First Impressions

Progress on the blog seems to have been painfully slow over these first few weeks probably due to having the two girls to look after solo in a new country and Aubs’ computer having been ruined by one of the hundred or so viruses that it acquired through some un-networked connections.

We have now been in the Gambia for 3 weeks (well Aubs for a bit longer) and are now officially Gambian residents (with biometric ID cards to prove it). We are lucky enough to be living on the MRC compound. As well as being a lovely green space, beautifully and safely enclosed so the children can have the run of the place, it provides those essentials like a back-up generator and instant access to the gas canisters when you run out. Things are not perfect, for example we don’t have any hot water, but having the ability to see after 7pm outweighs all minor issues. The other bonus is being two minutes walk from work, or at least this seems like a bonus after having had an hour plus commute, each way, for the last 7 years! There is even the possibility of popping home for lunch.

I have come to realise we are truly lucky in our temporary accommodation which used to be the house of the head of MRC and is therefore very spacious (though sparse in places – Amelie currently has a single bed only in her fairly spacious room). After three weeks we are feeling quite at home so I am sure it will be a wrench to have to downsize which we are expecting to do in another week or so. Still, we are lucky enough to be remaining on the compound which is especially good for the children given the friends they are making around the place.

The MRC is found in Fajara, the diplomatic district of the greater Banjul area. I have found the main attraction of Fajara to be the shops – we have an excellent bakery with delicious almond croissants round the corner which I love all the more as the owner used to live in Crouch End (Elise has been invited for a baking lesson so I will be bringing back the recipe) and an even more excellent book shop (touted as the best in all of Gambia and Senegal).

Fajara is just off one of the main Gambian highways which takes you between Bakau and SeneGambia. These are two of the busiest tourist destinations, though at the moment it is very low season so it can be very surreal visiting the hotels – our main treat for the girls given the lovely swimming pools on offer – which are virtually deserted at the moment. I am tending to head towards Bakau which is still a fishing village and has a large craft market and renowned crocodile pool therefore offering more than just the tourist hotels and beaches. That said, the SeneGambia strip does have some hidden gems like the Bijilo forest park where we had a lovely walk and managed to see lots of the new green and red colobus monkey babies – once our computer is sorted we will get some pictures of the little ones being carried around on their mummies’ tummies.

It does feel slightly surreal living between these tourist hubs, though it only takes a 10 minute drive up to Serrekunda which is the busiest centre in the Gambia to get a feel for the hustle and bustle (especially of goats and if you are lucky the odd horned cow) of urban life. Aubs managed to escape this all this week with a trip to one of his study’s village centres which was inland towards the river. He said the difference was amazing in terms of the lush green and tranquillity of this small rural village which cooked the visitors a feast freshly caught from the river. It has definitely given us the itch to explore outside the local area, though we are wondering how adventurous the children will be given the slow down the heat and humidity has brought – still we have 9 more months to adjust and explore!

If moving to the Gambia, one good thing to know is that August is not the best month to arrive. As well as being one of the most humid months with the most rain (though I am told I have October to look forward to which is equally oppressive, but without any rain to bring relief); everyone tends to be away on holiday – I think the two are linked! It was always going to be a bit of a challenge entertaining the girls with the two puzzles and handful of books we brought in our suitcases, but having an empty compound, empty pools etc., basically no other children around, has added to the feeling of being challenged. I think our next door neighbours are currently feeling our desperation given the amount of time their three lovely boys have spent playing with our girls since they touched back down in the Gambia last weekend. Other than needing some company their own age, which is coming closer now, the two girls have settled down well greatly helped by the long hours spent in the pool and on the beach – I don’t think these pastimes are set to change over the coming months.

I am hoping all will become dramatically easier from now on as Amelie starts school next week and we seem to have a good lead with a highly recommended nursery for Elise. I will just have to get busy at the MRC to fill my time!

The Cunningtons Arrive In The Gambia

The family have moved to The Gambia because of Aubrey's work. He is doing research at the Medical Research Council Laboratories in Fajara, not far from the capital city Banjul. Aubrey arrived on 13th July and Marianne and the girls arrived to join him on 30th July. It was great to be reunited with the sweaty girls (suffering in the humidity at Banjul Airport). Elise made several bids for freedom through the immigration queue and when she finally broke free, promptly lay down in the middle of the floor and tried to go to sleep.

We have spent the last week getting orientated to the local area, and trying to set up home. We are very lucky to be staying on the MRC compound at the moment. The MRC has a very large site with several playing fields, labs and administrative buildings, a hospital, residences, plenty of beautiful wild birds, and even an occasional monkey. People have been very friendly and welcoming and we are slowly working out how to do all the things we need to do for day to day routine.

The girls are settling in well, particularly because it is just a short walk to the beach. Even so, they are getting very tired because the humidity saps your energy quite quickly and they are waking up each morning when morning prayers are called at around 5.30am. Hopefully they start to sleep better before school starts at the end of August.

We'll add more as we explore over the next few weeks and hope to add some good photos soon.