" 3 MONTHS "

… that’s the time it took to enjoy life… a brief foretaste of early retirement if you will, before going off to a new slice of life.

  The 3 months is in fact 4, but I like 'Numérobis’ (Jamel Debbouze, in Asterix Mission Cléopatre) expression when he talks about the time given to complete the palace. In fact it’s one of the few films that I enjoy watching time and time again.

    Anyway, where was I? Well here we are, I landed in the late-afternoon of Thursday at Banjul International Airport. Lyon-Brussels-Banjul was quick enough – One of the rare airline planes to regularly fly there, most other companies are charters that only fly in winter.

    No window seat which wasn’t great! But on the other hand, no neighbour spilling over into my space either so…

I had planned to be wearing flip-flops when I landed but put my boots away in Brussels as my feet were already hot (and not without missing the opportunity to paint my nails). So charming, thanks Clau, I’m thinking of you. The sun is in me J.

   When we landed in Banjul, half the passengers remained in their seats as the plane continues on to Freetown, Sierra Leone. Customs wasn’t very big, and for once it was the domestic queue that was longer than the one for international passports. Luckily, an employee from the hotel was there to greet me and accompanied me to a side door where my Pascal was waiting all smiles.

   Welcome to Gambia, new land and home of the 2 marchi!

   The airport itself is small so getting out to parking was quick. A good half-hour journey, and a brief snapshot of life in Gambia, later we arrived at the hotel. A large sign showed the President with his wife next to a slogan that all women will like “Behind every great man is a great woman”.

   Here is our new Gambian nest. The Laico hotel is comprised of 204 rooms, one of which, a suite, is our base for the time being. The bedfold was original and the decorative flowers (Bougainvillea and hibiscus) reminded me… dare I say… of home. That’s right friends, I left Mauritius with a little piece of it in my heart and I will never be able to say it enough, Mauritius I love you.