17 January 2009, Arrival in Mali

---

---

I felt the rains down in Africa, so says the song. Here we are at the airport in Casablanca, awaiting our flight to Bamako and it's raining. It's 10:30 PM. We've been here since 4:05 PM this afternoon. We left Amsterdam at 1:25 PM. Royal Air Maroc was it's own experience--though not a bad one. It was just a bit of cattle call loading--Southwest Airlines was orderly by comparison. No one was listened to the gate agent about loading by rows, and the one bag carry on rule was not close to being enforced. Thomas pushed me (literally) to push my way on as well. Welcome to Africa! The crowd was a mix of western tourists, American Christian volunteers, Moroccan families, Tuareg families--quite beautifully and colorfully attired, and other African peoples. The 737 took off and away we went in the dark. Three of Americans sat behind me and they proceeded to talk the whole flight down...just what I like at midnight--not!

We landed in Bamako at 2:35 AM. I love arriving at this hour. We deboarded and got onto buses to take us a few feet to the terminal--I immediately noticed it was not hot--rather cool actually, 64F. We filled out our customs forms and lo, one of the Tuareg men asked up to help him fill his out. I guess he couldn't write! The forms were lengthy, so someone else ended up helping him. Though this was the smallest airport I have ever been in, it was very busy with "help." Many young guys who wanted to carry my bags, push my luggage cart, help me change money, find a taxi, etc. We did need to change money and we did need a taxi. We got both, rther quickly. The taxi was a twenty plus years old small station wagon of some sort that didn't look like it would make it off the parking lot, but hey at 3:00 AM, we kinda went with the flow. Thomas did all the talking--since I can't speak much French, and we were on our way down a bumpy, potholed, but paved, road to the bus station.

About fifteen minutes later we arrived at a dusty outpost with several bus transport companies. We were looking for a specific one--TCV. The girls (the artist friends who come to West Africa every year) told us to insist on this transport company, so that we would get reliable air conditioned buses. The taxi guy could not find the company, then I remembered reading in my guide book that TCV, a Burkina Faso based company uses Bittar Transport when originating in Mali. So we do find the Bitttar Transport place. Mind you, it's now 3:35 AM and the office does not open till 5:30. We get out and do what the other people there are doing. Sit and wait. Actually they were all sleeping and waiting, so I stayed quiet and we sat in the dark, listening to the sounds of the night. It was my first night in West Africa, so it was all a new adventure for me. I saw a few mosquitoes so I got out the DEET. I took no chances--if there were only one mosquito in town, it would have found me. I was not going to be anyone's dinner. After an hour a rooster starts crowing. I also am alerted to some singing--the first morning prayers are starting at a nearby mosque.

I see guys heading to work on bicycles and mopeds. 5:00 AM. The transport station attendant turns the TV on--outdoors in the waiting area. The news is on. People get up and wash their faces, arms, legs, and shake out their covers and outer garments. 5:30 AM. The ticket booth opens. We get tickets. I go to the toilet. I almost gag--it was the worst smelling latrine/toilet I have ever been in, even worst than those at scout camp in the height of summer heat.

So, there we were, sitting outdoors. Watching TV. Waiting with all the other people for bus to Bobo Dioulasso. It's 6:00 AM. Welcome to Mali.

---

Photos

Bittar Transport
Bittar Transport in the dark, opens in two more hours, while we wait....

bus station in Bamako, Mali, 4:30 AM
bus station in Bamako, Mali, 4:30 AM, I am writing in my journal

bus schedule and price list
Bus schedule and price list (in CFA, West African Francs) about 480CFA to one $dollar