Mali
Day 74 18/03
Auberge Djamilla, Bamako
7901 miles
We have finally made it to Mali and what a different country it is. There is a lot more vegetation and life about and the people are really colourful. The towns all have bustling markets and it certainly doesn't appear to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Bamako is a bustling city. There are motorbikes and bicycles flying about everywhere. We have certainly reached West Africa now and left the Arabs behind us. Bamako has a relaxed atmosphere and you certainly don't feel like everybody is trying to make a fast buck off the foreigners. We are staying at Auberge Djamilla for a few days as it is a really comfortable place to hang out and relax.
Day 81 25/03
Hotel Toguna, Bandiagara
8427 miles
Bamako was really hot and dusty, so after we'd done all our business we escaped to Segou where we camped in the car park of Hotel l'Independance and spent the afternoon by their swimming pool - heaven! The next day we went via Djenne to Sevare and another swimming pool at Mac's Refuge. Djenne has a huge mud mosque which is a world heritage site. It is worth a stop to see but there is not a lot to hang about for. The next day we fancied a change from driving and took a boat trip down the Niger river from Mopti. We travelled from Mopti to Kona, stopping at a couple of villages on the way. An interesting day and a nice change from being in thecar although the 6 hr trip was a bit long. A shorter trip would have been just as interesting. At Mac's Refuge we met a German lady, Gabrielle, who works in Mali and she invited us to her house for the night so it was off to Bandiagara to visit her. She told us there was a circumcision ceremony happening at one of the nearby Dogon villages. It was an interesting experience: There were a lot of uncomfortable young boys running about after their experience with the knife and a lot of singing and playing of a local instrument made of calabashes. We also saw the rock paintings which represents each family in the village although the exact meaning of these paintings was lost in translation so we still don't know exactly what it was all about. We were quite lucky to be there though as this traditional ceremony only takes place every 3 years.
We were both very tired from driving in the heat so, after lunch and bidding farewell to Leon and Claire, we decided to stay in Bandiagara at the locally run Hotel Toguna for a few days to ponder our next move. It is a really great set up with a lovely shady area to park and camp. The guys here are very friendly and helpful and even lent us their motorbike so we could get into town. Now it's to decide whether to make the trip to Timbouctou or head to Burkino-Fasso.
Mali Summary
We really enjoyed Mali. It definitely has a more African flavour than Mauritania and Morocco, and after Mauritania it is a lot more lively and lush. The people are very friendly and don't seem to be ripping you off all the time. The Niger River is the main focus of the country. It is a large green artery flowing through the semi-desert vastness of the edge of the Sahara. We found travelling here quite easy and the main roads are fairly good although some of the driving is pretty hairy.