Aladdin's bird watching adventure in Gambia

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Flying to Banjul, Gambia with Air Peace flight P47771

Monday 28 ^th of July 2025 and we are back at Le Saly Hôtel & l'Hôtel Club Les Filaos around 1 o'clock, after a gorgeous morning at the Saloum Delta National Park.

We had made a stop at the supermarket to buy diet drink, so I had a few bottles to enjoy in my room before my Guide and driver to come pick me up at 6 o'clock. It is time to go to the airport and Air Peace flight P47771 to Banjul, Gambia.

I go to the reception at 6 and my Guide is waiting. We load my luggage in to the car and I take my seat in the back with my last bottle of diet drink. Gloom and grey for long as I could see, it will soon start to rain.

We had heavy rain, thunder and lightning early this morning, but we had luck with the weather during the bird watching.

Time to say good bye

Dakar International Airport

Dakar International Airport

Dakar International Airport

I said good bye to my birding team and I went in to the terminal, 4 hours until departure so I have some time to kill. I spent time walking around checking out the airport, well, this did not take many minutes.

There was a coffee shop and they had armchairs that looked comfy. I bought tea, a bottle of water, two mango juice and two toast and I took my seat ready to kill hours.

The toast hardly edible, but I was hungry as I had not had any dinner.

Coffee shop

Still a long time to go for the flight to Lagos

Waiting for the x-ray machine

Going to check-in passing an x-ray machine. Strange, I do not know if the x-ray machine was out of order, but only someone had to put the luggage through it. They pointed to me so I could just walk by. By passing the metal detector as well.

I went to check in counter #12 - 13, not many people. Of course, three ladies in front of me and this took a very long time. People coming after me choose the other line and they had checked-in before me.

But one of the staff waved me through to counter #12 and I had soon checked-in.

Immigration and security went kind of smooth and I was soon in the departure hall. The airport looks quite new and it turns out that it is about 10 years old.

Not many people at the airport

Time to board the flight

Stil plenty time to kill, even though I had spent a few minutes in the tax-free shop. And now it is all over the world, after the security and you have to walk through the tax-free shop to reach the departure gates. They want your last money before you leave.

I left without buying anything, I already have everything I need so no need to waste money on some shit that will waste space back home.

I was looking at some wrist watches, no one bothered to ask me if I needed any help. And there were three girls just next to me, busy gossiping about God knows what.

Air Peace flight P47771 to Banjul, Gambia had no seat allocation, FREE SEATING. So, I wanted to be among the first to board to have space for my carry-ons.

I was waiting for almost 2 hours before they started the boarding. Air France, departure time 23:15, 5 minutes after Air Peace flight P47771 and they boarded before us.

Boarding flight Air Peace flight P47771

Boarding flight Air Peace flight P47771

Boarding completed

30 minutes flight time to Banjul and I was already very uncomfortable after 10 minutes. Thank God that I do not need to spend 5 hours on the flight. Landing was like we had been shoot down, bouncing down the run way.

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 29 ^th of July 2025 and it is just after midnight when I step down on the tarmac. We will go by bus to the terminal and I take the opportunity to take some pictures.

But, one from the staff tell me that he do not think it is allowed to take pictures.

Ganjul International Airport

My first ever picture in Gambia

Terminal

There was a health control getting off the bus at the terminal. People had to show they yellow vaccination book. The waved me by and I paid 20 US $ for the visa and then I went to the Immigration desk. I was at the luggage claim a couple of minutes later.

Took a bit before my bag came on the luggage belt and I could finally go to see if my driver was waiting for me. My luggage had to be sent through an x-ray machine and I was clear.

My driver was waiting and he had to go to the ATM to get cash to pay for the parking.

My Driver is waiting for me

Ready to leave the airport

It took us about three minutes to walk to the parking. I asked the driver if he had water in the car. No, he did not have water, but he could stop on the way. Never mind, I should have been in bed a long time ago so to the hotel ASAP.

The hotel car was not comfy and old pick-up truck and I started to have doubt about the hotel.

It was passed 2 o'clock in the morning by the time I was in bed, and much later before I was in bed with the alarm set to go off at 7 o'clock.

On the way to the hotel

Dead tired when the alarm went off, not much sleep and I was dead tired. I made a cup of tea, finally finding use for my tea bucket that I have brought around the world. There is a kettle in my room and it was coming to instant use when I was out of bed.

I have missed my tea while in Senegal. Enjoying my tea and I have a shower before going to check out the breakfast. I could hear on Senegal Coucal outside my room and I spotted the bird on the beach when I came out from my room. Black Kites (yellow-billed) was soaring aver the hotel area.

Well, no fresh bread, good, of course disappointment but I realize that it was better without the bread. At least for my diet.

The omelette was OK and I had three of them. My bird Guide will come to pick me up at 3 o'clock so I have time to kill. I want some African styled shirts and I spoke with the reception. They will send a Guide at 11 o'clock.

He will take me to a Tailor and a fabric shop in town. Walking back to my room and I spotted one Black Kite in the fountain. No camera, but the bird was just a couple of meters away so my Scooby doo pocket camera will do.

Of course, some guests came from the opposite direction flushing the bird.

Ocean Bay Hotel & Resort

I was in the reception at 11 o'clock to meet my Guide and we were soon on our way to town. I could report one Pied Crow passing the West African International school.

terrible traffic and it took us some time to get to the fabric shop. The streets were lined with fabric shops and there were many different beautiful fabrics. I choose fabrics for twelve shirts and of course, they did not accept card.

Odd to an ATM, only accepting cards from their own bank. We went back to the car and next ATM, maximum withdrawal, 2000 Scooby Doo dollars, about 20 US $. My Guide came up with an idea, we will drive to the Tailor to make sure how much fabric we need.

On our way to buy fabric

Down town Banjul

Down town Banjul

We will stop at an ATM and the supermarket on the way. Then they will drop me at my hotel and they will go back to pick up the fabric. Maximum nomination, 200 Dalasi and I need 50 000 Dalasi and my trousers we full of bills when I left the ATM.

We stopped at the supermarket and I got milk for my tea, some juice and biscuits to enjoy in my room. We reached the tailor, it was just a small hut next to the dusty streed.

The Tailor took my measurements before we took off to my hotel.

At the Tailor

At the Tailor

Tea in my room killing time until 3 o'clock when I went to the reception to meet my birding Guide. We will check the Kotu Creek and you just need to click HERE to find out if there are any birds.

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