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Reverse Sex Tourism
It may be low key, but for West Africa this place is a tourist haven - The Sharm el Sheik, the Zanzibar you could say. But it’s also a venue for sex tourism of another kind. It maybe in its infancy but its there - and it gives a chance for the male gender to inform women that, ‘Hey, you do it too!”
There were two reasons for me to travel here. One was because the VISA is free for Australians. And after forking out extortionate visa fees of $93 for Bissau and $107 for Guinea I thought I have to take this opportunity. The other reason was to see middle-aged British women reverse the sex tourism scene.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to travel this country. Should I venture inland to see the worlds greatest concentration of stones at Wassu. Or James Island and a 1650’s slave fort. Instead I decided to take a brake and laze about in Kololi Beach and enjoy the smiling coast of ‘The Gambia’. That’s right this country begins with ‘The’.
I think its fantastic that they call themselves ‘The Gambia’ instead of just Gambia. The
beach is pretty good. The sand is mostly imported after the original disappeared because of illegal sand mining. The new sand was a multi million dollar project.
A walk along the beach and you don’t get hassled too much but when you do the locals stick to you like glue and don’t shut up. It’s an interesting way they annoy you too. Generally they compliment you regarding you physic, skin tone or personality. They say that Gambians don’t like seeing people by themselves - The people are too friendly to allow that to happen. So you get complimented quite a bit.
My tan shows up pretty good after a few days in the sun so by day 2 my good tan was coming up in conversation. They would compliment me by saying that I am a very nice person but the one that was comical was about my physic. He said that he can tell that I am very fit person. I have a flat stomach and my arms are well toned. From that hilarity he goes. “I can tell from your body you have a girlfriend or wife at home.” I say “No I don’t” - after
previously telling him basically bullshit to his previous comments and wait for the obvious next comment. “You don’t! Well I can set you up with a lovely local girl. You know you can hang out with her the whole time you are here and see if you fall in love.” I decline numerous times and in fact didn’t go out at night.
So there is the normal sex tourism here but it plays second fiddle to reverse sex tourism. Instead of the white male taking advantage of his economic stronghold. It is the middle aged white female taking advantage of the financially desperate black African male. Called “Bumsters” these male gigolos do just the same as the women in Silhanikville Cambodia or Pattaya Thailand or a Venezuelan Island.
They hang around the westerner generally English at the pool, at the bar, walk with them along the beach and when the westerner feels they want to be pampered it’s off to the bedroom for some ‘companionship’.
Honestly the exploitation of these young men needs to be brought to light. How often do we hear the plight of young women being used in the sex trade. The other thing
is that Reverse sex tourism is racist. It seems to be only with black African males. Unlike our good selves men who are careless of race when it comes to this issue. I guarantee you if you ask a feminist what’s your thoughts on this new development I bet majority would say “Yes its about time!” I think that’s disgraceful.
I suppose there are two points I really want to make here.
1 - If you ever end up with a middle aged British women and you see in her passport a Gambian entry/exit stamp. Ask the question – “Gambian stamp? Wh… wha… what’s all that about?”
2 - If you are a western lady with self esteem issues just come to Gambia and walk along the beach in the late afternoon where the local guys play soccer. If the balls on the other side of the made up pitch, they’ll look at ya… And they’ll look at anything. My gosh! Some girls were full figured gals!! (Which in some cultures in Africa is classed as more attractive)
Apart from the hassles from pimps to get you to sleep with the local’s girls, travelling solo can get
frustrating. Especially when seeing guys playing beach soccer. It’s a real geek experience. You are always the last to be picked in a team or you don’t play at all.
I did however get to play another game of golf in Africa and it is a whole different experience than the conventional golf known around the world. I have always wanted to play a game of golf and hit a ball onto a green that is not green and just dirt. However this course was an all sand golf course, which is hard to find in the world and when you get that opportunity you have to take it.
You start off by paying the green fees than the club hire and as you walk to the tee, caddies call out to you begging you to choose them to caddy you. (When the course is full of dirt you need the help to locate the ball.) As you put the ball on the tee a guy comes along and says, “Do you want to pay extra for a mat to hit the ball off.” Another guy comes up and says, “Do you want someone to grade the greens”
(raking the dirt so footprint marks aren’t there). It’s just the un-organisation of it all that gets you. And then when you finish you have an argument about the fee to pay the caddie. I declined the extras.
I was told one price at the start of the round and the caddie is trying to almost double it after the 18th. I say, “No it is this much or you are getting nothing.” This bluff call was not appreciated and the next thing I know I have about 20 members of the Gambian Caddies Association – or the GCA, as I like to call it – surrounding me making noise.
I say, “I would rather burn this money before giving you that much.” He pushed me at some point trying to intimidate and says, “Are you trying to fuck with me!” I reply “No you are the one fucking with me by asking for that much.” Another guy comes along and calms the situation down and eventually I give him his tip, which he reluctantly accepts, “Fuck you!” I get the last word in by finishing it with this. “Yeah fuck you too. First you don’t say thank
you when I bought you a drink and than you deliberately skip 3 holes out so I didn’t play 18. F off!” Yes it was an unhappy day of golf.
You could probably gather that this could only have been communicated in English. That is because The Gambia is part of the British Commonwealth and in the capital Banjul the July 22 Square doubles up as a cricket ground. The concrete cherry marked pitch and the old scoreboard were the only highlights for me in another dull African city. Although up there too was being called a racist by a local in the market when I requested I wanted to walk around the market by myself.
The Gambia has good infrastructure and is different to the hectic Senegal neighbour. Despite some annoying locals and seeing overweight middle-aged women with young African males, it provides a nice break from Africa.
Oh and ladies. The Gambian men like to keep fit. Just head to Kololi beach about 630pm and take your pick of the guys either playing football, doing push ups, running along the beach, stretching. If you like the darker complection than this is the place for you
and you won’t be judged… accept for a backpacker travelling through Africa for the past 9 months.
****A little extra info ****
On my way out of the country I took the yellow taxis instead of the green taxis. The Green taxis charge double to triple the amount. They have to pay a large fee to run as a tourist taxi where as the yellow taxi is for everyone. Ali my driver replied after I asked him why he is not a green taxi. “I need to feed my family the green taxis sometimes don’t get work for days and days. This way I get little by little to feed my family.”
I didn’t have much Dalaisis left so I got him to take me to the border. By the time you add the taxi to get to the shared taxi to the border. Add the fee of that plus a baggage fee and than the poor exchange rate it was cheaper to take the chauffer route. We had about 45 minutes to kill and a good 10 minutes was spread out over a 30 minute period trying to explain that Australia is not Austria. “We are not
in Europe. We are next to New Zealand. You know New Zealand?” “Yes” “Fiji” “Yes.” “Okay Aus-tra-lia” “No” I almost said Kiribati, Nauru and wait for him to say “Yes I know them.” I don’t think I have had this problem since geez a long long time.
I Stayed a Luigi’s a 4 star resort for about 25 pounds a night I think, including breakfast. Sometimes you have to splurge on yourself. But it’s just me so I’ll only do it when it is a ridiculously cheap price. I stayed an extra 2 nights. Highly recommended.
For those of you playing at home - The address for the Guinea consulate is not in Banjul anymore but in 151 Mosque Rd Serekuna which is closer to the beach resorts 15km west of Banjul. It’s in an office block and looks nothing like a place that would hold a consulate. Top floor walk through the middle door to the back and take the right staircase. It’s about $20 cheaper here than in Dakar only accept CFA no dollars.
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deXavier
non-member comment
I don't think so...
I think your assertion re the position of feminists, equality and sex tourism in the Gambia is puerile in the extreme. Exploitation is not generally something a feminist is in favour of.