Blogs from Mali, Africa - page 22

After the hassle of Bamoko we headed east to Severe, Mopti and Dogon Country. We'd both decided to do our own thing for a couple of days - Neil wanted to go off-roading with the Landrover in swampland, maybe even get to Timbuktu & I wanted to spend some days trekking in Dogon Country. So, with Mac's Refuge at Severe as our base we set off on our trips. That was after I'd spent a whole hour changing travellers cheques at a bank - I'm still at a loss as to how it took that long but that long it did indeed take! My first adventure was taking the bush taxi to Bandiagra - one of the gateway towns for the Dogon Country - I basically had to buy my ticket and wait for....2 and 1/2 ... read more

The rainy season seems to have begun in earnest. The rain still falls mostly at night, but it’s power and fury are like nothing I have seen before. Here, one is never surprised by the onset of a storm. Piercing cracks of thunder and seemingly interminable lightning strikes (a fireworks displays that many would be proud to emulate) slowly, inexorably wage successful battle against the fierce unforgiving sun. The sky becomes dark gray, a few shades this side of ebony, and the winds start to howl and swirl ferociously, and finally, almost anti-climactically, the torrential downpour begins. No, I don’t spend all of my time mesmerized by the feats of Mother Nature, or for that matter running from her vengeful wrath. I do have several important things to accomplish here. But, let me start from the ... read more

One of the neat things about living in various places and not just passing through is being able to observe and sometimes participate as the local people celebrate or commemorate the principal stages of the life cycle: birth, coming-of-age, marriage and death. In Japan I was privileged to attend a wedding of a fellow teacher, and although the Western influence on the dress and ceremony was strong, the Japanese setting created an atmosphere that hinted of ancient rites and customs, unique to their culture. Similarly, at a coming-of-age ceremony which celebrated entrance into adulthood at age twenty, I saw young men dressed in Western-style suits and women dressed in gorgeous kimono with an elaborate bow tied across the back. They were eager to leave the gymnasium and begin exercising the «rights» that adults enjoy the world ... read more

I am currently in Bamako, the capital of Mali, as I write this, my town, Ouelessebougou, not being sufficiently advanced to have access to the internet. Bamako is a vibrant, bustling city of more than a million, but it is very much a local place with sidewalks filled with street vendors. There is no 5 star hotel per se, but of course there are some luxurious accomodations and fancy western restaurants for the occasional foreigner who stumbles into this city. The national museum is pretty impressive, but unfortunately Mali, once the home of three great empires, retains little of its great heritage. Most artifacts have long ago been pillaged and plundered. I visited in Bamako the national zoo, a journey better ... read more

We have now arrived in Bamako, the capital of Mali. It is roasting here, up to 37 C in the shade, and I am sure that things will get hotter. Thanks for all the mail you've been sending. From Nouakchott to Nema the road was newish tarmac and we drove a good 400km each day. We didnt stop really for anything other than toilet stops, lunch and a quick stop in any towns for food etc. The scenery started off as typical desert, rolling sand dunes, flat sand as far as you can see. The second day out we drove through a bunch of huge escarpments, pretty impressive, and a nice change from flat sand. One night we camped in the middle of this huge dirt field, no trees or bushes or anything. These long convoys ... read more