Update #33- Final Thoughts

First, I fell amazingly blessed to have the time, resources & a husband willing to do a trip like this.  I am so privileged  to live the life I do.  Such a rich, comfortable and exciting life!  There's no comparison to the life of most Gambians.  It makes me feel guilty even though I thought most Gambians I met seemed happy.  I wish I'd been able to spend more time getting below the surface & really know how they felt about their lives.  Language was a barrier.  I wish I could see a brighter future for them.  I wish I could have done more for them.

Morocco was just fun especially our day with Mariame and the desert was stunning.  Portugal was so amazingly full of history, culture & remarkable buildings.  Overall, we had a fabulous trip with few hiccups and we're anxious to be home again with our family & friends.  It's so true that absence makes the heart fonder!

 

Here's Roger's final thoughts:

Traveling with a purpose

The last month in Morocco and Portugal has reminded us that we still truly enjoy volunteering when we travel.   Our interactions with the locals in these countries were often the result of us needing something, or someone thinking that we should buy something they had to offer. 

We did see and briefly connect with other travelers at times, but it was just not the same as our experience in Gambia where we were able to work with many people in several locations…the bike shop, the school, My Farm, even at the prison!  The richness of our experience there came from enjoying longer term connections and working together to accomplish shared goals.

We had anticipated that the schedule, the work, or other issues would eventually lead us to decide to stop volunteering.  While it's true that we are  definitely less energetic than we were 15 years ago when we took our first long winter trip, our efforts are still truly appreciated. We hope that we might  "travel to volunteer" again!

 



Update #32

Side note: There are still cigarette vending machines here! We've seen lots of smokers and many vaping as well. It seems especially odd that we've seen many serious bikers, stop for a break & pull out their cigarettes!

Next morning we were back on the fast train to Lisbon. It was actually our least favorite train ride as our assigned seats were facing the opposite way the train was going, our window was dirty & besides we were going so fast, it was nauseating to try to see what we were going by. But we did get to Lisbon quickly. Took us a little while to find the room we'd booked which turned out to be a dump. We'd been so lucky so far! So instead of being miserable, we called it a loss & walked down a block & luckily found a nice room available! After a couple glasses of cold water & an orange, we felt ready to go to the aquarium. It had a humongous center tank divided with clear walls into 4 sections…one for each of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian & Arctic Oceans. We saw several species we'd never seen before. It was very well done and included a film about some of the outreach projects they are involved in both working with other aquariums & environmentalists. We got back to our room about 8 ready for a good night's sleep.
Our last full day here, we took the subway to the Jeronimos Monestery. After waiting in line for this #1 Lisbon attraction, we had to admit that though it was beautiful, it wasn't the best we'd seen. Jaded is the word to describe us. From there we took the train to Cascais, a town on the Atlantic where the waves were huge and the beach was full of sun lovers & football games. I enjoyed soaking up some of that sun! We walked the streets admiring unique & well kept homes & along the ocean walkway which gave us views of lots of sailboats & yachts. When we got back to Lisbon, we had a delicious steak dinner & headed back to our hotel.
We both woke up our last day of this 10+ week trip feeling very much like we were ready to be home. We kind of bummed around just riding the trolley that we happened to get off at near St. Anthony's Church which had an attached museum that supposedly was the spot he was born. The museum was filled with a huge variety of statues of him. Since St. Anthony is the saint of lost things, it was a lucky find. He was also the one my mother prayed to the most as she was always losing things! We packed up & moved to a hotel close to the airport around 3. Played cards, had a pizza & tried to get to bed early as our flight leaves at 6:15 am. We'll fly 3 hours to Munich, then 9 to Toronto & the final 1 and a half to Detroit.
Well—that changed! And this is not an April Fool's joke!
We missed our connection to Detroit as our flight to Toronto landed late so they booked us for a later flight which got us almost to Detroit before turning around due to bad weather and taking us back to Toronto. They did give us a voucher for the airport hotel and we crashed around midnight. We'd been up 26 hours by then. So here we are in Toronto hoping to get on the flight scheduled at 3 pm to day! We can only laugh and realize this is part of traveling too!
If all goes well, Dick & Nell will pick us up, we'll go out to dinner, pick up a few groceries and be home around 8 pm tonight…April 1st. Ben & Bek's family will be coming home from their spring break trips today also.
So that'll end this jam-packed trip to Gambia, Morocco & Portugal!




Update #31

Porto—a city built on the cliffs over looking the Douro River with more churches than even I could visit! More on that later. We got to Porto late afternoon so first we figured out the subway system, then went to a visitor center for maps & finally found a nice place & had a lasagna dinner & a port wine for Rog. I'm actually drinking regular Coke as they don't have Diet Coke …only Coke Lite…I found a few in Gambia but that's it. We had to laugh cause we finished off the water I had in my backpack & put the empty bottle on our table. The waitress had brought us de Natas which we thought was a nice touch but when we got the bill…we got charged for the de Natas & a bottle of water!! A sign was posted saying they charged for everything on the table. Live & learn! We then tracked down a Fado venue and were totally entertained by the Portuguese guitar, the base guitar & the singer. They told us no two shows were they same because as musicians, Fado tradition is to improvise according to how you feel at the time. A glass of port wine was part of the admission price…which meant two for Rog! Thanks Sue Ivey for encouraging us to go. It was a good way to spend the first night here!
As I mentioned, there's a lot of churches in Porto. I visited several and did get awed by the Se Cathedral where King John I married his Queen Philippa (Portuagal -England) which cemented their countries and their son, Henry the Navigator was baptized. Yup…Henry again. As expected, it was dripping with gold plated, intricate designs, statues and the ceiling reached high up showing off a stain glass window & huge organ pipes. Rog sat outside & listened to a violinist play beautifully. I also could hear it echoing through the Cathedral & the attached monastery. Such a perfect sound to hear there. We also managed to find the Sao Bento train station which was richly decorated with detailed blue/white tiles that showed much about the history of Porto. Next we got on a boat to take us on an hour cruise on the river admiring Porto from that viewpoint. It was quite a climb up to get to the Jardins de Palaciade Cristal where tulips, petunia, daisies and bougainvilea were in full bloom! That was enough for one day so we went back to our room to rest up before dinner at an Indian restaurant. I must confess, I had McD for lunch…first time in Portugal and though it was okay…it wasn't as good as USA. After dinner, Rog went to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow. He has done a fabulous job of figuring out bus, trains & subways and all our really cheap & easy ways for us to travel. That said, Portugal is not a place for anyone who wasn't willing to go up & down uneven cobblestone sidewalks!
We'd decided we needed a less strenuous day, so we got on the train that took us through the Douro Valley. It was a great plan! Endless terraces filled with neat grapevine rows stepped down the steep mountain side giving us stunning scenic views as we followed the wide Douro River. Small villages snuggled at the base of some mountains hugging the shoreline. A few large home sat higher up & along…seemingly proud. We traveled about 2 hours enjoying the views & the company of a couple from Ireland…about 20 yrs younger but it was amazing how similar our views were on family, politics & the world situation. We got off at Peso do Régua where we walked the nice walkway along the river stopping often to take in the view. We brought sandwiches with us to eat & Rog enjoyed a glass of wine…of course. We went by an area with about 20 motor homes parked & hooked up. Several people sat in lawn chairs out front & others were getting on/off bikes. We'd only seen 2 motor homes since we left in January. After we tired of walking, we went to a museums. It was quite nice and had several videos about the history, culture & religion of the area. Strong faith in God & appreciation for the good things in their lives were strong themes. Cave drawings have recently been discovered near here that they think are 50,000+ years old! Around 5, we headed back to Porto enjoying the 2 hour ride seeing views going the other direction. When we got to Porto, it was dinner time. Rog braved eating the famed Porto dish: francesinha sandwich. I had to divert my eyes as he discovered what was in it: bread, ham, sausage, roast & cheese with a thick spicy tomato sauce poured over it and a fried egg on top. He was up for the challenge! I had ordered a baked potato which turned out to be boiled potatoes. I ate some bread & cheese packets the waiter had put on our table and put some of the butter on my potatoes. Guess we hadn't learned our lesson because our bill included the bread, cheese packets & even the butter packets.
At least we didn't get charged for the salt I used!

Update #30

We found our hotel in Coombes quickly. Roger has been able to locate hotels close to train/bus stations which makes it a short walk. We got things situated in our room & then walked around the squares nearby. Quaint narrow passage ways with no traffic make it fun to walk. Next we headed up to the University area. It's in the former palace and quite impressive. We saw students wearing long black capes walking around—like Harry Potter! The Science Museum & Cabinets of Curiosity filled the rest of the day. We brought the bus back which ended up taking us all over town…cheap tour. It was raining when we got up the next morning so I stayed in bed & Rog took the umbrella & went for coffee and a sweet pastry. Speaking of sweet pastry, they are on every corner & every street. I think they should rename Portugal to Pastryville. After the weather cleared up around 11, we took off to find the bus to Conimbriga where there were Roman ruins. Those Roman knew how to build things to last! Here 300 BC, about 10,000 lived for almost 500 years. Most amazing were the tile floors still looking pretty good. We had quite a wait for the return bus but it was sunny & we just enjoyed the down time. We've done what we'd hoped to do here in Coimbra so off to Porto we go!

Side story: We've been seeing rooster images on so many things here: signs, table clothes, aprons & even on top of churches. I decided to find out why. According the legend, a village had been the site of a terrible crime. A stranger happen to be passing through so they accused him, convicted him & sentenced him to hang. He claimed he was innocent & ask to see the judge who happen to be just sitting down to a dinner of roasted rooster. The stranger pleaded his case but the judge refused to change the sentence. So the stranger told him that the cooked rooster on his table would crow at the time of the hanging. The judge decided not to eat the rooster & brought it to the hanging where most of the villagers had turned out. All were laughing & enjoying the story. But sure enough, just as they were ready to hang the stranger, the rooster crowed. The stranger lived and the rooster is now considered Good Luck & Long Life!


Update #29

Next morning off to another day of sightseeing in Tomar. We walked by a cemetery which always pulls me in to see how it's done in other countries. Most were slabs with pictures attached to the fancy headstones and lots of fake flowers. There were also many family vaults and some you could see inside & count the caskets piled inside. One had 8…two of them just mall caskets. We headed to the Convento of St. Iria (Irene) only to find it completely under construction. St Iria's story is a love story where she gets killed & thrown into the river & her body is found days later in perfect condition. At least we got to learn her story. We walked the river walk until we got to the old Templar mills newly refurbished to house offices & a museum full of early generators & iron work machinery. I slid into one more church on the way back. Then we got on the bus again headed to Batalha & later to Alcobaco, both of them on the map for their monasteries. The first was built after a small Portugal army defeated a huge Castile army. The commander had prayed to Mary & promised to build it if he won. He did and he did build a magnificent Santa Maria de Victoria church with flying buttresses, describe pinnacles and detailed arches with the high test vaulted interior in all of Portugal. Even today. The king & queen (shown holding hands) tombs are here. Their marriage cemented the bond between Portugal & England. Their son, Henry the Navigator is also buried here. Seems we've followed him around: first in the Maritime Museum in Liston, then in Timor where he lived & here where he is buried. Later we'll go to Porto where he was born!). A somber plain monastery is next to it and just outside you come to a roofless octagonal shaped chapel that though never finished, it's beauty is intensified by the blue sky & light shining in. The 15m doorway in itself is a master piece of architecture. A taxi took us to the next monastery, de Santa Maria. Founded by the first kind of Portugal again because of a vow made to the Blessed Mother for winning a battle. Though not as decadent as the one in Batalha, it's monastery rooms were rich in history: a narrow door which determined if monks had to go on a diet, the grand kitchen with a water channel built to divert fresh fish & a room full of statues of kings and most interesting, the graves of King Don Pedro & his lover who became queen after she was killed thanks to Pedro's father. Don Pedro had her body dug us, put in a throne & crowned. Their tombs are situated so their feet face each other so that when they rise from the dead, the first thing they see is each other. How romantic! We caught the bus back to our nice bnb in Tomar. Tomorrow we leave but we're glad we stayed an extra day in this extra nice hotel & town.
The train north to Caimbra pulled out at 10:10 am. It's a pleasant way to travel! We had to make one switch but no problem. We passed lots of large fields of spring green crops & saw tractors working in other fields getting them ready to plant. After a while, hills & rocky soil were more common. Housing appears less well-to-do but still nice. A fun sight was a power tower with about 10 stork nest in it & mama storks flying all around it! We have seen lots of stork nest.


Update #28

Early the next morning, I woke up, gathered lots of really dirty clothes & headed to a laundry mat I saw yesterday. We've been gone 9 weeks and washing things by hand…it was time! A dark load & a light color load and $15 later…we had clean clothes! By 9 I was done. Rog spent the time doing logistic work. We had to catch a train…which we barely made…to Lisbon…where we had to switch train…which we barely made. But we did and off to Tomar we headed. At first the flat fields were spring green with wheat growing, then rolling grapevine or small tree covered hills. We passed huge fields of solar panels and about 15 windmills. Most houses are painted white & have clay tile roofing. Many have grape vines & lemon or orange trees in their well kept yards.
We arrived in Tomar and only had a few steps to our bnb as it's part of the train station. It's newly remodeled and our host is a cheery girl who use to be a lawyer in Paris. She's loving her new life. After we'd put our bags in our nice room, we walked around the square right in front which included an old church. While I walked around the church, I saw a statue with electric candles. I put my 20 E in and another candle lit up. Modern! We caught an electric bus to take us to the top of the hill to the Convento de Christo and the Knights of the Temblar castle. The castle had tall, crumbling walls that we could walk. Unfortunately, the convent was under construction so we headed back to town where we attempted to go inside several other churches…all closed or under construction. It's Monday. Did find out that the convent was actually open—the entrance had been moved. You'd think they'd put a sign about that at the old entrance! We decided we should stay another day in Tomar…we had a nice room, we had lots to do around here and it was a quiet town to chill in.
Next morning, our host served us a bountiful breakfast which we packed a bit away for lunch. Then off we went determined to see Convento de Christo…and it was worth the second time. The circular church was incredible…said to be built round so that the knights could attend on horseback. The hallways had so many small bedrooms for the nuns. The courtyards had altars & shires in every corner. Made me think those nuns lived a pretty good life. We ate our lunch of left-over breakfast & then got on a bus to Fatima. Fatima—very old memories can be back to me of the St. Joe's grotto and the stone in the archway with a plague saying it was from Fatima. Each time I walked under that archway, I'd touch that stone & make the sign of the cross. I thought of the new blue dress & blue anklets I wore as I watched Brigid (my best friend and later Maid of Honor) climb a ladder to place a crown of flowers on the Blessed Mother statue that was cradled in the stone grotto. the holiness and devotion to the Blessed Mother flooded my mind as I walked around the church built on the site where the 3 young children saw Mary several times. We watched a video that showed photos of the children and the crowd of supposedly 70,000 that stood in the pouring rain and witnessed the dancing sun on Oct 13, 1917. The church was massive with side chapel surrounding a replica of the tiny first church & and area where people were lighting huge candles. Lots of them! A humongous new modern church stood across the enormous middle square. But I was looking for the stone grotto which wasn't there…not even in the video. Only in Dexter. Later I wrote to Brigid, Bev & Mary Ann about my time at Fatima and all wrote back they too had lots of memories. We still had lots of time before our bus, so we went to the rosary exhibit and a Fatima museum. It had a several rooms filled with items gifted to the church: golden roses, challises, jewelry,medals, wedding dresses, army uniforms, swords and even aa bicycle ridden by an 82 year old on his pilgrimage to Fatima. Inside one of the crowns they placed the bullet that hit Pope John Paul II. To be totally honest, I was overwhelmed with the decadence and felt that the wealth would feed & house so many poor and/or be used to help in our fight of global warming that is causing so much pain & devastation in our world today. It was a sobering though & just thinking it brought back my Catholic guilt.
We got back to our room about 8 and actually watched an old movie, My Friend's Wedding.


Update # 27

We took a walk along the riverfront before packing up and heading to Sintra via train & then bus. The bus route took us by Cabo de Rafa on the coast. The views were magnificent, the cliffs were massive, the curves were constant and our bus driver was terrifying! He'd speed up every little chance he got & then slam on the brakes when he met a vehicle, got behind a bicyclist or needed to take a sharp curve. Our knuckles were white & our nerves fried when we finally got to Sintra. One couple had pushed the stop button much earlier because their son was as what's as a sheet. We hailed a cab to our bnb and our host me us there. It's a cute little apartment with a tiny kitchen, bathroom, living room & 2 bedrooms. (We have roommates but only saw them a few minutes twice.). The place is way over decorated with old stuff that belonged to her mom & gma. The frig is a tiny one probably about 50 yrs old. We arrived hungry so the first thing was to find Lucy & then off to find the old city center where the Nat'l Palace was. We toured that immense and impressive palace with two cone shaped chimneys located in the kitchen. The Royal family lived here for 8 centuries. Then we walked around admiring the homes with fancy tile work, bright painted colors and spring flowers blooming in their yards. On our walk back to our bnb, we stopped for a de Nada & another Portuguese pastry, then a groc store to pick up some breakfast food. It was Sat night so we called the kids & heard their news. Always a treat.
Sun morning we took off to get train tickets for tomorrow & hop on/off bus tickets for today. We didn't have much luck & got a bit frustrated till we found the visitor center & got the info we needed. Then our day of visiting historic buildings began. First we went to the Moorish Castle which sat high above the city & was really a fort. Next we got to the Peña Palace. We got in a huge line & had to wait an hour to get in…luckily we had a shady spot to sit while we waited. The golden colored palace was humungous with lots of impressive carved ceilings. It was fully furnished with ornate furniture, wall hangings & even the dining room table was set for a royal dinner. Next stop was the Regaleira Palace…built like ones in fairy tales. We were hungry so we ordered sandwiches at a cafe with a fabulous view of the palace. Our bnb host had told us to be sure & get the audio so we did which gave us probably more than we wanted to know about the architecture. The chapel was especially beautiful. But it was the endless gardens with so many flowers blooming, water fountains & paths surrounding this palace that was really special. Loved it. Finally, we made it to the last on of the day, the Monserrate Palace. The two long golden hallways lined with pillars with intricate archways made this palace our favorite. There were two domes with red stained glass which cast a gorgeous glow over the main rooms. Also a billiard room, library, kitchen & huge banquet room reminded Rog of the game of Clue. We were shipped by the time we got on the bus back to the center of town. We'd been climbing up & down, in & outside of all the palaces. The walks were uneven & there'd been hundred of steps. We felt like we'd spent the day like mountains goats! Exhausting! Sintra is quite an amazing place. Why'd they build so many palaces in one area??? And why did we think we had to tour them all?!

Update # 26

Quick side note: A man told us that if they covered 1/7 of the Sahara desert with solar panels, it would supply electricity to all of Europe. Something to think about.
Made it back to Casablanca quickly on the bullet train and had a room booked at the Ibis where we spent our first night here. It's the only place that's had a hair dryer! We had a bit of repacking to do & some shopping for a couple items we were getting short on. We enjoyed another walk through the old Medina and rode the trolley one more time. We found the restaurant we like and Rog ordered a cheeseburger admitting he was tired of the different foods he's been eating. Tomorrow starts our final destination: Portugal..
We were up early to catch the train to the airport and had no problems getting to Lisbon. My first impression was Lisbon is so colorful & decorated with such gorgeous tile which often covers the entire 5-10 story buildings! Balconies, flower pots, laundry lines, attic towers, huge wooden doors and lots of church steeples! we made it to our Airbnb using the subway. It's on the 3rd floor of an old building but in beautiful condition. we have a small bedroom and use of bathroom, kitchen & living area. After we settled in, we went off exploring. Found a nice grocery store so got cheese & ham sandwiches & an orange and ate in a nearby park. It was a bit chilly so we headed back to our airbnb by 7. Spent the rest of the evening visiting with our roommates, 2 girls from Germany and making plans for the next several days.
Next morning we woke up early & headed to the historic Alfama district with cobblestone streets & sidewalks and more unique & gorgeous buildings. When we were near the top of a hill, we had a great overview of the city. We also noticed the famed Tram 28 was about to stop right by us so we hopped on & off it went…just us & 2 other riders. It squeezed through the narrow streets going up & down the hills & around the curves jerking us around. Totally fun. We headed to the Museum National de Azulejo-the tile museums. Imagine finding the pieces & recreating the work artist did centuries ago! Impressive in so many ways! The colors were so vivid & detailed. The murals full of action. The effort it took to create the masterpieces the first was impressive…and then someone had to do it again. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle! The museum was housed in an old convent that included a massive and extremely ornate church. It always makes me sad to see the time & money that was spent on these churches because you know who's time & money it was…the poor. I totally believe God must shake his head & wonder how Jesus' message of living simply for the good of all got so messed up.
Next we tried to find the Maritime Museum. It took awhile but we (Rog really) succeeded. Portugal was the country that sent explorers out onto the unknown Atlantic Ocean to find Africa & eventually India. Their brilliant Henry the Navigator opened up the world an gave Portugal control over much of it. Their mathematicians designed the astrolabe—which many today say was as important as the discovery of GPS. Seeing the early sailing boats & reading about the maritime adventures was interesting. The Maritime Museum was housed in a historic monastery known as Mosterio drs Jeronimos & is one of the most popular tourist spots. I had hoped to visit it also but there was a sign saying it was closed due to a strike. I was bummed but Rog was relieved not to have on more museum to wonder through.
Next we took the bus to Belem. In this quaint little village we found the bakery that Mariam told us make the most delicious de Pasteis de Nota. She was so right! We kinda got lost on our way back but eventually found our street, picked up a baked chicken & some rice at the grocery store and ate dinner in our bnb. Tired but glad to have seen lot of Lisbon!

Update # 25

We did make it to Kenitra about 2:30 and then took a mini taxi to the grand taxi station where we had to wait until all six seats were full—almost an hour—then off to Moulay Bousselham we went. On our hour drive, we had an interesting conversation with a young man who spoke really good English and a man who showed us many pictures of the fruit he grows. We passed huge fields and green houses full of banana tress, strawberry plants & vegetable and lots of avocado trees. When we arrived, the young man made sure we got a local taxi to take us to our Airbnb. The taxi was basically a 3 wheeled motorcycle with a box on the back which we crawled into after throwing in our luggage. A lovely villa on the Atlantic Ocean…a bit past it's prime but nice. We settled & then walked to town for dinner. Rog got the traditional coucous meal. I thought I made it clear that I wanted fried shrimp but was served a huge plate of shrimp with their legs & eyes staring at me…and French fries. I did the best I could removing the eatable parts and was glad they gave us lots of napkins. When we got back to our villa, we visited with our host a bit. One spoke fluent English which he said he learned entirely by listening to music. He was proud to say many think he has an American accent! We asked him to call the bird guide suggested in our Lonely Planet guide, Hassan Dalil to arrange a trip in the Merja Zergo National Park , the "blue lagoon". He did and we got one for the next day.
Next morning as we ate our bnb breakfast, a French couple joined us and soon after Hussan came. We chatted quite a bit waiting for the fog to lift. Around 10, Hassan called a taxi/cycle who took us to the boat launch. Then off we wet spotting lots of sea birds: spoonbills, herons, ibises, plovers, long billed egrets, a variety of gulls, terns, osprey, a great white egret and lots of flamingoes. The tide was low so the birds were feeding. Hassan said that Covid was bad for people but wonderful for the bird population! We got back to shore around 2 and walked the back alley up to have lunch together meeting up with 2 guys from California who were going with Hassan next. Back at our bnb, we relaxed & read while listening to the crashing waves. Around 6, we headed back to the lagoon to see if it was indeed a deep blue. It was the blue so typical in Morocco! Tomorrow we head back to Casablanca so we can take off the next day for Portugal. We spent the evening looking at possible places & things to do in Portugal. Rog did his research on how to get to where we want to go which he does so well! I have to wholeheartedly agree with Hassan & Ali who told us were we so lucky to have seen so much! And we still have 2 weeks in Portugal!!

Update # 24

Up at 5:30 to catch the 6:30 bus to Marrakesh. Comfy seats, large windows to view the countryside & villages & a few stops made the 10 hour trip quite pleasant. We stayed in an Ibis hotel next to the train station so we easily caught the 9:50 train headed to Kenitra. Rog & I had seats in different cars which turned out to be no big deal as most the time there was an empty seat by me. But before there was one…here's what happened. Setting the scene: each compartment had 8 seats. Mine quickly filled up with two groups of 2 women & 2 boys and another with a mom & Gma & 2 girls. One of the kids so reminded me of David: dark brown eyes & wearing a Minecraft cap. Unfortunately, his front teeth were spreading rotting. A big problem we've seen in both Gambia and now here. All was fine until the first train stop when a family of 5 came to the door of our compartment & the two women started to argue. I surmised the one family already sitting down had taken the seats of the ones who had just gotten on. The quarreling got more & more heated. Both moms got in each other's face. The mom standing up had a baby about 9 months old on her hip & a 3 year old boy holding on to her coat. The Dad & an older sister just stayed in the hallway and didn't get involved at all. The other mom & Gma & 2 girls just looked the other way. I offered to have one of the kids sit with me so the mom with the baby could sit down but she was vehemently arguing for her families seats & refused my offer. After about 10-15, the conductor came by & asked to see all the tickets. He had to ask several times to the mom sitting already. When she stood to show the tickets she was within inches of the other mom & both started shouting & shoving until a woman stood between them & quoted the family out. The winning mom sat down and immediately started nursing, the dad sat next to her with the 3 yr old boy & the older girl, probably about 12-13 sat by me and put headphones on. She pretty much ignored everything else going on. That ended the drama. By then however, I was pretty invested in the families now in my compartment. Though we were passing fields of crops, green houses, flocks of sheep w/ shepherds, orchards and earth-tone villages next to mountain streams, I focused on savoring my time these two Moroccan families next to me. The now calm mom continued to nurse as the baby turned his head as far as he possible could to see what was happening to his 3 yr old brother. The 3 yr old ask his "Papa" to show him some pictures on his phone which he did. Then the Papa started practicing counting on his fingers and encouraging his son to do the same. He clapped & they high 5'd when he succeeded. The baby saw this and put his little hand out and the Papa grinned and high 5'd him too. The 3 yr old then starting singing what sounded like the ABC's which made the papa grin too.. Obviously enjoyed his kids.
The other mom tried to take pictures of her two girls. The older one (about 8) smiled nicely & poised by her 3 yrs old sister who refused to smile. Then for some reason I didn't figure out, the 3 yr old started kicking her Gma who gave her a good swat. The 8 yr old came over & kissed her Gma. Next the mom tried to get her girls to stand in the hallway & look out the window. Soon the other 3 yr old joined them and the two 3 yr olds started running down the hallway. The Papa ran after them. The baby had a toy that he chewed on & made cute baby sounds in"English" cause my babies made the same sounds. Mom tried to feed the baby some food and he kept grabbing the spoon & pounded it on the table. So there I was—sitting in the midst of two Moroccan families who acted like most American families in so many ways. They could have been any family in most any country. Though their languages, skin tones & clothes vary, families are much more similar than not. When will the world realize this???
Side note: Can't help but note that the skin tones in the 8 African countries we've visited have varied tremendously from very dark black to white with olive, reddish, light brown in between. Sure changes my perception of what an African looks like!

Update # 23

The Sahara Services hotel had our breakfast of eggs, tomatoes and spices all cooked in tagine along with great & fruit ready to eat at 9. After we met with the manager & paid for our room & trek. At 10:30, we got into a 4 wheel drive car along with Jorg (from German), our English speaking guide, Ali and the driver. First stop was for water then off we went into the desert. Lots of dark sharp rocks that Rog thought looked like pictures of mars and then dry shrubs was about all we saw for miles as we drove on a crisscross path that Ali described as a spider web. Slowly there was more sand and less shrubs, and large milkweed plants appeared. We stopped at a stand selling items they were making. This of course is something that only started after tourist started coming about 25 years ago. Later we visited the tent of a nomadic family. We were allowed to look into their kitchen tent. Let's just say not where I'd want to cook a meal. In their larger tent, they served us bread cooked over a campfire & of course, tea & figs. When we asked Ali how much we should give them, he said, "As you wish." Words he would say to us many times! Ali later told us that many nomads have moved to town including his family. He was 7 when they moved. The last major camel caravan with items to buy or trade was in the early 60's so nomads now have to get to town to get supplies. The dunes around us got higher as we approached our camp after about 2 hours. Our desert campsite: 12 tents, dining hall, outside sitting area, bamboo shade and a bathroom with flush toilets & showers. Our tent has 2 beds, 2 racks & electricity!
Tea & biscuits were served right away. We are surrounded the dunes known as the Erg Chegaaga dunes so we soon were climbing the biggest ones & soaking up the peaceful, spectacular scene. Around 7, we dined on couscous soup, vegetables , beef & rice cooked in a tagine and served outside by candle light. We climbed back up the dunes to enjoy the sunset as it slowly surrounded us. When we got back to camp, candles were lit everywhere and there was a huge bonfire. Ali, our chef & waiter and the camel herder played the drums & castanets & sang us some traditional music as we sat around the campfire. Yes—in the desert after sweating most the day—the chilly night air made the fire actually feel good. Later, we payed down on mats & marveled at the million of stars that filled the pitch black sky which Rog described as black velvet. The show ended when the full moon rose & took over. By then it was actually cold so we crawled under 2 heavy blankets & drifted off to sleep. I'd set my alarm for 7:30 so I could catch the sunrise over the dunes. Good choice! We wore jackets until after breakfast & then said goodby to Jorg who'd only booked a one day trip. Now it was just Rog & I—how lucky is that! It was time to get ready for our camel trek: first covered ourselves with sunscreen, sunglasses, sunscreen shirts, visors, scarves, light pants, phone, solar power battery, lots of water & my camera. Mounting a camel & hanging on tight as he stands up is quick a trick but we both managed without a problem. Rog's camel was tied behind mine & two extra behind him. Ali & the camel herder led us north toward a mountain range. Again we first went by lots of scrub bushes & then the huge milkweeds with woody stems. Slowly but surely the landscape included small dunes, then larger ones. Surprisingly, we started seeing lots of camels in search of food. We even saw a baby one. Ali said all of them belonged to someone and were worth @ $2000 each. We were really lucky to also spot several gazelles & a hedgehog. We rocked back & forth on our camels for a bit over 2 hours and then stopped under the first tree we'd seen. It's low branches provided lots of shad as we laid down on blankets & stretched. Ali fixed us tea & then lunch: cold couscous, cold fish, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers & onions, bread & orange slices. I ate bread, cucumbers & orange slices. Even Rog didn't eat much! We felt bad about it but hoped Ali & the other guy would eat it. Ali then told us it was best we take a nap. Kinda felt like little kids again hearing him tell us that but we did as we were told and took naps. When we woke up, we visited with Ali. He told us some of his life as a nomad and some of what he's heard about his family's life. The herder was off visiting another herder. After about 3 hours, we headed back taking a slightly different path. It was hot but on top of a camel, you get a breeze & a great view. I loved spotting more camels. We got back around 6. Ali's step counter said he'd taken 22,950 steps! In the desert, with his turban (head wrap) and wearing a djellaba ( long tunic)! We appreciated our cold shower and after a short rest, we were back climbing the dunes and finding the perfect spot to watch the sunset. So peaceful. Can't describe the feeling I had being immersed in those dunes. When we got back, we were served dinner for 2 by candlelight…though they gave us enough food for 20! We couldn't have been treated better if we'd been royalty! We again laid down to look at the stars. Spectacular! Ali joined us and Rog gave him a lesson on the constellations. He was very interested. He asked is there were stars on the other side of the world and if there were stars during the day. Rog gave a thorough e platoon of the rotation of the earth & sun & reason we see stars only at night. Ali said in the Koran, it says stars are only at night when Allah lights them. We said there are lots of things in all religions that differ than science but you just have to choose how & what you want to believe. I wonder what he will believe. We had another restful night before breakfast was served. When we asked when we'd be leaving, Ali of course said, As you like. We packed up and headed back a bit after 9 arriving back to our hotel room by 11. We both washed out some clothes & hung them on on our clothes line we strung on the roof. I was ready for a cold Coke! Dinner was delicious: grilled chicken, French fries, fruit & chocolate cake. The manager came by asking how our trek went. We had nothing but praise especially about Ali. The manager suggested we visit the museum in town & offered to drive us. So off we went. It was in a 400 year old kashbahs—basically family compound. The lady who gave us the tour was the ggggranddaughter of the man who built it. She said he was a wealthy man who built his kashbah between two kashbah's that were feuding. He dug a deep well & invited both sides to come for water & meals. Eventually, the feud ended and all became friends. She was very proud of that. The home is still lived in now by her mother, sisters & brothers & a few cousins. It is wired for electricity too. Imagine what the electrician had to do to wire that! She said a Spanish tourist suggested they open their open to tourist & it has been a huge success. Her mother had cooked a traditional dish for what looked like two different tourist groups filling the large entrance room. She offered to feed us too but since we'd just eaten, we said no thank you. Kinda felt bad about that but also really glad I didn't have to eat it! It was interesting to get to see the inside of what we'd seen the outside of so much here in Morocco. Back at our hotel, we took long shower, called all the kids and then went to sleep dreaming of the most amazing few days soaking up the desert!

Update # 22

Our bus to Ouarzazate left at 10 am. We headed SE passing lots of nice home & large apartment buildings for the first 15-20 min which then turned to orchards as we entered the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Goats & sheep as well as tiny stucco houses started to show up. We followed the almost dry river bed. We drove through many fairly good size villages with small paddies of bright green grasses for goat feed, wheat & vegetable growing. Obviously they were watered as there were many more totally dead paddies. It only rains about 1/2 inch a month for 7 months of the year! As the snow caps of the mountains got closer, our bus took more & tighter S curves. Sheer cliffs and rock-covered slopes surrounded us. And in this barren area—occasionally we'd see a make-shift roadside stand with tables pilled high with geodes! We reached the pass at about 8000 ft, we slowly started back to the dry river bed. Palm trees & patches of bright yellow flowers gradually appeared & then became more frequent. It was a 6 hour trip which included one lunch break. All on excellent roads that they were still improving by adding drain pipes & better shoulders. We were ready to quit riding when we got to Ouarzazate so we scraped our plans to go to a smaller town a bit farther by cab. We checked into a rather old hotel close to the bus station. We quickly found the Medina where kids were riding battery operated toys & the souqs were open. We decided to get a SIM card & scarves for our desert stay. It was so much calmer than the sougs at Marrikesh! Next morning we checked out the city which we learned had about died out until Hollywood discover it in about 2006. Several sets were built—some included original kashbahs. So Hollywood $$ flowed into town. We checked out the sets & a museum filled with props & watched a film that showed clips from movies filmed here: Gladiator, Babel, Prince of Egypt, Joseph, Aladdin, Jewel of the Nile & many bible stories. Who knew we'd see so much of Egypt & Israel in Morocco! It was quite a modern city!
We climbed back on the bus at 4:30 pm for our 6 hour drive to M'Hammid. Shortly outside of Ouarzazate, we saw the world's largest solar array which supplies electricity to about 2 million people. We again followed an almost dry river bank passing through occasional villages with walled kashbahs. We wondered how there can be any way people here can earn a living. We saw several football (soccer) games, men gathered for tea & chatting and the only painted buildings were what appeared to be for kids. As we grew bolder to the snow covered mountains, the river bed had a bit more water & lots of trees were in bloom. Once again we had lots of S curves both up & down the mountains. Around 10 pm, we got to M'Hammid & walked the 300 m to our hotel at the Sahara Services. Our host welcomed.us & soon we were down for the night in a really nice room.

Update # 21

Morocco here we come! We flew a red eye leaving around 10:20 pm and after a layover in Dakar, we landed in Casablanca at around 7:30 am. We found the hotel that Mariame suggested and she was there to meet us around noon. How exciting to see her again! We'd worked together with All Hands & Hearts in the Philippines in 2015- eight years ago! When she talked about her home country, Morocco and how wonderful it was, she put Morocco on my bucket list. Mariame took us to many of her favorite places including the Hassan II mosque, the walkway by the ocean & the area her grandparents use to live in, now called old town. It was really special to see her face light up when she took us to see the coffee shops she use to go to with her Gpa. We went to a nice restaurant where Mariame ordered the traditional 7 vegetable couscous dish & lemon chicken for us to share. I actually really like it! Before she left, she pointed out the best place to get beignets and then we hugged hoping to meet again someday! We slept well that night after we took a hot shower & got the first layer of dirt off us. Next morning, we followed our Lonely Planet's suggested walk around the city and stopped at the first McD we'd seen since we left home. Unfortunately, they didn't have Diet Coke and the burger didn't taste like the ones at home. After we tired of walking, we hopped on the tram and rode it to the end & then back to the train station where we got our tickets for tomorrow. Finally we went to the beignet shop Mariame showed us & devoured that delicious treat. Back to our hotel, we took hot showers again…another layer of dirt gone. We called Ben & Bek's and talked to them and most of their kids. Nice ending for a great day.
Next morning, we ate our hotel breakfast & headed to the train station to catch our ride to Marrakesh. The first half hour we went through Casablanca's suburb, then about a half hour of flat, spring green crop fields. Slowly the land became more barren & shepherd with their flocks dotted the rolling scrub lands. Small villages were scattered throughout but always in clusters. We saw lots of solar panels. As we got closer to Marrakesh, there were more fields & then more housing. When we arrived, we only had to wait an hour before we meet with our Airbnb host. It was an easy walk from the train station. We were settled in shortly and headed to Djemaa El Fna and the Medina maze. It was a humongous market surrounding a huge square. In the center of the square, crowds gathered around snake charmers, musicians, tarot card readers & sadly monkeys on leashes. The markets were a never ending maze with an overwhelming amount of things for sale. It was a bit too much for us! We stopped to share a sharks sandwich & Rog also got another unknown sandwich which he of course, loved. When we could walk no longer, we spent quite a bit of time trying to find our way out of the maze. We made it back to our airbnb in time to do a bit of wash, call Jake and then finally get to bed.
We got up early the next morning so we could get into Jardin Majorelle. When we got there, we found out you could only purchase tickets online & had to have the phone number associated with your credit card to pay…which we didn't. Luckily, some kind UK girls took my phone, punched in the info and included their credit card number & phone number, then air dropped our tickets to my Books app. We handed them cash to pay for the tickets & a bit more. They saved the day! Since our tickets were for 4:30, we found a place to eat breakfast and then we headed for the Bahia Palace. It was spectacular with intricate hand laid tiles & wood carvings. Next we wandered through more souqs (markets) until at last we found a Saadian Sultan's tomb. Impressive. It was time to head back to Jardin Majorelle and get in line to get in. It was a lush garden filled with plants from all over the world. So many were blooming...even cactus. Roger had an idea which he passed on to Lucas:
#1 Tourist draw in Marrakech is
Jardin Majorelle…
Reminds us of My Farm…
Beautiful, shady, well maintained trails winding through the garden. Benches, cafe, pools with koi, gazebos, fountains, bridges, etc. We each paid equivalent of 900 dalasi to visit and we stayed for just over 1 hour. Limited admission allowed maybe 100 to enter each hour and it was totally sold out all day. Will My Farm someday be the #1 tourist draw in The Gambia? Why not?
What an opportunity that would be to showcase the best environmental practices!
We left there and stopped at the bus station to get our tickets for tomorrow. Another full day of soaking up Marrakesh!

Update # 20

The last few days at MyFarm included lots of paying with some games we made for them, more read aloud, trips to town to get things needed to finish fixing the solar oven and helping in the learning labs. We went through our suitcases & took out stuff we won't need anymore like mosquito nets, towels, fans & grubby work clothes. We took them to Lucas & settled our bill with him adding in the donations that the Franks & Allens had asked us to give to MyFarm. We were able to use Pay Pal so we didn't need to get another wad of money.
Rog had bought hair clippers because he thought it would be good for the boys to learn how to cut hair and he volunteered to let them learn on him! Here's his version:
Since MyFarm is planning a vocational center, it seemed like a good idea to purchase clippers that might be used to cut my hair before leaving them to be used in their vocational center. I thought that it would be a good learning experience for a young person to cut my hair. He might possibly gain the confidence necessary to develop his skill and make some money. Finding a willing student turned out to be easy.
Dembo, about 16, immediately nodded his head in agreement when I asked if he would like to cut my hair. Just a minute later we had found a chair in the shade and were into the process. It had not occurred to me that I should tell him how much hair to remove.
I could tell that he was concentrating on doing a great job and soon the clipper was trimming my neck, cheeks, chin, and upper lip. He continued to work on my head, and I could tell he had taken off quite a lot. Six or eight boys came by to view the progress and appeared to be impressed.
I was encouraged when they said, "Very nice!"
Then I noticed that every one of them had extreme buzz cuts.
About then, Jane and a few of the adults stopped by and their reactions were telling.
Oh, well…hair will grow back eventually.😳

More on Dembo…while visiting with him he asked if I liked football (which meant soccer) so I showed him a few clips of NFL running and passing plays. He also likes soccer and tennis. When I told him that my grand-daughter plays tennis, he said, "Give her to me and I will marry her." Maybe that is how it works in The Gambia….? Don't worry, Cameron. You are safe as we are no longer in The Gambia. Arrived in Morocco early this morning.
in Casablanca, Morocco this morning.

Our last night, we had another fun dinner party. Lucas cooked a huge Gambian meal & brought it over to the volunteer house. A man from Holland who has moved to Gambia & is the main architect for many of the MyFarm projects joined us. Again the discussion was fascinating. We talked about solar energy, corruption in gov't & China's expansion of coal factories and involvement in African countries. Helena made a vegan lemon cake & mixed up mojitos. Who could imagine we'd have such treats in Gambia! Becky & Lucas expressed such great appreciation for all we've done. When I said, really they are the ones who do it day in and day out & should be congratulated, Becky said…but when volunteers come, the whole atmosphere is uplifted…like a spark that ignites the staff and students. It's a win-win situation for sure.
The MyFarm truck rolled out on our last day and we were on it. The school we went to was poorly funded and the kid's uniforms had seen their better days. Tables were set up under the one mango tree and mats in the shade of a wall. About 125 eager & excited kids were squished in that small area. Two other groups of about 25 were in a sunny area getting lessons on micro farming and learning to bake a cake in a solar oven. Kids were a bit on the wild side & not too patient or careful with the activities. Just too excited. The breeze was nice except it kept blowing away the paper pieces to our games so I was always chasing after them. Roger choice to stay helping at the puzzle table. As the kids left, most got a small piece of the cake. Then some ladies brought out 3 huge bowls of domada & a large spoon for each of us. Rog dug in but I just couldn't imagine getting on an airplane with that as my last meal. Luckily I had packed some cheese & crackers. On our ride home, the 5 other teachers with us started drumming & singing loudly & with vigor: We're going miss Gma & Gpa! We took cold showers & finished packing our bags quickly cause we were told to be ready at 4 for our farewell party. When the four talented staff started drumming, the kids & staff came running! The drumming got louder & faster and the dancing started. The kids took turns dancing with so much rhythm & fancy footwork and moving body parts I don't think I have! Dust was flying in the area they were dancing so someone sprinkled water over the area with a watering can. At one point, Carmo, the gardener danced in carrying a beautiful boutique to he'd made and handed it to me. Then they convinced me to dance so I did the best I could. Such a fun time which lasted over an hour. As the staff left for the day, we gave each one a chocolate candy bar. Sam, the technology teacher said he'd never had a chocolate bar before and it was like heaven in his mouth. Lucan & Becky again told us how much they appreciated us. At 7, Karl and Helena took us to the airport. It was a better sweet goodbye…until we meet again.
Our final Gambian experience was yet to come. Again Rog will tell about it:
Since arriving in Gambia we have seen the people here sharing their meals by all gathering around a large plate or bowl filled with rice and stew and eating together. At the school where we volunteered today, the school cook brought out several large bowls for all staff and volunteers who ate from the bowls along with eight or ten children. Some of us had spoons but most did not. Our bowl was on a table in the school yard, but we have seen many groups in The Gambia squatting around a bowl placed on the ground.
At the airport a man passing out a form was happy to get a bit of money for his "dinner" when he completed the form for another traveler. After going through security we found that there was no restaurant open in the secure area. We asked to return to the non secure area so we could use the restaurant there. The men in charge agreed to let us go back to the restaurant but told us to bring them something from the restaurant. OK.
After eating we saw the passport control person who said, "what about our dinner?"
There were two of them so they got one of the bills in my pocket. Next we had to put our bags through the X-ray scanner. Again, "What about something for our dinner?"
Our last Gambian bill now gone, we are ready to board the plane. There is no place left where we could use that money and are glad to be leaving with no $.
It feels like we have been sharing some of what we have with the Gambians just as they commonly do at each meal without even being asked for it. I remember Jane saying that if anyone here is hungry and there is no food they can just go to a neighbor and eat with them.
A simple solution to end hunger.
Today we were just some neighbors who provided dinner to several Gambians!
It was a fitting way to end our time in Gambia.

Update #19

Early Fri morning, Rog went with Lucas. Here's his account:
"I went to the bike shop with Lucas today. He bought four bikes and a unicycle for a bit over $100 US. He was very impressed with the order and supplies at the shop and said that he thought that it was probably the best bike shop in Gambia. The bikes will be ready to pick up next Wednesday. It was nice to see my bike mechanic buddies again!"
Lucas hopes to connect with them when he gets the MyFarm bike shop ready to go.
I was back in the labs helping out and reading aloud to the kids. Both spent part of the afternoon creating games. Rog worked on a 5 Peg game and I finished up a checkers game then started playing with some older girls. At one point, another girl came in and I asked if she wanted to play. She said in Gambia, many believe if you play checkers your family compound will break up and you will not have any children. I asked if maybe we shouldn't be playing…she said, no it's a superstition only. One of the local teachers came by so I checked with him. He said yes many believe that but it's not a problem to play. The younger kids wanted to play Doggie, Doggie and I also showed them London Bridges & Duck, Duck, Goose. Wore me out! In the evening, we actually lucked into figuring out the PlayStation so we watched one of Karl's movies. Saturday morning we were off to the beach…to do a beach clean. Becky drove 8 kids & us in their up jeep-truck which you started with a large screw driver. Rog wrote this:
"We went with Becky to do a beach clean up. Took many children with the hope to teach them the value of keeping the environment clean for the health of the animals and for people. A man who lives in a shack on the the beach cooked breakfast for at least 50 volunteers. He encourage us to eat the chicken wings, onion stew , and bread that he had prepared.
I hesitated but he said, "Don't discriminate just enjoy our breakfast!"
It was very tasty. When I thanked him for cooking he said, "Your words water my heart." He was very grateful for our efforts in cleaning the beach. Our group picked up about 10 big garbage bags of trash (mostly plastic) in about two hours. Much of it had come in from the fishing boats that are constantly offshore."
Later in the day, I read aloud to a group of teenage girls who were enthralled with the story, Thank You Brother Bear and laughed out loud hearing There was an Old Lady. Since no one had done any cleaning in the volunteer house, I swept & mopped up the layer of red dirt. I'd hate dealing with this dust all the time!
Next morning was Sunday and only the tech students were here. Carmen, the gardener & I transplanted a plant after I mentioned I noticed an empty planter by the entrance. He thanked me profusely for pointing it out and had someone take a picture of us planting it. Rog & I worked on making a Tower of Hanoi & a triangle per game. We're hoping the kids will now be able to make more for themselves or to sell. Around 3, we called a cab & went to a nice beach restaurant that Lucas recommended for a delicious shrimp dinner & cake too! Three waiters took our order over a course of about an hour before we finally got our food. So Gambian! But it was just realizing & nice to be at this popular beach on a Sunday evening. It was crowded with white tourist, Gambians, football players, horses back riders, bikers, ladies selling fruit, drummers and many swimmers. The cab ride there & back was like the craziest carnival ride ever. We bottomed out and avoided other cars & pedestrians by inches as we took the back roads avoiding traffic. Actually it made me a bit seasick!
On Monday, we climbed back into the firetruck & headed to the largest prison in Gambia. MyFarm has started a program to teach skills that the prisoners can use when released. Last year, they introduced micro gardening & soap making. Our team was so excited when they opened the gate & immediately saw a huge, bountiful garden and looking down the driveway was more! A big bag of soap bars was evidence of another success. The prison warden was very welcoming & before long we were building more table to plant, working up new ground & adding compost and making mango jam. Rog helped disassemble pallets teaching them to use a crowbar—right up his alley. The boards were used to build more tables. I was the assistant making jam. Mangos will be plentiful soon so making jam will be a great way to store or sell them. We put some jars in the solar oven to sterilize them & cooked the mangos & sugar over a small charcoal burner right in the classroom. We filled 8 jars then poured some in each of the 20+ prisoners & guards' hands. They licked it up grinning & smacking their lips! We didn't get back until 4:30. Since we'd not had any lunch…we were starved but full of satisfaction!





Update #18

We climbed into the refurnished bus again to head for another school about an hour away. Two Gambian teachers were with us and I mentioned something about how hard Africa was hit by Ebola & AIDS and boy did that set off an interesting discussion!
Rog wrote about it:

"One of the local employees of MyFarm was pretty irritated by the fact that the western media portrays Africa in such a negative light. He says that the media makes it sound like the entire continent has Ebola, war, corruption, etc. In reality those problems exist in a few countries here, but not all. By comparison, when Russia attacked Ukraine it was not seen as war all over Europe. Corrupt leaders here encourage the media to portray Africa this way to bolster assistance from wealthy countries. And then they pocket the money!
The media lumps all of Africa into one bunch which is so very unfair. ". He vehement about how wrong that was. Both teachers felt Gambians are very caring people who take care of their own. Ebola, AIDS and malaria effect only a small percentage of Africans and tiny number in Gambia. Both teachers are involved in groups to help with enviromental issues as well.
Rog noted that it did seem that:
"Only in a place with a failing economy would you find people using things that most of us would not consider keeping. We are told that the only people here that have any extra money are those who earned it in Europe. It feels like hand to mouth survival for most…and they do get the food they need from their gardens and the sea."
Gambians we've talked to would agree with this.
After crawling out of the firetruck, we saw hundreds of kids who were being herded back to their classrooms by a man with a long stick. We quickly set up our activities (similar to last week) and soon every spot available spot had a kid there. Three of the teachers joined us at the activity table. All three had babies either on their laps, on their backs and/or nursing them. They said their babies come to school with them everyday! A groups of kids were selected to stir up a cake which they put in the solar oven. Later they ate it and we got some too. It tasted like a warm, soft sugar cookie. Mmmmm! About 2:30, we met with the principal who asked us about our experience. He was very happy we provided this opportunity as they get so little in their classrooms with few text books & 45 kids (and teachers who have their babies with them).
We were exhausted when we got back about 4pm. Sally, our cook had saved us lunch (dried fish & rice) which Rog ate and I stirred up some egg salad.
We rested, showered & tada…Rog found some corn to pop in a cupboard & since Karl's folks had sent home 3 extra Diet Cokes for me…I was in heaven!

Final interesting tidbit from Rog:
The shape of Gambia is very unique. We were told that the British wanted to control the river because of the valuable slave trade that was happening here. They set the boundary of the country by sailing up the Gambia River and fired a cannon away from the river. Wherever the cannon ball landed determined the boundary line. It is easy to see that this must be true when you look at the shape and compare it to the river.





Update #17

Kids were back today! Lots of them! Since it's a drop in program, the number changes daily. I helped sort some donated text books. Since MyFarm has its own program, the books were split into 3 boxes & will be donated to 3 schools. After about 2 hours of sorting in the hot, dusty upstairs, I was relieved & excited to read aloud to some younger kids. Always a joy to me! By then the older kids group was in need of help as they were sandpainting, carving, making doll houses & making soap. I floated between the groups. When things seemed to be going smooth, I joined Rog in the number lab. He had spent most his day repairing a solar drying oven, fixing signs around the grounds & writing lesson plans for a garden lesson. Next day I was back in the learning lab & reading aloud to several groups. In the afternoon, an American author came to do talk to us about her book, One Plastic Bag. The Gambian hero of her book, Isatou joined her. Isatou has been gathering plastic trash bags and weaving them into purses and other items for many years now. She has recruited many of others and helped them start their own successful businesses teaching them to funnel some of their income into building their business. Now many of them have come up with products using other waste products. She eventually formed a Women Empowering group, then a Person with Disabilities group and an Enviromental group. Isatou gave a pep talk to the many youth that were there. Afternoon was more story reading and playing Doggie, Doggie where's your bone. A cold shower was needed. Rog spent most his day working with Karl's dad on various projects. In the evening, we were invited to where Karl's parent have been staying…which happens to be Lucas' parent's home. It was a beautiful large well decorated home with two pools! Lucas & Becky came as well. We were treated to a most delicious Mexican meal and they'd even bought me Diet Coke! After we ate every drop of food & the wine glasses, beers & my Diet Coke glass was filled again, we had a fascinating discussion. Here's Rog's take on it:

"We had an interesting evening…dinner and conversation with our Norwegian friends along with the managers of the farm, Lucas and Becky. Mostly centered around conservation, pollution and concern for the future of the earth. Hope for future solutions to the big problems along with current "band-aid" efforts predominated. Capturing carbon and storing it under the North Sea is a new procedure that Ovind has been working on n Norway. Lucas sees the next generation as the one that must solve the problem as there is little time left. It will happen!"

What a fulfilling evenings in more ways than one! It reminded me of something I read that MLK said:
The conversation around the table was as nourishing as the food that was served.




Update #16

Sunday and Monday were National Holidays so I had two days to finish cleaning & organizing the books in the library What a dirty job but so rewarding when it was done…which took most of three days.  I made labels too and was able to laminate them.  My years of laminating came in handy!  The director's wife, Becky asked me to make a list of signs around the farm that needed to be made or replaced.  Ask me for a list and you'll get one…probably a lot longer list than you wanted!  Rog repurposed an old bunny pen into a trash bin and did lots of watering as the help had the days off.  He also helped work with Karl and a group of students on a picnic table…until the saw got over headed.  I snapped a picture of a girl with head covering & long dress learning to use the electric saw.  Cool.  We also spent time talking with Jenny who just got hired as HR.  She's Jamaican but lived in UK.  Rog challenged her to learn Grab It and I showed her how to play Bananagram.  I also had an interesting conversation with a visitor.  He was wearing his Muslim hat and carrying his prayer beads.  I asked if he'd mind telling me what he says for each bead.  He told me there''a 135 beads & he chooses a chapter from the Koran and repeats it 135 times.  I asked if that was to memorize it.  He said not really.  It was more a way to make the chapter a part of him.  To really think about all the parts of the chapter and what they mean.  He then thanked me profusely for asking and said he thought it was so important for people to try to understand other people the their customs.  I agree.  Karl and his his Dad came by and we got talking about politics.  Karl's Dad probably knows more about American politics than I do.  He is very worried about our democracy and felt Trump divided our country.  He is also worried about Putin.  Norway borders on a small section of Russia and in the past, there has been no issue but now there is friction.  Norway is part of NATO.  Actually many Gambians have asked us about Trump and felt he was a bad dictator.  The world is watching.  





Update #15

On to MyFarm—what a fascinating place! Lucas, the director & the guy I'd communicated with, met us and gave us a grand tour. We could scarcely keep up with all the projects/activities currently active here: micro gardening; hydroponics; raising chickens, ducks, rabbits & pigs; fish ponds; mulch bins; solar oven; solar drying oven; soap, lotions, tea, jam & honey processing; bee hives; AND computer lab; literacy, numeric, science & creativity labs! And they are still building a complex to house occupational labs which probably will be for construction & mechanic plus a couple more. Everywhere are small plots of growing trees & plants with signs explaining possible use. So much happening in this compound! School groups come for tours and it is open for drop in students all day. Since many students only go to school half time, many come here the other half.
The volunteer housing was much nicer than we expected! It's only 7 months old. We have a large room & our own bathroom. No hot water but hey, at least running water. There's a big kitchen with a frig, gas stove & water filter and a dining/living room area. Helena, Karl & his sister, Ingrid are our housemates. They are all from the town in Norway which is the home of the founder of AfricaStart Up (MyFarm is one of their programs). Karl has been here since September & is the handy man here around here. Helena has been here about a week and worked for the foundation in Norway so she knows a lot the workings. Ingrid arrived shortly after us. Karl suggested we order pizza. He has discovered a place that delivers delicious pizzas. Jackpot! We chatted & feasted on delicious Hawaiian pizza till almost 11.
Next morning we climbed into a refurbished fire truck around 9:30 and drove about an hour to a school. Heavy tables, benches and mats were unloaded and set up. Lots of different activities were set out: A table for: puzzles, & logic games; robo blocks; paper & colored pencils; and paints for face painting. A mat was used for large legos and another for iPads that were already programmed & firmly built into a small table. Rog & I worked at the puzzle & logic games table. After about 2 hours, kids got an orange drink, we put away the activities & a MyFarm teacher did a whole group lesson about micro farming & hydroponics. He showed them a table filled with only peanut shucks where lots of healthy lettuce was growing. He then showed them a bucket sawed in half, filled with water with a styrofoam blocks where small holes contained mint plants were growing well. He explained these both could be grow lots of food without much land. All using recycled materials! The kids were very attentive. Finally, a circle was formed & 6 chairs put in the center. 7 kids were chosen and DJ Karl started the music for musical chairs. After someone won, the game was played 2 more times. A bit after 2, we got in Karl's car so we could stop to get veges & fruit land also go to a grocery store. We got eggs, tuna, cheese, crackers, cereal & Diet Coke!!! Lunch is provided so now we have breakfast & dinner for quite a while. Quiet evening for us & a night out for our young Norwegian mates.
Next day I spent the morning helping organize the activities we used yesterday. In the afternoon, I joined the creative arts class or younger kids. Not much was happening & since I'd found lots of stickers in the morning, I told the kids to draw a palace to put the stickers in. They were on it! Rog spent the day helping Karl built a holder for trash bins. Good day. Saturday we went for a walk in a nearby park with Lucas. He has been so welcoming & asking us for ideas as he's always wanting to improve. Such an upbeat guy! He's been coming to Gambia most of his life because his Gambian mom has family here. When we got back, Rog spent hours watering while I worked on cleaning & organizing book shelves. Dust here is horrid & obviously kids had rummaged through the books. I got 4 done & 3 to go. Karl & Ingrid's parent arrived around 7. His dad was bursting with pride that both his kids are here volunteering!! Rightly so!




Update #14

Since it was Valentine's Day, I bought a new dress and Rog got pick out where we ate which was in a 5* hotel close by. It was a good peak into the reason why we've met so many Europeans here. It's quite close for them (4-6 hr flight), warm & sunny and much less expensive even at the nicer hotels & restaurants. It's like Americans going to resorts in Mexico. They aren't coming to the real Gambia—they are able to stay in a nice place & avoid their cold months. Our hotel would probably be a 3* and it's the nicest we've stayed in so far…for $50. Overall we've paid about $30. Meals range from $7-15. Considering the largest Dalasi bill is a 200…worth $3.25….we have to carry a hefty wad with us! We continue to hear the call to prayer and have seen many men stop to remove their sandals, wash their feet, put on a long tunics and then roll out a mat to knell and pray. As we pass by the many mosque, we see lots of shoes outside. Women also come to pray knelling behind the men.
Banjul, the capital, deserved a day so off we went. We arrived at the ferry terminal that crosses The Gambia River. As we sat & waited, we visited with a Canadian couple who have visited 135 countries…usually on tours or cruise ships. They had a driver & a nice car and offered to let us join them in the car which would be loaded onto the ferry. The weather was getting increasingly windier & a filled with dust. We decided we'd skip the ferry ride all together as the visibility was so poor. So we headed to the Gambian National Museum. Displays were old, dusty but interesting. I especially got a chuckle out of the voting barrel with 2 colors of marbles which is still used today. Supposedly they'll use paper ballots in 2026. Maybe. We walked to get a close up look of Arch 22 erected in honor of their Independence from England on March 22, 1965. That was all we could find to see in Banjul. Sad. We hailed a taxi for a ride back to our hotel and that's when the best part of our day began.
Here's Roger's description:

 -A Resourceful cab driver
Returning from Banjul, we hailed a taxi for the twenty minute ride. Our uneventful journey was interrupted when the cab slowed and he pointed to the battery light with concern. "It won't charge", was all he said.
Pulling over he opened the hood and started pulling at the belt. It soon came out…frayed but not yet broken.
From a box under the hood he pulled out another belt (used but serviceable) and soon had it installed for a temporary fix!
Getting back inside he attempted to start the car, but now too little battery power is the problem.
Never fear, he says he has another.
Opening the trunk he banged around for a bit, and again tried to start the car. Maybe there was another battery in the trunk that can be used to assist the one under the hood? He turned the key again. Success!
He then pulled a plastic jug out of his trunk and filled the radiator…then thoroughly washed his hands with soap…picking up a bit of sand to help scrub them clean. Rinsing well he was again ready to complete our ride!
Watching him problem solve was worth more than the cost of the taxi ride ( $5 ). And while all this was going on, a group of about 8-10 teenage boys came walking along the roadside (on their way home from school?) They stopped to forage tiny fruits that had fallen from a tree beside the road. Several minutes were spent searching for the tiny fruits that were hidden under leaves or in the grass. They soon walked away with a handful for a snack. They said they were very nice and offered some to us but we did not try them.
You never know what the days will bring!

Update #13

It was time to move closer to Banjul, capital of Gambia. Our driver was full of interesting information. As we got closer to Banjul, we started passing by much nicer homes. He called this area Fake Gambia. He told us the money to build these homes was made in Europe or USA. Many whites come here and marry Gambians and age was not a factor. That was apparent when we saw usually much older whites holding hands with young Gambians. Our driver felt mixed marriages were good. He said we may think different, move different but we are one people. Our friendship will go deeper when whites marry blacks. Probably right. We passed by a huge stadium which he told us was built as a gift from the Chinese. They are also building a road from the airport to a conference center that is under construction. Many countries will be coming to this conference.
When we got to our airbnb, we soon discovered it was not as advertised. No water in the sink, toilet didn't flush and the cleanliness standard was very low. It did have good internet, hot shower and a nice pool with shaded lounge chairs…too bad the big dogs took turns using the chairs too! The Kachikally Crocodile pond was close so Rog mapped out a walk we could take. We soon noticed that his route followed an open sewer. It was very disgusting & smelly. I heard a baby crying and I thought…that baby doesn't even know how much it has to cry about. There was quite a nice museum at the entrance which included traditional ceremonial masks, clothing & instruments. A display showing the Gambian soldiers who fought in WWI and WWII. A picture of Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1965 along with some chiefs & other political leaders. A short walk led us to the small pond where the crocodiles were—over 100 of them! As we approached, we saw a large albino one which we both thought was stuffed. Wrong. With a bit of encouragement & after checking the guides hands for 10 fingers, I bent over and pet it…as Rog took a picture. It was amazingly hard! This pond is considered sacred & if you pour the pond water over you…you will be cured. I drew the line and declined.
We managed to find another way back to our hotel and spent time reading & swimming. Around 4, we walked to the Botanical Garden. There the caretaker said it's heyday has long gone. There was a few flowers & some trees but nothing to write about. The caretaker had been there about 20 years and it made him sad to see the decline. That night I spent quite a bit of time on Instagram with Cameron, Claire, Colby, Reagan & Addie. Fun to be connected with them!
Next day was Saturday so @2 we called Ben and then Jake…talking to each of them about 45 minutes. WhatsAp is such a gift to us! We went to find dinner & ate at the same place as last night because it was so good: shrimp & Schwarma first night and fish cakes & shrimp spring rolls the next. Back to our room, we called Bekah and spent almost an hour catching up with her. Later I noticed Sarah was active on Instagram so ended up talking to her and their whole family and even got to listen to Jake play the guitar. We felt like we'd spent the day with our kids & gkids! Between mosquitoes & a noisy fan, it was a long night. We ate granola bar for breakfast, read abit & I talked to an older lady from UK. She's been coming here for years helping a friend who runs a NGO to help young men learn to be very successful gardeners. It's honest work and takes some of the load off the women who do most the garden work. She said Gambia had improved some over the years but the work ethics remains extremely low. This airbnb is a good example. If something needs work…it probably won't get it because the owners live in Holland and the caretaker is lazy. We were eager to get out of here so by 11 we hailed a taxi to a hotel about 10 minutes away. SOOOO much better! Clean, air conditioning, flush toilet, a tub with hot shower, a huge pool and just a short walk to a beach. Oh nice it felt! After we settled in, we walked the beach but I had to return quickly cause I had a case of diarrhea. Ugh. Some meds, a hot shower & rest on a comfy bed was all I needed. Rog went off in search of some lunch. We have a TV so we watched that a little while & then worked on our Morocco trip. We shared a delicious shrimp/noodle dinner & had big dish of ice cream with chocolate sauce. Nice!

Gambia #12

Today we visited the Tanji Village museum. It included some examples of local plants, trees, crafts and a replica of an early center village…actually not much different than some that we've seen here now. There were several hides, mounted butterflies & insects and snake skins—all with a thick layer of dust. Most telling was an older poster with silhouettes of mammals in Gambia showing the past (many), present (15 or so) and future (5). Looking at it & thinking about what we've seen, I said to our guide…looks like you're already in the future. He sadly agreed. He said the gov't says they can't cut trees & brush on lots of the land but made a contract with the Chinese to buy lumber. Habitat is disappearing quickly. As in other places in Gambia, everything at this museum was in poor condition or non-existence. Our guide told us what use to be there. His 3 year old son was following us around to we gave him a balloon. He happily played with it as we sat down to listen to two drummers play for us with gusto. Eventually, the little boy sat between the drummers and with our encouragement, he too beat on the drum. He'll be playing soon! It was a good way to end our visit there. Considering what we've seen & heard, we decided to not go to Abuko Nat'l Park.
We came back to our Airbnb, hung our clothesline and soon had our wash drying. We read & played cards and then Rog went out front to get a beer and soon was off looking for a pig…
Here's his story:
I went with Lamin to look for a pig to be prepared in the kitchen here. After asking around a nearby community, he found some locals who led us through their garden to a shed that housed about 15 pigs. Lamin is a Muslim and does not eat pork, but he is fine with buying pigs from the Christians who raise them. He bought one for 6000 dalasi (about $100 US). They feed the pigs leftover food from restaurants. The garden was full of wonja and it was harvest time. The whole family was involved with picking, trimming, or carrying the crop to their house. It will take days to complete the job.

German food in The Gambia for dinner!
We are encouraged to ask for any dish we like so Why not kniffles?
Mirama told us that the area of Germany where she came from calls them spaetzle and she cuts the dough into boiling water. Along with goulash (beef in a spicy sauce) and cooked red cabbage it felt like we might be in Germany, or home.😀

We have had delicious food here! Yesterday we had hamburgers & French fries and I drank a Coke. Felt a bit like I was back home! We spent much of the day planning our trip to Morocco—just a couple weeks away. I wrote to Mariame from Morocco who we met in the Philippines and ask if we could meet up & if she had any advice. She wrote back and for the next hour bombarded us with advice and excitement about meeting up! How fun. We got lucky and were able to contact: Shan, Claire, Reagan, Bekah, Addie, David and Noah! What a treat! Later today we're headed closer to Banjul.
I did want to record a conversation we had with our German host which was similar to what our local driver told us. Gambia is seeing an increase in kids attending Muslim's schools where basically only the Koran is taught. More girls are covering their heads. These schools are being built & kids sponsored by people in Saudi Arabia. Students are being denied a full education and being held captive by their religion—the outcome Saudi Arabia is seeking. If true, it's another sad scenario.



Gambia #11

We moved on toward Banjul so we could check out a few other suggested sites. We're in an Airbnb near Tujereng. It's run by a German lady who's a great cook. She seemed delighted to serve us potato salad and ham on a huge plate soon after we arrived. The many monkeys around are kept away by her dogs. It's quiet and peaceful.
Here's Roger's thoughts:
"Kachadulaa Garden 2/7/22
The German lady who owns this place used to be a cook on a ship for East Germans. She learned to cook very well because they told her they would throw her over the side if the food was bad. A joke, I hope!
She (Mariama) came here after living for some time in Sweden, but now considers Gambia her home. Her friend, Carrie, lives a short distance away and comes to help with the kitchen work and waits tables. There are often many Europeans here for evening meals as Mariama is a great cook and offers dishes that are not commonly available here. Chicken Schnitzel, Ribeye steak, potato salad, etc.
Visiting with them we found that Carrie is in Gambia because she was being pressed to be vaccinated in Sweden and chose to leave rather than comply. She seems very content with her life here.
Mariama walks with a limp and says that she came here because the weather here allows her to move without pain. She has a Gambian husband and has no plan to return to Europe.
Her Gambian husband, Lamin, once took the back way to Europe and nearly died. They told us of their concerns for the future of Gambia….
"The children just want to use the phones and take pictures and see how people elsewhere are living. That encourages them to leave Gambia by taking the back way to Europe. They have no respect for their parents and don't listen to them because their parents cannot even read or write or even use a phone. The kids think they can find all answers using their phones. No need for education. So many young people have left Gambia that there are not enough to grow food…much land is idle."
It was a depressing view that we can only hope is not accurate."
Our second day here, a driver picked us up and first we ask to stop at an ATM. First two didn't work. While pulling up to another nearby one, a police office same over & started demanding something from our driver. A heated five minute argument followed. Our driver told us to get out and try the ATM while he sorted out the problem at the nearby police station. With a bit of help from the ATM attendant, we successes in getting money. Not long after, we spotted our driver who said all was well—the police captain knew him so no problem. As he said, Gambia is a small country and it doesn't take long to find someone you know. Evidently the fact that he and Rog did not have their seatbelt on between our ATM stops, was the problem. Cracks me up as you can see people hanging out the back of vans, riding on top of truck loads, piled on donkey carts…and they stop you for no seatbelt!
So we headed to Makasutu—which the guide book called a Cultural Forest. It too—like so much of what we've seen is past it's prime—even though it only opened 30 years ago. Most of what we were suppose to see wasn't there anymore. Two steps forward. One & a half back. That seems to be the reality here. They blame it on Covid but by the looks of things…Covid only added a bit to the backward direction. We took a boat ride through the mangroves & saw a few birds. Watched a man climb to the top of a palm tree to tap it for juice. A buffet lunch of African food was served…mostly cold but Rog liked it. While we ate, musicians played & one danced. Always tips are expected: boat paddles, climber, musicians, guide & driver. Adds up but it's the way workers here get their pay. We're told only gov't jobs have wages. Only the baboons who surrounded us while we ate didn't ask for tips!

Gambia #10

Paradise Beach…very appropriately named. Next to turquoise waves and a flat solid beach surface easy to walk on. Sand is fine, barely tan & mixed with tiny diamonds that sparkle. In the distance you have a view of Sanyang fishing village. Only a few other have found this gorgeous place. Breakfast is anytime; coffee, eggs & bread. We order a meal around 2 which is delicious fresh fish. We read and listen to pod cast while lying on the beach under palm trees. Occasionally, local girls will come to sell fruit which we enjoy later with our pb sandwiches. The girls often plop down besides us and chat…giving them a rest & shade and us a chance to hear about their lives and dreams. They play with my hair…so opposite of theirs. Young men on the beach play soccer, exercise and run. When I asked why they exercise, they tell me they want to build strong bodies which will helps their brains, give them longer lives and maybe a chance to win $$ at soccer. I listen to their many hopes and dreams…and worry for them. On the weekend, several large groups lugged grills, food, drinks, radios, speakers, drums and babies to the beach ready to party! No one swims but many play in the waves and take selfies. Their drumming and music sills the air until late. Surprisingly there seems to be no ocean spray & few mosquitoes. Five days here was a bit of Paradise!

Gambia #9

From Roger's pen:
We have been thinking about the economy here. Many people survive by selling vegetables or small items to their neighbors. They would love having the opportunity to get a good job. Improving the Gambian economy might be disastrous for the people and their culture.
If the country were to be modernized, it would mean better transportation, health care, education, more employment, industry, infrastructure, etc.
It would also bring addtional pollution and other problems that come with modernization. Likely their culture would suffer, tribal values may lose importance, and languages would change or disappear.
As the question of modernization looms, many Gambians have seen the possibility of a better life. They have decided to take "the back way to Europe" in search of opportunity, because they don't find it here.
They sail North along the coast in a desperate attempt for a better life, but often the boat does not reach its destination and is lost.
If they miraculously do reach Europe, the problems of proper identification, visa, etc. may still derail their plans.
Nearly everyone here knows several who have taken "the back way"…never to be heard from again.


Gambia #8

Up early and headed toward Georgetown. Buba and Miriana are quite a pair teasing each other and laughing all the time. Buba said, "If you're looking for trouble, you will have it with a Gambian woman." Miriana says Buba is a naughty boy…but a good dancer. They told us some of their tribe traditions. Buba is Fula. His 5 yr old son recently got circumcised and there was a huge celebration.. He then took him to a month-long school with 10 other newly circumcised boys. They will lay quietly with loose clothing for days listening to rules about proper behavior…especially respecting others. They won't bath while there. He says his son cries a lot but he calls him every day and looks forward to him coming home with good manners. Miriana tells us how important family is to her Mandinka tribe (& other tribes). They live together in compounds with wives joining their husband's. It's illegal to marry before 18. A man can marry up to 4 wives & he is careful not to favor one. He stays with a different one each week and that week she cooks lunch for the entire compound. Works for them!
About 11, we pulled off the main road & into a Fula family compound with. Mud houses/thatched roof, well, outdoor fire cooking area and no electricity. A pile of kids rushed out to meet us and soon surrounded us. We were escorted into a home which was filled with beds made of ceiba seed fiber. There was a woman pounding couscous to loosen the husk and be made into porridge for breakfast, a man who'd purchased a large bag of sugar & was making small bags for resale. Buying one day supply of most everything is all most can afford. Another made with a baby on her lap was shelling peanuts. She gave us a big bag & we slipped her some $$. Being Fula, she had decorative marks burned on her face & lots of earrings. Miriana brought out a bag of suckers & cookies and was mobbed as she passed them out. When that excitement died down, I blew up a ballon and tossed it up. The wind carried it & the kids chased it hitting it back up when it came down. Hearing that they would get no education made me a bit sad but how would it change their culture if they did? Is it right to think that would be best for them? Miriana says education is better than gold or silver.
Our next stop was Wassu round stone circles. Basically a grave for past chiefs. We drove on passing many broken down vehicles on the side of the road, meeting big trucks from Senegal and over loaded taxi vans. Amazing how high they stacked the loads on top. One even had two goats on it! When we arrived at River Gambia Nat'l Park, we braved the rickety dock to climb into a boat and head to Bamboo Island where chimpanzees are being relocated. We saw a few of those big boys up in the trees. We made a quick turn-around when we spotted 6 hippos. Bigger boys! We gave them plenty of space to put on a show for us. Buba teased Miriana saying we say 7. She got him back later saying he had chicken muscles. We continued east turning off just before Georgetown. The road was barely a driveway with massive holes & overgrown brush. Where were we going?? Monkeys greeted us as mud huts came into view. Our hotel. Even more scarce. No electricity. No water. We watched the monkey's antics for a bit and visited with a couple from Holland. They had spent the day visiting the family the man had lived with 30 years ago through Peace Corp. He was a U of M grad! They started cooking supper but since I'd been fighting a cold, I just ate a piece of bread with my peanut butter & crashed. For breakfast, they had fresh donut holes which were delicious & omelets. We fed the monkeys some peanuts & slowly made our way back to the main road. The ferry to Georgetown was close by so that's where we went. Georgetown is an island city. So many others with bags of stuff bought or ready to sell at the market. Horses, donkeys, goats & sheep mingled with women dressed so colorfully & elegantly many with babies tied around their waist. When the ferry arrived, Buba drove on & then all the passengers loaded. A short ride & we were there…right next to the building where slaves were held & sold. A guide led us down into a dungeon & told the story. Here they were for 14 days, chained if aggressive, a hole dug to low tide sea level used as water source. During high tide the water & all their waste was up to their chest. Food was shoveled down holes at the top. More than half died & were fed to the crocodiles. Those who survived were weighed & that determined price. Women's tits were squeezed for firmness. Teeth were examined. The purchased slaves were loaded on boats where another half would die. Slaves from Africa were more valuable because of their strength. Slaves from India were much weaker. Of course we knew this story….but sitting in the dungeon with the great grandson of someone who'd probably been there was a chilling experience. Letter we would talk to Buba & Miriana about it. They said what is past is past. Africans were to blame as well. They captured people from other tribes to sell for tea, metal, jewelry and mirrors. Mirrors to admire themselves in. How sad. They said in a way, there are still slaves today as nephews are often made to work for uncles without pay.
A little ways down the road, we came to the first Methodist church in sub- Sahara Africa planted in 1824. Nothing impressive. Actually the sign was rusty, bent over and barely readable. But it gave me a warm feeling the Methodist love reached this island where such deployable acts took place. It also made me sad the my own Methodist church has chosen to split from that founding church. A school was built in 1927 for the sons of chiefs and later others. The boss of our tour is currently building a huge hotel/conference center here in Georgetown so we stopped to see it. Such a huge dream1. Big restaurants on the roof top, elegant stairway & a pool. He plans to encourage boat trips from Banjul to here on mini cruise ships. You look around at all the crumbling, undeveloped surroundings and wonder, how is this dream going to be a reality???
We had a long ways to go so we made few stops but talked lots…about even politics and religion as freely as anything else. Gambia just ousted a president who'd ruled for over so yrs who was actually doing lots of good things like paved road, bridges, more women rights, better litter control (which they desperately need)—but at the expense of freedom. Many people just disappeared. No one felt they could disagree with anything. Senegal armed forces were invited to protect the president's home region where green flags flew everywhere in his support. He made it known he wanted to be named king & have his family continue reigning. He didn't accept the election results & was forced to flee the country. The new president is not getting as much done but the people are much happier. Gambia is mostly a Muslim country & every town has a mosque & you can her them calling people to pray 5 times a day. Many kids go to Muslim schools where they mostly just learn the Koran. Muslims don't drink alcohol so that eliminates lots of problems. Miriana's take on Christians vs Muslims: One God. Same. Same.
The country that surrounds them, Senegal is called a sister country and they have the same 7 or so tribes. Borders between them is open as most have family on both sides. Senegal is more developed.
We were getting close to where we'd booked an Airbnb so Miriana tried the contact number we were given. After several calls & a bit of arguing, she finally got it the right person with the right directions. Again we took what was barely a driveway quite a distance in search of our Airbnb. Actually found it…on a gorgeous beach. The caretaker hadn't got the message we were coming until a bit before we arrived and had no room vacant. He quickly re-did their store room that was almost finished.A bed, couch, table & chairs soon appeared and walla—a room for us for the next 5 days. toilet, Wi-Fi, water are usually working so we're happy. We were served almost cold cokes & since we had some left over bread, we ate pb sandwich & welcomed a most softer bed!!