woman in white
Image: Jones – The Gambia – 2009
Starting the journey at Baobab Area, Makasutu Culture Forest on 2nd November 2009
“if you speak English, do your donkeys understand you?” (smart question as the donkeys are from a Fula-speaking village after all) - A Gambian schoolgirl in Bansang town who we met on the road
A little Gambian boy walked up to me and timidly stroked my arm then he walks away, looking down at the hand that he touched me with, rubs his hands together and looks wonderingly at them again - Brifuu village
Sitting by the Gambia River at Kuntaur, drinking a rare cold Julbrew
The colour of the sky at sunrise – every morning whilst on the road
The never-ending generosity of the villagers we stayed with.
The incredulous reaction of people we met along the way, when they asked what we were doing and the best wishes that inevitably followed
Meeting an old friend, Mariamma, on the road.
Mesmerised by the bush fires against the pre-dawn sky on the way to Kerr Batch as we walked by. Some of them a little too close for comfort though!
“we are in their territory” Janneh – after we were complaining about the flies in the Fula village of Tuba Dabbo (wherever there are Fula’s there are cows and wherever there are cows there is muck, hence millions of flies!)
Watching Neil delicately eat melons and (p)Hadley devouring them!
Meeting four of the five female Alkalo’s in The Gambia – truly inspirational women
Crossing the Gambia River, with the donkeys and cart, in a small metal boat at Koina Tunda
Savouring a precious square of Green & Blacks chocolate!
Janneh’s (PG Tips) tea-making at 4.30am!
Laughing and dancing to Barry White on our little crackly radio on the road
Florio pretending that a piece of rope was a snake attacking him and Janneh thinking it was real (you had to be there!)!
Lounging in the hammock, reading Mungo Park, at Tuba Dabo
Sleeping in amongst the ancient stone circles at Kerr Batch – full moon overhead.
Finding the peaceful space in between the donkey cart and Janneh walking up ahead with Neil – away from the boys!
Eating freshly made lebidyo – a cassava leaf dish – for the first time at Kerr Batch
Lying and listening to an unexpected December shower pattering on the tent during the night at Njawara
The pre-dawn hours, spent walking through The Gambia, before the heat of the day kicked in
Finishing the walk (the journey continues) at Baobab Area, Makasutu Culture Forest, at 1.30am on 12th December 2009
Related posts:
- The Traditional Alkalo System, The Gambia – as used by A Short Walk in The Gambian Bush Expedition Team Tea with the Alkalo’s: all the villages that kindly permitted...
- A Short Walk In The Gambian Bush Expedition, 2009 – afterthoughts, musings and striking new B&W and colour images (to come!) from Jason Florio (and the odd one from Jones just so we can get a few pics with Florio in them too!!) from our walk around the Gambia, West Africa Apologies for the delay in updating but we have been...
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January 14th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
nice image H – conjures up thoughts of Siddhartha