Cat from Juffureh {The Gambia}

Have you read Alex Hailey's best selling autobiographical novel Roots: The Saga Of An American Family or seen the TV mini-series based on the book?

When I was on a press trip in The Gambia, I did a boat trip dedicated to the enslavement of Alex Hailey's ancestor Kunta Kinteh. The cruise took me to the now abandoned St. Andrew's Island where the slaves used to live, to the slavery museum in Albreda, and to the nearby village of Juffureh where I met one of Kunta Kinteh's decendants.

Though millions of people know Kunta Kinteh as the main character of Roots, the inhabitants of his native village suffer from extreme poverty. Many don't know whether they'll have something to eat that day or not. If the passing tourists don't give some pocket money, chances are they won't.

This kitty welcomed me to Juffureh. The images here of animals and people gathering together on dusty roads is typical for The Gambia.

Disclaimer: My trip to The Gambia was sponsored by The Gambia Tourism Board, Bamboo Garden Hotel, and SN Brussels Airlines.

You can read my complete travel story with lots of pictures at The Roots Of Kunta Kinteh. It was quite the adventurous day, so be sure to check it out.