THE GOLD DIGGERS OF KERECONKO

To reach the orpailleurs from Mako, turn right after the bridge over the Gambia from Tambacounda. Continue along the track for about 7 km to a village a little higher up, where the track ends. Contact one of the villagers, and you can be accompanied to the placers. You can also ask at the Africa Safari camp for an escort (except Mondays and Fridays, the gold miners' days off). There, kids descend into the bowels of the earth, into very narrow holes, which extend into horizontal galleries over five or six meters long. The earth is then transported in calabashes by village women to the river. There, it is filtered, sometimes revealing traces of gold around the edges. In general, nothing exceptional, but you never know - a nugget can be enough to make you rich for years. Tourists sometimes have to pay a visit fee in the village: it's a matter of customer heads and contacts. The same goes for photos. This aspect of tourism is not to be found on the Hérémakono side, where the landscape and context are certainly wilder, but getting around the Falémée region is an adventure (depending on your local contact) and requires a willingness to spend a lot of time on the road. On the other hand, the scenery is breathtaking, and there are plenty of surprises in store!