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- Bandhavgarh National Park, India
- Searching for Tigers in Kanha, India
- Kanha National Park, A Tiger Reserve - India
- Gond and Baiga People, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- The Palace Kawardha, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- Terdul Village, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- More Murias and Markets, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- Bison-Horn Maria Tribe, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- Bastar and Its Tribes, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India
- Princely State of Kanker, ChattisgarhChhatisgarh - India
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« September 2006 |
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| November 2006 »
In the two days at Kanha, we saw three tigers. A very good start and time to drive to Bandhavgarh National Park on one of the worst roads ever. Six hours of agonizing, jolting and swerving over pot holes to go maybe 70 miles from Kanha to Bandhavgarh...less than 10 mph. This also happened to be the only filthy, dirty car with a "guide" (who barely spoke English) riding "shotgun"! The driver was good though.
Once at Banhavgarh, we spent two nights at Tiger Den. The food was good, lots of people staying there, and a beautiful bonfire at night. I have no way of knowing if Tiger Den was "best available" there...it was certainly a nice resort, but there were many, many other places to stay that we passed going to and from the park. FYI, the sign for "Royal Den" touted it as a luxury resort...don't know if it really was.
Bandhavgarh National Park was more mountainous than Kanha. There are also caves in the park with inscriptions dating back to 1BC. This park was created in 1968 and has a wide variety of habitats: sal forests, bamboo grazing land, ridges and streams. It is most famous for its tigers and had the same routine as Kanha.
Bandhavgarh map
We saw EIGHT TIGERS in the two days there. Some people never see one!!
Continue reading "Bandhavgarh National Park, India" »
Again, the daily routine went something like this. Get up very early, go for a game drives through the park trying to spot a tiger on your own... .have some hot coffee while waiting for the rangers to call in with any tiger spotting..View image....if a tiger was spotted, the usual routine of getting a number and waiting your turn....back to Kipling for a late breakfast...
The rest of the day was spent watching all the monkeys around Kipling Camp ...View image...reading...talking with the other guests and staff...and at dusk, head back into the park. The parks are not fenced in and there was always a chance that a tiger would wander through Kipling Camp, but it never happened.
Continue reading "Searching for Tigers in Kanha, India" »
Kanha National Park is the area that Kipling wrote about in his Jungle Books. The park covers dense forest, open meadows, plateaus - the habitat tigers prefer. It also supports a wide variety of deer and other animals, perfect for the tiger's diet of only meat... but never mind the other animals...we were fixated on seeing tigers.
Other information? Kanha is closed from July 1 to October 31, the rainy season. The best time to visit is between November and June and there are many facilities to choose from. "Luxury" down to rest houses, all outside the Park at Mukki or Kisli. (There is more Kanha information on the Indianwildlife Internet site.)
Tigers are the largest living members of the cat family and weigh up to 500-600 pounds, with a length of 9-10 feet, not counting the tail. Their distinctive coloring camouflages them perfectly in the brush. (Only rarely are tigers born with pure white fur and black stripes like Siegfied and Roy's famous white tigers.) They prefer to live and hunt alone, with the exception of a mother tiger.
Continue reading "Kanha National Park, A Tiger Reserve - India" »
The Gond are the major tribal group of Central India. At one time forest-dwellers, they are presently settled farmers. Their clan structure and language is different from other tribes...they marry both within and outside of their tribes...practice monogomy, polygamy, cross-cousin marriages, parallel-cousin marriages, remarriage, widow marriage, divorces...they do it all! Clans are usually named after some animals or plants. Within the Gond family are different tribal labels: Muria, Maria, Hill Maria, etc. But the Gond generally describe themselves as Koitor. Are you confused? We were!
But, there was one clear fact...the Gonds love a good excuse to party! Dancing, singing, and some good home-made fermented Mahua liquor (from the flowers of the mahua dassia latifolia tree) or Salfi (juice of the wild date-palm). Most of the time, our presence was just the excuse they needed if a festival wasn't planned. Some typical scheduled festivals? "...worship before collecting Mahua flowers...festival of eating the first mangoes...worship before sowing of paddy seeds...festival to drive out crop disease...worship to start eating new vegetable crops...giving thanks for all new crops..." a festival for every occasion.
Kawardha map
Continue reading "Gond and Baiga People, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
It was a four-hour drive to Palace Kawardha and we met John Ash, of Green Gondwana Adventures, in Raipur for a wonderful lunch of Chinese food. We were very impressed that John took the time to see how the trip was going and find out if we had any comments or suggestions. An excellent tour operator.
The Palace Kawardha was much bigger than Kanker Palace and had an entirely different history along with its surroundings. This was Maharaja Vishwara Singh's 1930's Palace and had six spacious suites, magnificent rooms, grounds, lots of servants, etc., and this was to be our home for the next two nights. Such a home...
Palace Kawardha
Continue reading "The Palace Kawardha, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
Each Muria village had a different attire - feathers, flowers...an amazing amount of creativity seemed to go into their wearing apparel. The women had facial tattoos, displayed with pride. The tattoos serve a decorative value but also act as protective charms. ...View image... I lost track of what tribe was which (with the exception of the Bison-Horn Maria) and started referring to them as: the "stilt" tribe; "pom-pom" tribe, "cow-bell" tribe, etc..
Driving to and from these areas were other sights to see...people cramming themselves into this little mini-taxi....View image... symetrical mounds of cow dung made into patties for fuel in the fields...View image...and a stop in a pottery village where the local potter whipped up a little pot for me on the spot which I graciously accepted and then had to hand-carry for the rest of the trip...View image
local pottery village
Continue reading "Terdul Village, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
In the village of Garh Bengal, Santu, his brother, Kande and their families hosted us to give an interesting glimpse of developments in the region. Santu has led a traditional Muria life with a Gotul upbringing, while his younger brother, Kande attended a conventional local school.
Kande's substantial and self-built house contained a TV set and he showed us a rare film - A Jungle Saga - made over 46 years ago in Garh Bengal by a noted Swedish filmmaker, Arne Sucksdorff.
The commentary was in Swedish, but the film portrayed life in Bastar as it was then, including the adventures of a young man, Chendru, who is now quite old and still living at the other end of the village.
outside Garh Bengal Village
Continue reading "More Murias and Markets, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
Drove out of Jagdalpur to visit the Bison-Horn Maria tribe.
Each tribe put on a performance of their spectacular local dances and we got a good look at village life, costumes, ornaments and customs. ...View image... The Bison-Horn Maria quite obviously derive their name from unusual headdresses worn while dancing during ceremonial occasions. Since the bison is becoming scarce, cattle horns are often used, placed on a bamboo frame, with peacock feathers (or chicken feathers) and strings of cowrie shells hanging down from it. This ornate headdress is passed from father to son.
Bison-Horn Maria Headdress
Continue reading "Bison-Horn Maria Tribe, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
Bastar was once a substantial State and the majority of its people are still tribal with unique though rapidly disappearing lifestyles. North Bastar is home to the Muria Gond tribe, famous for their Gotul system.
What is a Gotul? It is a co-ed dormitory system where the unmarried young people (from the age of 9 or 12 until they marry in their late teens) live and make their own rules away from adults whose presence in the Gotul is taboo. They are allowed to have sexual relations with anyone they chose, but must change partners after several days. Wouldn't our teenagers just love that?
At the first Muria tribe near Bahigaon, a villager greeted us dressed in this spectacular headdress. A small indication of what was in store for us.
a Muria "pom-pom" turban
Continue reading "Bastar and Its Tribes, Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh - India" »
Another plane ride to Raipur by Indian Airlines, ranked one of the unsafest airlines in the world. Not my choice, but the only one that flew to Raipur...and we're still alive. John Ash, Green Gondwana Adventures was the person who arranged the entire Central India portion and did an outstanding job. I invite you to visit his website and use him if you decide to see this area for yourselves. John met us at the airport with a beautiful table book on Bastar, lots of information, and notes on the Central area we would be visiting.
From Raipur, a two-hour ride to the small town of Kanker, once the capital of the princely state. Our "hotel" was the Kanker Palace, a private residence belonging to the late Maharajadhiraj Udai Pratap Deo and run by his family. Our guides in this area were Rajkumar Surya (called "Jolly") and his younger brother, Ashwini ("Jai"). Eldest brother, Aditya, current Maharajadhiraj of Kanker, teaches history in Delhi. There was also a sister who had her own little school on the ground of Kanker Palace.
Kanker District Map
Continue reading "Princely State of Kanker, ChattisgarhChhatisgarh - India" »
Flew Jet Air to Aurangabad and checked into the Taj Residency. The caves at Ajanta are only a one-hour drive from Aurangabad.
These caves, dedicated solely to Buddhism, date from 200BC to 650AD and are cut from volcanic lava on a hillside. The Ajanta Caves are thought to have housed over 200 monks as well as numerous craftsmen and laborers. The caves are remarkable for the quality of their murals relating the life of Buddha. Some showing Buddha's previous births, and others, ordinary family life, the royal court and street scenes. ...View image... There are 30 caves in all but caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 are considered the most important. We visited those and others just as beautiful.
Ajanta Cave 4
Continue reading "Ajanta and Ellora Caves, India" »
Save up your air miles and use them on Lufthansa to go First Class! There is nothing comparable to a long-haul flight, sitting in a seat that completely reclines into a bed, and having flight attendants hovering - eager to serve you (changes your entire perspective on flying). Not only was it as close to heaven as a person could be on an airplane, but their First Class Frankfurt lounge was to die for.
Lufthansa took a former Frankfurt Airport parking lot and turned it into a $35 million First-Class only terminal. If you have quite a bit of time between flights, Lufthansa picks up and transfers you via a chauffeured Mercedes S-Class or Porsche Cayenne to this site. Once there, you are met by a personal assistant, ushered through their own security and escorted into this magnificent lounge. You can relax on a daybed in your own room, soak in a marble bath or under a rainshower. There are several bartenders and even a drink menu (Mai Tai's, etc.) to order off of. Not to forget, individual tables set with tablecloths and silverware to enjoy something off the constantly changing buffet or from the menu!
Continue reading "Lufthansa First Class to Mumbai (Bombay)" »
Lots of e-mails and Interneting...looking over maps of the area, reading about tiger reserves, even my old Lonely Planet's India had only a few pages about this area (have to buy a new one), and deciding what were the most important sites to visit. The Chattisgarh and Project Tiger websites were particularly informative in helping to make some decisions.
Spend US$40 at the Lonely Planet Shop and receive free delivery and a free gift
Finally, an itinerary incorporating everything "ex-Marine" (husband, Steve) and I had spoken of. Now for the nitty-gritty planning:
Air? We blew mega-miles to fly First Class on Lufthansa, Chicago-Frankfurt-Mumbai going out, and New Delhi-Frankfurt-Chicago on the return. And miracle of miracles, space was available on the days we wanted! An extremely auspicious sign!
Visa? You must have an Indian visa. Available at your nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate. There is one in Chicago and you can get a visa issued in the same day. You can apply for a 10-year visa which saves a LOT of money.!
Continue reading "Planning A Trip to Tribal India" »
With Winter not too far away, it's time for people to start thinking about travel possibilities. One destination, that I keep mentioning, is India. Over the years, I have developed some terrific contacts and unusual tour operators around the world. I also have a wonderful travel agent with her own connections. So, last year I posed the question to Vivian, "Is there another unique area in India that we haven't visited yet? What about the tiger reserves and Khajuraho" ...it only took a few weeks for her to come up with a tentative itinerary.
This itinerary incorporated the State of Chattisgarh, two different tiger reserves in the State of Madhya Pradesh (because there is never a guarantee of seeing a tiger and odds are better if you visit two reserves), the caves of Ajanta and Ellora and Kujaraho.
This sounded ambitious and difficult to fit into 20-days but the Indian tour operator, assured us it was extremely doable.
Location of Chattisgarh in India
Continue reading "Where is Chattisgarh/Chhatisgarh...in India!" »
Our first visit to Shanghai in 1989 was light-years removed from this visit. At that time, you were only allowed to tour with a State Guide shepherding you around. Shopping was reserved for the "Friendship Store," and it was strictly forbidden to wander off on your own.
Cosmopolitan Shanghai 2005 was a revelation. Magnificent skyscraper after skyscraper, each architecturally different, unique making a brilliant light show in the evening....expressways....wonderful hotels and delicious restaurants....shopping malls...homes that ranged upwards to millions of US$ that could have been found in America....a surreal experience. If you have been watching Discovery Atlas on cable television, you may have seen the recent two-hour segment on China which showcased Shanghai beautifully as well as Xintiandi, recommended below.
Shanghai Map of Center
Continue reading "Shanghai Visiting and Touring" »
Zhaoxing was one of the most interesting villages in Guizhou. They only get about 700 visiters per year but that will be changing quickly with the addition of an airport nearby. It is a killer ride on the roads to get there but definitely worth it.
Zhaoxing still has its traditional wooden structures including a number of "Wind and Rain Bridges" along with a total of five drum towers. What is a "Wind and Rain" Bridge? It is a wooden, covered corridor bridge, with pavilions and benches for people to rest on. Since the bridge shields people from wind, rain and sunshine, it is called a "Wind and Rain" Bridge...simple...when it was explained to us.
We arrived in the early evening and most people were seated in and around the Drum Tower, drinking and celebrating the Lusheng Festival. Others were spreading their rice and corn alongside the roads to dry, and hanging rice on the drying racks in the fields. No one leaves the cut rice in the fields at night. They are worried about someone stealing their crop. The Dong in this village continue to wear traditional clothing and speak only their native Dong language.
Expats we met, compared it to Lijiang about 10 years ago. Unlike us, they were staying for a few days and day-hiking to different villages around Zhaoxing. That's the way to do it and another day there would have been perfect.
Zhaoxing
Continue reading "Zhaoxing (Zhao Xing), Guizhou, China" »
Yin Tan Dong Village was entirely different because of its Drum Towers. The Dong trace their origins back to about the 3rd century BC and speak a Thai language as part of the Sino-Tibetan Thai ethnic-linguistic group. This village was encircled by 100-year old trees and typical Dong houses on stilts.
Dong Drum Towers are an important part and symbol of each village with at least one drum tower in every Dong village and some with many towers. Meetings and celebrations are held in front of these towers and the people gather there to dance and make "merry" (drink). Some are extremely elaborate, many stories high, decorated with dragons, phoenixes, flowers and birds. In the past, cowhide-covered drums were hung in the tower and a villager would climb to the top and beat the drum to alert the villagers. It acted as a SOS (or distress signal) and the drumbeats would travel from one village to another.
Drum Tower
Continue reading "More Dong Villages and Bia Sha Black Miao, China" »
Rong Jiang had a very old Banyan Tree (been there...seen that) and a Dong village in Che Jiang. This was one of the most interesting villages because of all the different activities taking place. Groups of people were playing maj jong in the central courtyard (I was invited to join in but didn't remember how to play), two older women were taking turns giving each other a back massage, .... View image...
Continue reading "Rong Jiang and Che Jiang Dong Village, China" »
There were several houses in Pai Ka Miao Village where we watched the local master craftsmen making the Lusheng. This took more work than one would expect - choosing the proper bamboo, cutting, tempering, tuning. The end result - a Lusheng with different tonal qualities.
Everywhere we drove or visited, the local people were harvesting the corn and rice crops. Unfortunately for them, the crops hadn't been good that year. This would mean food shortages over the coming winter. Two varieties of rice are grown: big grains and small grains (that's how it was described to us), and almost the entire work of picking, threshing and grinding is done by hard, manual labor.
The rice was drying on photogenic drying racks, dotting the landscape, ...View image...along the roads...with villagers carrying their crops up and down the mountains on their heads and backs. When I posed a question to Andy about their very slight and short stature, he replied: "If you put a large rock on a blade of grass, the grass will not grow upright when you take it off."
rice drying on racks
Continue reading "Pai Ka Miao and Datang Villages, China" »
Some of the villages we visited greeted us with potent, homemade rice wine. Looked to me like an excuse for a PARTY! I wouldn't have minded trying a slug or two but they kept passing these huge jugs from person to person to drink out of. I have a real problem sharing with many strangers, and had Andy tell them that we were strict "teetotalers" then he drank our share. A perfect solution.
A visit to Flag Stone Village to see "Xi Family Miao's Customs, and a short trek to Gee Family Village to see their batiks. ...passing people carrying the daily, heavy loads...View image... ...View image... The Ge Family is a special ethnic group that is not included in the 55 minorities of China as they number only around 10,000 people. They have their own customs and language with unique garments and adornments.
Back to Kaili for a fast lunch, and then a transfer up to the Lei Gong Mountain, center of Miao culture in southeast Guizhou. Kaili is a 2,500 year old city with a population of 450,000. More than 65% of that amount consists of the Miao.
Continue reading "Flag Stone and Wu Dong Villages, China" »
We spent the entire day watching and participating in the annual Lusheng Festival. ...View image...All the local villages came to march in the parade, socialize, meet friends and be entertained. The Miao groups wore local dress for the parade and the Lusheng contest inside Kaili Stadium was held at noon. Group after group of Miao people representing their tribe and village, each and everyone in a different ethnic outfit, ...View image...marched down the street. ...View image... loaded with real "silver" and artificial "silver" headdresses and jewelry.
"Vibrant" or "colorful" doesn't accurately describe what was passing before our eyes. In the meantime, the local Chinese people were almost more interested in us than the festival and we were constantly being photographed, and asked to pose with families and children for more photographs. Our more than 15-seconds of fame!
Kaili group
playing the Lusheng
Continue reading "Lusheng Festival in Kaili, China" »
Andy, our guide, took us to visit the "Four Seals Miao" in Xin Yao. There was a lot of activity among the people who were busy harvesting rice and heading their pigs and other livestock towards the Lusheng Festival to sell.
This was another very poor village where we met with one family to see their traditional clothing. The mother, had a family of at least four or five little girls (I lost count) and had handmade each and every dress herself. She carefully dressed them up in their outfits for some photos (one protesting vigorously). ... View image... The dress of this Miao subgroup is quite special. There are four colorful square patterns just like four exquisite square seals on their gloves and shirts, hence the name.
Most Chinese minorities are exempt from the "one child" rule (very obvious as we visited these villages). It seemed as if the little girls were quite close in age and extremely destitute (not to mention the usual runny noses and need for a bath). It's difficult to tell the ages of the children in this area because they are much smaller in height by our American overfed standards. By the way, Andy - on our behalf - always dispensed money to the people for their trouble. Perhaps, visits by us and other tourists will help raise their living standards somewhat.
Xin Yao little girls
Xin Yao Village
Continue reading ""Four Seals Miao" in Xin Yao, China" »
Lunch in Anshun and then a 2-1/2 hour ride toward Liuzhi to visit a subgroup of the Miao Minority, Soga Village of Chang Jiao Miao (Long Horn Miao people).
This was an heartbreakingly basic village. Most of the province still lives below the national poverty level even though the government is trying to change this. Soga was dirty with lots of chickens running around (visions of "bird flu" ran through my mind) ...View image...but the "Hair" was what made Soga so interesting and worth visiting along with the exquisite batik and embroidery that they make. We watched three women show us how they made their amazing big hairdos (and I thought my hair was expandable!). They started with pieces of wood dowels, stuck them through their own hair ...View image....then start wrapping lots of artificial looking "hair" (really long black pieces of yarn) around the wood to make the hair stand out, finishing with long strips of fabric which decorated this intricate, ornate wig. This must eliminate ever having a "bad hair day." Interestingly enough, I just read an article about Marie Antoinette's "big hair" in Vogue. Perhaps, her stylist got his ideas from the Miao women.
Soga Village
Continue reading "Long Horn Miao People - The "Hair" Village, China" »
The trip started (and almost ended) in Shanghai where we overnighted before flying into Guiyang. Our driver blew his exit driving from the aiport and screeched across four lanes of traffic to make it. A truck and another taxi missed us by inches! You should have heard the Chinese swearing and shouting going on including a few choice words from us! Did we tip him? NOT!
The next morning, we flew into Guiyang. It's a cardinal rule of travel that you are always going to misconnect...and we always do. It usually takes several days to arrive at our destination after leaving Chicago, and that's with non-stop flights.
Guiyang has a population of over 3 million people and a mild climate. "Andy" was our guide. (Most Chinese guides adopt an English name since we usually butcher their Chinese name.) An extremely knowledgable person who couldn't do enough for us. Guiyang itself was just a starting point and there wasn't very much to do. The Trade Point Hotel was the top-end hotel to stay at and that is where we parked outselves. Surprisingly, even the staff at the Trade Point didn't speak English! You can find more information at: ...Hotel in ASIA
First on our agenda was to visit Tunbao Village and Tian Long Old Town. The ancestors of these villagers migrated from Jiangxi Province to Guizhou Province in the Ming dynasty. The women there wore blue aprons, were dressed in wide-sleeved loose robes with silk belts in traditional Ming Dynasty costumes, and the houses remained faithful to Ming architectural styles. The Tunbao people are the descendants of armed men and dress accordingly.
Tunbao Village
Continue reading "Tunbao Village and Tian Long Old Town, China" »
The final itinerary consisted of nine actual days in Guizhou Province, with several extra days in Shanghai to celebrate our anniversary. And then, you always have to add the 2-3 days spent actually getting to China and at least two days returning home! The tour itself would focus on two areas: Southeast and West of Guiyang; visiting the various minority tribes and learning a little about their culture; using a local guide and driver; and staying at "best available" hotels.
Air? Flew United non-stop to Shanghai and then China Air to Guiyang the following day. Inside China, you can (or could) also fly via Chengdu, Beijing, Hong Kong or Bangkok.
Health? Just the usual precautions. No malaria pills, and all other innoculations are always kept up-to-date. I always check the Centers for Disease Control updates to see what they suggest.
Visa? You need a Chinese Visa which is easy to get at your local Chinese Embassy/Consulate. In Chicago, you can pay extra and arrange for one in the same day.
Western Guizhou
Continue reading "Planning A Trip to Guizhou, China" »
It isn't until you actually start exploring China that its immensity hits you. Most travellers visit Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Xian and Hong Kong on their first trip into China. We (ex-Marine, husband Steve and I) did right after the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989 when tour operators were offering "moment-of-madness sales" (another article altogether) and fell in love with the incredible sights and diversity China offers. Lonely Planet Shop
Many trips later, there are still so many areas to explore that rarely see a Western visitor. With all this in mind, and knowing my love for off-the-beaten-track destinations, Shi Ming (Cindy) at Shanghai Far East Expeditions recommended Guizhou Province.
Guizhou is a mountainous province of China with karst (limestone terrain), steep gorges, warm summers and mild winters. It is located in the Southeast of China, not terribly far from Vietnam. The reason to visit? About 35% of Guizhou's population is made up of over 80 different ethnic minorities in remote villages: Miao, Bouyi, Dong, Yi and Hui to name a few. The majority of China's population is Han.
The minority villages of interest were both West and Southeast of Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province.
Guizhou Map
Continue reading "Where is Guizhou? Why...China..." »
A long drive back through the desert to Timbuktu.... View image....another 4WD carrying goats on the roof heading to market.... View image....our guide making his directional hand motions....one of our drivers veering off to chase a Gazelle (which earned him a screaming, reaming out from a livid Roberto - he could have blown an engine in that heat)....and finally, Timbuktu.
Timbuktu was founded by Tuareg nomads at the end of the 12th century and was the capital of their empire. Before the Niger River shifted and landlocked Timbuktu, it was the meeting point for caravans that crossed the Sahara from North to South. The caravans considered Timbuktu to be both the beginning, and the end of the world.
this, is Timbuktu!
Continue reading "Finally, Timbuktu, Mali - West Africa" »
It was extremely early in the morning when the nomads appeared with our camels. Groaning, the camels folded their bodies to the ground, protesting violently, and the herders sorted out which camel was the right one for each of us. I was very nervous about doing a camel trek and could have ridden in a 4WD but showed some guts and got up on it. Camels are high off the ground and also like to bite! Roberto assured me that I was on a "gentle" camel (yeah, right...if he could have gotten to my leg, a chunk would have been missing). "Ex-Marine" was equally concerned ...View image... and we made our camel herders promise NOT to gallop our camels. Not to worry...they tied each camel to the one in front of it and off we set for our three hour ride to Araouane. Early Bird Sale, Europe from $438* round-trip!
Susan galloped by on her camel... View image... but we just plodded along, up and over dunes, surrounded by sand and the quiet Sahara. Way in the distance, the little town of Araouane appeared.
Araouane
Continue reading "Camel Trek to Araouane, Mali - West Africa" »
Our convoy of several 4WD vehicles, set off into the desert to see the salt caravans. Since the Middle Ages, camel caravans have traveled through the Sahara to Taudenni, 500 miles north of Timbuktu. Salt has been in high demand in West Africa since the 12th century. Each salt block weighs about 66 lbs., and the camel carries 4 salt blocks for an approximate total of 264 lbs. It takes nearly two weeks through the sand dunes, led by an experienced guide. The caravans only move from sunset through the early morning, walking about 50 km. every day.
The Taudenni salt mine was cut out of an ancient seabed and hundreds of men work the mines as indentured slaves. Early Bird Sale, Europe from $438* round-trip!
salt caravan
Continue reading "Into the Sahara Desert of Mali - West Africa" »
Mopti is considered the "Venice of Africa" and was such an interesting town that an extra day here would have been perfect. It consists of three small islands linked by levees. Holidays off the Beaten Track
We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Niger, watching the small boats pull up, cargo being unloaded and carried on people's heads, huge salt blocks on the embankment that had been brought by boat from Timbuktu , ...View image... sellers shouting up to us and showing their goods. Some of our group bought huge "Fulani Wedding Blankets" and long pieces of dyed blue material (worn by the Berbers/Tuaregs - the "Blue Men of the Desert") to wrap around their heads for the desert journey. Susan warned that the indigo dye was going to bleed all over our bodies until it was washed in some sort of mixture to set the dye...and it did. Blue foreheads for the next few days.
Mopti waterfront
Fishing, and trading in dried fish are important elements of the Mali economy. "Capitaine" fish was served quite often..a delicate, mild tasting fish similar to orange roughy. (I could never get a determination on what "Capitaine" fish really was.)
Continue reading "Mopti and Up The Niger River by Pinasse, Mali - West Africa" »
Djenne was built in the 14th century, on high ground near the Niger, and becomes an island when the Niger floods. It is the oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa, 220 miles south of Timbuktu (we still had a way to go). The old Town of Djenne and the Great Mosque (the most famous mosque in Mali) were named UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1988. Oh, the Places You Can Go: Round-Trip Flights for $199+ or Less
The Great Mosque is the largest clay building in the world and has three massive towers, with each spire capped by an ostrich egg (ostrich eggs symbolize fertility and purity). We arrived here on a Friday, when the main prayer ceremony of the week is held. ...View image... As soon as the service ended, the plaza filled up with people in their very colorful costumes moving through a permanent cloud of sand.
after prayers in Djenne
Imam leaving Mosque
Continue reading "Djenne on the Niger, Mali - West Africa" »
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