Postcards from The Gambia

River Country

When and Where:           03/2023 – Banjul

74th Country Visited; 11th African Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

-        90% of the citizens of The Gambia are Muslim. 

-        The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa.

-        The Gambia was at one time the center of the slave trade. 

Again today, I witnessed hopeless poverty.  But unlike Ghana and the Ivory Coast, the people in The Gambia were happy and friendly.  I again took Across Africa Tours and this experience was much better than past experiences.  As I disembarked the ship, the first Gambian person I saw was wearing a Phillies ballcap.  My tour left the port and within a short distance, we were in the mix of heavy traffic and pedestrians in downtown Banjul, the Gambian capital.  We stopped at the market and disembarked our vans.  Our tour guide navigated us through the lively market.  We stopped and met many produce vendors and were told about the Gambian diet.  Unlike markets in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, this market was filled with sweet smells of fresh herbs.  As we walked about, the Gambian people were as curious about white people as we were about them.   Our guide brought us down a back alley to a pediatric clinic and a maternity hospital.  The man who ran the rudimentary pediatric clinic explained the inoculation process for children under 1.5 years.  In the background, I heard many babies crying.   

As we made our way back to the bus, the temperature had increased to the upper 90’s.  Our van was not equipped with air conditioning so it was a warm day.  We traveled another short distance to a outdoor batik market.  The talent of the artisans was magnificent.  The craftsmen taught us the technique of how to dye the cloth with the wax-resistant substance.  I took a turn crafting on one of the artisan’s works.  It wasn’t an easy process, and it made me really appreciate the colorful art that resulted from the detailed batik process.  As we left the batik market, a group of gleeful children surrounded our group.  A nearby vendor was selling candy.  Along with another passenger, I went to the candy vendor and bought $5 worth of candy.  I handed my candy over to one of the adults and she distributed the candy to the joyful kids.  Both the kids and adults wanted to fist bump me and a few of the other passengers.  The smiles on the faces of the people made my day. 

Next, our tour brought us through a more affluent neighborhood of Banjul where we saw an ornate mosque, the Central Bank of The Gambia and the US Embassy.   We stopped at a market to shop for local wares.  Compared to some of the other African ports, the carvings and paintings were nicer and the colorful fabrics were more lively.  After a water break, we headed over to the crocodile farm.  I thought to myself “not more crocodiles!”  But this experience was completely different.  The crocodiles weren’t caged and were walking around freely.  At first, I was shocked.  Then the guide suggested I go pet one of the larger crocodiles.  I’m thinking “You’ve got to be kidding”.  My tour group threw me under the bus and the passengers were cheering me.  The guide took my iPad and I walked slowly toward the crocodile as onlookers watched.  I was instructed to not go near the mouth.  I hunched down and straddled the largest crocodile and began to pet his back, as the other crocodiles eyed me from a  short distance.  I can cross that experience off my bucket list!    

We then drove by the King Fahad Mosque, the largest mosque in Banjul for a photo opportunity.  From there we drove by the National Assembly of The Gambia.  Similar to our Capitol, the National Assembly is the seat of the legislative branch of the government.  Our final stop brought us to the National Museum of The Gambia.  The two-story run-down museum contained historic artifacts, an exhibit about the slave trade in western Africa and art pieces made from varying materials.  Leaving the museum, we saw the ornately decorated arch entrance to the city of Banjul.  Unlike the last 4 excursions, the Banjul city highlights and I found the people warm and welcoming. 

Mothers and children waiting their turn at the pediatric clinic

At the Batik market in Banjul, The Gambia

Beautiful Gambian prints

Interesting Gambian art

Crocodile petting in Banjul (notice the others closeby)

Still petting the crocodile


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