Driving – getting around is interesting.  Cars don’t always bother with the roads and drive down the sand paths at the edge.  I never did work out how crossroads worked, unless controlled by a police blasting his whistle, it seemed to be just push and give, lots of giving actually and driving around cars one side of the other.  Only a few roads are tarmac’d, most are just very bumpy, often narrow tracks between houses.  Our coach driver quite happily drove through the sand, but went slowly over potholes a few feet deep and as wide as the bus.  There are some major roadworks  and the diversion is just along sand tracks at the side.   I believe the new road they are building has stalled. Sand covered everything here particularly parked cars.  The goats, dogs, cows and chickens all wander around the roads looking for what food can be found in this dirty dry landscape.  Checkpoints and speed bumps are a few extra hazards on the roads.  If a VIP is on the road, you get off it, I did wonder what was happening as we swerved off the road and then sat in the car watching an armed convey pass .  Worse on return of that journey the president was out and about so the duel carriage was closed and our 30min drive home became a fascinating 2.5 hour drive through the centre of the town along with all the other traffic,chaos! Good spacial judgement was exercised by many drivers that day, but fisticuff broke out between two drivers who failed to keep their distance.  Locals use two ways to get around, they either hitch a lift, or squeeze into or onto one of the mini buses that go around.  Pickups seemed to be a common transport for school kids, in nice bright clean uniforms hanging on for dear life as they bounced over the bumps

Transport – If you like classic cars this is the place for you.  They take Europe’s scrapecars and make them work.  We saw a coach where the windscreen was held on with gaffer tape. Lights are an optional extra. I saw one car that didn’t have bent body work. Black plums of smoke billow from car exhausts.  Car worthiness tests are mandatory here, or at least a bribe to the appropriate person.  Wearing seat belts is compulsory, which is a bit hard when the cars don’t have them.  Donkey carts are commen, most look to be OK but the odd one looks badly treated.  Ferries are, like the cars, old and battered.  Pirogues (canoes) once brightly painted have to be bailed out at regular intervals. 

Shops – we did see a few out of town large shops, not many.  Mainly they are breeze block sheds, with corrugated iron roofs, of course many aren’t even that. Gambia is poor.  The breeze block shops fall into two types, once that have most of the goods outside, be that old car parts, clothes, food or sofas and beds, all collecting sand, or a counter just inside the door, where you ask for the things you want.  Many peddlers carry their wares,  if women often on their heads.  

Cash – to a western tourist this is a major problem.  I very rarely use cash.  Gambia doesn’t do cards.  You can’t get Gambia money in the UK.  There are bank machines,  but it refused us £200 of Dalsis when we tried so we went to the hotel that took cards and a large commission.  The biggest note is 200d worth about £1.40, we came out with a 2 inch thick pile of very dirty notes.  I think that is why the bank machine refused us any money.  These are paper notes, sellotaped together, and have seen much better days. You wash your hands after paying for anything.