Mali

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Mali - Burkina Faso December 2005

After a long day of traveling we finally arrived in Timbuktu.
A famous place living on the reputation of the most isolated
and inaccessible place on the world.

Here we visited a Touareg family and listened to their story of how they fled to Mauretania by crossing the desert during the internal war in Mali.

Sunrise after a cold night sleeping in the desert, 3 days Pinasse trip on the river Niger (Timbuktu --> Mopti Traveling by pinasse! Daily business on or around the Niger river. Every small town in this area has its own mosque.

Djenne With its famous mosque and unique architecture, Djenne is the most beautifull and well preserved town in Mali. Even with its firm fixture on the tourists circuit, not much has changed physically here in the past few centuries. Walking around, particularly at the end of the day when the setting sun casts myterious shadows and shafts of lights on the mud brick skyline and winding alleys is absolute enchanting. Women from all regions and races selling their goods on the famous weekly market of Djenne. Traditional houses of Djenne.

Dogon Country
Dogon Country is a rather geographically isolated area inhabited by about 350,000 Dogon people. This area is located in the eastern edge of Mali near the Burkina Faso border. Until the end of the colonial era, the Dogon were one of the few African peoples who had most successfully retained their culture and traditional ways of life. Even now, despite the presence of Islam and Christianity, Dogon peoples have largely held onto their animist beliefs.

We spent 4 days in the Dogon Country walking the southern part of the trail.
Especially the small villages and the mud houses were amazing.
Our guide suggested to go to Nombori where we experienced the famous Dogon Mask dances

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