Recipe

Chicken Yassa

Chicken (or Beef)
2 – 3 Cloves of Garlic crushed
3 Tablespoons of Mustard
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Chicken Stock Cube
1 Large Onion sliced
Oil
Water
Rice

1. Add all the ingredients except the water to the chicken and mix to coat.
2. Separate the Chicken and fry until brown.
3. Add the other ingredients and continue frying.
4. Add water just to cover the chicken, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Serve with rice.

Rugby Game

This morning Paul took himself off to La Parisienne, myself and the children followed shortly behind. When we arrived Paul was deep in conversation with a guy called Nigel after a quick introduction he told us he had come out here for five years to set up a business in media. He used to work for the BBC and has made some short films, he is hoping to do the same here. He has even offered to do a short film on introducing rugby to the Gambia much to Paul’s delight, free of charge.

This afternoon we all went along to watch Paul coaching a rugby team in Serrekunda. We had to be there for 3 o’clock so we made our way by gelleh to Westfield junction then had to jump on another gelleh to take us to the buffer zone in Serrekunda. We made our way to the football ground where they would be playing. Quite a few of the guy’s were already there getting changed. After a quick introduction Paul started to change this was when he realised that he didn’t have his wallet, at some point he had lost it from leaving the gelleh. His wallet contained a little money, credit cards, VSO and residency alien cards. He decided to continue with the coaching with the plan to call at the police station on Kariba Avenue on our way home. The team made their way to the pitch and the game started. Whilst this was happening the footballers were warming up ready for their game. Bakau were playing Seaview, there was already a small crowd waiting to watch. Thirty minutes later the rugby match had finished and the football team took to the pitch. We stayed to watch the kick off before making our exit.

On the other side of the road there was a play park so we took the children in to have a quick play around. As soon as the local children saw them they became the centre of attention and it became a game of follow the leader. As they played I took a few photos however I soon decided to put it away as the locals were getting as close to Abigail or Bradley as possible so they could also be in on the photo. Whilst I was taking photos Paul was approached by a young guy apparently he was a journalist for a small paper. It was only when I saw Paul talking into what looked like a small phone that I realised he was actually doing an interview with him on rugby, he felt very much like a celebrity with all this attention. We soon decided to make tracks to the police station only to have a VSO truck pull up to give us a lift. When we got in the driver informed us that someone had found Paul’s wallet and he was on his way to pick it up. We pulled up and met a couple of young guy’s Paul checked his wallet the money had gone plus a small key however everything else was there which was a relief. I was a bit suspicious about the incident wondering if Paul had actually had his pocket picked rather than dropping it. We left the driver and made our way into Serrekunda market as I wanted to get some groundnut paste for domada. With this purchased we jumped on a gelleh seating ourselves on the three seats at the rear. We set off only to hear a loud bang and the rear of the gelleh hit the ground. We all had to get out, when we looked it was the suspension which had snapped. Paul and Abigail were blaming me and my lardy backside as it was my side which had collapsed. We now had a short walk to Africel were we would be able to get another gelleh or taxi home.

Bintang Bolon

The children have broken up for half term all be it they only get three days off returning back to school on Tuesday also it is independence day so Paul is also off college, he is still not sure whether he will need to go in tomorrow.. We decided to take a trip out for the day the plan was to drive along the south bank to see how far we could go before the road got too bad for the car. We were also dropping Rachael off at Brikama college so she could meet up with Amy. Rachael is one of the new volunteers who will be working at the college. We arrived at the college in good time Amy was already there she had decided to go into work today so as to tidy the office. We left them as Amy decided to give Rachael a tour of the college. We were soon back on the road and passing the village of Pirang which is where we recently had a walk through the forest. The road was quite good tarmac through the next two villages then we were diverted off the road and on to a track which ran parallel to it. The road was still in the process of being built and there were large boulders dotted along sections to stop vehicles using it however it looked in better condition than the one we were travelling on. The track which we were taken along was a mix of tarmac and sand which was full of ridges however the gellehs and trucks just speed along no problem throwing up red dust as they went. We passed a number of villages along the way with locals sat outside there houses or out in the fields working, and the usual variety of animals, donkeys, goats, cows and sheep. The road which we were travelling on was very wide and flat so you got a good view of the horizon up a head and was bordered by baobab and palm trees. Unfortunately we didn’t see any wildlife it was probably too late in the morning. We passed a couple of areas which looked as if in the wet season they would be flooded and possibly home to crocodiles.

As we entered the village of Somita we looked for any sign posts to Bintang Bolon unbelievably it was signposted so we came of the main road to travel along a sand track. The road was in very good condition and not too sandy so no fear of getting stuck. We passed through a village with children running out of their compounds and shouting toubab at us. They even had street lights which consisted of a light bulb in a icecream tub and make shift lamppost.

We arrived at a water front restaurant and lodge which was built on stilts across the mangroves and river. The restaurant had a jetty and gave an excellent view of the river which was bordered by mangroves and trees. The manager and a couple of women were busy fishing for crabs which they were catching in a circular hoop net which was baited with fish eyes and fins. They were throwing it over the jetty and leaving it a while before hoisting it back in to a catch of a couple of crabs which were tipped into a bucket with others. We relaxed in the sun enjoying the views with julbrew and pop in hand. Abigail wanted to use the toilet so Paul took her down one of the plank walkways. There was suddenly a bit of a commotion from the women behind me when I turned around a load of bats had flew in to the restaurant and attached themselves on the ceiling before flying back in to an adjacent tree. Apparently Abigail had disturbed them when going to the toilet. They also saw a couple of monkeys scurrying along the planks and into the mangrove trees.

We were asked by the manager if we wanted to eat however they only had shrimps on the menu so no good for Abigail and Bradley, I think you probably have to book in advance. Before leaving we took a look at the lodges, they were situated between the mangroves and overlooking the river with there own little jetty. Although basic they looked very clean well worth a nights stay. They also do boat trips on the Bintang Bolon river and only last week they said they had some dolphins in the estuary. We walked out towards the village jetty hoping to find somewhere to eat our picnic lunch. Immediately we were surrounded by about twenty children all wanting to talk to us. They continued to follow us down a track passing a huge mound of empty oyster shells which then came to a dead end so we had to backtrack. They then offered to show us the crocodile pool so we followed them through the village to the pool which was practically dried up and had no sign of any crocodiles. As we headed back to the car I was greeted warmly by an elderly lady who offered me some groundnuts. Back at the car and leaving the locals at the restaurant gates we made our way back down the sand track stopping on route to eat our picnic lunch before heading back home. As we were driving the car didn’t seem to be driving as it should there seemed no acelarator I had visions of us breaking down in the middle of no where. As we entered Brikama Paul took the decision to stop off at Amy’s to let the engine cool down hoping it would do the trick. Amy wasn’t at home so we called in on Anne and had a coffee and chat with her until Amy arrived back. We got back on the road to head home, still the car was playing up it looks like another job for Molah our mechanic.

A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JULIE!

Pruning

On the morning Paul set about cutting out an orange tree which was growing in the middle of a plum tree for Aunty Lucy. When he had finished Abigail and Bradley were keen to climb the tree as it had some good branches and foot holds for them. After lunch (Domada supplied by Lucy) Paul took himself off to watch the rugby game England v Italy at Churchill’s whilst I took the children for an afternoon on the beach.

Recipe

For those who would like to try a Gambian local dish.

Beef Domada

Beef (or Chicken)
¼ Onion chopped
1 Garlic Clove crushed
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (Puree)
Fist size of Groundnuts (Jar Smooth Peanut Butter)
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Pinch Salt
Beef Stock cube
Rice

1. Fry the beef, onions and garlic until slightly browned.
2. Add the tomato paste, groundnuts and fry.

3. Add water, salt and pepper leave to boil.
4. Add the stock cube and simmer for about 1 hour until the meat is tender.
5. Serve with rice.

Denton to Tanji

We were up early eating a breakfast of porridge, Paul had arranged a walking trip with James as they are looking at walking the Gambia coast for charity. John had decided to accompany them some of the way as he didn’t think he was up to the distance they were hoping to cover. The plan today was to walk from Denton bridge to Tanji to check out the route. Within half an hour in to the walk they were faced with having to cross an estuary. Paul with rucksack held above his head went first the water proved to be up to his shoulders, James and John followed close behind. The walk was continued with wet clothes chaffing their legs until they dried in the heat from the sun. Whilst this was going on I was having a good spring clean of the house and washing all the bedding and clothes. I also had the carpenter turn up to fix the corridor roof yet again. This had collapsed after the electrician had been sorting out the electrics for Aunty Lucy it appears we have been on the same ring main as her. At around 11 o’clock John arrived home and told us of the morning events. He had left Paul and James at Senegambia and reckoned they should reach Tanji by about 2 o’clock as they were well a head of schedule. During the afternoon Aunty Lucy was having guests around so Abigail and Bradley were on their best behaviour they did receive a bottle of pop each from Aunty Lucy. By 4 o’clock Paul arrived home having really enjoyed the walk although it was hard for them walking on the sand.

Zenith Cross Country Race

After picking up Abigail and Bradley we went to La Parisienne to catch up on the internet. Mariella had the same idea and turned up shortly after us. The internet proved to be very quick so I was nearly finished when Paul arrived from college to collect Abigail and Bradley. They were competing in a cross country race today at the school so the plan was for Paul to get them changed and I would follow behind. We arrived at the school on time and witnessed the usual unorganised chaos as chairs were moved outside into the street for parents to sit in. By this time thirty minutes had been wasted and parents were still arriving with their children. Eventually the PE teacher rallied the first group to run. The children lined up including Bradley who had been looking forward to the races all week. The teacher set the group off running behind a rather large lady teacher around the block and back to the finish line. It wasn’t long before the group rounded the corner and Bradley was way out in front which he held taking first place. As for the teacher she was gasping for breath and looked as if she was going to keel over at any time. Bradley was given a set of coloured pencils and pencil sharpener as his prize. The second group lined up and Bradley decided he wanted to run again, this would have been a farer race for him as he is the oldest within his class. They set off round the block taking a much longer route, when they rounded the corner Bradley was in third position and sprinted to the finish line. We did make sure he didn’t go through the barriers to collect another prize. Abigail on the other hand had not been looking forward to her race, she reluctantly lined up and had a slow start. We watched as children from her group passed the finish line then we saw Abigail coming around the corner with a few older girls behind her. She did manage to take thirteenth place which wasn’t bad considering she was running against girls and boys aged nine. We stayed and watched the older children run finally leaving at 5.30pm.

This week has been a quiet week so far, Sunday was spent at home as we decided not to do our usual trip to the beach. We did get out the paddling pool for Abigail and Bradley to play in pulling it into the shade from the trees. I even managed to sit reading a book with my feet cooling off in the pool very relaxing.

On Wednesday Paul had set off to work his plan was to do some teacher observations on route. He had just got back on a Gelleh after completing one observation when he received a phone call from Ebrima to let him know to bring his car to the office as they were doing all VSO vehicle car taxes and would get his done at the same time. So he jumped of the Gelleh to get on another for his return trip home. Apparently here they have to test the vehicles they are taxing. Paul arrived at the office and he followed a couple of the VSO drivers to the station where this would take place. He was expecting the car to get the once over however a police officer checked over his documents then asked to see his breakdown triangle. He looked at this ignored the two VSO vehicles and passed all three cars through, what a joke of a test.

On Thursday Abigail went on her school trip, when she arrived home she was full of beans at least it had proved to be more interesting than Bradley’s school trip last week. Her day had consisted of a visit to Katchikali crocodile pool and museum and rounded off by a picnic on the beach.

Meeting The New Volunteers

This evening we are meeting the new volunteers at the Senegambia Hotel for drinks and a buffet style meal. I can’t believe six months have passed so quickly since it was ourselves who were the new volunteers. We arrived at the hotel and made our way to the same area we ate in last time, we were the first to arrive or so we thought. Paul quickly found a seat with some other UK guys after checking that they were waiting to watch the six nations rugby match England v Wales. I decided to take a look around the ground of the hotel with Abigail and Bradley. We took one of the paths and headed towards the beach passing one of the hotel pools. I was surprised at how big the hotel is, there are different blocks of rooms set within the grounds, a small children’s play area with slide, bird watching bantabar with guide available. There were little bridges here and there within the grounds as well as lots of trees for birdlife. Eventually we reached the path towards the beach and another beach side pool. We decided to return to the hotel to meet Paul via a different route as we did so we were shouted it was some of the other volunteers sat at tables with the new volunteers. I quickly introduced myself and the children and was told this was where we would be spending the evening. I quickly made my way back to let Paul know where we were he was still trying to find the correct channel for the match with no success. We headed back to the group meeting Amy, Emma, Emily and a few others on route. Paul followed behind giving up with the TV and managed to spot a couple of monkey’s in the trees of the hotel grounds.

Yok Hair Salon

A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TERRY!

This week has been a busy week for Paul on Monday he stayed overnight at Sanyang beach resort as he was at an education workshop with the other volunteers. He took along his swimming trunks however the workshops started around 10 o’clock and didn’t finish until 6 o’clock on the evening so they didn’t get any time for a dip in the sea. He arrived home on Tuesday evening ate his dinner and fell a sleep.

I have had another enjoyable week at school with no fights erupting from the children. On Monday the children were all set to go swimming at a local pool, 11 o’clock came and went and we were then told it had been cancelled until Tuesday due to transport issues. On Tuesday morning we still had no time set for the swimming trip I had visions of the children being herded out of the classroom and onto a bus in the middle of a lesson. When I left at 1 o’clock they were still waiting however I was told they did go later on afternoon. This week the children have been practising drama and songs as a local TV channel is coming in on Thursday afternoon to film them performing. Apparently it is to do with the rights of children’s act so they are going around a number of schools filming.

On Thursday Bradley went on his school trip, this didn’t go down very well as he complained of being bored. The children had been taken to the Calypso restaurant (this is where we booked our Jinack Island excursion) and given drinks and cake whilst the teachers sat and ate a meal. I asked him if he was taught anything by the teachers whilst they were there his answer was no they just sat about. The restaurant is situated on the beach however they were not even taken onto the beach to look for shells or sea life. This left me most annoyed as the trips form part of the term payments.

Friday was spent getting pampered at the only European hair salon in The Gambia. Suelle runs the Yok Art Centre and Café as well as the salon downstairs. He is a Lebanese guy who trained with Vidal Sassoon in London and New York back in the sixties before returning home to The Gambia. He was a very interesting guy who when he is not hairdressing or running the Art Centre Café he spends time doing interior design for business people including the president. He also likes to paint and dye fabric many of these are displayed in the Art Centre upstairs. We had an interesting conversation about his life whilst he set about highlighting my hair. Before my hair was cut it was washed and then I had the most amazing head and neck massage by a Gambian lady. I was very pleased with the end results even if it did cost me two weeks wages about the same price I would pay back in the UK.

Yok Art Centre & Cafe

Kotu Stream

We did our usual Sunday morning walk to Kotu Stream Abigail with bird book in hand keen to see some different birds so she could log them down. We weren’t disappointed the first bird we saw was a Squacco Egret just in the fields at the side of the Senegambia highway. We crossed over the rice fields heading towards the stream stopping to chat to some bird spotters from UK on route. Abigail was very excited when we saw a Little Bee-eater these are lovely little green birds with a yellow stripe across the eyes and when against a green background it offers an excellent camouflage, see if you can find it in the photo I have posted. We arrived at Koto stream where we had a good view of a Whimbrel and then we spotted a Blue-breasted Kingfisher on the far bank. We headed towards the tourist area and whilst Paul checked on the exchange rates my self and Abigail took a look around the craft market at the pretty dresses and jewellery on display. Within the craft market there was an area which had been draped in material to imitate vines and flowers which to me had a very Indian feel. With a quick stop off to see Adam we headed back home.

Intermediate Egret

Squacco Egret

Little Bee-eater

Whimbrel

Blue-breasted Kingfisher