Alarm at 5:30, quick breakfast (homemade sandwich, Malarone, coffee, bread and jam). Then we walked to the bus station, 25 minutes on dusty roads.
From there we moved toward Banjul by bus. We got off the bus 5 km before the border (24k XOF=36 € 2 tickets). No leg space again in the last row, we started 30 minutes late, with one stop at the gas station and one for a toilet.
We stopped for a safari 5 km before the border with Gambia at Fathala Wildlife Reserve. We paid 66k XOF=100€ for both (18k per person + 30k per car, just two of us) for a safari that lasted 90 minutes. In a jeep, with a guide and driver, we circled around the park, 2 water holes, and around bushes. We saw one rhino, many zebras, different types of antelopes, warthogs, monkeys, and giraffes. On return, the car broke down. They also offer lodges and walks with lions but that was too commercial. Also you can do a day trip from Banjul.
We left the reserve and hitchhiked, and the first car stopped. We needed to walk to the border around 1 km in 40 degrees. At the border no extra problems (the lady wrote just one person in a notebook, no space for a second, at the next office we got visas). We didn’t need to pay for 72h transit visa, even the opinion on the internet was different. At the border, we changed 20€ to Gambian dalasi 1€=72 dalasi, but in the end, you get 70 from Mauretanian Arabs. We met an older guy from the USA. The next leg of the trip was to ferry at Barra by shared taxi, 150 dalasi.
The ferry was 70 dalasi for both. We waited at port and had a beer, 250 dalasi (expensive). Finally, we boarded and after half an hour ride, we came to the opposite shore. On our way many vendors selling everything
We walked around for half an hour around Banjul. We changed an additional 30 €. Kid with a dead mouse in his hands. Walk through the market with smelly fish. The military had a problem with my camera, but they let me go without too much hassle. 50 dalasi was coke. We walked to the arch, tried to get a bus, and ended with a taxi, 500 dalasi.
In Sarawally Guesthouse nobody was there. We walked to Kings Way for dinner. We paid for both 1250 dalasi. I ordered slimy okra (problem to eat this), hard beef, steamed bread, shwarma with hot dog, spicy. We run out of electricity.
We returned after shopping to accommodation, I paid 20€=1400 dalasi. Electricity was out for half an hour
The room had two beds, a bathroom, a balcony, and breakfast included.
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