Day two - Saturday 17th January

Well, I spent a relaxing but far from luxurious night in my bed which had no sheets and no pillow - except a flowered light counterpane and a piece of hard foam without a cover, I used my towel and managed adequately, I do not need the finer things of life nor do I want them here, although I will ask for a pillow.

I lit a lavender scented candle and made myself as comfortable as possible. I lay in the candlelight and wondered what my late sister Diana would say if she could see me. It's strange really how Gambia has played a large part in moving me forward after losing her.

I awoke about 7a.m. I think - washed with baby-wipes, as it's such a palaver to draw water in the garden etc. I will try that tomorrow. I can manage without a bath or shower; tomorrow I will sluice myself down! Decided to have some cereal I bought from England - but no milk in the fridge. Must do some basic shopping for the house.

There is another room rented out too in Adams house to a Gambian man and his 10 year old brother, he is recently married and normally living in Holland with his wife. He is evidently currently seeking a passport for his young brother to take him to Holland. He is called Solomon and barely speaks to me when I speak and not at all if I don't. Perhaps he is shy, who knows? It doesn't worry me. Everyone comes and goes as they wish without getting under each other's feet. It's working amazingly well - at least that is how I feel. I feel peaceful and am so relaxed that I will let nothing upset my equilibrium. (Within 3 days of writing this I couldn't stop him talking!)

At 9.15a.m. I left my compound in the heart of the community and walked into Kololi where the GTS bar/restaurant is situated. I love the walk up the sandy road - talking to locals and smiling with the beautiful children. I met a man on my way called Abdu. He wants me to visit him in his house and to be my friend. He knows all the English counties for some unknown reason and took great pride in recounting them to me. I gently declined the house visit but assured him I would be pleased to chat to him should we meet again on the road.

I am now in the GTS bar where Francis has cooked me an omelette served with lovely fresh bread and butter plus a cup of tea.

Oh, I've just seen the tiniest little red bird - beautiful. There are over 600 varieties of birds in the Gambia - a 'twitchers' paradise.

Well, as the day is my own with absolutely no one to concern myself with I will now stroll to the sea (if I can find it, haven't quite got my bearings yet.)

I will be picked up at 11p.m. tonight at the compound to see the real Gambian African Carnival in Serenkunda. - at least I think that is what Kabs said. I'll write more later diary.

Had a lovely few hours on the sands - away from tourists. Six little boys befriended me and shared my fresh coconut. I have promised them sweets tomorrow so we are meeting up! I've taken a photo of them they are gorgeous. All children who are lucky enough to go to school of sorts learn English so communication is possible with many children and adults alike.

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Had to use my school days French on the beach later. A man from Senegal was selling a wood carving identical to the one Bryn bought for me in Gambia last year. I told him over and over I did not want two and anyway I could not carry any more when I fly home. But he was very persistent - even after I had given him some dilasi to buy lunch. Poverty can make a man desperate but I can't feed the world.

Just having a beer at the GTS Bar now. It's 2.45 and I am then going to the small shop next door for milk, water etc. then will find a taxi home for it is now much too hot walk especially carrying shopping.

Oh, I met a young man call Sir Sheriff on the beach - he was in the navy for 6 years but now can't find any work. His wife has left him and taken his children, he misses them and never goes out socially as he feels alone! I smile quietly to myself wondering if there is any truth in his tale of woe for many Gambians have developed hard luck stories - I don't blame them but is true to say many become 'bumsters' like this one, rather than working to survive they choose to target gullible tourists and we all have to learn to differentiate.

Last week Yaya took Sue, Dave, Bryn and me out to the really rural areas - the real poverty stricken Gambia. It was truly and heartbreakingly dirt poor. They have houses made of dried mud bricks, which crack in the rainy season and collapse within 3 to 4 years. They have no electricity, gas or water in many cases and must walk in blinding heat to find the latter.

We went into a house and met the wife. She was young, pregnant, had a toddler and several children outside too and was carrying a five year old with a large swollen head who could not walk at all, (encephalitis.) There was just a mud floor, no furniture at all. A couple of pots for cooking and a pile of old clothes in a corner but no items for comfort or pleasure of any sort. The two sides rooms were curtained off - I can only imagine the beds. It is hard to see how they survive such hardship. A hole in the ground serves as a toilet and an open fire as a kitchen.

We also visited a rock quarry. Imagine blazing heat in the middle of nowhere. You have a large pick and you have to use all your strength to hack the rock out of the soil, then you must reduce the rock to various sizes and then try to sell it to a builder for a pittance - and yet they still smiled at us and did not complain. It is truly humbling.

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Each of the 12 African tribes have their own language - the most prevalent is Mandinka, followed I believe by Woollof - but certainly the majority of Gambians speaks Mandinka. Those living the other side of the Gambian River in Senegal however speak their own tribal languages and French - these people often cross the narrow river to sell their wares in Gambia and ones comes across them often on the beaches.

The Gambians fortunate enough to go to school speak English which often leaves much to be desired i.e. 'I was been thinking' and this is due to extremely poor and unstructured teaching methods. GTS would like to set up a yearly rota of trained teachers to work in a GTS Education Centre and train the Gambian teachers. Although one cannot doubt their dedication to the children and they work under conditions unheard and undreamt of in England nevertheless few have a good command of the English language and even less idea of quality teaching methods or structuring. Frankly neither do I - but I will have made sure I at least have some knowledge before I return to assist those teachers and at least I can speak the Queens English. I just need to continue to observe the work of GTS and at the end of the week decide if this is really for me and if I have something definite to give and if GTS feels they wish to have me join them in a working capacity. We shall see.

I have just realised that as I sit here in the shade of the GTS bar I nearly fell asleep sitting up and writing! I need to shop now, get a taxi home and sleep a little for Kabs is picking me up at 11p.m. tonight for the African village carnival. Will write more tomorrow and tell you about it diary.

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