Africa is a monument to contrasts and inconsistencies, and as the Silversea Silver Wind continued her “Adventure Cruise” up the West Coast of Africa for the first time in weeks, there was both a feeling of tranquility and, ironically, finally a bit of expedition.
Once again, a country that was not on my Bingo card was next: Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony. However, we did not visit the mainland, but rather the Bijagos Archipelago off its western coast. And, once again, the contrasts were remarkable, colorful, and thought-provoking, but in what I will call a “kinder and gentler” manner.
Our first anchorage was at Bolama, Guinea-Bissau. The town was, similar to Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, filled with abandoned colonial buildings, though due to the climate not being quite so tropical, the grandeur of some remained. Again, I am not sure why most of these buildings were allowed to fall into ruins rather than being utilized, considering the ramshackle nature of most of the residences and other structures. Was it disdain for the Portuguese? Lack of funding? So many questions…and no real answers that I can find.
Our landing was by zodiac onto an ancient stone set of steps up to a pier. (Later in the day, the impressively large tidal swing would put them underwater, so an alternative site, then blocked by a long, flat mudbank, would be used.) Silversea offered a historical walk about the town, some birding, or a “fast-paced trek” of about five miles. I chose the latter as getting an actual bit of exercise after more than a month seemed like a good idea.
Off we went through the village and out into the “hinterlands” for our approximately five-mile trek. We were not more than a few hundred yards into it, and the group had fallen into two distinctive groups: Those that could and those that could not (consisting primarily of Apex clients). However, when given the opportunity to turn back when it was clear that most would not be able to keep up, literally none of them did. I just cannot understand how people refuse to accept they can’t do what they used to do…if they ever did it before. At one point, having been left frustrated on a single track path for quite a while, I saw an opening and said, “Double time!” and a few of us blew past the slower Apex folks who also, frustratingly, refused to give way to those who clearly more up to the task of a fast-paced trek. Again, why? (Note: There probably should have been active and moderate options, but then again, would any of “them” accept a moderate pace?)
Aside from that, the trek was interesting and enjoyable as we passed through cashew and mango trees, some tasting cashew apples as we went by – delicious (tasting like a cross between an apple and a peach) – as well as some smaller villages with numerous “Bom Dia” (Good day) greetings.
I have an app called Map My Hike that, when I remember to turn it on, does what it says it does. While it was clear that Todd, who led this trek, did not always know where we were going on this supposedly somewhat triangular route, the app showed upon our return – humorously – that we were pretty much lost for most of it and, as a result, it was closer to a seven mile hike rather than five. But it didn’t matter, because we didn’t know we were lost and, heck, overall it was an enjoyable outing.
After the hike, I took a stroll around the town to look a bit closer at the colonial building that lay in ruin and grab a glimpse of local life before heading back to the Silver Wind.
There was a Sunset zodiac cruise for those who wanted it. Unfortunately, it was – again – interfered with by the Apex leaders. That made me put my foot down: Keep them away from me or else! (Trust me, I wasn’t near the only one with those feelings!)
It was up early the next morning for a Sunrise Zodiac ride at nearby Canhabaque, Guinea-Bissau, for those who wanted it; of course, I did. Beautiful beaches, flamingos in the distance, pink-backed pelicans (for me, the least attractive of the pelicans), feeding terns, and flat, calm seas. (There was also a bird walk, but to be honest, my girlfriend would have killed me if we went on another birding adventure, and birding in a larger group doesn’t really work anyway.)
After breakfast, it was back onto the zodiacs for a wet landing for about a mile walk before a fantastic visit to a local village. (Silversea has been great in breaking us into smaller groups, making it a better experience for both us and the locals. We were in Group 2.) Along the walk, I observed the unfortunate “slash and burn” farming where the local vegetation is cut back and burned so that palm oil trees could be planted. (Palm oil is a source of income for the community.) Fortunately, it did not seem nearly as prolific as I have seen in South America and Indonesia.
As we walked, one of “those people” (who are allegedly so knowledgeable and well-traveled) asked, “How do they get palm oil out of coconuts?” To that, I muttered, “And how do they get peaches from apple trees?” Seriously, they had no idea that there were different types of palm trees? Oh, the art of asking questions to ask questions and never retaining the answers because that would involve caring about the answer!
I decided the best thing to do was to hurry our local guide along so the others could ponder such things, and he, with a smile reflecting his relief, agreed, and the rest of the walk was fascinating with his commentary.
We arrived at the village with the ceremony for Group 1 finishing up. Before our dancing session began, we visited with the Queen of the village (no photos, please), noting that the society we were visiting is matriarchal.
I have found Chat GPT to be invaluable. In these remote villages and with the local guides usually having English as their third language (local, then Portuguese or French, then English), and not being that experienced (very few have the privilege of visiting these places), so much is literally lost in translation. Simply uploading a photograph and answering questions opens up so much information and makes the experience far richer. Of course, cell service isn’t always available, so soaking in the experience and following up later is a good option.
The first dancers, wearing thick leaves, are known to the Bijago people as “iras” (ancestral or nature spirits), and are not seen as human once dressed. They are present during initiations (this is what we were told this particular ceremony was for) and other ceremonies. Also, the raffia skirts worn by the women indicate their age group.
The men in the colorful clothes are also part of the Bijago initiation ritual rite called Fanado, which is a years-long multi-stage process boys go through to become men.
I noticed three bags of empty water bottles hanging over the site where the dancing was happening. Between Chat GPT, a woman pouring palm wine, and the local guides, I was given at least three different answers as to what it meant. A prayer for rain? Fermenting palm wine? The center point of the ceremony? Fascinating.
Another thing I noticed is that some of the younger villagers were a bit aggressive about wanting our baseball caps, beaded bracelets, and even my water bottle. So many questions!
Our last day in the Bijagos Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau was Ponta Anchaco on Rubane Island. It started with another Sunrise Zodiac ride, this time into mangroves. It wound up being a great birding experience, too. (“You aren’t going to bring that big camera with you again, are you?” “Why, yes. Yes, I am!”)
After we returned to the ship for breakfast, we hopped back in the zodiacs and landed for what became my least favorite cultural experience so far. It felt like it was more like a touristic Hawaiian luau sort of thing. (It was later explained that the “performers” were actually not from the immediate area and were brought in because the distance to their village was too great.)
There were two dance areas. The first included using paddles, which demonstrated readiness for life, canoe travel, and honoring their ancestors of the sea.
There are aspects of this dance that we did not see due to the requirement of secrecy of certain traditions.
The second represents the latter stage of the fanado, with the bull (animal) representing humility and submission to the elders. The animal movements represent transformation, and the overall experience is a trial of endurance. Each element of the costumes represents something specific.
While it was somewhat contrived, it was still a unique and very appreciated experience.
After this, we returned to a local resort for a beer and then a fantastic seafood buffet. I was surprised to see so many Silversea guests skip the seafood and return to the ship. Their loss for sure!
And, while I had my fair share of giant prawns, local fish, etc., I did skip the local oysters. I had seen similar oysters out of the water attached to mangroves, then shucked on a table, then presented on a platter; none of which were refrigerated. (Better safe than sorry, but no one got ill, so I guess I missed out.)
Once again, Silversea did a fantastic job catering! Honestly, it makes such things as Caviar in the Surf seem trivial, at best.
Though my journey on the Silver Wind continues, it will be transitioning to a more classic cruise moving forward. Not a bad thing; just different. Next up: Cape Verde and beyond!
