From "the Venice of Africa" to The Capital of Mali

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...