The Armchair Traveler - The Gambia
My goal is to avoid writing about the places I’ve been in order to discover peculiar destinations far removed from the familiarity of American comfort. To deliberately dodge popular tourist locations and widen the human experience. And while I do that, every so often, I find a place to add to my bucket list.
The Gambia is an interstice of land that straddles the river it’s named after. A tiny nation completely surrounded by Senegal except for the fifty miles of breath-taking coast along the western side of Africa. Its shape and size are the result of territorial compromises made by Great Britain, which controlled the lower Gambia River, and France, which ruled the neighboring colony of Senegal.
The Gambia gained independence from the British Empire in 1965, so English is still the official language. The largest ethnic group in The Gambia is undoubtedly the Mandinka who are descendants of the Mali Empire (1230-1600 CE), and speak Mandinka. If you’re wondering why “The” is placed in front of “Gambia” as the official name, it’s to keep it from getting confused with Zambia, a separate country in the southern part of Africa.
West Africa is of course ground zero for the Atlantic slave trade, so there’s that. In fact, Juffure is the ancestral village of the main character of Alex Haley’s well-known novel Roots. There’s a slave museum there now.
Should you decide to journey into Senegal,it can be done with the purchase of a visa. Approximately two hundred miles north, resting off the coast is Gorée Island. And on it is a fortress known as the House of Slaves. This is where outbound African slaves would be processed and shipped by middle-men from mainland West Africa. A place where traders could visit and purchase slaves before leading them through what is now called the “Door of No Return.” Millions of slaves were processed there and throughout the region during the three centuries the Atlantic slave trade operated.
I guess it just depends on your priorities. Obviously, it’s historically significant but a little out of the way. However, Gorée Island is just off the coast of Dakar, where pickpockets are out in droves. If you’re looking for an adventure, walk around at night. Make a sport out of it.
They’ve made a game of mugging tourists at knifepoint along the Route de la Corniche-Ouest. Some say they’re so good at it, they can grab your bag from a passing scooter. Dakar's notorious street hustlers and hard-to-shake-off traders do a pretty good job turning a stroll around town into a mild punishment. But I hear if you keep a fast and vigilant pace they'll eventually leave you alone.
Good times.
Meanwhile, back over the border into The Gambia, treat yourself to a couple of nights at the Mandina River Lodge, a gorgeous boutique eco-retreat in the Makasutu Culture Forest, where you’ll find a personal guide to lead you on walks to watch the baboons. Wild animals are under pressure from the human and domestic animal populations, but in the middle and upper river areas there are warthogs, monkeys, baboons, antelope, pygmy hippopotamuses, snakes and crocodiles to name a few.
In addition, more than 500 species of birds live throughout the country. Bijilo Forest Park, along the Atlantic coast, the Abuko Nature Reserve upriver from Banjul, Kiang West National Park, farther inland, and River Gambia National Park (also known as Baboon Island National Park) are all terrific places to see more bird and wildlife than I can list. The best time to see wildlife in West Africa is December to April.
The Wassu Sone Circles are burial sites constructed about 500-800 CE. Little is known about the people who built the structures, but each stone weighs several tons and is between 3.5 to 7.5 feet in height. There's a well-presented museum with exhibits discussing the possible origins of the ancient African culture that built them.
Anyway, there’s a lot to do for such a small country and I’m betting you could really pack a week’s worth of activities. Just inside Banjul, the country’s capital, you can arrange to live with a Gambian family for a day at a traditional family compound wearing a traditional Gambian outfit. After you sit to eat you can dance, participate in games, maybe even meet that special someone.
Just be careful of the cobras and remember to get your malaria shot.
