My introduction to Africa was to be an 8-hour excursion to Makasutu, an eco-forest tourist reserve set up some 10 year’s ago by a couple from the UK. The one-and-a-half-hour drive in some interesting transport – of which more in another posting was fascinating and showed Africa – well at least the Gambia – just as I had imagined – hot, red, dusty soil, the road side cluttered with small workshops selling spare parts for every conceivable car or machine you can think of – nothing ever dies in the Gambia but is reborn from parts taken from other vehicles – welding all kinds of structures, gates and doors, selling building materials or textiles. Everyone seems busy making a living and despite the obvious poverty smiling and waving as we past.
The children seemed particularly pleased to see us waving and calling out ‘two-bob’. Evidently in old colonial days this was about the daily wage but today has become associated with ‘white man’. The exuberance of these young Gambians who seemed to delight in racing the truck in which were travelling whilst exciting was extremely dangerous. What they really wanted of course was sweets or money but nevertheless it made for a cheery ride to our destination.
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