Banjul amd The Gambia, visa bashing!

Yesterday’s ride was long and very hot indeed! The distance travelled was relatively small but the time it took and the complications en route lead to a long day.

Tim and I set off early to try and make the journey before dark. Getting out of Lac Rose wasn’t too bad but it was dreadfully slow, we eventually hit the main road and made a good decision to ride on the peage toll road which skipped a few miles but was to end soon as the road, like everything in Africa, wasn’t complete and we were pushed into the towns and rural roads again.

It’s not so bad, or it wouldn’t be, if the fact that quite a lot of the cars are totally knackered and burn a lot of oil. This means that if you are travelling around the same speed you are basically riding in the fumes of burning oil. It’s not the best and you do try to get ahead but when you slow down for a village, as most responsible people would do, the oil burner overtakes you and you are back to square one. Blue haze, burning eyes, chocking smoke, the upside is you don’t have to worry about rust on your bike!

We passes through many villages today with local people selling local wares, from beans to coconuts, from peanuts to gravel etc etc.

Many of the locals try to flag you down for a ride but it’s not on my agenda so you just ride past with a smile.

I was short of local currency at one point and decided to pull in and try to change money at a bank. I waited patiently in the queue of 21 souls, Some with horrific BO! And when my turn came a long one hour later, I was told we don’t change money, I was not impressed as I had checked before joining the queue!

On the next stage of the journey the grass got greener, the cows roamed the roads and the cultures struck, as I passed the salt pans, where they dry sea water and export the salt we saw a flock of vultures descend on a carcass, the sort of thing you see on wildlife programmes with the vultures heads covered in blood as the plunge into the interior of the dead animal and gain their nourishment. It was a scene from hell with a whole flock of hunched backs erring the carcass to pieces, I should have photographed it but I was too amazed to be experiencing the sight and totally forgot. Another day on the road as we make our way south.

Riding through the salt pans was like riding through an oven on full blast sometimes you had to have your visor down as the heat was so intense, then that made it worse and your visor is up, hairdryer on full blast, on full heat and right into your eyes, it’s blisteringly hot, I am not exaggerating, I promise!

I had previously decided to wait till the border and change some cash there instead. All the delays had made us run late and we approached the border to be accosted by money changers and border officials. We got through the border but ended up paying for passevent, the vehicle permit, which actually is free. Yet another scam by border officials but nothing could be done about it. I asked for a receipt but was met with shouting major who was threatening and very load. I wasn’t impressed and made this clear. This resulted in the next bit one incident to log down in the memory bank.

i went to change money and was suitably scammed by the money changers, this was not apparent at the time but it cost me about £100 in lost currency. I’m no mug but I know right now that I’m £100 down and that doesn’t sit well with me.

Anyway I changed the money but ended up light! Next on the list was the drug squad! As I made a big fuss at the passevent scam we were pulled for a drug search. Not really a problem as I’m not in the business of pushing my luck in that way but the inconvenience factor hit a higher scale. There we were, clean as a whistle but had all, and I do mean all of our stuff searched for drugs, they even wanted to see any prescription drugs and would be charging for any of that stuff too. A couple of years ago and I might have been locked up for the amount of prescription stuff I would have had, but thankfully now I’m totally free of that so they had nothing to go with.

I told the drug squad guy he should concentrate on giving his son a better life rather than scamming honest travellers and I have to say that we parted on good terms but the whole debacle was due to the fact that I kicked up a fuss and challenged their scamming.

Scammed I was but I left holding my head high, they still won though, this is Africa.

nNext stage was a 16 ride to the ferry ticket office, I couldn’t catch up with Tim as we passed the office so I pulled in and bought our ferry tickets, meanwhile Tim though I had hit a goat or something and looked back to find me, I set off for the port and we crossed, he went one way and I went the other.

This is one of the reasons I like to travel alone, you only have to look after yourself and this is history repeating itself. In the end we both ended up at the port and we boarded the ferry to Banjul and The Gambia, another country to tick off the list for me.

The crossing was fine and we met some interesting local bikers on the ferry. Upon disembarkation we got separated again, I probably took the wrong road and ended up on a dirt track and Tim went with the traffic flow. We eventually found each other and followed the busy traffic into Banjul in the dark. Tim really doesn’t like riding in the dark and heavy traffic and it took us ages to find the campsite.

Pitching in the dark is fine for me but it really isn’t for everyone, Rim and I both decided right there and then that travelling alone is the better option and I agreed to go it alone from here on. I started this trip alone and I’m ready to ride alone again, it’s the best way for us both and I’m looking forward to my onward journey.

The campsite at Sukura Camping is a German run site and is very efficient, the site is immaculately clean and well organised, they charge for everything but at least you know where you stand. I pitched next to an East German who was Overland if in a Mercedes 4WD van, he was a nice enough chap but he was drunk and load and kept shouting at his dog. The dog lived under the van and had dug huge holes in the immaculately flat cap spots. He was playing load music but I enjoyed his choice and got on with food and hydration and slept well.

I woke early and decided to walk to my first visa application some 1.5 hours distant. It was lovely to take my brisk walk through the sandy and sometimes wet streets passing the time of day with locals, often being referred to as ‘Top Man’ not the best old school store on the UK bit it raised a smile anyhow. I spotted a ‘Courfoir’ or hairdresser and decided I was long overdue for a trim, I opted for a No1 and duly sat at the barbers chair. Hair off, beard trimmed and a little cut or so to my thought and I was off into the heat of the day a little lighter but ready for the Guinea visa application.

I took a cab to find passport photos and jumped the queue to get a dozen on the bag, back to the embassy I filled in the forms and paid my dues to be told to pick up the visa tomorrow, this o refused and pushed for later in the day. The commissioner told me to call him at 2.00pm so I took his number and set off to find a SIM card to be able to do just that. Complications again arose as I need I’d to get a SIM so I need my passport which is with the Guinean embassy, no problem , I can use my licence but that is locked in my PAC Safe bum bag and the key is an hour away at the campsite! I break into my own security and get the SIM card anyway and have a brilliant half hour with the young girl selling the SIM.

So I head back and 1.5 hours later I’m back at the campsite and breaking out the bike to go and collect my Visa for Guinea, that one is in the bag now so I ride out to find the Sierra Leone Embassy.

Its not where it should be! I search and search but it isn’t there so I give up and head back. I’ve had enough for the day so meet with Tim and we decide to head off to the beach for some relaxation. We break in to an ‘all inclusive resort and rob their WiFi whilst sitting by the pool and drinking beer.

A long long walk on the beach where I get hit and soaked by a big wave leaving my looking like I’ve had an accident! Dryer off by more walking and heading for more beer by another pool. We walk out of the manicured resort and shop at a resort supermarket for beans, wine, ginger nuts and meat. As I’m at the till I spot a mornings oil affair and pick it up to have a closer look, after reading the label I realise it’s a sex gel and yelp, quickly putting it back, but I was spotted by the girl on the door and she laughs out loud, I laugh too and slightly red face head outside, she’s still amused as I walk away, she winks and I quicken my step!

We hastily grab a cab to get us back to the camp site.

Julio has just arrived and his bike has behaved well we eat and drink wine and mull over the events of the day, all is good.

Refreshing shower before bed and looking forward to another day of challenges!

I quite like The Gambia!