Today was the last full day in the Gambia for David P, David M and Ken - which they spent at a beautiful beach near Banjul. Yesterday they saw the children at the school start playing with the toys and using the teaching aids that the team had delivered. This followed two days of teacher training by David P and Ali Sallah, the head teacher commented:

"We were very grateful to David and friends for organising such training for us. We learnt a lot from him (as he) shared (his) vast experience. On Friday the children were presented with toys to take home. They were very happy and excited. Some of the toys which are useful for learning materials were distributed among the classes for teachers to use them with the children during class lessons."

Yesterday the team received a warm welcome at the school for the blind at Serrekunda and were able to deliver toys that had been donated by children in the dales.

Today David P and David M delivered the donated spectacles to the eye hospital where they will be tested and then given to those who need them.

The team will have time for a well-earned rest over the weekend. The teacher training sessions at the school with David P have been arranged for next week.

Ken is busy taking photographs so when they get back we will post many on this website.

Above: a ferry leaving Banjul for the north bank

Around 6pm today a text message arrived stating that they had safely crossed to Banjul on the south bank of the river and had reached the accommodation booked for them by Lamin Saidy.

Saturday: Tonight the team successfully reached a delightful "watering hole" called Les Paletuviers at Toubacuta. Its even got a swimming pool - plus a bar with cold beer. And after a long, hard day of driving there definitely isn't anything better than sitting by the bar enjoying a cold drink. Tomorrow they head for the border to cross into the Gambia and will then join the long queue to catch the ferry across the river  to reach Banjul. It will be another long day's journey.

Friday: After three hard days of travelling through Mauritania the team reached St Louis late tonight. They have been given four-day visas  for Senegal which means they will have little time for sightseeing. And although they want to reach the Gambia as soon as possible they have given in to the temptation of spending a day in St Louis as it is such a fascinating world heritage site.

Tuesday: David and Ken flew to Casablanca last night and took a taxi to Rabat where they found a hotel. This morning they applied for visas at the Mauritanian embassy.