We reached the river that demarcates the Guinea-Bissau / Guinea border between Pitche and Foula Mouri early, while wisps of mist still hung over the river. The chain ferry tilted in the water at the near bank, attached to a chain stretching between the two banks. In this recording, you can hear the clunking of chains and the chatter as passengers hauled the ferry across the river. As our equipment was buried deep in the Land Rover (we took a lift across Guinea for security reasons), this was recorded on Atlantic Rising ’s kit, while they were doing real work (thanks folks!). You can read more about this journey in the blog .

Date and time recorded: 09:23 local time, 15th November 2009
Location: Between Pitche …

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In place of the sounds of the salt-water hippos we hoped to record on Guinea-Bissau’s Orango Island (but couldn’t afford to), here are some flip flops and sandals, recorded during a walk through some of the island’s mangrove forests. Huw was wearing the (stylish, velcro) cycling sandals, and Will “ short leg, strong foot ” Lorimer of Atlantic Rising was wearing the flip-flops (brand unknown).

Date and time recorded: 10:24 local time, 11th November 2009
Location: Orango Island, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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From Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos islands to Freetown, Sierra Leone: a dash through Guinea’s beautiful landscapes and unstable political climate – by Land Rover.

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Black and white portraits taken during boat journeys around the Bijagos islands off Guinea-Bissau – including Orango and Bubaque islands. Photographs by Huw Williams, November 2009.

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(If you like this gallery, please feel free to Stumble it or Tweet it !)

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We recorded this at low tide on Orango island – a stunning and sparsely populated island of deserted beaches and mangrove forests in Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos archipelago. The sea was remarkably calm during our stay on the island, and the sounds of the lapping waves at an ebbing low tide struck us as especially gentle.

Date and time recorded: 17:43 local time, 11th November 2009
Location: Orango, Bijagos archipelago, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Last week, we left our bikes in Bissau and set off by boat to a couple of islands in the Bijagos archipelago – a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – with Lynn, Tim and Will of Atlantic Rising . The weekly boat between Bubaque and the sparsely populated island of Orango was a wooden pirogue, which we shared with around 50 people, a dozen or so chickens, several pigs, a few goats and – on the return journey – six cows. We made this recording while the boat was still being loaded, before the bottles of palm wine and sugar cane alcohol had been cracked open for the five hour ride.

Date and time recorded: 12:30 local time, 7th November 2009
Location: Bubaque, Bijagos archipelago, Guinea-Bissau ( view …

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Our best border crossing yet; an evening with a missionary; thunderstorms and drug barons; and a close encounter with a steamed dog’s head.

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A thunderstorm in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau’s slightly surreal capital city. The thunderstorm started quite suddenly but went on for two hours – and the rain has only just stopped, seven hours after it started. We left the sound recorder running under an awning in the courtyard of our hotel while we sheltered in our room drinking tea and coffee (it’s a hard life, this sound recording). Best listened to in stereo.

Date and time recorded: 15:17 local time, 2nd November 2009
Location: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
Subscribe to the podcast »

more »

We reached the river that demarcates the Guinea-Bissau / Guinea border between Pitche and Foula Mouri early, while wisps of mist still hung over the river. The chain ferry tilted in the water at the near bank, attached to a chain stretching between the two banks. In this recording, you can hear the clunking of chains and the chatter as passengers hauled the ferry across the river. As our equipment was buried deep in the Land Rover (we took a lift across Guinea for security reasons), this was recorded on Atlantic Rising ’s kit, while they were doing real work (thanks folks!). You can read more about this journey in the blog .

Date and time recorded: 09:23 local time, 15th November 2009
Location: Between Pitche …

more »

In place of the sounds of the salt-water hippos we hoped to record on Guinea-Bissau’s Orango Island (but couldn’t afford to), here are some flip flops and sandals, recorded during a walk through some of the island’s mangrove forests. Huw was wearing the (stylish, velcro) cycling sandals, and Will “ short leg, strong foot ” Lorimer of Atlantic Rising was wearing the flip-flops (brand unknown).

Date and time recorded: 10:24 local time, 11th November 2009
Location: Orango Island, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
Subscribe to the podcast »

more »

From Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos islands to Freetown, Sierra Leone: a dash through Guinea’s beautiful landscapes and unstable political climate – by Land Rover.

more »

Black and white portraits taken during boat journeys around the Bijagos islands off Guinea-Bissau – including Orango and Bubaque islands. Photographs by Huw Williams, November 2009.

Back to all galleries »

(If you like this gallery, please feel free to Stumble it or Tweet it !)

more »

We recorded this at low tide on Orango island – a stunning and sparsely populated island of deserted beaches and mangrove forests in Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagos archipelago. The sea was remarkably calm during our stay on the island, and the sounds of the lapping waves at an ebbing low tide struck us as especially gentle.

Date and time recorded: 17:43 local time, 11th November 2009
Location: Orango, Bijagos archipelago, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
Subscribe to the podcast »

more »

Last week, we left our bikes in Bissau and set off by boat to a couple of islands in the Bijagos archipelago – a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – with Lynn, Tim and Will of Atlantic Rising . The weekly boat between Bubaque and the sparsely populated island of Orango was a wooden pirogue, which we shared with around 50 people, a dozen or so chickens, several pigs, a few goats and – on the return journey – six cows. We made this recording while the boat was still being loaded, before the bottles of palm wine and sugar cane alcohol had been cracked open for the five hour ride.

Date and time recorded: 12:30 local time, 7th November 2009
Location: Bubaque, Bijagos archipelago, Guinea-Bissau ( view …

more »

Our best border crossing yet; an evening with a missionary; thunderstorms and drug barons; and a close encounter with a steamed dog’s head.

more »

A thunderstorm in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau’s slightly surreal capital city. The thunderstorm started quite suddenly but went on for two hours – and the rain has only just stopped, seven hours after it started. We left the sound recorder running under an awning in the courtyard of our hotel while we sheltered in our room drinking tea and coffee (it’s a hard life, this sound recording). Best listened to in stereo.

Date and time recorded: 15:17 local time, 2nd November 2009
Location: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau ( view on map )
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
Subscribe to the podcast »

more »