Updated
March 19, 2004

Dave had kept us all very amused since we met them at the airport and Mary had her moments especially after a few, what Mary described as 'afternoon cups of tea'!!!

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Dave found GTS and joined almost as soon as we launched the website.

Dave collected money towards the cost of the container trip, and now after nearly a year we were to see him and a friend for two weeks, part of it staying with us at Manjai.

Mary really didn't want her picture taken, but she was great and we missed them both when they left.

Similar to their Gele Geli but packed full

The journey to Georgetown recalled here minute by minute shows what 7 hours in a tiny bus can do to you...

Dave missed out the live chickens and goats on the roof, but you'll get the general idea of the fun you can have for just over £3 each

Gambia's cheapest form of long distance travel.

Leaving on a Monday they were supposed to be back on the Thursday - ... when Friday arrived we were worried, but home they came late Saturday and we laughed about their trip until Tuesday when they flew home.

Happy to be back at Manjai

Fo and Dave

Fo and Mary

Dave has since bought a Landrover and is now fitting it out to bring to the Gambia via Paris, Portugal, Gibraltar, Tangiers, Fez, Marrakesh, Western Sahara Dakar and Banjul.....

Hopefully in 2003

.... Now that will be an interesting journey.

06:10 Foday wakes us up at Manjai and we stumble around trying to wake up and get our last bits and pieces together.

07:20 We get to the bus point in Serrekunda and trail along behind Foday like little lost lambs to the slaughter... how little did we know !!

07:30 Foday gets us seated in a battered blue transit van and goes off to get us some water and bread for the journey.

'This does not look so bad me thinks..'

08:00 We now have a full completement of passengers after much shouting, arguing and the like... my fellow passengers include 3 children ranging in ages from about 6 weeks to 4 years old.

08:10 The journey starts, the trip I am told should take about 5 hours, this seems not too bad and we head out of Serrekunda.

08:25 We have now stopped about 4 or 5 times to buy water, bread, newspapers for passengers and for the driver to chat to his many 'mates' along the way.

The chuckle bus as I like to refer to it, has a smell of incense, similar to a Chinese house.

To Abuko, through Lamin and past the enterence to Yundum Airport

09:05 We are stoppped at a place called Mandinaba (outside the police station, id cards and passports are checked..funny thing being that those who do not have them, merely just ignore the Policeman and he does the same with them..'funny thing that'

There is an amazing amount of road building occuring, the red dust swirling around and getting in the chuckle bus and making us laugh..

09:15 We stop again .... for reasons unkown to anybody it would appear...back on the move in a few minutes.

09:37 Another stop at Kafuta.??

10:05 Stopped again, this time to feed/change babies and re-strap the mass of luggage to the not so sturdy roof-rack.... back on the move again.

'Well that seemed to work, all babies seem contentand quiet'

10:19 This is getting a little monotanious, another stop...at Sibanor

10:21 Passed Sitta Village.

'Most of these little stops in little villages seem to be for the drivers lacky to get out, run over to the policeman and give him a little bribe, this seems to be the case as each time the lacky gets out he clutches a 5 dalasis note and comes back empty handed'.

10:32 Another police stop.Passports and id cards checked.. .if you have them !!

10:51 On the move again.

11:00 Police stop, the policeman, just looked amused that a tubaab (white man) was on a Gele-Gele (long distance taxi)

11:02 On the move again.

11:25 Kalagi.- Police stop - Check point..not checked though.

'I am aware though that the local authorities are a little concerned about the number of immigrants coming over the border from Senegal (Casamance), the reason for such migration seems to be the conflicts within the Casamance area.'

11:27 On the move yet again...can you tell that frustration is occuring?

11:32 Passed a village named Kenaba.

11:43 Passed a village named Kwinella.

12:06 Another stop, reason unkown.

12:13 On the move again.

12:15 Passed through Soma and the customs point, we were not stopped but it looked like a very very busy place, hundreds of taxi's of the yellow & green kind and shed loads of taxi-buses.

12:16 Drove through Soma and then a another stop for baby feeding/changing, the temp is noticably hotter. We stop for about 35 minutes (which is needed,
my bum feels like I have been horse riding for the past month without a stop..)

Back on the move.

12:54 Passed Karantaba.

13:19 Stopped at another police stop, again for the lacky to pass another 5 dalasi to the local copper.

13:20 On the move again.

13:27 another police stop, but this time we just drive through slowly and the lacky has a quick chat with the the policeman and were off again.

13:29 Another police stop, for what seems no reason whatsoever !!

13:39 Guess what.another stop for Gambia's finest..again no reason it would appear.

13:47 Stop...Yes but aat last a reason... this time to drop off some people.

13:51 Another stop for the police to yet again bugger us around...am getting the feeling that transport such as this, is not quite legal... the driver seems to be a little sheepish when spoken to by the boys in blue.

13:54 Passed a road maker indicating 246 km's from Banjul.

14:04 Another police stop..just how many coppers are there in the country?, he just waved us on.

14:07 Another bloody stop.this time to get water (contained in plastic bags) and peanuts.

14:13 Stopped by an Army guy (with AK47su), this stop is outside the location of Alpha Company, 2nd Infantry Battn HQ.The guard just has a chat with the lacky and driver and we're off again.

14:20 Passed road maker which says 266 km's from Banjul.

14:28 Passed Jahali village.

14:32 Stopped at Brikamba to lef off more people. 'This is going to get worse I know..we are stopped and I can see out of the corner of my eye a lady trying to
sell an elderly lady in the chuckle bus a bunch of fresh fish(5 of the gits)...

Guess what?......

She bought them...you know when you can see something coming..well here we are, it must be 40 deg in here and she has bought fish !!!!!!!!

14:44 Stopped at Brikameh village for another bloody police stop, picked up 2 more passengers.and on the move again.

14:55 Passed Fulleh Bantang..

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS OFF THE CHUCKLE BUS @ 15:00..

What a wonderful site, my arse is a sore as a if I have just spent the night sat on the toilet after a night out on the town, eating bucket loads of thehottest curry you can find....

All in all, I did enjoy the trip....but as a wise man once said, 'the one thing you should bring to Africa is patience...'

Dave's own GeliGeli bought for his trip in 2003 he hopes, across the Sahara to Gambia

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