We flew with RAM from Stockholm via Casablanca to Banjul where we arrived at night so we stayed over there at hotel Ous and Buwa, very near the airport. But I not recommend this hotel, it was not hotel, not according those pictures they show on booking.com. Room was terrible, outside in the garden also. But we stayed there only until next day when we leaved to Abene.
In Abene we rented a car so we could drive around and not be depending of taxi and so. We got a 4x4 so I could drive even in the forest there around, because it is so much to see there. Not only go on asphalt. Unfortunately there it is only one road from Abene, either to Kafountine or if one want to see more of Casamance he need to go any time to Bignona. The road is a little boring after a while if you travel there often as we did. Many police controls, many road block so you not drive too fast etc. So it was perfect we had possibility to rent 4x4.
Every day we drove through forests, to lagoons, visiting small villages around and so. I never have driving 4x4 before so in begin it felt a little heavy to drive the car, but after some days I began be better and better and I liked to drive through forest on small sandy ways. Only drove without any goal, I found so many different places so I enjoyed very much. And it was also exciting if we find back to hotel again because sometimes I lost direction and thought Abene is to right, so we drove and drove and Abene was nowhere. So I got to ask in one village and they showed me I had to go to left, not to right.
One day we gone to lagoon, but it was wrong time and no water was there. Each 6 hours come water and after sex hours disappear again.
But next time we have been lucky and water began to come back, so we were sitting there looking and enjoying there.
It would be nice to take trip by boat, that we did once before, but now due my friend's problem to go it would be even difficult for him to take this trip. It is necessary to start early when the water is more far from the beach so we have a chance then to stay longer out in the lagoon and not need to go back soon, due the tide.
We did trip also to Kafountine, an harbor 10 km from Abene. So many pirogs (theirs typical boats) there are and also so many people and fish and smell, ☺. It is really interesting to stay there and look at fishermen when they repair their fish nets, sort fish or just stand and talk.
There are also such strange huts and I don't know what it is for, if they cook fish there or what. I know they let fish dry in the sun, but this was something new for me. And I had nobody to ask about, or nobody, there were many men, but they talk only French, which is my problem.
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| here they dry the fish |
and here are those strange huts, unfortunately not so good pictures, but ...
One day we were going to Ziguinchor and from there I thought we would take the road to Kolda along the Guniea-Bissau border. Originally, I thought to take a short trip there in Guinea-Bissau, but did not want to pay so much for a visa to stay there for a two days max. Plus we had Gambian car so it would not go.
To have a Gambian car, it proved wrong very soon. Already before we arrived to Ziguinchor. Outside the town there was police check and they flipped us aside and wanted to see all the documents including. car's paper. They could only speak French, which was a problem for us and we did not understand anything when they said something in the style that we shall going to the police station in town.
I opposed and did not want to do it, wondered why, but it did not work so we had to follow a police officer at their office. Luckily, the boss was talking a little English so we got the explanation that because the car was gambian, I had not right paper with me. That on the customs declaration would be my name and not the name that was there, therefore his who lent us the car.
We were sitting there a long time, the officer was looking at computer, I tried to call owner of the car but he not responded. But then I said to the officer if he not let us go with the car then I will complain at Swedish embassy. And what not happened suddenly? The officer gave us our paper and said Go, so we finally got to go. With the car.
Then the owner of the car called me and said maybe we would turn back to Abene, because in Kolda as he know the police there is worse than in Ziguinchor.
To have a Gambian car, it proved wrong very soon. Already before we arrived to Ziguinchor. Outside the town there was police check and they flipped us aside and wanted to see all the documents including. car's paper. They could only speak French, which was a problem for us and we did not understand anything when they said something in the style that we shall going to the police station in town.
I opposed and did not want to do it, wondered why, but it did not work so we had to follow a police officer at their office. Luckily, the boss was talking a little English so we got the explanation that because the car was gambian, I had not right paper with me. That on the customs declaration would be my name and not the name that was there, therefore his who lent us the car.
We were sitting there a long time, the officer was looking at computer, I tried to call owner of the car but he not responded. But then I said to the officer if he not let us go with the car then I will complain at Swedish embassy. And what not happened suddenly? The officer gave us our paper and said Go, so we finally got to go. With the car.
Then the owner of the car called me and said maybe we would turn back to Abene, because in Kolda as he know the police there is worse than in Ziguinchor.
It was too late, we were hungry so we gone to one cafe there and ate a little. Then we would search after some hotel. But of course all hotels was busy and we could not find the room. But I knew about one hotel, Casa Motel outside Ziguinchor, so we drove there and there we got room. It was very nice comfortable hotel. Also perfect bathroom for the less mobile people like my friend.
Next day I decide me to continue towards Kolda as I was thinking though warning for to not go there due a bad police. But I wanted to see this side of Casamance also.
The road was nice good maintained thanks American people as it shows the sign here.
Otherwise it was no difference between landscape there before Ziguinchor and here, of course.
It was going good first hour or a little less maybe when we came to first police control. The policeman took my passport and driving license and gone to his office under the tree. Could not take a picture of course, but such offices are usually in Casamance (and not only there but in West Africa often. After a while he came back, gave me my papers and said Go. So it was good and we continued.
There were lagoons also, dry, without water. Yet. It would be nice to see it with more water than it was, but wrong time for us to be there.
About further one half hour we came to police control again. Policeman took this time only my driving license and disappeared. He have been away for quite a while, I thought, when he came back and wanted to see the car paper. Han studied it very very long time, but surprisly he gave me back everything and also he said Go. So I gone. But began to wonder if it is worth to try and be excited every time we come to new police control. It was quite long to Kolda and was thinking how many such police controls can be on the road. And how there it will go. Say he also Go or take the car from us? Or he will suggest that if I "contribute" a little for to drink something or eat? Though it never happened such in Senegal and Casamance, but in Cameroon and Ivory coast yes.
I made stop then, drove off the road, found one nice place under one nice tree in the shadow and took one cigarette. And wondered if we continue or turn back to Abene anyway. Owner of the car would not be much happy to need and go to somewhere and pick a car. Even if he should know, that somebody other than he may drive his car, when it is a Gambian car.
I let my daughter decide, haha, I mean we were 2 person and it says let 3 persons decide. So my daughter was the third, I sent SMS to her and she voted to go back to Abene. So we were 2 who would go back. So I turned and we gone back. Our friend at the control smiled at us, waved for us and let us go without one more control, of course.
So such was end on my planned trip around there via Kolda. Anyway, I got to know, that the landscape was the same as around Abene and around Kolda and Velingara and overall I drove through Casamance earlier years.
And since that I drove only around Abene in forests there and to Kafountine and behind and max to Diouloulou - wonderful, and also funny name. ☺ The picture is from the square and roundabout in Diouloulou.
The cemetery that locals made for those drowning who did not survive the descent of a boat when it wrecked in the storm in the ocean. And they wrote a poem, unfortunately in French so I do not know what it says.
Our nice lazy days was finished and we had to go back home, to the cold snowy Sweden again. 
