We have been on the river of the same name in The Gambia for over two months and have not met any other sailing boat in the whole time. The trip to Afrik is something very special for us. We live close to nature and get to know places that are rarely visited by other sailors or tourists. Although we are traveling in a country that is one of the poorest in the world, we haven't locked our boat for months.
Gambi is a small paradise for cruising sailors whose urge for adventure is great.
We chug the GambiRiver 400 kilometers inland, from Banjul on the coast to just before Basse far inland. The journey on the river is characterized by extremes: Either we lie at anchor alone in the midst of the most beautiful nature and enjoy the peace and quiet, the flora and fauna around us. Or we are accompanied by huge crowds of children in the villages and towns on the river.
"Aracanga" daycare center
Jareng Badall lies on a narrow branch of the GambiRiver, into which we drive on luck. We have no water depths for the creek and rely on a fisherman's testimony that it is deep enough. It is worth it.. With its traditional, palm-roofed mud houses, the village is not only the most beautiful place to date, but also gives us an unforgettable welcome due to its seclusion.
Photo gallery: "Aracanga" on the Gambi - children, children
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holmi! Aracang on the Gambi children -
holmi! Aracang on the Gambi children -
holmi! Aracang on the Gambi children -
holmi! Aracang on the Gambi children -
holmi! Aracang on the Gambi children
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As soon as we land with our dinghy between the many dugouts of the fishermen, we are spotted by a crowd of children who shout "Toubab", as we are called here. You take us by the hand, one for each finger, and if you can't get a finger, you simply take the next child by the hand, hold on to our T-shirt or simply put their hand in our trouser pocket. From the landing site on the river it is about 200 meters to the village, which we are accompanied by more and more laughing children who ask us our names, scramble for our fingers and sing local songs.
What all children ask us about are empty plastic bottles in which they can fill up drinking water. We have a few of these on board, and we enjoy this type of recycling.
