This afternoon, direction with my neighbor in the former oxbow lake in the sacred crocodiles, which is hidden at the heart of the Bakau area.
To reach the place, you have to use a sandy path, and you can smell the opened pipe following the route, which leaves the junction between Cap Point Road and Atlantic Boulevard. More profound than it countered there, this small pond papered with thick vegetation includes 70 reptiles.
Waters of Kachikally would have curative and energizing virtues. Women are going to bathe naked in a small swimming pool fitted out there for that purpose. The children born after this ritual bath invariably wear the first name of Kachikally, whereas the politicians or the fight champions recharge batteries there.
They have inside the museum some artifacts like a lot of masks.
For example, the Kumpo appears in the Jola masquerade during initiation ceremonies to protect the initiates from evil eyes and spirits. It represents the spirits of the ancestors. The Kumpo is dressed from leaves of elephant grass of palm fiber.
They have Basari Masks, who is described as one of the most colorful people in Senegambia. The Basari are noted for their elaborate headdress and exquisite dancing. They number a few thousand and are found mainly in eastern Senegal around the hills of Tmabakunda and Keydougcu. They are also found in Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry. They have been seriously assimilated by other bigger ethnic groups such as Mandinka and Wollof, but they still retain elements of their culture such as masking traditions.
The Casa Mask is peculiar to the jola casa. It has mainly social functions, to brung unit and understanding among the people animation and social interactions such as dances and ceremonies. The mask is made from local fiber found in their locality. It is sewn into strands around the head into a cap. It comes out during festive ceremonies such as the festivities marking the end of circumcision ceremonies when initiates dance with it to the joy of their parents and wellwisher.
The Fangbondi mask is a Mandinka circumcision mask. It is usually seen as late-night to protect the initiates from evil spirits and witches. It has extraordinary abilities to fly or disappear from sight during performances. It is dressed from the bark of the Fara tree. It usually carries two sharp cutlasses that are striking against one another while making esoteric noises at night.
You can discover some Gambian people who fought during World War II.
Kinte Kamara is another Gambia Soldier who excelled during World War II. He fought against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma and won accolades and decorations for his bravery. He never wavered and always kept the flag high. He helped in the defeat of the Nazis and saved the world from tyranny and destruction from the Nazis and fascists.
Fajara War Cemetery
During World War II, the four colonies in West Africa, including the Gambia, became bases for recruiting and training men for the armed forces. Their posts and harbors were of great value to convoys bound for the middle east, India, and South Africa.
Bathurst (now Banjul) became a naval base. It contains 200 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, one of which is unidentified. They are also nine on-war service burials and three war graves of the nationalizes. The cemetery also contains a Memorial Tablet commemorating 33 of the men of Gambia who served in the Royal West African Frontier forces who died while serving in West Africa and whose graves are not known or cannot be maintained.
After visiting the museum, we headed to the crocodiles who were walking near the Sacred Pond, and trust me; it was an incredible experience. I was allowed to touch a few of them (and for information, they have eaten 200 kg of meat in the morning!). We met a future Mama Crocodile, and she was not happy to see us (this was quite scary!)
I know that The Gambia is not the destination coming into your mind quickly, but I did learn during this year that the people living there are the sweetest people I have ever met, even if they have nothing. They want you to learn about their cultures.
I’m for sure planning to get back there one day, as I still have some friends living there.
