DA Gambia

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Ok, so Travelblog just attempted to auto-save my really long update, but then the browser crashed, and there was no saving. Lame. So I won't be rewritting all i just wrote.

Left Dakar at 6am, avoided most of the traffic jams, but not all.

Car broke down in Kaolak, and so I got to see a bit of an untouristy Senegalize city. It was ok. Still children everywhere asking for money.

Crossed the border with no problems (though it is the first time anyone has checked inside my bag).
Got to Banjul and found out that the Guinea consulate has moved.

Found a really nice place to sleep: my own swimming pool and bathroom and entrance as well as security.

Met a lot of 'rastas' as they called themselves trying to sell me 'bob marley' and when i said no thanks they told me "do you know what i mean by bob marley?" haha.
Found one good kid about 13 years old who showed me his home (lives with 3 other 13 year olds) which has no electricity or water but is an old tourist lodge that was abandoned due to the economic crisis. It was really nice and big. Not a bad home minus the lack of utilities.

Found the Guinea-Bissau consulate and had a VISA issued in 15 minutes for only 10 euros! good price and time!
Then had to find my way (impossible since everyone told me it was in Banjul, but everyone in Banjul told me it was in Serrekunda) to the Guinea (or Guinea-Conakry) consulate. Eventually I did. The good price I got for my Guinea-Bissau VISA was completely destroyed by the 100 euro VISA that I had to get for Guinea. But the guy was really nice and apologized a whole bunch. If I had been European it would have cost 15 euros. Lame. I pick it up in a few hours. He apologized because he was in a rush to go pray. No problem man! Do what you have to.

So after I get my passport back I am going to go swimming and spend tomorrow at the beach and attempt to be in Bissau for Monday or Tuesday. Then the long trip to Conakry begins. In Guinea I will spend 2 or so days trekking in the Fouta Djalon where the Peul people live.

The Gambia appears to have been really effected by the economic crisis. Lots of closed down lodges, guesthouses, bars and restaurants. Lots of bored looking people on the street. Literacy rate is lower than 30% and 45% of the population is younger than 14 years old.
The official language is English, but everyone speaks Wolof, and often when I speak English the people ask me if I speak French. It takes only a minute to find a man who speaks English though. It seems that it is only well educated men can speak English.

My favourite part about the country though is this:

You always hear about the female travellers complaining about men going after the local women and it just being a relationship based off of money.
Well, The Gambia is the opposite.
You see many, and I mean many, 60 years and older women with 20-30 year old natives. It is really quite hilarious. And they live with the guys entire family. And families here are big. Some men have 10 wives and the average number of children per woman here is 5.
The place I am staying at is run by a sweedish woman in her 70s and her Gambian husband who looks about 35. His family of 20 brothers and sisters and their appropriate husbands and wives all live at the hotel.

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