Tourist spots: My trip to the Gambia

Finally, here is my entry on the Gambia. I do not have time to edit the photos so any suggestions and advice would be very much welcome. I know I still have much to learn about lighting, especially outdoors.

My trip to the Gambia...Taking a long ride on a sept-place (7-seater), crossing the border and convincing border officials to let me through with a visitor's pass instead of a visa (which was more expensive than I'd have hoped), weren't easy but were accomplished.

I wasn't sure if I could survive it alone but I surprised myself by making the trip and having fun too.

First, everything was so much cheaper compared to Senegal. And English was a national language so since I communicated easier in English than French, I thought it would be a good change. I stayed in Bakau and I was able to get a real bargain on it because it was no longer peak season and prices were so much lower. The owner and guards were really nice and friendly too.

Next, transportation was easy to figure out. On my first day I was able to take the cheaper shared vans instead of the more expensive private taxis tourists usually take. I was also able to use more Wolof than I ever did in Senegal and the people were very helpful.

I was in awe watching fishermen at the beach at Bakau coming in on their boats at sunset with their catch as crowds of people waded into the water to meet them with empty buckets on their heads, and then came back to the shore buckets-filled with fresh fish. They didn't want their picture taken so after a lot of unsuccessful no-look shots, I finally just settled down and watched them while chatting with some friendly kids and some rastamen who were eager to teach me new Wolof phrases. I would also be approached by people who wanted to have their photo taken.

The second day I took a long trip to Bijilo Forest Park where I met the park keeper who was so kind. I forgot his name though because it's taken me so long to post this. He would take care, with each step, not to scare any of the birds and animals away, and he would point out every plant, butterfly, bird and animal. It's too bad I didn't have a telephoto zoom to capture the birds and animals but I was amused by this gentle man who was my model for a lot of the shots. Upon leaving the park, I was approached by the guy selling souvenirs, who offered to show me the Abuko national park, a bigger and more famous park, not too far away.

Immediately, warning bells started ringing in my head. But I was so tempted when he talked about all the wildlife we would see and so when he said I was free to decide the price of the tour, I agreed. His name was Foxy and to make a long story short, he was a lousy guide and ended up pissing me off and almost messing up my perception of the Gambia. Lesson learned. Next time listen to those warning bells.

The trip back to Senegal took me to Banjul, then on a ferry ride to the border. I then took a 7-hour ride on a Ndiagane Ndiaye (40+ seater) which was very uncomfortable and time-consuming but at least it was something to add to my unforgettable experience.

All in all, my two-day adventure in the Gambia was not bad at all (or was it not all that bad). I had fun and had a few interesting stories by the time I'd returned to Senegal. My Pinoy friends were definitely impressed.