Fatala Game Reserve

Today we were up bright and early at 5 o’clock as we have organised a trip with African tours to a game reserve just over the border in Senegal. We walked to our pickup point which was at the office just near to the traffic lights. The coach was already there waiting for us and we had one more pickup to make at Atlantic Hotel in Banjul. Once everyone was picked up we headed to the Barra ferry terminal arriving just before the first ferry at 6.45. The truck which we would be using for the rest of our journey was already within the gates waiting to board. As the first ferry docked passengers, gelleh’s, trucks and cars started to board jostling for space. We were taken on as foot passengers and made our way upstairs to the seated area, unfortunately the tour truck didn’t make it on the first ferry. The crossing was very smooth, we even managed to see some dolphins which Abigail was pleased about. Once across we were taken to a restaurant were we sat and had a cup of coffee whilst we waited for the truck to cross. By 9 o’clock we were back into the truck and we set off for the thirty minute drive to the border. The border was very busy with people waiting to cross and locals trying to sell their goods including a group of girls with cashew nuts on platters which were balanced on their heads, we decided to buy some. We took the opportunity for a toilet stop having been told by the tour guide that they were modern, what a joke we opened the door to a ceramic shower base with a hole. With our passports stamped we thought we were back on our way only to have the truck pull over and the driver get out and start looking underneath. We were finally told that they had a fuel leak and were awaiting instructions from their boss at the office. Twenty minutes later we were told to continue onto the park where we would hire one of the game reserve vehicles to take us around the park instead of the African tour truck. We eventually arrived at the park entrance and walked through the gates and waited until they had sorted out our vehicle. Within the game reserve car park there were some zebras just roaming around and quite happy to stand and pose for a photo. With the vehicle ready we found a seat behind the driver, the tour guide and a game reserve guide accompanied us around the reserve to help with spotting the animals.

As we left the car park we entered some electric gates so as to keep the animals enclosed and headed into the savannah bush driving along narrow sandy tracks which criss crossed the reserve. Ten minutes into the drive we spotted some bush pigs and a group of bush buck deer hiding within the grassland. The guide took us down a different path, suddenly a giraffe came from no where running in front of the vehicle to join its mate on the other side of the track. They were beautiful and so well camouflaged against the trees and bush, very hard to spot. A short drive later we spotted an Eland which is the largest of the antelope family. The reserve has successfully bred them to stop them from becoming extinct.

With the tyre changed we climbed back in and the guide directed the driver through a dried up waterhole and to an area with very little bush. We watched a group of wart hogs running about with tails in the air or busy kneeling and poking around with their snout looking for food. We also got a good look at the herd of buffalo again as they wandered past.

As we continued on we were suddenly confronted with two Rhino’s laying under the shade of some trees. As the truck pulled up one of them got up and started to come closer. The game reserve guide emptied a bucket of dried food onto the ground and they both came close to the truck and started eating. A couple of warthogs fancying there chances at getting some food were quickly darting about under their legs. We set off back to the reserve gates seeing a group of monkey’s on route. As we entered the car park area we climbed out of the truck to look at a couple of young Hyena’s which were in a caged area. We then made our way to a seated area where we were given our lunch which consisted of tuna, egg or prawn tapalapa sandwich.

Culture Centre

We left the park to head back towards Barra stopping off on route at a compound where we were shown around. The compound consisted of three small circular mud huts of which the floor was just the hard compacted sand. Within each hut there was a bed and wardrobe which was simply a piece of rope hung from one wall to another. They had a hut for their goats and their food was cooked outside on an open fire within the compound. After giving a small donation we left for the next village where we stopped at a cultural centre the very one where Alpha (Jinack Island) works. With a warm greeting from him and the rest of his friends our group were shown to a seated area. We were given a performance of African dance and music by the local villagers. The women first took centre stage stomping their feat and flinging their arms about to the beat of the drums. Then out came a couple of the kankarang dancers which are used for ceremonies the first one was covered in leaves and was wearing a mask with horns. The next one was in a red straw like costume with mask. They danced around the ring and a couple of our party were asked to dance including me and Paul. As this was going on the local children who were surrounding the area would occasionally rush into the centre and start dancing then they would rush out again. The day was drawing to a close as we left the centre saying goodbye to Alpha and making our way to the ferry terminal. We arrived back home just before 7 o’clock all very tired and dusty from our eventful day.