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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" »
A hike up and over a Dogon escarpment was a major adventure and undertaking. First, we assembled early in the morning at the base of the mountain for our hike, surrounded by villagers screaming and shouting to Roberto... "Me...me...pick me..." as our guides and porters. It seemed to be massive, but organized, confusion! Roberto assigned one guide for each person in our group. The guide would carry our daypack and make sure that we didn't fall into a gorge or off the mountain. My assigned guide was harangued by Roberto..."take good care of Mama! Do you hear me? Hold her hand...and watch Mama!" (This little man never left my side.)
The "water porter" did the entire route with the case of water bottles on his head. ... View image...
Continue reading "Hiking Over The Dogon Escarpment, Mali - West Africa" »
We roamed through several Dogon villages, learning about their culture. The Dogons are animists and I had to learn what an "animist" is. According to the dictionary - the belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena. With this belief of Gods in everything around them, they have elaborate masked dances and male initiation rites in caves painted with different representations. ...View image...
The Dogons grow maize, millet and onions and stock goats and sheep. Each village is dominated by a togu'na, a intricately decorated platform where the men elders talk over village business. It looked cool inside but women are not allowed inside the togu'na...we could just admire the detailed and exquisite carvings from the outside...
Continue reading "Dogon Masked Dance, Mali - West Africa" »
We crossed the Mali border and entered the sandy Dogon lowlands, filled with enormous baobab trees...View image and spiny shrubs. This area has few visitors and the oldest Dogon settlements. The Dogon country is possibly the premier attraction in Mali and the group was excited about the upcoming sights.
Roberto always made sure that our lunch was eaten in whatever shade he could find. And when the only available shade was in between spiny shrubs, one of his driver would take a machete, start hacking away at the trees and create enough space for everyone to eat lunch out of the brutal sun.
Continue reading "Into The Dogon Lowlands, Mali - West Africa" »
There was a lot of planning involved and we used our travel agent to help sort out the myriad details.
Air? This involved flying into Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and flying out of Bamako, Mali. There was only one suitable airline (for us), Air France who flew into both cities via Paris. Royal Air Maroc is the only other airline we found that flew to both cities, via Casablanca. Not much of a choice on air. Priceline.com Air
Visas? You need for both countries. We used Zierer Visa Service rather than Fedexing back and forth to consulates in Washington, DC.
Continue reading "Planning "Timbuktu & Beyond" - West Africa" »
We have taken two trips to West Africa, both with Mountain Travel Sobek. The first trip was called "Timbuktu & Beyond" into one of the most fascinating countries in the entire world, Mali.
Who hasn't heard of Timbuktu one of the most isolated places in the world, synonymous with being "out in nowhere" but this ancient, famous city was just a small part of this extremely unique trip. The group would start in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (pronounced "wah gah doo goo" - isn't that a great name?), heading into Mali (Dogon land), Djenne, Mopti, travel up the Niger River, Timbuktu, ending up in Bamako, Mali.
The "History Channel" just aired a two-hour special, "Sahara" the other evening. Try and watch it. Very interesting and informative including details about Tunisia - another destination we have visited. (Keep reading daily and soon you will see the articles on Tunisia - another captivating destination.)
Continue reading "Exotic West Africa" »
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