Banjul

Hello everyone. Happy Birthday Gary!

The last night in Kaolack after my last post was one of my favorites so far; my friend Mijo and I got to go to a local club apart from the group and experience some local music. We danced all night; it was a really nice time. Also that city does not get very many tourists so no one even paid attention to us (well to a degree). It was great to spend a night out with locals and doing as they do.

So now we are settled for the remainder of our trip at two nice houses in Banjul, the capitol of The Gambia. It is much smaller and much more laid back than Dakar. There are just as many people in the city of Dakar as in the whole country of The Gambia. Everyone has a laid back pace, a lot of Rasta’s and a nice even speed. The main bonus..English! No more French for me to struggle through until I get back to Paris.

I really cannot say enough good words of the life and people here. Everyone is so friendly. Starting with the ferry ride over, the people are so interested in us and we are making friends quickly. Sometimes a little too quickly... ha ha. The first night we arrived after a looong day of travel could not have been more picture perfect. We went directly to the beach to watch the sun set over the Atlantic and sat out on the porch of our now favorite hang out and had drinks.

Our neighborhood is great, my house is right across the street from a Baptist school and church. I wake up every morning to singing and children playing. Every person you pass here…saying hello is a must. Greetings are a very important aspect of the culture. It takes a bit longer to walk down the street, but it makes everything feel so warm and inviting. Of course us being here is the news in the neighborhood... a lot of "are you those Americans my friend Essa met the other night?"

Monday we toured the city center. We went to the museum and the local markets. We got to climb up into a giant arch that the president Jammeh constructed in honor of himself. It was a great view of the city.

Today we got to visit with the US Embassy. It was really a strange feeling to speak with a group of other Americans again (I have not met any on the trip so far) I also had a really secure feeling walking through onto US soil in The Gambia. It is really nice to have such faith in your government; to know that they are there for you even so far from home. We met two wonderful diplomats one being the consular. They explained in depth what they did as their service and I was truly inspired. Now if only I could pass that exam! From there we visited with the Peace Corps headquarters. They have a very high # of volunteers here over 100. They live in rural villages creating cultural connections and doing projects.
<>
The work they are doing here is quite amazing. For such a small country with little strategic importance, the US has a lot of presence. The woman at the embassy said it was nice to see the direct results.

We hit another market today; I am getting a little better at bargaining, in between shopping and dealing with the very charming Gambian men. Now we stopped here at the café quickly before hitting the beach again for sunset. We have been eating very well…way too much actually!! The food here is amazing. The flavors and everything is all natural. I feel so much healthier. The pace of the trip has been a little slow for me and it is tough being stuck to the group for most of the day, but these are things that I expected. I can’t believe we have been in Africa for so long; the time is flying by so quickly. I am truly enjoying each moment. I cannot express to you how beautiful it is here. The vibrant colors of the mangos, flowers and dress of the people are incredible.

We drove past a women’s cooperative today that I plan on stopping by tomorrow or the next. We are also going to be visiting the health clinic. Thursday we are going to an event for the Miss Black USA pageant. It is the first time it has been held outside of the US. The slogan is “A queen is not defined by where she lives, but by where she comes from” I like that.

So life is good, I am feeling excellent. It helps that I am about to jump into the ocean.

Kisses,

Amie Marie