Our trip to Guinea Bisseau included a walking tour of charming Bisseau, the capital, and then three nights and two full days in Orango Islands National Park, two hours ride in a small, open boat across the Atlantic. Going and coming to the island paradise, we were soaked by the time we reached our destination.
Guinea-Bisseau was a Portuguese colony. It was the last of the West African countries to get its freedom, in 1974, because the Portuguese were unwilling to give up their colony, whereas the British and French relinquished control peaceably. After its war of independence from Portugal, Guinea-Bisseau then fought a bitter civil war in the 1990s. The wars left the country destitute, and it is one of the poorest countries in the world. This monument, near the government buildings, celebrates the freedom of this poor country.
As we drove further south along the Atlantic coast, we saw more jungle and more bright flowers.
All the West African nations kept their colonist's language as their national language, even after independence. The signs in Guinea-Bisseau were in Portuguese, and we wished Jonny was with us to translate them! I assume the reason for keeping the colonial language is that it makes communication with Western nations easier, and West Africa is dependent on Western trade and aid. There are also many tribal languages in each country, and using a foreign language like Portuguese or English may be easier than deciding which tribal language to use.
Andreas Lopez Cabral, to whom this monument is located, was _____
The pastel buildings with wide verandas on several floors reminded me of the Caribbean, but, again, as our guide assured us, the colors traveled from Africa to the Caribbean, rather than vice versa.
We knew we were in the tropics, with the palm trees.
We visited the Catholic cathedral, built in colonial, Portuguese style. Many people in Guinea-Bissau, particularly in the cities, are Catholic, a remnant of colonialism.
Note the drums next to the statue of the saint. My friend, Deanne Wilde, who served with her husband, Bob, in the LDS Area Presidency in Ghana, said that native West Africans love their native music and dancing, accompanied by drums. In LDS chapels in West Africa, drums are not used for church services, but often for ward and stake activities. In Guinea-Bisseau, drums may be incorporated into the worship service!
Outside, there was a souvenir stand. Dave and I didn't spend much on souvenirs on this trip. African crafts are creative and interesting, but I prefer the more polished carvings, needlework, and jewelry from Asia.
I knew this was an underdeveloped country as I watched this man trying to dig holes in the road with a hand-operated drill, rather than one of Jonny's fancy John Deere excavators!
The Chinese have an increasing presence in Africa, as the name of this hotel and the Chinese characters on its roof suggest.
I have been a member of Rotary International for many years. I know it is expanding in underdeveloped nations, like Guinea-Bisseau.
We wandered the picturesque alleys of downtown Bisseau. When we visited, they looked bedraggled, but someday, with paint and clean-up, this could be a charming area of shops, hotels, and restaurants.
We also passed the ruins of an old Portuguese fort, now a base for Guinea-Bisseau's army.
Our Adventures Abroad guide, Claude, worked out the logistics of our trip with our local guide. Claude found being a guide in Africa frustrating, since few things ran smoothly. Claude was particularly frustrated with this fellow, who got us buses that didn't match the pictures or specifications the local tour agency had sent, and then the air conditioning on one of the buses didn't work! One morning, our bus wouldn't start, and we went back to our rooms for a couple of hours, while Claude and the local guide looked for other transportation.
We walked around the picturesque port, with the bright-colored boats highlighted against the bright-colored buildings.
There were many containers in the port, suggesting a certain amount of international trade.
After dinner, on our first night in Bisseau, dancers and drummers entertained us. Each dance performance in West Africa was delightfully different. There were always drums, bright costumes, and alternating group dances and solos, but the variety within that format was large.
Our boat ride into the Atlantic led, finally, to a French-run resort on an island, with a thatched hut for each guest.
We sat under a thatched awning to eat our French-influenced dinner.
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