Update: Added many more building pictures to the album today. I‘m still working hard on moving the blog content. The host I had before, didn’t want to let go of the content, so, for the past 2 weeks, I’ve been moving everything manually. Sorry for the inconvenience, just keep coming back once in a while..
Riddle: what do insects have to do with an iron ?
There aren’t many dangerous animals in the Gambia: crocodiles (in the river), hyena’s (in the bush), hippo’s, some snakes (also in the bush and most of them not poisonous) and that’s it. You’re much more likely to suffer from worms, for example, and insects like mosquitoes that spread malaria. And then, there’s the mango fly. A mango fly (picture not mine) plants eggs in sand and even in the seams of your laundry hanging out to dry. This way, little worms can enter your skin, grow there, while eating your flesh, and when they’re fully grown they crawl out. Altogether that’s a really painful experience. I’ve seen pets and people suffer from it. That’s a reason why Gambians always iron everything, even their jeans. I promise never to make fun of it again… Want to have a horror? Google “mango fly” and you’ll find some really grewsome movie clips. ..
Since there’s no building going on at the moment, I thought I’ll use the time and space to recommend some of my favorite places. Like Tanjeh. On the road from the airport to Tintinto, driving to the south, you’ll cross this fisherman’s
village. Around 3, 4h. in the afternoon the boats come in and the village becomes very lively. The village is hard to miss, because of the particular smell of the fish smoking that it’s also famous for.
Smells like business! It has a fish and vegetable market, a gas station, and quite a variety of little shops and restaurants.
You’ll see refrigerated trucks loading fresh freight to provide the rest of the country with fish.
Gambian meals often have fish as an important ingredient, which you won’t get any fresher than here. And, of course, on all those other fish markets in the Gambia, like Ghana Town and Bakau, another big one.
Happy Koriteh, everybody, to you and your families !
solar panels, but they are water heating panels with really thin tubes in which water is pumped through into a tank underground. The panels are exposed to sun and heat all day long and I can tell from experience: the water is hot! And it’s wonderfully luxurious to have a hot shower in a hot country like the Gambia once in a while. I stayed in many hotels -even 5 stars- and lodges in the Gambia over the years and Lemon Creek Hotel is my favorite. The hotel left a part of the original forest intact, so the surroundings are beautiful. The staff is really happy and proud to work there, the management is very competent and creative and the hotel promotes sustainability by just doing it. It even has its own organic vegetable garden and livestock. So the food can’t be any fresher, and the boiled eggs at breakfast can’t be any creamier..
Ramadan has started this week-end. And most people in the Gambia are Muslims. In this month, they’re not supposed to eat, smoke or drink during the day. Because Ramadan follows the Muslim calendar, every year, it starts a little earlier then the year before. This year, in the raining season, imagine the hot weather. And no food no drink, not even a drop of water during the daytime. Everybody who works during this month, specially when you’re doing this hard physical labour, you all have my utmost respect..Picture: driver carries his rug (for prayer) with him
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