The Gambia, Senegal & Mauritania Trip Journal from June 08 to 18, 2008

Last updated July 13, 2008. To return to The Gambia, Senegal & Mauritania Pictures.

Country: The Gambia, Senegal & Mauritania

Duration: June 08 to 18, 2008.

Distance Traveled in the Country: Approx. 2055km on the motorcycles.

Most Memorable Impressions:

We really did not give these three (3) countries the attention they deserved.  We visited the must-see sights which lay en-route to our destination.  The Gambia, surrounded by Senegal and butting against the Atlantic Ocean, is dominated mostly by the Gambian River winding its way from the east to the west through the entire length of the country.  We only saw the northern desert part of Senegal and to tell the truth it did not grow on us.  It is plagued by pollution and garbage.  Mauritania is one of those places we will return to in a 4x4 and explore the inland desert after the corruption eases or we have more patience for it.  Therefore, Mauritania will be remembered by us for its strong head winds, sand storms and huge desert.

Our Favourite:

- Janjang Bureh Camp on the Gambia River – The Gambia

- Standing at the ending point of the Dakar Rally - Senegal

Fuel Cost:

The Gambia: approx. 40G$/litre ($2.00CDN/litre) for Unleaded Fuel.

Senegal: 770 to 830CFA/litre ($1.95 to 2.10CDN/litre) for Unleaded Fuel.

Mauritania: 285UM/litre ($1.35CDN/litre) for Unleaded Fuel.

Accommodations:

The Gambia: (2) nights in a bungalow for 300G$/night ($15.00CDN/night)

Senegal: (7) nights hotel for 15,000 to 19,500CFA/night ($37.50 to 50.00CDN/night)

Mauritania: (2) nights in Auberges for 4000 to 5000UM/night ($19.00 to $24.00CDN/night)

Exchange Rate:

The Gambia: 20.00 Gambian Dollar (G$) = $1.00CDN

Senegal: 395 Central African Francs (CFA) = $1.00CDN

Mauritania: 210 Ouguiya (UM) = $1.00CDN

Border Formality Costs:          

The Gambia Visa normally free for Canadians ($12.50CDN)

Senegal Visa free for Canadians

Mauritania Visa = 40,000CFA/person ($100.00CDN/person) issued in Bamako, Mali within half an hour, valid for (30) Days. Had to pay an additional 6000CFA at the border ($15.00CDN)

Motorcycle Customs = Free with Carnet de Passage, except Mauritania we had to pay 10,000CFA at the border ($25.00CDN)

June 08, 2008.  No Visa is required for Canadians to enter Senegal.  We enter Senegal at Naye and receive our carnet entry stamp at customs.  Immigration at the border did not issue entry stamps for non-Visa holders and we had to search for the National Police office in town, which is down a dirt track on a side road.  Why this process does not occur at the border we do not know.  From Naye a good paved road leads us to Tambacounda.  The GPS coordinates show us the way to Le Ninki Nanka Auberge.  This nicely kept and run place has clean air conditioned rooms with bathrooms for 19,500CFA/night ($50.00CDN/night).  The lady owner is very friendly and we had a home made meal in the attached restaurant.  Our first impression of Senegal was that it is much better off then its neighboring country Mali.  The main drawback of Senegal is the garbage that is found everywhere.  One of the worst places for littering we have encountered in Africa besides Egypt.

June 09, 2008.  After a good meal and rest we headed south-west to Velingara.  From the border town of Velingara a bad dirt track makes its way to the actual Senegal/Gambia border.  There is not much at the border post.  Immigration stamps out our passports and we proceed to customs.  The customs process takes about 1/2 hour as we have to complete a bunch of paperwork to receive our carnet exit stamp.  A few hundred meters further under another large tree is the Gambia border post.  The Lonely Planet indicates that Commonwealth countries do not require a Visa.  But the border guard wanted 20,000CFA ($50.00CDN) for the Visa.  Gambia is English speaking and therefore we are able to communicate quite well. Mike shows him the Lonely Planet and requests that his boss is called to confirm that Canadians have to pay for a Visa.  Of course the border guard is unable to get a hold of this superior.  In the end we pay 5,000CFA ($12.50CDN).  A voluntary bribe no less, as we wanted to move on.  There is always the option of waiting it out at the border, but after countless (29 to this point) African border crossings we are tired and just a little bit sick of the process. Stamping of the Carnet was no issue.  Upon entering Santa Sue we were stopped by the police to check our passports.  The Lonely Planet indicated that changing money on the street is illegal and should be done at the bank.  At the first bank we are told that they are unable to exchange any currency unless we do have an account with them.  Sometimes we wonder if they have any clue of how ridiculous their replies are. The Western Union across the way also is not able to exchange US or Euro cash.  Interesting here we are trying to obey the law and are forced to exchange money on the street. The rate we get is not bad, even though they prefer $100.00US bills, and we do only have $20.00US bills.  Originally when we left for this trip we on purpose had chosen smaller bills, as we thought the large bills would be hard to exchange.  So much for that theory.  The US Dollar is not a good currency to have on the West side of Africa.  The commission on $20.00US bills is 25%.  The Euro rates, in comparison, are much better and it is a hot commodity.  Unfortunately we were starting to run out of Euro cash.  Anyhow we exchange $400.00US and continue on our way.  Leaving Santa Sue we are stopped yet again and asked to see our passports.  To our annoyance these check stops were every 10 to 20km and each one asked us to pull over to the side of the road to check the passport.  The story we received to why all the check stops was for our "own" security.  In actuality it is mainly to prevent another coup to overthrow the government.  We, as tourists, are a definite threat to harm the current government and therefore have to be stopped and questioned every 10 to 20km.  This makes traveling in Gambia not very enjoyable.  After a couple of hours, 70km and numerous check stops we took the first ferry over to Georgetown, which is located on an island in the midst of the Gambia River.  The ferry was 50G$ ($2.50CDN).  From Georgetown we set over on another ferry (50G$ or $2.50CDN) to the north shore of the Gambia River.  A beautiful bush camp has been created by Peter and Anna on the north shore, called the Janjang Bureh Camp.  We rent a bungalow for 300G$/night ($15.00CDN/night) including an excellent breakfast of omelets, African pancakes, jam, bread etc.  The bar/restaurant overlooks the Gambia River.  We dangle our feet from the boat dock in the river.  A nice breeze cools us from the heat.  Peter and Anna also run Gambia River Excursions both from this location as well as from Banjul.  Peter, originally German, came to Gambia via his own sail boat and built up this camp and the Gambia River Excursion 27 years ago.  The chicken and French fries for supper were delicious and as we were starving we had another round (our appetite had returned).  In the evening we sat with Peter and a lady from Banjul working for a Swedish Aid organization and had some beers talking about old times and of course Gambia's current economic state. We came to the conclusion that the food problem in Africa is not food shortage, as there is lots of food.  It is the distribution of food and the government restrictions.  Due to the poor infrastructure (ie. Roads) food can not be distributed effectively. Most of it spoils and ends up in the dumps.  Very sad.

June 10, 2008.  Peter and Anna left in the morning to return to Banjul and we decided on a day excursion to the Wassu Stone Circles, approx. 25km from the camp.  After an awesome breakfast we rode to the Stone Circles.  It is now a World Heritage Site.  The "Stoneman" greeted us upon arrival and after paying a 100G$ ($5.00CDN) we got the grand tour of the well labeled little museum and stone circles.  It is believed that they are burial or sacrificial grounds.  There are many stone circles north of the Gambia River both in Gambia and Senegal.  Prior to leaving, Peter had given us the task of feeding a monkey which had gotten hurt and seemed to be paralyzed from the waist down.  It was very sad as the little monkey was unable to move.  We gave him banana's and water and were not sure if she would make it.  We relaxed by the River front and had another great meal in the evening.

June 11, 2008.  This was all we had planned to see for Gambia and we headed back toward Senegal via the newly paved north road to Farafenni.  This border crossing is a lot busier, but the paperwork of checking out of Gambia and back into Senegal was quick compared to the tiny crossing at Velingara.  There was not much to see en-route to Dakar from the border.  We decided to stay in Lac Rose instead of Dakar.  Lac Rose is known for the ending point of the Lisbon-Dakar Rally (formerly Paris-Dakar Rally).  On the Atlantic coast temperatures finally had dropped into the low 30 Degree Celsius for the first time in it seems months.  This was a welcome change for us.  It is time for us to relax for a day or two and we choose a nice place at the lake.   The name Lac Rose comes from its slight hue of a rose color due to the mineral content.  Salt is mined from this lake.  One is very buoyant due to the high salt content.  For 15,000CFA/night (($37.50CDN/night) we have our own bungalow complete with bathroom.  The swimming pool is perfect for cooling off.  A small tourist spot at the lake sells souvenirs.  Here we met a local who shows us the sand dunes and the location of the last stage of the Dakar rally.  Our souvenir of Senegal is no less two (2) T-shirts indicating Lisbon-Dakar 2008.  We call it 55,000km to Dakar, that is what it took us from Germany the long way around Africa.  Due to the French family killed in Mauritania prior to the start of the 2008 Lisbon to Dakar the rally was cancelled.  We got a good deal on the T-shirts. In the evening we took a spin into the village and picked-up some tomatoes, onions, lunch meat in a can, mayo and bread from the market.  The cheapest way to eat. 

June 12, 2008.  A rest day.  The usual catching up on journal and pictures.

June 13, 2008.  In need for cash we venture into Dakar.  Our search for a bank was not very successful until we were almost downtown Dakar.  So much for trying to stay out of the big city.  We also stopped at a gas station, bought some oil and were able to use their garage for shade while changing the oil and filter on both motorcycles.  Originally we played with the idea to find some new tires for my motorcycle, but Dakar is not a place that is much fun to ride around due to the traffic jams, pollution etc.  In the afternoon we lazed around the pool followed by another trip into the village for some fresh sandwich ingredients.

June 14, 2008.  Our last destination in Senegal is St. Louis, approx. 260km north of Dakar.  The island part of St. Louis is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A 500m steel bridge connects the mainland with the island.  The town is doted with dilapidated Portuguese Buildings.  We soon realize that the accommodations listed in the Lonely Planet are either full or out of our price range.  There is the option of going 17km south to a nice campground, but we require internet access.  After cruising up and down several alley ways, we were flagged down by the cleaner of the Titi Locozen Auberge.  This Auberge has a great roof top terrace with a bar/breakfast area overlooking the river and fishing boats. The shaded comfortable sitting areas are perfect for relaxing.  The place is only a couple of years old, run by Alex, a young Frenchman.  The room was beautifully decorated and came with a hot shower bathroom.  All for 16,000CFA/night ($40.00CFA/night) including the usual French breakfast (slices of French bread and jam).  We parked the motorcycles in the alley way and a security guard was on duty from 10pm to 7am.  The location of the Auberge made it great for exploring the town.  In the afternoon we strolled along the streets and ended up eating Pizza at a small Pizzeria joint.

June 15, 2008.  We had found a good internet place and spent the day uploading Ghana and Burkina Faso pictures and journal.  It also gave us the opportunity to back-up Mali pictures etc.

June 16, 2008.  I had been anxious about entering Mauritania. Everyone including the Lonely Planet discouraged entering via Rosso due to the huge hassles from the Mauritanian border guards.   In addition there is a ferry to cross the river.  Ferry border crossings normally are a nightmare due to disorganization and disorientation.  Two (2) Spanish cyclists we had met the previous day were turned back to Senegal as they did not have their Mauritania Visa.  Only a week earlier it was possible to receive a Visa at the border.  This is Africa and things change without notice.  Several other travelers recommended crossing at Diamma (Keur Massene) a smaller border crossing and there is actually a bridge instead of a ferry.  Leaving St. Louis we are pulled over by a police officer on the road.  Normally they do not bother with tourists and concentrate their efforts on locals, unless there is some money to be made.  How it works in Senegal is that when getting pulled over, a bribe is expected.  The police will go through all your paperwork, check the working order of signal lights, brakes etc, any excuse to find a deficiency.  Therefore here we are, knowing the drill, Mike plays dumb.  We are asked for insurance.  There has not been insurance on the motorcycles since DRC.  Unless sold at the border and stated as a requirement we do not bother.  Most vehicles on the road are in worse condition then ours.  Mike pulls out the fake Alberta registration slips (originals are in a secure place) and tells the officer that it is insurance.  He of course advises us that European insurance is not valid in Senegal.  We show him the map and passport of where we haven been and that we are not from Europe and that this "registration slip" is a worldwide insurance from Canada.  After ten (10) minutes of small talk we had talked our way out of a bribe and continued toward the border at Diamma.  The road on the Senegal side to the border is paved.  Our passports and carnets are stamped out.  To use the bridge we have to pay 8,000CFA ($20.00CDN) or swim across I guess.  At the Mauritania Border Post we have to pay a 6,000CFA ($15.00CDN) fee to get our entry stamp in our passports and we gave them some tea.  The Mauritanian Visa we had acquired in Bamako, Mali for $100.00CDN/person.  The same fee of 6,000CFA applied at customs, unfortunately we only had 10,000CFA ($25.00CDN) bills.  Change is not available and if we want a receipt the fee will be 12,000CFA ($30.00CDN). Welcome to Mauritania.  Prior to proceeding, 3rd party liability insurance had to be purchased from a man in a small hut.  Three (3) days, ten (10) days or one (1) month.  We opted for the ten (10) day and 7,000CFA/motorcycle ($17.50CDN/motorcycle) insurance.  We had already made up our mind that we would pass through Mauritania as quick as possible, for a couple of reasons one being the hassle with the checkpoints and bribes and second the poor state of my rear tire.  2000km less in Mauritania would mean making it maybe to Marrakech in Morocco.  Just as we completed all our border formalities Helmut and Barbs in their Mercedes 4x4 pull in.  We exchange some information and hope to meet up again later that day in the capital, Nouakchott.  We do not have a detailed map of Mauritania, and there is no road indicated on the map we do have.  The GPS mapping shows the main road from Rosso in the distance.  Only 10km after the border post the dirt road comes to a fork intersection and two (2) police/military officers ask to see our passports.  The moment we hand them over one of the officers pockets the passports and advises us that there is a 2000UM ($10.00CDN) fee to enter the park.  At this rate we would be out of money pretty quick.  We actually do not enter a park, but skirt along the park boundary.  Mike requests a receipt.  We park the motorcycles in the middle of the intersection and take off our gear.  This could take a while. A receipt book appears, but he will give us a receipt for only 1,000UM instead of 2000UM.  With no passports we pay the 2,000UM get a receipt for only 1,000UM and are now even more convinced to make it through the country as fast as possible.  The dirt/sand track follows along the park/borders boundary for about 60km and we slowly wind our way toward Rosso.  Rosso is a bad place for check stops and at this point we wanted to avoid paying any further bribes.   Approx. 8km before Rosso we went off the dirt track.  The main paved road showed on the GPS to be only 4km away in a straight line.  We did not account for sand dunes and a sand storm.  In a small village we ask for direction and after another 4km we reach pavement.  A side wind is blowing all the way to the capital.  In the capital my attempt to get cash out of the ATM machine is unsuccessful.  With a GPS waypoint for an Auberge we find a nice place in the centre of the city.  Instead of pitching a tent we take a room without bathroom for 4000UM/night ($20.00CDN/night).  The caretaker exchanges $400.00US for me and we are back in business.  Close by is a supermarket that has all we require.  Fresh sandwiches it is going to be for supper.  Only a block away we treat ourselves to some excellent pastries.  Back at the Auberge Helmut and Barbs arrive and we hang out the evening with them.  Helmut is originally Austrian and Barbs German.  They both had been working in Nigeria for the last few years and decided to call it quits in regards to work.  They rigged out a Mercedes 4x4 and left in January from Nigeria heading up the West Coast of Africa.  Both speak perfect English and they are a nice couple.  Though we were heading the same direction we made no definite plans to meet up again.

June 17, 2008.  The capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, has huge roads and not much traffic. It is easy to find your way out of town.  We are on the road by 7am.  The road between Nouakchott to Nouadhibou has only been tarred for three (3) years.  Prior to that the 460km used to take a few days to cover.  All we had to deal with was the strong head winds.  Our fuel economy went right out of the window.  We were getting 14km for 1 liter of gasoline.  Luckily a new total gas station had opened up at around km 225, otherwise we would have purchased black market gasoline from one of the small settlements along the way.  Our entire journey through Mauritania has been through desert and more desert.  A very harsh and desolate existence.  The wind blows continuously and the sand deposits itself in every part of your body and motorcycle.  Leaving Nouakchott we passed through a check stop, where our passport information is recorded.  If we had known earlier, there is a form on the internet called the "Fiche" which can be completed with all your information.  Printing about 30 copies for each person and handing a copy to the check-points speeds up the process of waiting considerably.  It is also helpful in Morocco we found out later.  But at this point too late for us. There was no further hassle (requests for bribes) through Mauritania after the incident right after the border.  Some checkpoints we were even waved through.  We arrive in Nouadhibou in good time, having gone through two (2) 20 litre tanks to cover the 460km stretch and keeping the throttle at a constant 100km/hr.  In Nouadhibou, we take a cupboard size of a room in an Auberge.  The room is fitted with two (2) single mattresses on the floor for 5000UM/night ($25.00CDN/night).  The courtyard was covered in sand.  A nice pastry store around the corner made for a pleasant snack.  At the grocery store we pick up some couscous.  The helpful owner Ali leads me to a small store were I am able to exchange 200Euro into Moroccan money.  The process takes a few hours as enough cash has to be found and we even settled on an exchange rate that was expectable.  I kept about 11,000UM ($55.00CDN) in case of additional fees at the border post leaving Mauritania.  Helmut and Barbs arrived around 7pm and we actually had been worried about them.  They had taken a couple of side roads into the desert and stopped for lunch at the Total Station were they met another Austrian Overlander.  Mike tried his hand in preparing his first couscous, which turned out to be very good, but there was enough to feed a whole army.  We hang out with Barbs and Helmut in a Bedouin tent in the evening.

June 18, 2008.  At 7am we say good-bye to our friends and head to the border 40km north.  There is a line of trucks and we are able to pass most of them prior to the border.  With the help of some Senegal tea the border formalities took only about half an hour and we proceeded into the no mans land of a very rough road zig zagging its way through the mine filled land between Mauritania and Morocco.

Up