Blogs from East, Guinea-Bissau, Africa

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Africa » Guinea-Bissau » East » Gabú May 6th 2011

People say “Oh how many kilometres is it to so’n’so?” or answer back when I ask the question, “How long will it take?” “Oh about 245 kilometres.” … That is not what I asked. I travel by hours not kilometres. Travelling by kilometres is useless in Africa. There are so many variables that give you a fluctuating timeframe. What vehicle is being used? How many stops it will make, if there is a spare seat halfway through the trip, are they going to stop and try and pick up another passenger? Does the driver have errands to run? How many trucks will we be caught behind? Also how good does the vehicle climb up hills? The state of the tyres and most importantly the road. Has the road been upgraded since colonialism? In the case of ... read more
2- the best part of the road so we stopped to cool off the engine
3 - dinner
4 - sunrise the next day somewhere in Guinea. A stopover for trucks too

Africa » Guinea-Bissau » East » Bafatá March 27th 2006

We were lucky. Four days after we crossed the border at Sao Domingo into Guinea-Bissau (G-B), the border closed. The Senegalese army had chased the Jola separatist guerilla into the city. The guerilla -using mines as warfare- blew up a minibus with people coming from Varela beach, before they were captured/executed by the military. This is a region of tension and sporadic turmoil, one must not forget that. But except for some out-of-order tanks along the roadsides and the former presidential palace in debris, there are few signs of neither the 98-98 civil war, nor the last coup in 2003. Another employee of my aunt accommodated us and took us out cruising Bissau’s potholed avenues, accompanied by loud Cuban music and hot-blooded greetings in Portuguese. There's a perceptible Latin-American presence. The family father; a warm-hearted, pragmatic ... read more
Mango tree
Tank
Boy




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