Foto: The stone circles of Wassu (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Gambia - The stone circles of Wassu are presumed to be ancient burial monuments. About two thousand years ago, the circles were erected. The pillars were dug from nearby rocks. Using wooden beams, the pillars were rolled to the location of the circles. At least, this is what people believe happened. There is no certainty about this, explains Jesus, our local guide. He further explains that several places in Gambia and Senegal have stone circles. In total, 93 circles have been discovered in this region. Wassu has 10 circles. There used to be eleven, Jesus explains, but all the pillars of one circle were taken down. Erosion is the threat to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Covering the site would negatively affect its appearance. The small museum shows how the stones were probably transported. It is remarkable that around the turn of the century, such a construction was possible.
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Slave island Janjanbureh
Gambia - After breakfast, we drive by bus to Janjanbureh, formerly called Georgetown. This place on an island in the Gambia River played an important role in the slave trade. Slaves were gathered from the hinterlands at Janjanbureh. From here, they were transported ...
The capital city Banjul
Gambia - Banjul is the capital of Gambia and lies on a peninsula on the south bank of the Gambia River. Together with the country's largest city, Serekunda, it forms the main economic region of Gambia. Trade is conducted everywhere along the roadside—in stalls, ...
The Kiang West National Park
Gambia - At the wooden pier, two not very large boats are moored. We distribute ourselves over the boats. When we cross the Gambia River to the mangrove forests of Kiang West National Park on the other side, it turns out the boats are not completely watertight. ...