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Day 56 08.03.05

A long and tiring day.
Said goodbye to the others.

A parting of friends

and set off towards Senegal

The road towards Senegal

We avoided the notorious crossing at Rosso by travelling along the piste to the Dam at Diama. We couldn't avoid the road towards Rosso though which nearer to Rosso was policed by guys who were quite demanding of presents. We weren't sure if this was because we were now on our own although talking to another couple later they had experienced the same thing.
Although the piste was very rough going it was through protected wetlands and the birds were impressive. We wished we had time to stop as we saw all sorts of herons, birds of prey, giant pelicans and others.

We were surprised by a family of warthogs running across in front off us. The biggest stopped and turned to face us but when he saw us get the camera out he turned out to be camera shy!

Warthogs, honest!

The border itself was very quiet and on the Senegal side completely hassle free.
Just after the border we saw a monkey run across the road but it seemed to be a symbolic monkey as it was the only one we saw.
We reached St Louis and turned into the busiest main street we have seen. Teeming with people and vehicles. Following the direction we had from a French couple in the previous campsite it seemed less and less likely we were heading in the right direction. We drove over the 2 bridges through the centre, onto a narrow finger of land between the river and the sea.
Continuing through the shantytown, we edged the land rover along past the people and goats and horses and carts.
The crowded fish port has piles of fish along the side of the road and a haze over everything from smoking fish. We squeezed on past and found ourselves between the river with the shore lined with smoking fish and the cemetery. With the haze and the smoke hanging over us it was quite spooky.
We were still on a road so we carried on and there it was - a white wall with a gate and big sign Hotel Dior camping Ocean. Driving in we found ourselves in the sand campsite of the hotel with beautiful tropical flowers and a friendly greeting from the smartly dressed receptionist!
We spent a very amiable evening with John and Anne, an English couple who live in France.

Day 57 09.03.05

Ocean camping

Ocean camping

Eating out

A day spent watching the fishing boats go out and walking on the beach.
While Steve was showing John the land rover he opened the door and they both watched a mouse make its way from the back along some cables, along a light and make a short hop to the front and disappear behind the dash board! It appeared we had an illegal immigrant passenger! Fearing for the electrics we had to set a trap baited with parmesan.

We were very impressed by a French couple who had driven their campervan across all the pistes and corrugations of Mauritania to arrive in one piece and pulling a trailer! He admitted that for much of the way he had driven in first gear!!! The most southerly camper van we came across …so far!

John, Anne and the French couple set off into Senegal

Day 58 10.03.05

A long and tiring day.
Set off back through the fish market and the crowded streets.

The road out of St Louis

Drove to Camping Gilbert

near Thies.

40C so were melting by time we got there. On the way there is a place where the long disused railway crosses the road. Some 200 yds further on is a policeman who stopped us.

"You did not stop at the stop sign at the crossing."
"Are you serious?"
"Pay a fine"

He got quite animated as it was all in French and we couldn't believe he was serious!
£3 poorer, we drove on, later learning that he is well known for doing this!
Air con not working so maybe didn't catch the mouse soon enough??
Camping Gilbert was a small site where we could park in the shade. It has a lively bar and some rooms which it appeared to be possible to rent by the hour!

Day 59 11.03.05

Moving on.
Stopped off to look round Bandia wildlife park. Loads of animals and very good guide. Oddly they had Asian water buffalo in there!

            
Bandia wildlife park

Tried another internet café where they were again not able to connect our computer. However we were able to read our emails and reply to some of them. It was a family run business and as it was lunch time they kindly invited us to share their meal of a big bowl of rice with peanut sauce. They had a very cute little girl and it was an enjoyable way to avoid the heat outside!

We made slow progress on the pot holed roads so decide to stop at Palmarin where there was a campsite according to the book. Unusually for us we stopped to give a guy a lift. He was happy to sit on the roof. When we said we were going to Palmarin he said he lived there. It was quite some way and when we got there he directed us to the encampement run by the local villagers.

Palmarin camping

The guy then said actually he didn't live there but somewhere else and now asked for money for a taxi back to his own village! The last time we give anybody a lift!

Lift guy

The encampement was very peaceful and the men running it were very friendly. They cooked us a lovely meal of fish and spaghetti. There is no running water but we had our own. The setting is great, right on the beach.

Day 60 12.03.05

Many different types of road today.

  
Open road   Road through palms

Landy and Baobab tree

Bought some incredibly juicy melons at the roadside and enjoyed them as we travelled.
Spent some time when we stopped for lunch following a bird in order to take its photo. It obligingly posed!

Lunchtime bird

As usual tarmac road full of potholes. Every so often there is a man with a plastic bag full of sand. As a vehicle approaches he throws the sand into the pothole and then waves the bag for money for the pothole filling service. Just occasionally we pass through a village where this has been effective and the road surface improves for a while.
Coming out of Koalak we were stopped by (an English speaking) policeman who informed us pointedly he had finished his bottle of water. (made a change from pens or paracetamol). Just as well he stopped us as he pointed out we were heading in the wrong direction!

Decided to bush camp just short of the Gambian border in order to get an early start tomorrow.

Bush camp

We were between 2 villages and fell asleep to the sound of the tom tom drums from one and the Muslim chants from the other.

to Gambia