| ABOUT
KAYES
I was travelling from Senegal
to Bamako by minibus when I stumbled on Kayes and I realised there
was no way of prosecuting by road; in fact being in the middle of
the rainy season, the capital could be reached only by railway.
Hence my adventure, to buy the tickets and get the train, started
(funny stories).
Kayes in August is really hot and damp. Frankly I've good memories about this town,
especially concernig the fucking owner of the " centre d'Accueil de Jeunesse"
who cheated me (don't go there!!!!!!!). But the market in town has been the wildest and
most typical I've never seen. In particular don't miss the dentists', I mean a man
who pull out teeth in the middle of the road :-o)
TIPS
-Pay attention getting
the train. Some people'll want them to buy the tickets for
you: they'll charge you a lot of money, or they'll sell you not
valid ticket for the day after train, pretending the train is full
-Don't pay more than 3000
cefa each (08/2002) for a double room in the "centre d'Accueil
de Jeunesse", the accomodation near the station. Remember
the owner is the shittiest bastard I have ever met in my life!
ABOUT
MOPTI
Mopti is definitely a tourist
highlight in Mali, but it's far from appearing as such. I paid a
guy to take me around the town, this let keeping away from me bothering
people. I spent two nice days visiting
the market, admiring the
Bani river, the old town and taking pictures. One of the funniest
thing was the market area were many sewmen were gathered
to sew typical malian clothes with their "manual cool old-looking"
sewing-machine. In ten minutes, for a bunch of euros, they sewed
a nice and colorful pair of pants (also with the pockets) for my
girlfriend. You can walk all the day throught the market, but you'll
never see a woman using a sew-machine, just men... it's funny, don't
you think?
PS: don't miss the story
about the adventure to reach Mopti from Bamako by AFRICA TOUR BUS
COMPANY (love your life ? avoid..)
TIPS
WATCH OUT ABOUT DOGON GUIDES
IN MOPTI
Mopti was the main point for the recruiting of the guides for the
Dogon region and most of the candidates asked an enourmous amont
of money compared to the expenses. It wasn't just a matter
of bargaining, in fact some guides refused to take me for less.
At the end I got my guide in the middle way from Mopti to Bandiagara
for a really cheaper price...maybe it was just luck.. maybe not...
who knows....
ABOUT
BAMAKO
Bamako is the capital
of Mali. It's quite big and really chaotic; it's a kinda of huge
market, everywhere there're stalls selling everything, especially
textures, that make the town colourful. Few streets are paved and
even fewer are lit in the night. Definitely it's not a touristic
place, but I think that, with its crowded green minibuses without
doors shooting like crazy in the streets, it's representative of
the country; at the end I liked it... anyway it's Africa!
PS: don't miss the story
about the adventure to reach Dakar from Bamako flying with AIR MALI
company (air mali sucks),
and Mopti by AFRICA TOUR BUS COMPANY (love
your life ? avoid..)
TIPS
Maybe you're wondering
if it's a safe place:
-As every capital,
it's definitely less safe than the countryside, but I didn't have
any problem. For sure you won't meet many others whites walking
in the streets, unless you don't go to the market of the artisans,
the only one touristic place in Bamako.
-The main danger
is the traffic, and you'll understand what I mean when
you'll have to cross a street.
-Taking picture
is not welcomed, as everywhere in Mali, and walking in the evening
is "scaring" due to the lack of lighting in
the streets and it's better to avoid it when possible.
-You'll need tons of patience concerning bothering
people asking you to be your guide or to buy something, but I suggest
you to get used unless you don't wanna freak out in ten minutes.
ABOUT DOGON
Dogon region for whom travelling
in Mali is a must!
This region is defined by a 100
km long cliff where several villages are settled down. Some
of them are dag in the cliff and locals (definitely not you) reach
them by funny stairs. Villages are very cute: lots
of children playing, girls looking after them, women beating
the corn and men.... doing nothing.
I was used to sleep
on the roof on the house, it was funny, but don't forget a mosquito
net if you gonna do it in summer! My most impressive memory
is the view
till Burkina Faso that you can enjoy when you walk on the upper
part of the cliff (see the pic below)...it's unforgettable. I traveled
on foot with a
Dogon guide for 3 days; I think you need a guide, I cannot figure
out how you could manage to orientate without any kind of signal,
and, mainly, how you could arrange your meal and accommodation (the
roof of the house) in the villages. However the trip doesn't need
a particular physical preparation, but meanwhile walking for three
days with 40 C, drinking from the wells, sleeping on the roofs and
getting the daily summer thunderstorms, it's not something for everybody.
Fortunately Dogon region is not touristy jet, but, anyway, you won't
be the first white passing trough. I traveled in the north part
of the cliff, but, considering what I heard from the other travelers
I met travelling in Mali, there're no meaningful differences with
the south part, concerning the difficulty of the trip.
The future of this region is in the traveler's hands; PLEASE DON'T
HAND OUT MONEY AS CHIPS, AND AVOID GIVING OBJECTS FROM YOUR HOMECOUNTRY.
EVERYBODY WOULD TURN TO A BEGGAR AND THEIR CULTURE WOULD BE
BLOWN OUT!
PS:read what happened to
me in the way back from Dogon country (crazy
african driver out of road)
TIPS
- I got a guide in the way
from Mopti to Bandiagara. Watch out people asking you exorbitant
amount of money for a trip inthe Dogon country. I paid (car from
Mopti to Sanga, meal and sleeping included) 13000 CEFA/day (20$/day)
-I suggest you to take pills
to purify the water of the wells
-Trekking boots
-Mosquito repellent
-A cap for the sun and a
flash light (I walked in the night)
-Waterproof cover for your
backbag; at least if you travelled during the rainy season (August)
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