The port at Banjul can accept very large ships. It is hard to believe that this is a river here at the mouth of the Gambia River.
This is the roll-on-roll-off ferry terminal at Banjul. The northern bank is only just visible in the distance. Getting a ticket involved queuing with the locals and their goats and chickens. The fare is very cheap at 5 Dalasi each one way (about 15 UK pence, or NZ 45 cents)
Their are two ferry boats that ply backwards and forwards all day between Banjul and Barra Ferry. We went over on the slower one, and returned on the faster one. They are all crowded.
The Barra ferry has turned about and is reversing into the terminal.
A very lively and colourful scene on the river bank at Banjul. Nick...this picture is well worth looking at in the larger version. Click on it!
Another shot of the Banjul river bank.
There are rows and row of pirogues along the river bank. Nearly all of them are brightly painted.
Gambians don't very much like being photographed so this was a discrete attempt to record some of them aboard the ferry. Even though the journey takes up to an hour there are few seats.
Another discrete photo. Nick...I thought I was going to get in real trouble with this one since the flash accidentally went off! Luckily I didn't get shouted at this time.
Barra as seen from the ferry. It is a low lying town with no tall buildings. Quite typically African with dusty streets, a cattle market, an array of shops, and auto mechanics working outdoors from the back of old vans.
Colourful pirogues on the northern bank of the River Gambia near Barra.
There are also many pirogues moored close to the shore.
This pirogue is being manoeuvred by use of a long pole.
Arriving at the ferry terminal at Barra on the northern side of the River Gambia.
We were met by the colourful sight of pirogues being loaded and unloaded on the beach before crossing the river.
They load some of the pirogues literally to the gunnels. Apparently there have been a few tragedies and the local authorities are trying to make the wearing of life jackets mandatory.
Goats get special treatment and are carried out over shoulders to the waiting boats. Sally...The white billy goat was protesting very loudly.
As soon as the ferry docks and the ramp is on dry land there is a huge crush of vehicles, people and animals vying to get off.
We saw this woman walking with a load on her head on the outskirts of Barra.
We visited Fort Bullen largely by accident, but found it interesting nonetheless. For those interested in history the significance of this fort is worth noting. The gun emplacement at Fort Bullen that faces the river on the northern bank of the Gambia river mouth. Fort Bullen was built in 1826 to finally stop the slave trade on the river. The British guns on the southern bank did not have the range to cover the entire river until this fort was built, so Portuguese and French ships could still slip through the blockade by staying on the northern side of the river.
This view is looking toward Fort Bullen at the mouth of the River Gambia.
This young Gambian girl is named Dankay. Her father was the official guide who showed us around Fort Bullen.
This old disused building at Barra caught our eye. You can see the barrel from an old British cannon on the ground in front.
The view toward Barra from Fort Bullen.
This baobab tree is growing right beside the beach on the Atlantic coast on the northern side of the River Gambia.
Another shot looking along that coast. If you went that way you'd eventually arrive in Senegal.