Bissau City, Guinea-Bassau
We arrived in Guinea Bissau after our bushcamp in the Senegalese village. We left at 8am but as the roads were so bad, we didn’t get to the border until around noon. African borders can be a bit unpredictable but this one was ok. We were in and out quicker than a fiddler’s elbow. Well, an arthritic fiddler maybe, but quick enough for an African border.
The roads got progressively worse as we slowly wound our way into the heartlands of Guinea-Bissau. Sometimes an arthritic fiddler would have passed us by. The landscape got greener too and more lush. Oddly enough, the homesteads seemed more solid and built from brick than those from further north. Yet, Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest places on earth.
We were heading for Bissau, the capital of Guinea Bissau for 3 nights in a hostel/campsite. We had visa runs for Sierra Leone and some of us, me included, had to finalise our Guinea visas. Guinea is our next stop. Due to heavy traffic, we parked the truck and walked to the embassy. When we sweatily arrived, the embassy was not there. Apparently it had moved either during or after Covid. Remember Covid? Way back in 2020! Due to poor communication and sparse information, the next few hours were chaotic. We all went in different ways and I made my way to the hostel.
The hostel was also supposed to be a camping site but actually wasn’t. The camp was a concrete yard next to an open air bar and in front of a live music stage. Live music in West Africa is seriously loud. Fuck this, I thought to myself and booked an upgrade. There was only space left in a dorm and I took it. It was spacious and had lots of ceiling fans. I’m glad I took it. Madventure administration leaves a lot to be desired and is an increasing source of irritation. I don’t allow this to dent the Africa experience though.
All of us on the trip are seasoned travellers and most have travelled to 100 countries, or more. We often explore and discuss what is so different between this trip and others. For example, East Africa is full of experiences and there is a highly developed tourist or traveller infrastructure in place. And then there’s the animals, lots of them, everywhere. West Africa has none of this. There are very few exciting experiences and nearly all towns and villages are dog rough and dirt poor. The main experience is an understanding and appreciation of the people of West Africa. It’s one of the poorest places on earth but this is still authentic Africa. Just as real as the other countries I have visited on this continent.
The journey is more visceral and intellectual than just a funfest. You have to find a way to make sense of the almost drudgery and relentless travel on the truck. It also pulls out a lot of resources I never knew I had and I already feel it’s changing me, for the better. I’m more resilient. It’s not for no reason that West Africa overland is called the most difficult of all overland trips.
Despite the fact that the villages, towns and cities are rough, the people aren’t. I have strong memories of huge open-hearted smiles from strangers as we passed through their localities.
The heat and humidity is savage though but I’m getting used to it slowly.
I was walking around the market today, vibrant and noisy like most markets in Africa, when I heard multiple sirens in the distance. A huge convoy of soldiers and paramilitary police in balaclavas and bullet proof vests shot by. They were armed to the teeth with jeep mounted heavy machine guns. I’m not sure if this was meant to be a show of strength or if more trouble had broken out following the coup earlier this week. I hope the former.
On 30 November-1 December 2023, clashes broke out in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, between government forces and units of the National Guard who had released two ministers accused of corruption from detention. The clashes led to the arrest of National Guard commander Colonel Victor Tchongo. The events have been described as an “attempted coup” by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Following the clashes, Embalo ordered the dissolution of the country’s legislature.
More info here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Guinea-Bissau_coup_attempt
Had a nice meal this evening – pork chops; height of excitement. Said farewell to Ben, one of our tripmates who is off home to Germany this evening. Early to bed as we leave tomorrow morning for a bushcamp just before the Guinea border.
Here are some factoids from wikipedia: Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese: República da Guiné-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi) with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast.
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu. As well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea. Portuguese control was restricted and weak until the early 20th century when pacification campaigns solidified Portuguese sovereignty in the area. The final Portuguese victory over the last remaining bastion of mainland resistance came in 1915 with the conquest of the Papel-ruled Kingdom of Bissau by the Portuguese military officer Teixeira Pinto and the Wolof mercenary Abdul Injai. The Bissagos, islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, were officially conquered in 1936, ensuring Portuguese control of both the mainland and islands of the region. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country’s name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since independence. The current president is Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was elected on 29 December 2019.
Only about 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. However, Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, is the national language and also considered the language of unity. According to a 2012 study, 54% of the population speak Creole as a first language and about 40% speak it as a second language. The remainder speak a variety of native African languages. The nation is home to numerous followers of Islam, Christianity and traditional faiths, though no single religious group represents a majority of the population. The country’s per-capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.
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