Well, I must’ve been distracted last night when I posted the Touba & Toubakouta blog, because I totally forgot to actually tell you anything at all about Toubakouta! Not TOO much to relate, but a pretty hotel, with a relaxed bar, nice pool, good restaurant, and outstanding staff. Quite a bit fancier than where we had been staying the last few days, although we have absolutely no complaints anywhere, really comfortable accommodations and always friendly people.
Moving on and trying to keep things in sequence, the next stage in our adventure is that we crossed the border from Senegal into The Gambia, where we will stay for the next couple of days. The ferry was pretty chaotic — so many people, so many cars, so many trucks, so many vendors, and so little space on the boat! But all went well.
Senegal was French-speaking, The Gambia is English-speaking, and the feeling in the two countries is quite different. First stop here was Juffureh, thought to be the ancestral village of Alex Haley who wrote “Roots”; the Kinteh/Kinte family are still prominent in the area. From there, we took a boat across to the former James Island, which was rechristened Kunta Kinteh Island by the Gambian government in 2011. Sadly, this was originally a transit stop for enslaved people, who would be gathered here and then sent on to Goree Island before the transatlantic crossing. A place for reflection on man’s inhumanity to man.
Adventures in travel. That dining room view is gorgeous. The ferry would have given me pause – there are so many accidents with overcrowded ferries. That said, seems like you are having a great trip.
Hi Elizabeth. Really enjoying your adventures. I remember Juffureh from Roots. Quite amazing that you and Geoff are actually there. Can’t wait for the next instalment. 😊
Love your posts and travel overview. Looks fascinating.