{"id":1431,"date":"2020-10-29T15:48:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T15:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=1431"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:39:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T11:39:51","slug":"roots-dark-history-or-tourist-trap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/roots-dark-history-or-tourist-trap\/","title":{"rendered":"Roots: dark history or tourist trap?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As our boat neared the jetty some village children ran to meet us. Whether in excitement at the break in the routine of the day, or in expectation that tourists meant tips, I wasn’t sure – probably a mix of the two. I couldn’t help but reflect how differently the boats docking here would have been greeted in the past.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People
The heart of the village<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We were on an organised tour from our base in Fajira (the beautiful Ngala Lodge<\/a>). We had never read or seen Roots, and tend to shy away from large group tours. But I didn\u2019t want to visit The Gambia without acknowledging, and learning more about, the history of slavery in West Africa. And with limited time this seemed as good a way as any of visiting some key sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two hours on the Gambia River we had arrived at the small fishing village of Albreda on the north bank. In less happy times this was one of the embarkation points for slaves being transported to the Caribbean and Southern states plantations, and the village contains several memorials of those days. Today, like its neighbour Juffureh, it is benefitting from the money generated by hosting groups of tourists interested in finding out more about those terrible events \u2013 hence the enthusiastic welcome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether the numbers of tourists now visiting this part of the country risks ‘sanitising’ the past is arguable; but on balance I felt that visitors were respectful and were here, like us, with a genuine desire to learn. And if the villages are cashing in to some extent, I for one won’t blame them. This is a poor area and the money badly needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Albreda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Albreda was formerly a French outpost, having been given to the French by a local ruler, Niumi Mansa, in 1681 to strengthen trading ties with Europe. This gave the French a foothold in the otherwise British-owned territory in this region. This led to regular skirmishes, with nearby Fort James changing hands between them several times, before settling down under British control from 1702 onwards. Albreda itself was transferred from French control to the British Empire in 1857.<\/p>\n\n\n