Poor country, rich people |
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Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau is a charming country, with wonderful people and breathtaking sceneries. It's not easy to travel inside the country, but in the end you won't regret.
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Ravaged by protracted struggles for independence, civil conflict and guerrilla warfare, Guinea-Bissau is slowly rising up from the rubble. With beautiful unspoilt scenery and plenty of wildlife, West African traditions and Portuguese colonial remains, Guinea-Bissau has a lot going for it. (Lonely Planet online) Unfortunately for the traveller it has nothing similar to what we call an economy. That means that besides some resorts for those who fish or hunt, it's almost impossible to find an hotel or any place to spend the night, a restaurant or public transports outside the capital city, Bissau. On the other hand, you will find extremely nice and friendly people, who haven't met mass tourism yet and it's side effects. That means being poor (not to say miserable), they won't beg, harass or menace you on any way. They will come just to meet you, to take a photo with you, to know your name and where you come from. Without asking anything in change.
And with so many places to go, why did i went to Guinea-Bissau? Well, my father went there to fish. It's not that i fancy fishing much, but i don't think that it is possible to travel to GB on a unplanned way, and the only "packages" available are for hunters and fishermen. So, i went along. It was a great way to know a country that otherwise wouldn't be part of my travelling plans.
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| Favourite spots: |
The Rio Grande de Buba, 80 kms of sea that enter into the mainland like a river, and it's National Park will offer you moments of pure delight.
Cruising the river and crossing with fishermen and families passing by on their wood carved canoes (didn't see a single motorboat), stoping on a river beach to cook the fish that you had just caught, without hearing anything but the wind in the trees, the birds and the monkeys, are moments that you hardly forget.
For the first time in many, many trips i made, i felt i was the only tourist around (and around means a biiiig around).
Another great thing was that apparently there was no polution at all. Just for one reason: when you don't have a plastic bag, you can't throw it to the river. Sad but true.
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| What's really great: |
Once again, the purity and honesty of the people. The natural sceneries. The absence of tourism as we know it worldwide.
Confirming that different ethnies and religions can live together in total peace and harmony (Tribal religions (55%), Muslim (40%), Christian (5%).
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| Sights: |
Rio Grande de Buba.
All the way down from Bissau to Buba, passing by dozens of small villages, from so many different ethnies.
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| Accommodations: |
In Buba i stayed in a house provided by Uaque Caça, the company that provides hunting and fishing trips.
http://www.hotelruraldeuaque.com/
(if you enter the website, almost everything you see is about the hunting lodge near Bissau. To know more about fishing press "Pesca")
Simple, no luxury at all, with very friendly staff, all mad about soccer just like me!
Among them was a great cook that had the power to turn our daily catches in marvellous (but once again very simple) meals!
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Published on Thursday March 16th, 2006 by paulobeli
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