African shopping in Sal

Every morning the fishermen came back from their trips and you could buy fresh fish at the pier of Santa Maria.

And here is what you could find in the restaurants later in the afternoon, looks really good!

It was not really a lot that you could buy there in Sal, one of the Africans islands in the country of Cape Verde.

And the things you found in the shops was a little odd, and big!

Another street in Santa Maria and another shop with turisty things.

Bracelets and stuff like that where very popular, and could easy be find on most of the streets.

Sal, an African island in the sun

Just came home from a vacation from Sal in Cape Verde just outside the west coast of Africa.

Sal is one of the many island of Cape Verde, with a lot of sun and a lot of strong winds. But also besutiful beaches.

I stayed at the Salinas Sea Hotel outside the small town of Santa Maria. A modern hotel just a few years old.

Here is the lobby, of the hotel. Always full of turists, coming or going.

And one pic of the pool with a swim up bar. We where also very close to the sea.

As you can see here, the hotel bar and resturant in front of the sea.

One more pic of that bar, taken from the sea side. A really nice place to relax at, with samba music and a drink.

Here is the hotel beach, with the blue sea. A little too cold for me thu.

You could also sleep and relax in these, or just read a book.

I used these every morning, just outside the hotel, it is really good to stay in shape in the vacation too.

Then you have to eat, I had an all inclusive package on my trip. Here are the desserts one day.

African shopping and sunny beaches

Some more african shopping. Found out that you could buy a lot of stuff in carved wood, but also these baskets made of grass.

They come in every color but the shapes where almost always the same.

And here is another photo from Africa, this is from a sunny beach in The Gambia. The women here where also selling some stuff that they carried on their heads.

More african shopping

In The Gambia I also found that they where really good at batik, a manual wax-resist dyeing technique that you can see here. 

The man is "painting" on the hot wax to the fabric. 

Here you have some typical african scenes, really vibrant and artistic in my opinion. 

This is some of the most beautiful and simple patterns and colours - that I found on this compound outside Serrekunda.

African shopping

Of course I did some shopping too when I was in Africa, in The Gambia. Here is some things that you could buy.

Here is a pictures from the Turist Market in Banjul, with things to buy just for for us turists.

And here is another photo from the same place, especially wood carvings. There is a lot of things that I never would buy, but if you look carefully there is always some lovely things here and there.

These hang on a wall in my hotel room, loved them! 

Showtime in Africa

At my hotel, Sheraton in The Gambia, they also hade some form of entertainment every night. Here you can se a band playing, with the typical african drums.

Then you have this photo where you can se more of the guy on stilts, there where two of them, dancing and singing. Here one is on the left.

The photos in taken at night, around 8, just before or after dinner. 

You can see the other guy on stilts on the right.

Baobab tree

When I was in Africa I also discovered a tree called Baobab tree, it is the national tree af Madagascar and is very common in Africa.

It is known as the tree of life. And it is providing with food, shelter and clothing. The leaves is used as medicines.

The fruit of the tree is called monkey fruit and look like a dead rat, hanging in the tree - but it provides vitamin c and is eaten.

For most of the year the tree is leafless and it looks lite its is turned upside down. These pictures was taken at my hotel, Sheraton in The Gambia.

Not only nice beaches...

But I did not only spend my time on nice beaches in The Gambia, I also visited Sukuta Health Clinic, a childrens hospital.

You can see it here, not like the hospitals in Sweden but all right anyhow.

You can see the entrance here, we were a group from Scandinavia that visited it one hot day.

Thay also had a pharmacy on the compound, you see it here.

Than I also visited Hart House, a home for children with learing difficulties in Serrekunda. 

This project was initiated in 2001 by Geoff Hunwicks, the man in the picture here, sitting on a bench in front of the school. 

Hart is a brit who has many ears experience with children with special needs, and he works here with his wife Rohey. You can see her in the picture here, inside the Hart House.

If you want to learn more - read here:

http://www.harthouse.gm/

My hotel in The Gambia

This is where I stayed in The Gambia, Hotel Sheraton in Serrekunda, just at the beach.  Her I took the photo from the beach.

And here I took it from the hotel, at the beach. At high tide.

It is inspired by local traditions and has a lot of african art and crafts as a decor, and the rooms are all placed in smaller houses on one or three floors.

And here is a part of the pool at sunset.

And here is my rooom.

Another photo of the pool.

Nearly empty beaches

Where I stayed in The Gambia, Hotel Sheraton, the beach outside the hotel looked like this, almost empty. That is how I like it.

The sea is the big Atlantic Ocean. Rather big waves, but it was warm, not for me thou, I prefer the pool when it comes to swimming.

Some times during the day you could find people selling fruits on the beach, like these two women in the picture - carrying the products on their heads.

Selling fruit

It is not always easy growing up, especially if you live in a country like The Gambia, in need of building up the infrastructure and a lot moore to help the one in need.

Here is two kids I found in the market in Banjul, selling fruits, mostly bananas.

And here you have some more fruit, mango, just to pick from the tree.

African market - with more fish

Hallo again! Just came back from Africa, where I wisited The Gambia, a small country on the west coast.

And I give you more photos of fish, this time from Albert market in Banjul, the capital. It is a big smelly and amazing market with everything from food to clothes and things for your home.

Here is some dried fishes and their remains for sale.

And here is some more stuff on the market, just outside the market gates.
Will bring you a lot more photos from my recent African trip later...

Here you can read my other fish stories:
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-fishes.html
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.com/2012/01/fish-but-no-chips.html