Fifth Journey Day 191: Goat’s Pause in the Doorway

Date: November 15, 2025
Location: Gabu, Guinea-Bissau

In Gabu, in the eastern reaches of Guinea-Bissau, the dry-season breeze moves through sahelian scrub and market lanes, and dust gentles the sun. Today unfolded at that slower cadence—part village, part crossroads—where animals and people share thresholds without hurry.

Dawn in Gabu

The day started with quiet. I woke up early, not because of the light, but because of the sound of goats moving across the street — their hooves hitting the packed earth, creating a hollow, rhythmic sound that woke me up. The room felt stuffy for a moment before the fan started spinning, mixing the warm air with the quiet calls outside.

A Café by the Crossroads

I walked to a small café by the crossroads. The chairs were mismatched, and the air smelled faintly of fruit and smoke. I sat for two hours with a glass of something cold that tasted like lime and dust, watching the street go by. Children carried buckets of water, a woman balanced fabric on her head, and from time to time, a gust of wind swept the edge of the tablecloth into a wave. Nothing much happened, but it felt good.

The Goat’s Pause

There's a certain rhythm here that feels older than movement — a patience I can't yet match. The light falls differently on objects, almost reluctant to leave the surface. When a goat walked through the café's open doorway and stopped as if to think, no one reacted. Its quiet presence made perfect sense to the room.

Edges of Town, Edges of Light

In the late afternoon, I walked to the edge of town, where the air smelled a little like dust and wood ash. I thought about how colors change in dry places — how even brightness feels muted, as if wrapped in breath. I think I'll try to paint that feeling of light absorbing instead of reflecting.

Night Notes

Tonight, the air is cooling but still heavy. Beyond the wall, a metal bowl hits the stone. The rhythm moves through the dark like a thought that you almost remember.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Dry heat around 33°C; pale sunlight diffused through dust; a faint wind shifting through the trees; evening easing to warm heaviness.
• Scents: Fruit rind and lime, wood smoke, dry dust, and a trace of wood ash at the town’s edge.
• Sounds: Goat hooves on packed earth, soft bleats, the fan’s slow whirl, wind lifting a tablecloth, and at night a metal bowl tapping stone.
• Reflection: A lesson in patience—light that seems to absorb rather than reflect, and a doorway moment that became the day’s painting.

Continue the Journey

You may also enjoy reading about Fifth Journey Day 189: Goat Passing Through the Corridor, another quiet threshold within Guinea-Bissau.