Guinea Bissau

I am something like 12 countries behind again, basically all the countries we've done in December. I've been really busy (aren't all mom's crazy busy in December?), so I just haven't gotten around to it. So, lets try and knock these out ASAP, right? 

Our 155th stop on our trip around the world was Guinea Bissau a tiny little country in west Africa right on the Atlantic Ocean. 

Not to be confused with its neighbor to the south Guinea, which was under French colonization, Guinea Bissau was once under Portuguese colonial rule. As such, the official language of Guinea-Bissau is Portuguese. 

If you're wondering what to call the people from Guinea-Bissau, you actually want to reverse it. They are called Bissau-Guineans. 

Throughout the 20th century, most of Bissau-Guineans practiced some form of animism, the religious belif that various objects, places, and creatures possess distinctive spiritual qualities. In the early 21st century, many have adopted Islam. It's not practiced by about 50% of the population. 

It's a country that's only around 14,000 square miles, with a population  of 1.8 million (which is like a million less than the Tampa Bay area), they have a relatively low population density. 

Our landmark for Guinea-Bissau is not part of the mainland, but rather the Bijagos Islands. The Bijagos Islands are an island chain with 18 main islands and a dozen smaller islands. 

The islands are home to many animals including five different kinds of tortoises, monkeys, and the rare-salt water hippo. (Also, bush pigs run wild in all Guinea-Bissau, snuffling around the rainforests-eating dead animals)

Anyway, back to the islands. They are among the world's prettiest islands, but also the least visited. 

The pristine beaches are empty, and it will probably remain that way because getting there is tough. Public transportation is dangerous, as boats have been known to sink on their five-to-six hour journey from the mainland. Even then, the ferry only makes the trip once a week. 

Private transportation is an option, but only for those with deep pockets. A speedboat will set you back $400 ONE WAY! 

Since getting to the islands are so difficult, the Bijagos people are the most mysterious community in Guinea-Bissau, but they are also the most traditional.  To impress the ladies, the men take part is an acrobatic dance where they contort themselves together in elaborate shapes. 

Because, in Guinea-Bissau you do want to impress the woman. It's a matriarchal society, so the women are the heads of families and tribes. 

Guinea Bissau has its fair share of troubles. There isn't an official department of state warning, but Guinea-Bissau has the distinction of never having elected a president that actually completed their five-year term in office. There have been dozens of coups and attempted coups, as well as numerous assansiantions of officials and military leaders since Guinea-Bissau's independence in 1974. 

The most recent coup was in April of 2012, and the current present was elected in 2014. The new president has given some reason for optimism, though, that he might be the first to complete his term. 

Another problem that runs rampant in Guinea-Bissau is the drug trade. It's considered by the UN to be a major port for drug shipments into Europe. 

The boys made their Guinea-Bissau postcards. 

Hayden's featured the animals that can be found in the rainforest, including the bush pig. 

Peyton denoted the trecherous journey from the mainland to the Bijagos Islands. 

And Calib's featured women being in charge. 

Popular food choices for Guinea-Bissau included things like bowls of grilled oysters, served in a slightly spicy lime sauce, and Chabeau a deep fried fish served in a thick-palm oil sauce with rice. None of that sounded appealing, so I found some much better options. 

For our Guinea Bissau dinner we made the much anticipated Papaya Chutney. We'd been waiting to pick one of our papaya's since I found this recipe. 

We put some naan bread on the side for dipping, and some cashews (since 90% of the crops grown in Guinea-Bissau are cashews). For our main dish we had Cafriela de Frango (a marinated chicken with chilies and lemons), and West African Rice with Veggies. 

This dinner earned four spoons up. 

Asa and Calib were the only fans of the rice. It didn't have a ton of flavor for me, but it's not that it was bad. The papaya chutney was my favorite- it was like a cross between the mango salsa I like and jam. The chicken was really flavorful and not too spicy (we used a less spicy pepper), plus Asa did it in the instant pot so it was super soft and moist. 

Can we just take a second to appreciate how awesome the pictures are on my new phone? Look how bright and vibrant my table looks! 

Guinea Bissau got colored in a light brown, to the north of light blue Guinea, right on the coast there along the Atlantic. 

That's 155 down, 41 to go! 

Next Up: Norway