Boating down the Niger River

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At Mopti we said goodbye to the truck for 3 days and boarded our pirogue which would take us up the Niger towards Timbuktu. If all goes well, the truck should be there to meet us on the other side. Lonely Planet suggests 4-5 days for this trip and we planned to do it in 3 which means long days crowded on a boat barely big enough to fit all 26 people. The only space saver was that up to 5 people could sit on the roof which allowed the people down below to stretch out a bit. Our crew consisted of our guide, a boat driver, a cook, and a bailer. We still laugh at the idea that it's cheaper to hire someone to bail water out of the boat than it is to try and find/fix the leak. But we made it without sinking and our gear stayed relatively dry.

We travelled at the peak of the flooding season so the river was much higher and wider than any of us expected. There were several fishing villages along the way that were completely under water and had been abandoned until another time of year. We were told we might see hippos along the way, and we did see a couple, but we weren't close enough to get a decent photo.

Overall, it was a nice relaxing way to get to Timbuktu. Much more relaxing than driving, in fact, because when we arrived on the 3rd day the truck was nowhere to be seen. Our guide arranged for alternate transportation for us to our hotel/camping and we finally arrived at Timbuktu in complete darkness. Our truck did arrive the next day, although minus a clutch...

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Photos

Sun roof
Kathie catching some rays riding up top.

Clingons
Strange creatures that we encounter from time to time. Relatively harmless but tough to shake.