stranger come to stay it means visitor and my stranger was my daughter, Lisa, last week. So it only seemed polite to take a little time out and show her some of the pleasures of Gambia. This started with our beach weekend, very tranquil and relaxing. Well, that was when we eventually got there which involved a fifteen mile bike ride on a borrowed bike and my sit up and beg that is stuck in fifth gear. I think she realised that there would be exercise involved somewhere along the line. First day in I think it was a shock to the system. Mad dogs and Englishmen come to mind. While the locals were chilling under the mango tree we were doing an impression of the Tour de France. We did get a marriage proposal along the way though from a toothless policeman at a check point. He obviously thought he was a good catch but we couldn’t work out who the proposal was directed at. A few choice Mandinka words roughly translated to ‘ naff off’ and we were on our way again. Our tree house beckoned and we had beers and beach more or less to ourselves the whole weekend apart from the odd bumster who’s opening line taken from the bumsters phrase book was ‘What is your nice name?’ Enough to make any girl swoon – not!
Our home in the trees
All to ouselves
Idyllic
The real Africa
Anyone for snails?
The second weekend was a little more hectic. We made our way inland on a hippo seeking mission to Janjanburgh. Took a whole day to get there using five different modes of transport and a couple of ferry crossings. I think the only thing we missed out was a donkey cart. We were well and truly into the real Africa, mud huts and thatched rooves everywhere, yet another eye opener. We stayed in the local education office which was wonderful apart from the loudest insect in the world that just happened to be calling for his lady friend just outside our window. I’m sure it must have been the size of a dinosaur to create such a racket. One of the local chaps ferried us up the river for the right price and another marriage proposal thrown in, this time it was aimed at Lisa, I’ve stopped kidding myself. We had a feast of wildlife. Mainly birds of every shape and colour, monkeys a huge monitor lizard and at our journeys end a couple of hippos. Well that’s what we think they were, two pairs of eyes, ears and nostrils snorting at us from a distance. Another black dot in my photographic escapades. Then it was back home on the never to be caught again ‘green bus’. It was packed and we ended up standing for six hours. I did get a seat at one stage but was eventually edged off by a bigger butt than mine and a chicken in a bag. I can only describe the journey as like being on one of those vibrating tables women pay a fortune to lie on in toning salons. Get your money back ladies, it doesn’t work! Then it was time for my stranger to go home – boo hoo!
June’s tip for the week – Don’t sit next to ladies with big posteriors and always wear a sports bra on African transport.
On the river
