Monday, April 12, 2010

My Travelling Times

So I went on a small trek about 2 weeks ago and this is what I experienced. The gelle gelles are slow and everyone's site is very nice. I visited a friend in a village about 60k from me first. This was a great stay her family was very nice and we ate well. I ended up talking in some in Wolof better than I expected. I got a wife and moved on. The next day, I took a gelle to a once bustling town of Jangjangbureh. In its hey day JJ was a huge town (In Gambia Standards.) When river traffic was at all time high in The Gambia JJ was the place to be. Now the town is dying and there isn't much to do there. Our lunch was good. I had a few beers with my friends and went to visit another site. Once I arrived I immediately realized my language was useless. Everyone there spoke Mandinka and in the Gambia many locals who know Mandinka only speak Mandinka. Needless to say I only spoke to my friends while there. My two friends who live there cooked incredible food and I was really comfortable. The next morning we set out for a Taiwanese Co-op. On the way there we were biking and out of nowhere a troop of 200 baboons crossed the road in front of us. We stopped and watched it was one of the coolest things I have seen yet. There was only one issue. We were to close when they crossed and as they got to the other side the baboons started shaking the trees and screaming at us. We bolted. A little later we passed a little girl on the side of the road. As we passed she said "Toubab give me your liberty!" I stopped and laughed. We went on to the co-op. At the co-op was drank and eat our full for 3 days. I came back and went to visit another friend farther south. We had a good time. Back home I went. Back at site my host father and I finished building a new fence in my backyard. It is really nice. I will have some pics soon. My host father also finished constructing his new home. He is moving in tomorrow morning. His house is maybe 50 feet from mine now. I think it should be nice now that my host family will be closer to me. Before they were literally on one side of the village and I on the other. I have come back to Kombo to have my 3 month training. My IST was very helpful and long. Now it is over and I have three days mandatory meeting and I am going back to site again.

1 comment:

  1. Wow, you're having some experience, huh? I caught the part about the wife....is there something we should know?

    It's so cool that you're getting to wander about and experience all these different things that you would never, ever see in this country. I'm envious!

    Take care sweetie....it is always good to hear from you and have a little story about your life right now.
    Aunt Kathy

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