Well from the delights of Dogon country it was back to Servre and Mopti 5the latter being seen as the venice of Africa - perhaps on a really really bad day in northern Italy?) for quick shop for food for the next couple of days of bush camping before heading out into the wilds of Mali and the blat across country to the Capital Bamako. Best that can be said for the drive is that the road was paved (not often the case and relatively fast - we actually got to 50kph @ times!!
Bamako is actually the first capital that I've seen in West Africa that actually feels like a major city! it is crowded, busy (especially as we are here on a week end) dusty, spread-out, full of moterbikes and frankly there is not a lot here form a tourism perspective.
The Artisan market allowed you to see the making of the various carvings/drums/jeaery etc but the raw skins drying on the pavement were something else! Especially as some of the recently deceasd had spots big teeth and hung out in trees purring a lot. Yep fresh leopard skins complete with feet and sinue happily drying in the sun!
of more interest was the fetish markets. usedin traditional medicine
monkey heads; dried turtles, chamiliones, fox heads poccupines you name it ! it was on sale for the local witch doctors to cure your ills!
(apparrently the Islam is for show and behind closed doors the Animistic practices of the past still win through)
The local National Musuem was very well done but small (but had a cafe that served real ham on the baguets!!! - it's amazing how simple things make a difference :-)
The Hotel is quite a bit out of town (1.5hrs walk to be precise) but the pool is nice, however it is obviously a local hangout as you cant move for locals trying to show their swimming prowess (as they plunge to the bottom) to the girls (many of whom are not there for time away from work ;-)
anyway it is now a 5 day trek to Senegal and Dakar so more on arrival there...
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
We Survived....
As the title indicates we survived the trek through Dogon Country! Infact it was not that long or hard just very hot!!! Temps were in the high 40s for most of the way but at least it was cool at night.
Day1: A nice 5km walk along the top of the escarpment then a quick pluge over the edge following the water courses from the wet season. The drop probably no more then 400-600 m but very steep (discovered that my boots were not quite as large as I thought as I continually stubbed my toes on rocks - gory details to be censored at this point!). Once down a quick walk to the nearest village where we were to spend the night sleeping on the roof of the local "hotel" (a loose term but at least it had cold beer and soft drinks).
The local women offered to put on a dance for us (for a price) but frankly most were too exhausted to want it. So they put it on anyway and he ended up with the entire village dancing away around us (any excuse for a party)
Day2: This was the hard one with a nice 12k walk before lunch (it is hot by 8am) and it was some what taxing. However after lunch the high point of the trek, the initiated boys of the village put on a Mask dance which frankly was amazing. Twirling and sweeping the ground with the masks to honour the ancestors (Dogons are Animists). Some of the masks were 3m high so apparently they have to have very good teeth to hold on the masks and not have them fall backwards.
Managed to buy my self a copy of the Dogon Grainery doors which have the story of the dogons so was pleased with that.
After lunch another 6-7K along the bottom of the escapment to the village of Irrelli which is the "picture post-card" village and the best example of the Tellem people who predated the Dogon (yes lots of pictures were taken). A funeral was taking place up on the cliff with gun fire (flint lock rifes) and drumming right through the nigh and for the following 3days.
Day3: Started nicely with a walk up to the Tellem ruins which were extremely interesting (the dogons copied the tellem for the style of the villages) then another 5k along the valley to the lunch stop. (and a deserved rest before the climb back out). While the climb out was a more trodden path (almost steps) it was straight up and everyone was completely exhausted by the time we got picked up by the truck. However a shower at the hostel and a beer and life returned (so much so that we were dancing with the locals at the bar)
more later...
Day1: A nice 5km walk along the top of the escarpment then a quick pluge over the edge following the water courses from the wet season. The drop probably no more then 400-600 m but very steep (discovered that my boots were not quite as large as I thought as I continually stubbed my toes on rocks - gory details to be censored at this point!). Once down a quick walk to the nearest village where we were to spend the night sleeping on the roof of the local "hotel" (a loose term but at least it had cold beer and soft drinks).
The local women offered to put on a dance for us (for a price) but frankly most were too exhausted to want it. So they put it on anyway and he ended up with the entire village dancing away around us (any excuse for a party)
Day2: This was the hard one with a nice 12k walk before lunch (it is hot by 8am) and it was some what taxing. However after lunch the high point of the trek, the initiated boys of the village put on a Mask dance which frankly was amazing. Twirling and sweeping the ground with the masks to honour the ancestors (Dogons are Animists). Some of the masks were 3m high so apparently they have to have very good teeth to hold on the masks and not have them fall backwards.
Managed to buy my self a copy of the Dogon Grainery doors which have the story of the dogons so was pleased with that.
After lunch another 6-7K along the bottom of the escapment to the village of Irrelli which is the "picture post-card" village and the best example of the Tellem people who predated the Dogon (yes lots of pictures were taken). A funeral was taking place up on the cliff with gun fire (flint lock rifes) and drumming right through the nigh and for the following 3days.
Day3: Started nicely with a walk up to the Tellem ruins which were extremely interesting (the dogons copied the tellem for the style of the villages) then another 5k along the valley to the lunch stop. (and a deserved rest before the climb back out). While the climb out was a more trodden path (almost steps) it was straight up and everyone was completely exhausted by the time we got picked up by the truck. However a shower at the hostel and a beer and life returned (so much so that we were dancing with the locals at the bar)
more later...
Sunday, March 9, 2008
To Timbuktu and back again....
Well once again the limitations of Internet access has imited the ability to post an entry, but here goes....
I finished the last post in Burkino Faso with riots in Quagodogou and then on to Bobo-dilasi which was a much more laid back place and felt more french colonial (my lack of french is showing through big time) The old village there was the epitomy of the mud construction towns and is still populated in the same manner as it has been since the 1400s (the smell from the open seweres proves it :-) The mud mosque was a good 700 years old but frankly as they they rebuild the mud houses every year it is not quite the same building :-) Was able to get on the roof and have a look at how they are built, very cool (and it was! at least 5 to10 degrees cooler in side than outside). Bobo is known for it's sacrifical ponds where they sacrifice chickens etc to the fish that live in it. mind "live" is a relative term as frankly the river was more open sewer than a fish pond; how they survive is anyones guess (can you say "cholera waiting to happen!")
From Bobo it was off to the Mali border for what (for Africa) was a quick transfer, it only took about 4-5 hrs to get across the border! Every official wants to prove their importance by scrutinising the documentation as often and as slowly as possible. but finally we were in Mali!!
First stop was D'jenne (ponounced "jenny") to see the largest mud structure in the world! The Mud mosque in D'jenne as well as the Monday market. Unfortunately being a tourist in Mali seems to equate to "please try to rip me off as soon and as often as possible please" as the touts and the prices being quoted for things are just silly money. I was quoted over 250 dollars for some thing bought for about 30. So haggling is thename of the game (it gets a little tiring I must admit)
FRom D'jenne it was on to one of the highlights heading to Timbuktou!! rather driving the excellent multilane highway to timbuktou (if you believe that may i sell you this wonderfull twareg knife) we went to old way. Sailing up the Niger river fro, Mopti (actually the river is so low at the moment that we needed to start 75k further up and even then we were grounded several times)
the Niger river is not what I expected and for the most part is huge! easily a good 300m wide but only about 1-2m deep (in rainy season it gets to a almost 2km wide in some places.
Actually crusing up the river was a very cool way to get there and actually very relaxing just watching the West Africn world sail by(the river runs up to the Sahara desert and then heads back down to the gulf) we had a local cook who travelled with us and we camped ashore each night. But if any one says that it will be pleasntly warm at night in the desert§ DO NOT believe them!!! it was freezing at night and I was very pleased for the artic sleeping bacg I brought with me (45-50 degrees during the day (degrees at night!)
After 3 solid days of puttering up the river we came to the docks for the final 10km stretch to Timbuktou. Frankly it isnot really anything to write home about and has definitely seen better days. The place if teaming withTwareg who will happily pester you to buy something at outragious prices before they need to head back to the desert with their caravans;
"My Friend, My Friend! look here I have special Twareg artifacts for you"
>>"I'm in the toilet!"
"My Friend, My Friend! Special price - do not tell others...."
>>"Go away!"
"My Friend, My Friend! is twareg symbol/is twareg hat/is twareg necklace/is twareg ......"
you get the picture......
But I did weaken and probably spent way to much but hey how often do you get to Timbuktou???
Because I was not able to do the Mauritania/Morroco legs of the trip I splashed out on a camel trek into the desert to watch the sunset (a 2hr trip out into the desert).
NOT!
Our Twareg camel caravan had other ideas! We got about 500m from town when camels down and....
"My Friend, My Friend! is twareg symbol/is twareg hat/is twareg necklace/is twareg ......"
yet once again it was the hard sell! Once they relised we were not buying it was an hour & half wait for the sun to set then 15mins by camel back again. needless to say we had discussions on the price (orginally about 20USD but we ended up paying somewhat less) and they will never be used by Dragoman again. So they lost out there!
Having got to Timbukto the nice way, the return was via the road from hell but surprisingly we only had to dig the truck out once as it buried itself in the sand.Howevey we did have to come tothe rescue of a 4-wheel drive who had been going to fast and managed to shred a tire.
Now back in Severe getting ready for the trek to the Dogons tomorrow. next update on my return...
I finished the last post in Burkino Faso with riots in Quagodogou and then on to Bobo-dilasi which was a much more laid back place and felt more french colonial (my lack of french is showing through big time) The old village there was the epitomy of the mud construction towns and is still populated in the same manner as it has been since the 1400s (the smell from the open seweres proves it :-) The mud mosque was a good 700 years old but frankly as they they rebuild the mud houses every year it is not quite the same building :-) Was able to get on the roof and have a look at how they are built, very cool (and it was! at least 5 to10 degrees cooler in side than outside). Bobo is known for it's sacrifical ponds where they sacrifice chickens etc to the fish that live in it. mind "live" is a relative term as frankly the river was more open sewer than a fish pond; how they survive is anyones guess (can you say "cholera waiting to happen!")
From Bobo it was off to the Mali border for what (for Africa) was a quick transfer, it only took about 4-5 hrs to get across the border! Every official wants to prove their importance by scrutinising the documentation as often and as slowly as possible. but finally we were in Mali!!
First stop was D'jenne (ponounced "jenny") to see the largest mud structure in the world! The Mud mosque in D'jenne as well as the Monday market. Unfortunately being a tourist in Mali seems to equate to "please try to rip me off as soon and as often as possible please" as the touts and the prices being quoted for things are just silly money. I was quoted over 250 dollars for some thing bought for about 30. So haggling is thename of the game (it gets a little tiring I must admit)
FRom D'jenne it was on to one of the highlights heading to Timbuktou!! rather driving the excellent multilane highway to timbuktou (if you believe that may i sell you this wonderfull twareg knife) we went to old way. Sailing up the Niger river fro, Mopti (actually the river is so low at the moment that we needed to start 75k further up and even then we were grounded several times)
the Niger river is not what I expected and for the most part is huge! easily a good 300m wide but only about 1-2m deep (in rainy season it gets to a almost 2km wide in some places.
Actually crusing up the river was a very cool way to get there and actually very relaxing just watching the West Africn world sail by(the river runs up to the Sahara desert and then heads back down to the gulf) we had a local cook who travelled with us and we camped ashore each night. But if any one says that it will be pleasntly warm at night in the desert§ DO NOT believe them!!! it was freezing at night and I was very pleased for the artic sleeping bacg I brought with me (45-50 degrees during the day (degrees at night!)
After 3 solid days of puttering up the river we came to the docks for the final 10km stretch to Timbuktou. Frankly it isnot really anything to write home about and has definitely seen better days. The place if teaming withTwareg who will happily pester you to buy something at outragious prices before they need to head back to the desert with their caravans;
"My Friend, My Friend! look here I have special Twareg artifacts for you"
>>"I'm in the toilet!"
"My Friend, My Friend! Special price - do not tell others...."
>>"Go away!"
"My Friend, My Friend! is twareg symbol/is twareg hat/is twareg necklace/is twareg ......"
you get the picture......
But I did weaken and probably spent way to much but hey how often do you get to Timbuktou???
Because I was not able to do the Mauritania/Morroco legs of the trip I splashed out on a camel trek into the desert to watch the sunset (a 2hr trip out into the desert).
NOT!
Our Twareg camel caravan had other ideas! We got about 500m from town when camels down and....
"My Friend, My Friend! is twareg symbol/is twareg hat/is twareg necklace/is twareg ......"
yet once again it was the hard sell! Once they relised we were not buying it was an hour & half wait for the sun to set then 15mins by camel back again. needless to say we had discussions on the price (orginally about 20USD but we ended up paying somewhat less) and they will never be used by Dragoman again. So they lost out there!
Having got to Timbukto the nice way, the return was via the road from hell but surprisingly we only had to dig the truck out once as it buried itself in the sand.Howevey we did have to come tothe rescue of a 4-wheel drive who had been going to fast and managed to shred a tire.
Now back in Severe getting ready for the trek to the Dogons tomorrow. next update on my return...
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Burkina and beyond
Well it has been over a week and this is the first time I have had to think about sitting down at a keyboard!
This week brought home the fact that I'm in Africa, I've seen some of the best bits & the bits people dread! As mentioned in the previous post my baggage did not make the connection fro, JoBerg. "It i on the next plane in 2 days Mr Barry, I gauantee it" NOT! while it was in the system apparently no one told the fols in Joberg qnd two days later no bags! Close to 30 degrees and 4 days in the same clothes (yuch) Not to mention that the trip had left me behind. So off to buy cloths as it looked like my luggage was in neverland. (West Africa is expensive!)
BTW George W was visiting that day which made getting around the city less than fun (lots of finger pointing and yells of George Bush! - hhmm do they know whqt he looks like???)
having got some cloths it was off to the Slave Coast to try to catch up with the trip.
Unfortunately by the ti,e I cqught up with the tour there was only ti,e for the one castle (Portugese) and frankly the slave Castles really do show the levels of depravity that Man has sunk too in our history. It would be easy to say it was all the Europeans fault but that is not true! The Africans themselves were just as bad (though of course without the trade routes and demand it would have been significantly smaller in scope) The people who ran tese castles must have been either in human or deaf in order to ignore the screams of the slaves only 2 stories below them!
Well having caught up with the tour ot the slave forts it was then a fun 9 hr drive up to Kumasi (second largest city in Ghana) But unfortunately I didn't get to see any of it because (oh joy!) my luggage had finally made it to Ghana, but unfortunately only to Accra which was 500km away. so rather than trust them to forward it in a day I bit the bullet and flew back to Accra to grab ther bags (6hrs in an airport fun fun) but at least I had my own things - actually I now had twice as much as I had had to buy new stuff.
After Kumasi it was up to Mole National Park and now you knew you where in Africa. Baboons Monkeys and wild Elephants either around the tents (the mnkeys) or about 50m away (the elephants). And given the 45 degree heat a very nice pool!
The group is great with virtually every one being a seasoned overlander!
Well it was across the Border and now in Burkina Faso and on to Ouagagoudou (capital) and of course being in West Africa Riots are called for (with riot squads) but tey were all very polite to th e tourists!!
out of ti,e so another post later!
This week brought home the fact that I'm in Africa, I've seen some of the best bits & the bits people dread! As mentioned in the previous post my baggage did not make the connection fro, JoBerg. "It i on the next plane in 2 days Mr Barry, I gauantee it" NOT! while it was in the system apparently no one told the fols in Joberg qnd two days later no bags! Close to 30 degrees and 4 days in the same clothes (yuch) Not to mention that the trip had left me behind. So off to buy cloths as it looked like my luggage was in neverland. (West Africa is expensive!)
BTW George W was visiting that day which made getting around the city less than fun (lots of finger pointing and yells of George Bush! - hhmm do they know whqt he looks like???)
having got some cloths it was off to the Slave Coast to try to catch up with the trip.
Unfortunately by the ti,e I cqught up with the tour there was only ti,e for the one castle (Portugese) and frankly the slave Castles really do show the levels of depravity that Man has sunk too in our history. It would be easy to say it was all the Europeans fault but that is not true! The Africans themselves were just as bad (though of course without the trade routes and demand it would have been significantly smaller in scope) The people who ran tese castles must have been either in human or deaf in order to ignore the screams of the slaves only 2 stories below them!
Well having caught up with the tour ot the slave forts it was then a fun 9 hr drive up to Kumasi (second largest city in Ghana) But unfortunately I didn't get to see any of it because (oh joy!) my luggage had finally made it to Ghana, but unfortunately only to Accra which was 500km away. so rather than trust them to forward it in a day I bit the bullet and flew back to Accra to grab ther bags (6hrs in an airport fun fun) but at least I had my own things - actually I now had twice as much as I had had to buy new stuff.
After Kumasi it was up to Mole National Park and now you knew you where in Africa. Baboons Monkeys and wild Elephants either around the tents (the mnkeys) or about 50m away (the elephants). And given the 45 degree heat a very nice pool!
The group is great with virtually every one being a seasoned overlander!
Well it was across the Border and now in Burkina Faso and on to Ouagagoudou (capital) and of course being in West Africa Riots are called for (with riot squads) but tey were all very polite to th e tourists!!
out of ti,e so another post later!
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