Mandina River Lodge Serekunda

... everything from Scrabble to shoes!<br><br>After a few days of Dakar, we escaped along the coast and on to the Ile<br>De Goree, an island half an hour off the mainland. Mad being so close<br>yet so far as we watched the sunset from the sanctuary of our island<br>life. It is an absolute haven from the drag of Dakar and did us the<br>world of good. Going swimming, sampling the local cuisine and commune<br ...

... guys from the details), meeting tons of new people that Jori has gotten exposed to, and lots of other fun stuff. Everything in the Gambia takes 3 xs as long. Getting around is a challenge(5x5s and bush taxis[vans] are great... pretty much a normal taxis/vans that runs a certain route and only costs 5D/25us cents), and there is tonnnnns of walking. It is hot, and I mean hot, I haven't stopped sweating since I got here but the nights have been pretty cool so it's enjoyable ...

Here i am... yeah im here. Crazy when i think that 24hours ago, i was in london. the flight was terrible... imagine a southwest plane colored in "first choice airlines". This plane has to be from the 80s. I was sat right next to the bathroom and i couldnt put my seat back. 5minutes into the flight and for the whole duration the wonderful man in front of me placed his seat so far back he could also read "guns germs and ...

... In stark contrast was the Gambia crossing. All but one were a bunch shady characters dressed in wide boy uniform. They poked around my gear without even hiding the fact they were just being nosey. 'What is this?'.. they can across my phone and GPS.. lots of questions. One of them was searching through the my bag of toys for the children and came across the glow sticks.. for the next five minutes there were more questions ...

... be condemned to the frustration of eventually being put in the same position as you. Yet Jaiteh does not exhibit the kind of grave, desperate tone that my commentary does. That is not the Gambian style. (Though I have not been here nearly long enough to really know the Gambian style, I can see clearly that gravity and desperation is not part of it). He taps his fingers together, leans back in his chair, and offers a toothy smile as he smoothes the folds of the traditional Islamic ...

... way through the chairs filling the common room where you have visitors, and step outside to the welcome breeze, where something - likely a rice dish - will be cooking over a portable propane stove, or maybe a wood fire. The cooking is always done here, still within the cement walls surrounding your compound, but outside of the small buildings that serve primarily as bedrooms. It is quite common for members of your extended family to live in the compound with you, often in ...

... education. It's not like I was planning a campaign to 'save' Gambian women, i would never be that culturally imperialistic, I'm simply struggling reconciling my values here, but it is strange to know that even Gambian women can't offer me much help in this attempt. It is interesting, some Gambians, especially the educated ones we run into at the university, sometimes seem very interested in progressive, Western ideas, and will happily give examples of Gambia ...

... been conned. It was almost as if we had been under a spell, and as it slowly lifted we became frustratingly aware of our own stupidity and this man's art. He did not work at the compound even, but had guessed (well) that we lived in Kanifing, overheard Shane's name, and used this to convince Bryan that he knew Shane, Shane that he knew Bryan...and from there Maya and I were easily taken in. Still, though, there were SO MANY things that should have tipped us off, that should have ...

... and as realization dawned, I froze in fear. After a quick reality assessment- no, I was neither dreaming, nor filming a Hitchcock horror movie, I became paralyzed with indecision. Visions of bloodthirsty water monsters floated before my eyes. Neither staying put, nor moving and possibly thereby angering the Toilet Beast seemed like a good idea. In the end I settled on hurling myself forward headfirst out of danger and into the doorframe (no easy maneuver when your ...

... patients had severe lower abdominal pain, while two female patients suffered from upper respiratory tract infection. Two of the patients were extremely weak and could hardly stand. Shortly after the administration of the first dose of the treatment, within 24 hours, the patients were able to walk and run. On the evening of the second day, those with upper respiratory tract infection had their chest symptoms disappear and felt better. The patients with abdominal pains ...