We entered the country of Guinea-Bissau from Senegal and immediately encountered rough roads which slowed our progress considerably. As a result, we didn’t quite make it to the capital city of Bissau. Instead, we spent our first night camped on a football field which made us the default village entertainment! It was a surreal sight to have the entire village checking out our every move. Of course Robby taught the boys how to master the classic, good old armpit fart which amused the boys to no end. The next day we finally arrived to Bissau but had to waste a bit of time running around trying to crack the code on where to apply for our Ivory Coast visas. Unfortunately, the embassy in Bissau no longer processes visas for overland travel so the entire morning was a complete bust. We spent the rest of our day finding a travel agent to help us book our flight from Togo to São Tomé and also tried to research boat ride options out to the nearby islands (where salt water hippos can be seen). Since we were short on time, the more affordable public ferry was a no-go due to its infrequent schedule, and we were left with extortionate private pirogue or speedboat options which were way out of our budget. So in the end we resigned ourselves to enjoying the best of what Bissau had to offer since escaping the capital city for a few days was not going to work out. Our first full day was spent on a rooftop pool at the comfortable Bissau Royal Hotel for a bit of relaxation. However, we made up for it on our second day as we spent the entire day walking around the city. Highlights were stumbling upon street art, visiting the craft market, getting lost in the massive Bandim market, and meeting friendly locals. Our last day in Guinea-Bissau saw us tackling the horrendous roads yet again as we slowly made our way towards Guinea, the next country on our overland journey. Again, we had a curious crowd of villagers surround our bush camp site as they must have wondered what on earth dozens of tourists were doing setting up tents in the middle of nowhere! Our time in Guinea-Bissau was too short and we missed out on the best of what the country has to offer but it was a nice first introduction.
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A pair of pigs at our bush camp
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Villagers carrying a bundle of twigs
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Curious kids surround our bush camp site
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Robby takes a selfie with village kids at our bush camp
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A young mother proudly shows off her baby
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Even after the sun set, the village kids were reluctant to say goodbye! Their parents had to finally yell at them to come home before we got any peace and quiet for the night
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A young mother dressed in her best smiles for a photo with her baby
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Christ the Redeemer of Guinea-Bissau is next to the biggest street market in the capital city
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An empty street in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau
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Tile mural on a building in Bissau
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Bissau Royal Hotel, a 5 star hotel in Bissau
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Monument to the Heroes of Independence; Bissau
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São José da Amura fortress, a 17th century Portuguese colonial fortification now used as the National Pantheon; Bissau
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A man walks past artwork in downtown Bissau
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A woman walks the empty streets of Bissau
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Ministry of Justice; Bissau
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National Ethnographic Museum; Bissau
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A golden limousine outside a club in Bissau
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Republic of Guinea-Bissau license plate
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Artwork on display at Dunia Hotel Bissau; Bissau
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Souvenir for sale at the craft market in Bissau
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Coqueiros Craft Market in Bissau
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African masks for sale; Bissau Craft Market
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Colorful hand woven baskets for sale at the craft market in Bissau
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Painted calabash souvenirs; Bissau craft market
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Wooden figurines for sale at the craft market in Bissau
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Street art near the craft market; Bissau
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The friendliest ladies at Hotel Royal Bissau
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Enjoying a leisurely afternoon of beer in the pool at Hotel Royal Bissau
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View of Bissau's historic center from the rooftop of Hotel Royal Bissau
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Che Guevara medallion at Honório Barreto Square; Bissau
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Artwork on display at Art & Lounge Restaurant in Bissau
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Artwork of a map of Guinea Bissau
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Wall art at the inviting Art & Lounge Restaurant in Bissau
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Wall mural; Art & Lounge Restaurant
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Two girls show off their doll; Bissau street market
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Checking out Bandim Market, the biggest street market in Guinea-Bissau
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Public transport in Bissau
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Child street vendors; Bandim Market
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Buying Havaianas at the Bandim Market. Guinea-Bissau has close ties to Portugal and Brazil as it was once a former Portuguese colony
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Meeting friendly locals at the Bandim Market
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Robby modeling a colorful shirt at the Bandim Market
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Fruit vendor at Bandim Market
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Getting fried dough balls from a street vendor
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Wall mural of a colorful market scene
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Wall mural of a girl drinking water from a calabash bowl
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A dog sleeps on the steps at Gorila Room Hostel in Bissau
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Early morning Bandim Market scene
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Government's Palace; Bissau
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Hippo statues on a median strip in Bissau
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A woman selling fried dough balls by the roadside
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Overloaded public transport
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Children excitedly posing for a photo with us
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This young mother brought her baby over for us to admire
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Two young boys strike a pose
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A piglet searching for its mother
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Two women carrying bundles of wood with a mosque in the background
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Furniture for sale by the roadside
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As soon as we pulled up to our bush camp, these village children appeared out of nowhere
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The village chief came to bid us farewell early the next morning
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A donkey cart carrying a load of wood
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A local stands in front of his house
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Most traditional houses in Guinea-Bissau are made of adobe, mud, and quirinton (a combination of woven branches and straw)
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A woman balances a bag on her head with a baby strapped to her back
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A cow in front of two traditional houses
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Two huge trees near the entrance to a village
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A man waves to us in front of his house
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We drove past villages built entirely out of traditional houses
