18 January 2009, Bus from Bamako, Mali to Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

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The 11 hours on the bus are not uneventful. The entire bus area comes to life after 6:00 AM. So many people--vendors of every possible description, selling some of everything under the sun. Speaking of sun, there is not much. We finally get going about 8:00 AM. The countryside is a mix of very busy villages along the road and open country. Lots of making of food, and and donkey carts going by with wood and vegetables. Many goats--I think I see a goat being grilled--the whole thing. I doze in and out.

About 1:30 we make a stop for 10 minutes in the midst of a most chaotic village. Little shacks are everywhere. There are food sellers--fruits, nuts, baked goods, bread, meat, carrots, etc. Loads of little kids. It's crazy busy! I had to find a bathroom, then I don't have the twenty-five cents to pay the attendant, and he has no change--he lets me slide. Lucky for me I only have to pee.

We get underway and stop at the border to exit Mali--which means filling out a form and showing passport and visa. We move on and a short distance away we stop again to enter Burkina Faso--which means filling out a form and showing passport and visa. we stop a third, time, gather all our luggage, get in a line, go through customs, and again showing passport and visa. All the young local guys want to help me lift and move my luggage along. They are very insistent. This time I give in and go with the flow.

We are on our way shortly. At least we get to stretch our legs with all these stops. We arrive in Bobo after 11 hours. I step down from the bus and the first person I see is Marika! Yeah, a friendly and familiar face. With her is Ladji K, a young artist who works with her. We get a taxi, and get through the very dusty streets of Bobo Dioulasso, and arrive at the house of Yacine. We greet everyone, give g the gifts, eat a little, talk--I mostly listen--since my French is not that great, and my Dioula is even worse! It was once said that getting there is half the fun, and for the first time in along time, I can agree. This bus ride has been quite the adventure, in addition to watching the land and life go by the bus window, and at the stops, the life came aboard the bus to sell some food.

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Photos

woman selling food on the bus
woman selling food on the bus...this happened at almost every stop