26-07-2013 8:56
For some reason I didn’t get to write about yesterday. As I was writing I was interrupted and probably had to lunch or something like that. Good stuff again, so that’s okay. So after sleeping way too little, and the eggy breakfast, we switched programs and jumped in the jeeps. No wait, we slowly climbed, much too tired. Saw baboons, other monkeys, guineafowls and boars. Bikbiks (?), ground hogs (?), waterbucks and maybe some gazelles too, I’m not entirely sure of the species and some names.
Not to forget, it’s raining season. First we were glad it was clouded, and then it started drizzling. Obviously we were seated in the open air jeep instead of the roofed one. Dripping is alright but soon lightning and thunder followed, as bigger drips did too. Our jeeps were racing towards some unknown place, leaving us wondering what was happening and what they were even shouting in some foreign tribe language. As soon as it was starting to rain for real, we reached a settlement with a couple of reed huts quickly we got off our jeeps and ran to the main sun roofed assembly place like place. Double place I know. We sat and watched it pour but the guides were determined to get us in an actual hut. After one and probably half an hour we saw why. Everything was soaking wet but we had enjoyed a long chat and wait being refreshed by the occasional drop through the roof.
After waiting a while we continued our journey through the big forest. Saw an entire mass migration of baboons after the rain and lots more but the water just wasn’t as comfortable as we’d like. We changed from open jeep to indoors a car, watching the others still get wet respectively soaked with slashing branches against the metal. The umbrellas just wouldn’t cut it and some got real cold. Back at the camp we had spaghetti with some brown sauce and beef. Delicious as usual. As the others had to go back and couldn’t stay on the boat trip, they went again that afternoon. The rest of us just enjoyed the little sun there was and used our precious time to think about sawdust, Romeo and Juliette and other riddles and jokes. Was quite fun.
The walking part of the day was cancelled due to lack of dry land and participants, and soon we found each other at dinner. A bit less than I had grown accustomed to but still worth the wait. A power shortage later we headed back to the huts to charge both batteries and ourselves. It would be an early morning.
And some attempt of a wakeup call it was. 20 minutes late (as in 5:20am) and consisting of Assan silently knocking on our fist door and almost whispering “wakeup call, wakeup call”. It was that I was already awake and all and was roaming the front hall, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen the flickering flashlight and heard him call. Luckily everything was postponed and 20 minutes late after a simple yet lovely breakfast we got up in the jeeps to head back out of the middle of nowhere to the outskirts of nowhere. There our journey back to Janjanbureh or Georgetown, Gambia, started.
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16:20
We’re on a boat. Smaller than I expected yet bigger than I thought. The upper deck is warm and windy, the lower is cool and breezy. Both just right. Just as we packed all our things out of the bus and on the boat, we got macaroni and tomato sauce. Also rice and pumpkin or potato or shrimps, I’m not sure about them. Tasted good though.
Chilling on deck has become a pleasant change after hours and hours of bus. Too hot in indirect sunlight and sticky all over. Stopped at the same bakery in Senegal and had first lunch, and also stopped at a market street where I bought my semi charm aka earrings for my bracelet. I had already lost hope for one of Senegal but this one was perfect. Small enough and typical for here since everyone wears these or things looking like it. All girls I mean by that. From the age of one, or even less I suspect, the people here pierce the ears of the little girls. They also have different scars on their faces for the different tribes or dialects. Two small stripes on either side near the temples for the Fula people if I remember correctly.
Right now we’re floating in and on The Gambia. The temperatures have risen but it’s okay. We’re relaxed and calling the homeland at the moment. One of the reasons, we’re coming back Saturday instead of Friday. Mom was convinced but checked the dates incorrectly. Fine by me, it means an extra day at the hotel and relaxing at the beach.
For some reason I didn’t get to write about yesterday. As I was writing I was interrupted and probably had to lunch or something like that. Good stuff again, so that’s okay. So after sleeping way too little, and the eggy breakfast, we switched programs and jumped in the jeeps. No wait, we slowly climbed, much too tired. Saw baboons, other monkeys, guineafowls and boars. Bikbiks (?), ground hogs (?), waterbucks and maybe some gazelles too, I’m not entirely sure of the species and some names.
Not to forget, it’s raining season. First we were glad it was clouded, and then it started drizzling. Obviously we were seated in the open air jeep instead of the roofed one. Dripping is alright but soon lightning and thunder followed, as bigger drips did too. Our jeeps were racing towards some unknown place, leaving us wondering what was happening and what they were even shouting in some foreign tribe language. As soon as it was starting to rain for real, we reached a settlement with a couple of reed huts quickly we got off our jeeps and ran to the main sun roofed assembly place like place. Double place I know. We sat and watched it pour but the guides were determined to get us in an actual hut. After one and probably half an hour we saw why. Everything was soaking wet but we had enjoyed a long chat and wait being refreshed by the occasional drop through the roof.
After waiting a while we continued our journey through the big forest. Saw an entire mass migration of baboons after the rain and lots more but the water just wasn’t as comfortable as we’d like. We changed from open jeep to indoors a car, watching the others still get wet respectively soaked with slashing branches against the metal. The umbrellas just wouldn’t cut it and some got real cold. Back at the camp we had spaghetti with some brown sauce and beef. Delicious as usual. As the others had to go back and couldn’t stay on the boat trip, they went again that afternoon. The rest of us just enjoyed the little sun there was and used our precious time to think about sawdust, Romeo and Juliette and other riddles and jokes. Was quite fun.
The walking part of the day was cancelled due to lack of dry land and participants, and soon we found each other at dinner. A bit less than I had grown accustomed to but still worth the wait. A power shortage later we headed back to the huts to charge both batteries and ourselves. It would be an early morning.
And some attempt of a wakeup call it was. 20 minutes late (as in 5:20am) and consisting of Assan silently knocking on our fist door and almost whispering “wakeup call, wakeup call”. It was that I was already awake and all and was roaming the front hall, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen the flickering flashlight and heard him call. Luckily everything was postponed and 20 minutes late after a simple yet lovely breakfast we got up in the jeeps to head back out of the middle of nowhere to the outskirts of nowhere. There our journey back to Janjanbureh or Georgetown, Gambia, started.
============================================================
16:20
We’re on a boat. Smaller than I expected yet bigger than I thought. The upper deck is warm and windy, the lower is cool and breezy. Both just right. Just as we packed all our things out of the bus and on the boat, we got macaroni and tomato sauce. Also rice and pumpkin or potato or shrimps, I’m not sure about them. Tasted good though.
Chilling on deck has become a pleasant change after hours and hours of bus. Too hot in indirect sunlight and sticky all over. Stopped at the same bakery in Senegal and had first lunch, and also stopped at a market street where I bought my semi charm aka earrings for my bracelet. I had already lost hope for one of Senegal but this one was perfect. Small enough and typical for here since everyone wears these or things looking like it. All girls I mean by that. From the age of one, or even less I suspect, the people here pierce the ears of the little girls. They also have different scars on their faces for the different tribes or dialects. Two small stripes on either side near the temples for the Fula people if I remember correctly.
Right now we’re floating in and on The Gambia. The temperatures have risen but it’s okay. We’re relaxed and calling the homeland at the moment. One of the reasons, we’re coming back Saturday instead of Friday. Mom was convinced but checked the dates incorrectly. Fine by me, it means an extra day at the hotel and relaxing at the beach.
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