Ok. So I finally have a chance to write a bit about our trip up to the Gambia for the week between Christmas and New Years. We left Freetown on Thursday, Dec 21... but it took a little longer than we thought. We got to the helipad at 1pm as directed, got to the airport at 2pm, and I think by 6:30 check-in for our flight started, and the plane landed around 8. It was just 2 hours late. and by the time we got to our hotel it was probably 10:30 or so... all this for a one hour flight to banjul! But I noticed things right away -- in the 2.5 years since i was there last there have been some changes.

The main road that goes from the airport to Brikama is newly paved, with streetlights. And there are now traffic circles with statues. The Senegambia highway that goes to Pipeline is also newly paved, with working streetlights. It was pretty impressive. They were put in this past summer, before the AU meeting in Banjul. There's lots more development on that road now... banks, businesses, groceries, and of course, more hotels, more bars and more restaurants. It took a second to get to something i recognized! But it was really fun to stop in at the Peace Corps office and greet the staff there that I know, and we talked with some of the new volunteers... and of course, i knew where the ice cream was, and the thai food, and yummy indian ( you can't get any of it in freetown) we might have gained a pound or two over the course of our trip. We visited with the CRS office as well -- everyone was so nice. It was quite fabulous. And Dan and I went to Bakau market to visit my Fula cloth making friend, Mr. Jallow. He was so happy to see us!! My Fula came right back... at least, enough to be understood. So as well as eating, we did some shopping too.

At 6am on Saturday we were on the road looking for a taxi to the Banjul ferry terminal. Everyone said "take the north bank road, its better than the south bank" which made me nervous since i don't know the north bank as well... but we made it on the first ferry to Barra and found the first car going upcountry. We said "Basse" and the driver said fine. The guy next to us was also going there. But its the first time I ever had to pay to put bags on the roof. It was Tabaski, lots of people were travelling with lots of stuff -- including live rams -- so they were taking advantage. We got as far as Jangjangbureh, about 3/4 of the way, and our car stopped. Everyone got out, crossed the ferry onto the island in the Gambia river, and started walking away. Crap. We were pretty much stuck there. The nice thing was that there were a handful of volunteers staying that night... so we had people to hang out with, and help us find a place to stay. I had only been there once before, at night, for a party... so i didn't really remember where to go

The next morning we got to Basse, hung out in town a bit, bought some rice bags to take to the village, and caught the car that goes by my village. It was about 3 in the afternoon when we arrived... something like 33 hours since we had left on Saturday morning... Dan couldn't believe it. Its ridiculous actually that its so hard to get anywhere in such a tiny country. But my village is about 3 away from the end of the road. Any further east and you are in the middle of senegal... and so its far, most people don't go that far.

They were so happy to see us! Its been almost 4 years since I left the village -- everyone asked about my family and they were thrilled to greet Dan. he learned a lot of Fula in two days. I tried helping out with cooking, and Fatumata (whos probably about 8 now) couldn't wait to braid my hair. It was almost like I hadn't ever left... except the kids are taller :) and there's a phone in my compound now. otherwise it looks the same. here, i'll try posting some pictures for you.