The Gambia a narrow country that sits where the Gambia River flows into the Atlantic ocean. It is almost completely surrounded by Senegal. Banjul is the capital and 4th largest city of The Gambia, which is classified as a developing or "Third World" nation.
As of late yesterday, the extra security that Oceania brought onboard was sent home. With a sigh of relief, we put our jewelry back on, and we can now leave our curtains open, lights on and go back to normal both on and off the ship. Of course we will continue to exercise caution as any tourist should in crowded places.
Yesterday we took a “Highlights of Banjul” tour that carried us to several places around the city. Driving around from the elevated position of a tour bus (thankfully air conditioned!) didn’t allow for the best quality photos, but the slow and sometimes stalled traffic did provide the opportunity to take a lot of them. Hopefully this sampling will provide a glimpse of what life is like in a busy and crowded African city.
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| busy market area |
Our tour included a trip to a batik factory, the Gambian National Museum, the Katchically Crocodile Pool, market area streets and the Banjul Albert market. I took waaaay too many pictures!
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| Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool & Museum |
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| photo op with a live crocodile |
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| 100+ crocodiles |
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| thankful for zoom! |
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| Gambian National Museum |
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| learning about their heritage |
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| explaining batik process |
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| friendly worker |
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| batik for sale |
A few facts about The Gambia – there is a lot of poverty here. It is 95% Muslim with 3 main sects – Sunni, Ahmadiyya and Shi’ite (Sunni being the large majority). I’m guessing this probably reflects the differences in women’s attire. Sharia law is practiced here and polygamy is common.
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| all of these women managed to get inside this tuk tuk! |
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| Sunni woman sells potatoes & onions |
Perhaps this (polygamy) relates to the fast growth rate? The population of the city proper is 26,461 with the 2026 metro area population of 527,000.
Petty theft and violent crime are on the increase, especially in crowded markets and public transportation.
Below are some observations I made as we rode through the city and saw Gambians going about their everyday lives.
* People sell whatever fruits/veggies/fish/crafts they have. If not dealing with a customer, they are looking at their phones while others (mostly men) sit idle.
* Cars, bicycles, pedestrians, scooters, donkey carts and wheelbarrows all contend for the same road space.
* Women carry heavy loads on their heads and babies on backs, sometimes both at the same time.
* Trash is EVERYWHERE.
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| they don't seem to be bothered by it... |
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| ....although it is very noticeable to visitors |
* There are an unusual number of old tires lying around.
* Buildings are run down.
* A lot of shoes are in the markets – some used and some new.
* Goats run loose along the roads, in the market (I saw one standing inside the house)
* Most of the cars are older models that need body work. Cars that haven’t been driven in awhile sit covered with brown dirt.
* It is amazing how many people can squeeze inside a mid-sized vehicle (9 or 10).
* Our tour was interrupted once while we waited for our guide to pray (Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day as part of the 5 Pillars of Islam).
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| lots of un-driveable cars sit idle |
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| picnic at the mosque |
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| field trip to the Sacred Crocodile Pool |
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| bicycle girl |
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| market lady |
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| delicious mangos for sale |
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| along for the ride |
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| wood carver |
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| malnourished goats run loose |
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| sidewalk egg seller |
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| blackened fish? |
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| a busy market street in Banjul, The Gambia |
I could say a lot more about our walk through the market. It was a total sensory experience, and not in a good way. The heat, flies and terrible odor (plus the threat of pickpockets) prevent one from being able to enjoy it for very long.
As I said, I took way too many photos, and I'm posting more than I usually allow myself. There are likely nicer parts of the city that we did not see (?) but hopefully these are an accurate representation of what life is like for many people in the city of Banjul, The Gambia.
Thank God if you were born in the United States of America!
