Our Hotel

I feel like I’m at a Hawaiian or Mexican resort! The beach front hotels in Gambia primarily serve British tourist who rarely leave the hotel or Europeans who come here to bird watch. We’re right on a long, white sandy beach with some handsome young men to take care of our every want. More on that later. There is a large swimming pool with two hot tubs. An exercise center that I’ve never visited and a massage salon that I have! A ½ hr. neck massage was 200 dalasi (about $8). There are the usual outside bars to help you cool off. Our room has a lanai outside the sliding glass door and we face a bird sanctuary that at times sounds like a squabbling family, then others it’s calm and soothing. We have air conditioning that works most of the time. Occasional, especially at night about 10 PM, the power will go off for 3-5 mins and comes back on as suddenly as it went off. We usually take that as an omen to go to bed! Our room is checked by a variety of people daily. A cleaning person does the actual work of cleaning our room­. Someone else changes out the towel which they do by taking our dirty towel somewhere and then retrieving clean one, so there is a bit of time in between when there are no towels. In fact, today there was one bath towel when we got off work, another bath towel arrived shortly after and just now, a hand towel arrived with the promise of another “later”. Apparently there has been a big loss of towels by staff! Another person comes in about 10AM daily to check the minibar so we can’t steal from the minibar and replace it later. A supervisory person comes around late afternoon to make sure we're happy and have everything we need.

Another person sprays our room at night for mosquitoes—as of yesterday, I’ve taken over the job because he shows up at 8-9 PM and the room is uninhabitable for 30 minutes. Abdouli, one of the Gambians helping us at the hospital, calls the mosquitoes “Gambian soldiers”. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who the mosquitoes and all other bugs love to bit. Anita can be standing right beside me and they always go for me. My ankle and arms are covered in spite of mosquito spray and mosquito wipes. There is standing water everywhere—including the hospital that has an open concrete drainage ditch going right through the middle. Historically it was where all water (and probably lots else!)was thrown, but now it is supposed to be just clean drainage water or rain water during the rainy season. It is quite a breeding site for mosquitoes. Our hospital ward isn’t much better. I picked up the mop yesterday and hundreds of mosquitoes flew out. Oops, got carried away on mosquitoes.

Back to the hotel-
Like most resort hotel there are ingratiating people everywhere to do whatever you want and there are local craftspeople selling necklaces, bracelets, wood carving, and leather goods in the lobbies and outside by the pool. These are bargained for –fiercely but good naturedly- and they expect it. The vendors seem disappointed if you don’t bargain. It’s almost like we don’t get it! In fact, in the market yesterday, one of the vendors told us that, unlike America, where prices are on items, he gives us a price and we come to a fair price for both of us. They think it’s a much fairer way than everyone paying the same.

Every morning is like Sunday brunch and would to do any American restaurant proud! It is loaded with salads, fresh breads, sweet rolls, cereals and cold cuts. Someone is making fresh orange juice and cutting fresh pineapple. Another person is making omelets or “to-order” eggs. In 5 days, the waiters have already figured out who wants coffee, tea, cream, sugar or black. It’s kinda nice! No Gambian food is served because it’s not to the taste of most English--or at least that's what I assume.

Take a look at our hotel at ­­­­­http://www.laicohotels.com/en/hotel/gambia/banjul/laico-atlantic.html or google Laico Atlantic Hotel, Banjul. We’re on our way to the pool and tea time.