Senegal, again ☺

Our route

The 1 January we landed early morning in Dakar at the new airport Blaise Diagne International Airport. It was very nice building, not so tight as the old one in Dakar.

Our taxi hotel sent to pick up us there was a little delayed, but that was no surprise. I booked the hotel as near as possible but anyway it took about half hour especially because after paved road it became be only piste so it was not possible to drive faster of course.

Hotel was new, not big at all with a couple of rooms only so it was nice, located in Guereo. I not like big hotels. It was nice view over the beach and the sea.

 

Though we stayed there only the arrival night and one night more. Because we rented a car we have pick up it at the airport during the day. Next day we continued directly towards Palmarin, to little village Djiffer where we would stay 4 nights and explore the area there.

It was nice driving, I like to drive so I enjoyed it. It was around 120 km along the coast and we arrived to Djiffer afternoon. It took a little time before I found the hotel, due our lack of French it was not so easy to ask, but at finish we were lucky and one old man he could speak English a little, strange. But he told that he was living before in England so he learnt there a little. But now he is back home and is happier than there in England where he stayed a couple of years only. Were missing home so as soon as it was possible he moved back.

We were doing Delta du Saloum, by small motorboat over to delta. It was blowing a bit, but when we arrived to mangrove, there it was nice and pleasant journey through the various channels. Bushes were full of oysters hanging on after the rain, when the water was high they got stuck there. Our "sailor" has picked several pieces and when we landed on a beach he opened fire there and grilled them. They were so good, I could eat them the whole time. But of course they ended.

One big ship was there, I think they repaired it

On the way back we found many sea-mew and one and other pelican relaxing on one small island. 

 Djifferis one small fish village but with a big life. People were running here and there, even drinking coffe as we did also, pity only that we cannot speak French, it would be nice to could communicated with them. All looked to be happy and busy either of the work or also of the game.

After a couple of days we continued our trip to Casamance. I wanted to go over Gambia on the wne one Senegambia bridge to compare my earlier experience by ferry from Soma to Farafenni with this easy and fast crossing the Gambia and I was very curious how it will be.

Before we arrived to Gambia we stayed one night near the border, out of Nioro du Rip, it was so nice part there. I could think to stay there a couple of days and do some safari there. Wonderful nature there, near Senegambian stone circles, but unfortunately we had no time to go and see. Next time I will plan something there.

And of course it was going really smooth and it could be much better if there after the bridge were not a police which harassed me, lying that I not stopped when I should stop.
I tried to explain him that there were never any police sign, no police either. But the policeman insisted and wanted take my driving license which I denied of course so he said to me to drive back to the police and pay a fine to him. I did it, but was really angry, it almost cooked in me.



After crossing the border to Senegal or rather now to Casamance, it felt so free, incredible. I don't like the Gambia and the police there. Every time there is a problem with them. If they don't bother me, they want get at least one pen or something to give them. But I never give them something in any case. Oh.

So we arrived in Abene and stayed there and rested, especially my friend who was a little tired after all the rides. But every day I still took him on an excursion around, to the harbor and fishing village there, or to the lagoon.

Another day we went to Ziguinchor just like that, I wanted to go to the border there with Guinea Bissau and take some information about, in case we would next take "a turn" there, I am pretty much craving for several years now, but so far it was not done.

 








It was nice landscape,
with more tight forest and even the road. I arrived until the border but there I wanted not take pictures due police there. It was one little chaotic village Mpak, but clean on some way.

More we didn't there, relax and I was going to the beach but not swimming, wave did not possible to swim, but it was nice there looking over the sea. Not so much life were there, I mean not much people, as usual actually. That I like, not to be and crowd me among many people.

Then came the day we must go back. I chose the same road across the Senegambia bridge, but decided to cross the border in Seleti and drive on the South road in Gambia to Soma. It was a good decision, the road was good, initially not so empty but later free and no police. Here and there any check point but not bothered police in any case. ☺

But before to go back home we stayed 4 nights in Popenguine in one wonderful place on the beach. The hotel was very small and nice, just a few meter from the sea. We had a room with wonderfull view there, I said then that there could not be a better ending to our journey than this. But then I did not know what was waiting for us last night before we would fly home.

Every morning came two women with full baskets of clothes, shawls, necklaces, etc. came to this little booth, and hang all clothes and other things neat and tidy on the ground under the roof there. Unfortunately, there were not many tourists who bought something. Neither do I though I saw where a dress I liked. However, it was not long and I wanted a long dress, so I not bought nothing.
And every night these two women gathered all together and laid in baskets and went home. To come next morning again and ...

It was the last day when we would leave the car and go to our last stopover I have found near the airport, in Sindia it was.
It was a really pleasant surprise. Even though I knew it would be just a bungalow and thought it was nothing further, but it also fit well in terms of price as we would stay there just a few hours before we were going to the airport. Our flight went at 2.00AM, but instead of sitting all night at the airport, especially when my friend can't walk that much, I thought it would be OK.
But it turned out that it was more OK than I thought.

 

 

 

It was a very special place and I liked both the place and our hosts too a lot. It was located in the baobab area outside Sindia, on Accès Accro-Baobab.

The hosts were very nice people and had a little 3 year old boy Samba who was a happy kid.
The stay was a bit unique. Don't expect any luxury that you get at a luxury hotel, but you will get another and more valuable luxury.

So it was our trip this time. I like Senegal and Casamance very much and as it will be possible I will go there more times and maybe, maybe take a little tour into Guinea-Bissau. It would be interesting.

Senegal - Casamance

So, I have traveled to Casamance again. Wanted to have a nice warm weather and due my friend's bad mobility I chose to go to Abene, to Atlantic hotel, again. It is really pleasant place, close to the sea, with comfortable room and good food. Nice owner Patrick and his mother took good care of us, don't talk about helpful staff who helped my friend so much as possible. Every day, morning and evening they helped him to move back and forth from the room to the nice terrace from where it was a beautiful view towards the sea.

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.

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.

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.