GUSB - Sambailo, Guinea

World Heritage Sites Air Adventure: Out of Africa
Flight 23 – 11/20/2024

Short jaunt tonight—flew from GOTS (Simenti, Senegal) to GUSB (Sambailo, Guinea), passing over two UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the way. First up was Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal, a vast reserve along the Gambia River teeming with wildlife and lush, varied landscapes.

The second site was Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes. This region in southeast Senegal is home to the Bassari, Fula, and Bedik peoples, who have crafted terraced fields, rice paddies, and circular thatched villages in harmony with their rugged environment. Their vibrant traditions, colorful festivals, and ingenious farming methods are a living testament to human adaptability and cultural pride.

Both GOTS and GUSB are truly bush strips—present in Ortho4XP and ForeFlight, but invisible to X-Plane’s airport database. Landing here felt like a real adventure, especially when you realize your “terminal” is a patch of dirt and some curious goats.

Dinner tonight was a local treat: spicy yassa poulet (marinated chicken with onions and mustard), fluffy rice, and a side of fried plantains. For dessert, I tried a sweet millet porridge, washed down with bissap juice. The best part? My attempt to eat with my hands like the locals—let’s just say I wore more yassa than I ate, and the goats seemed to approve of my technique.

Tonight, I’m chilling in Sambailo, full of good food, laughter, and gratitude for the wild beauty and cultural richness of this corner of Africa.Read more