Ethnic intermarriage is common as well. Except for pickpockets and some areas of Banjul, most tourists exist in a zone of relative safety too. Yes, there was a military coup in 1994. Further, the ordinary side of life is painfully easy to find. Outside of the hotels, the country remains one big village.
Outdoor markets flourish everywhere.
A walk through the market in Serekunda, a sizable city, draws you past piles of oranges, peppers, dried flowers, handmade soaps, sculpted piles of peanut sauce, Muslim outfits, sandals, lotto tickets, eggplants, henna, tye dye clothing, used auto parts, teapots, rabbits, goats, bowls, Nigerian fabrics, stacks of salted fish, and even larger ones of cassettes. In Serekunda, a man walked out of a pharmacy with two live chickens. He seemed rather matter of fact about it. Banjul's two story market features roughly the same action, and it's shadier. Although only a quarter mile from some hotels, foreign faces remain scarce.