Gambia

My visit to Gambia was short but sweet. I crossed the land border from Senegal to Gambia. There I met two very kind immigration officers, who asked to take a picture with me. Then, I taxi'd my way to the ferry station. There is a stark difference between Senegal and Gambia. Admittedly, Gambia is a less prospering country and it is visible shortly after crossing the border. However, the country is just as beautiful and so are the people. Everyone was looking out for me along the way. We made it to the ferry station and I boarded the dinghy to cross the notorious Gambia River. It was a rocky

ride but we crossed and were carried, literally carried out of the boat on someone's shoulders so as to not get wet. I settled into my bungalow and hit the city for a bite of food. On my way I passed a restaurant with live music. THis live music was a lot different than most. The restaurant had instruments sitting outside of the restaurant so passer-bys could just simply join in on the music. It was such a cool experience to see people finish their day and stop by to make music with their community. The next day, my host took me to his friend's hut that they built by

hand on the water. There, we yet again shared music and drinks and more. Afterwards, we visited a cultural museum and then we got to pet crocodiles. Yes, crocodiles. I got lunch and continued on to explore the wonderful city of Banjul. Later that night, my host took me out for drinks and more local music. Out of everywhere I have been in the world, the music of the Gambia stood out the most. It was such a vibrant and beautiful expression of the wonderful people that are Gambians. I yearn to return to this hidden gem of Africa.