This is part of the Seventh section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from  Guinea Bissau
 

13/3/01 Another easy efficient border and we are into The Gambia where the road was no better. A long day of 400 km, ferry crossing and two borders to reach the moderate civilization of Banjul.

14/3/01 Mauritanian visas are issued here for $US 33.00 each and same day service. Why they should be three times the price in a neighbouring country is beyond my comprehension. Cheap internet, good food, easy taxi's, supermarkets, cool weather and a relaxed beach. Accommodation with hot shower and electricity, we are in heaven, well at least African heaven.

15/3/01 As expected airfares out of West African Banjul or Dakar are expensive to the U.S.A. with most flights going via Europe, $US 800.00 each. From Seville Spain flights are less than half that price and presumably freight for the motorcycle is also cheaper. So we decided we might as well ride out of Africa to the north and fly to America from Seville. Hope the bike engine lasts the 4300 km from here.

16-17/3/01 The change from African to western foods such as cheese, biscuits and fattier meats left us both oscillating between bathroom and beach not venturing too far afield.

18/3/01 To enter or leave Banjul the road is bad and to the north we have a ferry crossing across the wide Gambia river. Like many other organizations here, you would presume this was the first time this event had taken place, not that it runs every day, four times a day. The turmoil at ticketing to crowds around large trucks loading, indecision over where to place what vehicle and no-one and everyone giving directions. We were offered coffee while we waited and had our cement paper wrapped bread. Newspapers are scarce, so newsprint (other than sometimes an imported recycle from Europe) is too expensive so old cement bags with their layers of brown paper are torn up for wrapping.
 

Move with us to Senegal
 

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