Bansang to Medina Wallum - Day 195

Date: March 1st, 2010
Distance: 84km
Country: The Gambia
Song of the Day: Future Soon - Jonathan Coultan

I woke up and said goodbye to my hosts. To Chris and Melanie, thanks for dinner and letting me hang out. To Marnie, thanks for everything, you have been such a big help on my Gambian adventure. I hope all goes well here in your remaining months here!

From there I took off down the road. First there was bad news though. The south bank road sucks. I knew that going into it, but that really didn't make it any better. I guess it was paved back in 1962 when the Queen visited. But since then it has pretty much been left to crumble. There was one little section where only a small strip of the pavement in the center of the road was left intact. Just a little ribbon reminding everyone who drove by what once was there.

The other bad news was the wind had changed direction. Sure it was no longer the winds the were baking me on the way up. These were cooler, coming in from the ocean. Still, can't a brother get a break here? Why must I always bash my way into the wind.

I talked with Marnie before I left. She gave me a couple of choices of people I could stay with. I knew I was going to make it to ET's site about 80km away. Still by the afternoon I was looking for a place to camp out from the heat, so I called up Katie. Sitting out the heat is still a great plan. There really isn't any reason to be out during that time.

I met up with Katie and she took me over to her place. I must admit I drank a ton of her water. I also helped her find the punctures in here bike tube. Actually, there were two of them. So maybe it all works out. (I hope that you got that fixed okay.) She also took me out to the local market so I could buy some peanut butter. "I like my peanut butter lady" she said. That is one thing about living in a place like this, you really know where your stuff comes from.

Anyway, before too long though, I had to get back on the road. It isn't much cooler in the late afternoons, but the wait at least meant I wasn't riding through the worst of it.

I got to Medina Wallum before sunset and met up with ET. He took me back to his hut and I grabbed a shower. That really is one of my little pleasures in life these days. Cooling off and getting clean. What more could I ask.

After that ET showed me around Medina Wallum. I think his village is the smallest of any of the ones I have been to. Probably less than 200 people. They are Pullars, so basically a nomadic herding people. They have cows. I also met the founder of the village, Mr. Wallum. I guess he had been a MP for a time in England. I don't know what strange circumstance lead him back here. He was back though, and had founded the village. Also had the local school built and was working to make sure the kids got a good education. So that was great. When we met though he was burning the fields to make the room for crops in the rainy season. After dark the fires gave the little village a bit of eerie sense to it.

For dinner we had koos, which is a ground millet. I have heard it described as a ground birdseed, or a colon cleaner. Either way it wasn't bad. I can't say I would want to eat it every day for the next two years though. ET said that he loved it, so I guess that is a good thing. Good luck, man!

In the evening we sat around drinking tea while the kids played around us. At one point, ET and I were ignoring them and the kids just broke into song. It was really cool. I did teach some of the kids various games and things that we learned in school to pass the time. The most shocking thing was how quickly I had become part of the family. I had kids crawling all over me. Everyone just made me feel so at home.

-Dravis