Michelle writes: I felt compelled to write about my second
visit to The Gambia, it was all so different and held so many
new experiences for me than from my first visit back in
February this year. I also appear to have
'dodged' the bumsters – as I got to know and befriend
a few the first visit – hey life is hard they need to live
yeh! And you fail to mention poverty in Gambia – as a
'developing country' in your news letter! I
appreciate bumsters can be annoying – I just tend to say
'no abaracca' (thank you) and emphasise I'm
staying at Kololi compound like a Gambian and they leave me
alone!

Yes, I stayed at a compound/lodge (£6 per night) and
was no 5 star hotel – but if travellers want to experience
The Gambia, what better way than to live the true Gambian
experience? Ok sometimes it is a trickle from the cold
water shower, the electricity is on 50% of the time, the two
ring gas cooker is outside, and there’s a flea bitten
dog guarding the gates to the compound..but hey my Gambian
friends can visit – they are not excluded as they were when I
stayed on a complex. I'd also like to mention the
compound like the one mentioned below was moderately clean
enough!

The benefits of befriending Gambian people whether they are
bumsters or taxi drivers or people from my friend
Fakeba's compound – and they do not have the luxury of a
toilet or running water there (water from the well in
buckets) – or adequate schools for the children – (a tin
hut!) is sharing experience. One of the best true
experiences was sharing Koriteh holiday – the end of Ramadam
with 14 adults and 10 children all living in one compound
(about 8 one bedroomed houses) and sharing together excellent
food from 4 large bowls and green tea. The children so nice
and happy with no toys dressed in their Sunday best, the
women worked so hard to make the meal. And other
children and friends all come around from other compounds..is
sooo nice.

So I have my best soul mate Fakeba to show me around – I am
charged as a Gambian not as a tourist..and my money is going
into the local economy and not to the 'middle man' in
an hotel! This cuts my costs down by at least 50%.
So try the market in Serrekunda – I feel I was the only
white person there – but food shopping is much cheaper than
the supermarket – and as fresh – though the meat market was
something else! (Very hot with flies and smelled!) though the
food my friends cooked for me after – wow! So I return
in kind..it is not hard, what I can save I can give –
especially to the children. Please don’t ever go
to the Gambia without some clothes for them or stationery for
their school (special mention for Karin Nursery School,
Serrekunda). Or why not give stationery to the children
in a compound who do not go to school – less than 50% of the
children can read or write.

So my new experiences apart from those I mention above?
Seeing dolphins coming back from St James Island – look
out for them, and its a wonderful swim there! Seeing
the women going out on their small canoes to pick oysters at
Lamin Lodge.. my favourite place.. Seeing monitor lizards at
Bijilo (monkey park). I'd also recommend going to
Brufut fishing village – I rode by bike – but I’m sure
there are easier ways to get there – saw cows being herded on
the beach and the boats were so colourful – is sooo
beautiful.

I would say more about less beautiful encounters I witnessed
between my friends and the police…. but I may get censored!

I'd like to give a special mention to Kotu Point beach
bar..one of the best and only bars that does not discriminate
against Gambians trying to make a living by selling things..
or 'hanging out' there… the views are wonderful as
are my friends and the music there – and especially
'bongo man' who will teach anyone to play! I’d
also like to say to all you tourist not happy with Gambia –
please remember it is a developing country that does not have
the same access to health care, sanitation, education, social
security and employment we in the west are privileged to
have.. the culture is different – celebrate it along with all
the similarities of humanity we all share! Share a
smile on the smiley coast yeah – it is nice to be nice!
I'm going back for more smiles next March… and
especially looking forward to meeting my friend Fakeba's
family who are Mandinka 180 miles up the river Gambia:)