We docked in Banjul at 6.30 am on Sunday 24 November. Everywhere we docked in Africa, we were welcomed with music and dances and there were often countless locals waiting on the wharf, ready to sell us their wares. The country is long and thin, running horizontally along both sides of the Gambia river, surrounded on three sides by Senegal, with the Atlantic Ocean on its west. With only 2.5 million inhabitants, Gambia is one of the smallest countries in Africa.

We passed through Serrekunda, the largest urban centre in the Gambia which, along with Banjul, the capital, forms an urban area with about half of the population of the Gambia. Serekunda’s market is the largest in the country and stretches along the roadside for miles. There is no fixed price for anything, so one has to negotiate in a country where the minimum wage is US$80 a month. Some of the roads are good and wide, but many are terrible, some only sand, especially around the market in Serekunda. The climate is hot all year round, with seven months of the year being dry and a rainy season for the remainder. According to a Gambian government minister, Banjul is at risk of submerging under water by a metre rise in sea levels as a result of climate change and global warming.
Peanuts are a major export, but beeswax, palm wood, palm oil and skins and hides are also shipped from the port of Banjul. Most of the fruit and vegies are grown within the Gambia and people eat according to the appropriate harvest time. We were there in November and the watermelons were very plentiful. 

A majority of the population is Muslim but there is a significant Christian minority. Muslims can have up to four wives. The two religions exist happily together with no conflict and the crime rate is very low. There is no education for the children unless their parents are rich.

Having experienced much of what the urban area had to offer, we drove to a local home to sample authentic Gambian cuisine and delve into the rich customs and history of this beautiful region. Our gracious host was Ya Ida who had, at one time, been the Face of Gambian Tourism for four years. She, along with a bevy of beautiful young women, two of whom she told us were her daughters-in-law, welcomed us with traditional song and dance and we were soon integrated into their home. There were racks of native dresses and we were encouraged and helped to try these on. My lovely helper was Aisha, married two years ago to Ida’s son. She quickly presented me with a beautiful dress which she helped me to put on. It fitted perfectly and she completed the outfit by expertly crafting a headdress to go with it. I was later to buy the dress for the princely sum of 1,470 Gambian dollars (US$20) and have already enjoyed wearing it in New Zealand.

We were all helped and encouraged the various spices and vegies to prepare our own lunch, whilst being serenaded by local musicians. 

Lunch was very delicious when the time came to eat in the shade of the many trees, one of which was a beautiful cashew tree.

We relaxed outside on a warm and balmy afternoon until it was time for Aisha, not only an attentive ‘helper’ in every aspect of our visit but also a qualified medical professional who had given up a possible medical career to return to her roots. She gave us a great talk about some of the beads and trinkets that she makes. She explained that the women wear strings of these beads around their waists to please their husbands and that she, herself, wears seven strings. When asked if her muslim husband had another three wives, as is the custom, her eyes flashed and she emphatically said that he did not!

All in all, it was an extremely happy outing with the most wonderful hospitality and a real highlight of our African adventure. All too soon, we had to return to the ship which left Banjul at 5.00 pm.