http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Mali , Dogon Country , Mopti en-us Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:43:28 +0000 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:43:28 +0000 Roughly what is in my journalJuly 29 Road To MoptiWow met up with Maarte. Saw him walk by my restaurant shortly after writing my last joural entry. We went to the National Museum in Bamako but not inside because the ticket guy wouldnt give us change. I showed him the markets and in general just did some catching up. He was sick also ad had only started to recover. I feel almost completely reco http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-426110.html tourism in Mali this is a good and bad thing.I have had a long break from this thing for multiple reasons. The main one being I have been very busy.I spent 4 days hiking in Dogon Country which was amazing could be heaven on earth.Also spent two days on a crappy bus for what was supposed to be a 7 hour bus ride.And today I spent all day in Djenne where the world famous Great Mosque made of mud http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-425691.html Back in Mopti after a five day hike through Dogon Country with Anil and our guide Ibrahim1 JulySo this lazy day was spent in the pool talking to unattractive British girls and getting soaked in the rain. Anil and I met Ibrahim in the evening. We finalised our plan. Wersquoll be traveling with two French girls. Sweet Right2 JulyWhen we got to Bandingara there was no sign of the French girls. W http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-415597.html Well another night out with Yousouf and Arnaud last night. Met a Colonel in the Malian Army who seemed to like me and hooked me up with contacts in Timbuktu. Also hersquos a good contact to have. Yousouf finally let me pay for a round not that I was trying too hard to and also gave me a CD. An early rise a bit rough and I was on the bus all day. I actually met Anil on the bus which was good http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-413517.html The road to Mopti was...eternal Yeah that's a good word for it Long and hot dry and dusty. We soon found that the further north you go the more expensive water got...which is kind of a no duh statement since we're traveling into the Sahara desert...hmmmm... At any rate crossing the border was a pain not because of any large amounts of paperwork but because of the excessively spread out p http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-394293.html After 3 days of pleasant sightseeing in Bamakoall the old sights but many newwe moved on. We were luck as well with visas. After 4 hours of searching Annie and I found the Niger Consulate and obtained a visa in less than a day. We followed with a Nigerian visa in 2 days. All in all a successful time. After 1 night bush camping we reached Djenne with its world famous mud mosque. Most towns in Mal http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-391936.html Hellooooya ya ya I suck at writing blogs whatevs. Im just going to apologize now for any grammatical errors cause I dont know how to work these dang french keyboards here in mali1 But I will try my best.Sooo we meaning hayley and i to a nice clean fairly cheap place in mopti a bigger town. There are maaany stories but i must be quick. I will tell u my 2 favs thus far. So we went through Gh http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-358007.html Monday 10 NovemberIn the cool of the morning you dig four holes in the earth put in your poles tie up an awning put up your table and your are ready for business. Even at 0700 the Monday market in front of the Djenne mosque is alive with trucks traders tourists and very worried sheep. Armed with the camera I shoot anything that moves. I'll never have the time to process a fraction of these.J http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-347880.html Saturday 08th NovemberAfter a coffee and an indifferent bun at the overpriced patisserie we leave Kayes. The dust is just as bad in the morning as it is in the evening. We cross the Senegal river which is alive with activity. People washing small piroques getting ready for the day it seems like all human life is there. If it's not on the river it's on the bridge which starts with a sand trap.The http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-347287.html Sohellip here it goes and continueshellip about a month later Sorry.. Irsquom trying to catch up on the lack of communication hereSo.. after the whole Dogon Country thing.. we decided to take a relaxing day off in Bandiagara at a hotel a bit out of town. We had the biggest pile of laundry ever to wash Good thing for us.. we met a Ghanian Burkinabe woman.. who was all excited to meet us an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mali/Dogon-Country/Mopti/blog-237112.html