Blogs from Tambacounda, Tambacounda Region, Senegal, Africa
May 16th 2010
Hitching a ride out of Nuakchott took all of two minutes, and the very helpful Mauritanian soldier who offered a ride ended up walking me straight through his country’s notoriously tricky customs in no time at all. Arriving in the bustling Senegalese border town of Rosso would have been intimidating if it hadn’t been for my Nuakchott friend Merina, whose older brother’s daughter (but not his niece) was waiting to guide me to their lovely home near the town center. A note on family relations: it is easy for a Westerner to get confused! A man not only calls his biological dad “father”, but also all the brothers and half brothers of his dad can also be father (meaning all his uncle’s kids are brothers and sisters, instead of regular cousins), and even the friends of ... read more
Fathala, Senegal - A Day trip to Senegal!
Published: April 15th 2009Africa » Senegal » Tambacounda Region » Tambacounda
April 11th 2009
Our day began bright and early for our daytrip to Senegal. With our fellow passengers, Angela and I arrived in Banjul, the capital of the Gambia, in order to catch a ferry across the river. The ferry terminal was a hive of honking, shouting and dust. The queue for cars and trucks was a mammoth snake stretching through the port area. There was humanity everywhere. As we milled about waiting for the 9am ferry to arrive (it was already 20 minutes late) we had ample time to observe the hustle and bustle of our first African dock. A couple of women were serving some sort of soup from a tiny tall. They served the food to waiting men, accepting well-worn banknotes in return. Peddlers came up to us trying to flog sunglasses, necklaces, fake watches and ... read more
Travels with a Dakar
Published: December 13th 2008Africa » Senegal » Tambacounda Region » Tambacounda
November 12th 2008
I added 01 October to 02 November later. Travels with a Dakar After the worst summer weather in living memory and my bike riding curtailed by a broken ankle added to which my plan to ride to central Asia came to nothing I was determined to do at least one major trip in the autumn of 2008. A return journey to West Africa seemed easiest. I'd been there in 2006 and loved it. Why not go again and explore the familiar again and find new parts. So West Africa it was to be. Six days before my departure I rode around the Border country between England and Scotland and wondered why was I leaving this quiet corner of heaven. The sun shone out of an unfamiliar blue sky and sparkled on wild hills and green river ... read more
The Road Less Travelled - The Gambia
Published: April 11th 2008Africa » Senegal » Tambacounda Region » Tambacounda
April 8th 2008
We ended up staying in Serekunda one more day, we were lazy and decided to take a lazy day before heading upland. Serekunda was the longest we've stayed anywhere since Mohammedia in Morocco when I was sick. We needed the break, and we enjoyed Serekunda and our little motel. Our plan was thus: we would travel to Tendaba Camp first, then onto to Georgetown (now called Jangjang-Bureh). Just to explain the transport system a little - to catch a bush taxi (for long journeys) you must get to the right "Garage". Each destination has it's own Garage and they are almost always on the edge of town, so you must take a small or town taxi to the Garage. For the direction we were headed to, we needed to get to the Soma Garage. Our motel ... read more
