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The most distinctive architectural structure in Mali is the ubiquitous mud mosque of which the most famous is the one above in Djenne. This mud structure is the largest in the world and is also a UNESCO WHS. It dates from 1907. To facilitate the necessary annual resurfacing with mud, internal support members protrude the building walls to allow easy attachment of scaffolding.

 

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Bamako itself doesn’t have too many tourist attractions. On the left is a view of the city from one of the hills.

 

These are government buildings in Bamako financed by Gaddafi. He tried to influence many of the African countries and, unsuccessfully, tried to became the African leader. Gaddafi owned every hotel in Bamako.

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Interesting was an area in which scrap metal was reworked into something useful.

 

Niamanou called it the recycling center.

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Like those frying pans.

 

In the nice park which also houses an interesting museum, we saw a wedding celebration (right and below).

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From Bamako we took off in a Toyota land cruiser which remained with us for us most of the time.

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Our guide was Teme Nianamou from Dogon country (on Yvonne’s right) and our driver Salah was Tuareg.

 

Salah was sorry he only spoke French (other than his Tuareg)  but he made up for it with his enthusiasm for whatever we were doing. He was someone we could communicate with without language.

 

Nianamou was one of the best guides we’ve ever had and one of the nicest human beings we’ve ever met. He made our trip to Mali an unforgettable experience.

He was the first child from his Dogon village who attended school – and only then because his father was threatened with huge fines if he didn’t go. He was taken to the only school in the area where he stayed with relatives until high school. He said after one year in school he knew he wanted to continue.

For high school he stayed in Bamako with more relatives (read his village members). He took care of himself and helped some in the home in trade.

THEN, he went to France and got a degree in French Literature.

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Our driver, Salah was a Tuareg and fun to be with. We also learned a lot from him.

 

As a driver, he’d been hired to drive from Mali to Amsterdam! He’d driven all over the sub-Saharan countries as well, so he had more “education” than many do.

 

One day he’d dress in the Tuareg headdress (never the robe) and the next he’d look like a western dude with knee length pants and sunglasses.

 

This was our first lunch on the drive to Djenne.

 

Food is tasty and plentiful (check out that plate!) in Mali and the availability of excellent beer was really nice in temperatures of 90-100 degrees.

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On the way, we stopped in villages with mud grain silos.

 

These women are pounding the grain into flour with big wooden poles. It takes them an hour of pounding for EACH MEAL!

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The primary grains are millet (in Nianamou’s right hand) and sorghum (left hand).

 

 

 

 

See Yvonne “glistening” with sweat – and she’s just watching…

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Village markets along the road.

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Note all the bolts and things in the bottom left photo.

 

We think the goats were not very comfortable on top of the bus.

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The reason for so many goats in the markets was that a celebration was coming up for which each family slaughters a goat.

 

 

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Mali is the 3rd poorest country in the world and it shouldn’t  be. We always saw everyone working… unlike many countries we’ve visited.

 

Unfortunately, it seems most aid and money goes into a few pockets in Bamako.

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A goat on top of a tanker.

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Baobab trees are common in Mali and on the left is a particularly nice specimen.

 

Note its size by seeing Niamanou and Yvonne below it.

 

The fruits of the baobab tree contain very tasty, candy-like substances.

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There are not many tourists in Mali and we were the exotic ones always attracting the children.

 

The child on the right has a terrible skin pigmentation problem.

 

 

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Millet being stored in the mud storage structure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These storage buildings are on logs to protect them from termites.

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To reach Djenne, we had to cross a river arm using this ferry.

 

We had to wait for the next ferry. It was probably just as well.

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We stayed in very nice hotel just outside of Djenne which was owned by a European. We had breakfast in the garden the following morning (below).

 

 

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Breakfast pancakes made for the locals.

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We spent most of the day in Djenne with its wonderful mosque.

 

 

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Non-Muslims can’t enter mosques in Mali.

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The large square in front of the mosque is a huge market.

 

Mali used to be a French colony which is the reason that the official language is French and one can find baguettes (right).

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Butcher shop “display.”

 

 

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The conical hat is Fulani. Fulanis belong to an ethnic group found in many African countries.

 

These hats are made of straw but are covered with thin leather so the rain runs off. They are so well liked that the Dogon elders wear them too.

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This is a fancy home.

 

The five points on the top show how many children are in the home; everything has symbolism so when a local walks up to this home he knows much about the inhabitants.

 

 

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A variety on the Tuareg turban.

 

Like Arabs, Tuaregs come in all shades. Some are very fair with blue or green eyes, some like this fellow.

 

 

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The Niger river’s most valued fish is the captain fish. We had it for lunch one day on the boat and it’s very tasty.

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Yvonne blending in with the natives. The tall young man was our local guide in Djenne.

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We saw many Obama shirts.

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A Peul woman wearing large golden earrings.

 

Our tour paid for us to see her as she is one of the few women left to have these traditional earrings (the others have sold theirs).

 

They are actually very light.

 

 

 

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“Apartments” shared by adolescent boys. Our local guide told us about this feature of their culture.

 

When boys hit puberty, they join the group of unmarried boys who live like this. This gets them out of the houses away from sisters (girls in general).

 

In this “club” they learn who is trustworthy, who is not, who is intelligent, who is …, and so forth.

 

Then when they’re married men there is a community almost in place for them.

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Small Niger river fish being preserved by smoking.

 

 

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Mud mosque at Senossa, outside Djenne.

 

This is a village of the Peul people. They are nomadic, but drought has forced them to become village-dwellers.

 

6,000 Peul live in Senossa.

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Senossa has two beautiful mud mosques.

 

This village is difficult to get to as there is no easy to cross the “moat” to get to it. That way, there are even fewer tourists.

 

We only saw a handful of tourists in the places we were in Mali.

 

 

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Women carry big loads on their heads and smaller – including this child – with their hands.

 

Back at the Djenne market.

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Djenne mosque.

 

 

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From Djenne we drove to Mopti.

 

We got this Fulani hat for our collection at home. Nianamou is modeling it. It’s a big smaller than usual but we have to get it in our suitcase.

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Niger River in Mopti.

 

Salt from the desert in the north of Mali was once a very important commodity and trading item.

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“Ship yard” in Mopti for the wooden Niger river boats called pinasse.

 

Another fine example of a mud mosque in Mopti.

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This was some sort of celebration with music and marching.

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Another example of Peul earrings. This woman is nearly 60; when she was in her 20s she won a beauty contest.

 

She was very trim.

 

On the drive back to Bamako, we stopped at this nomadic camp.

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French baguettes again, being transported across the Niger river.

 

 

 

 

We watched in amazement as this boat was being loaded with people and things.

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We stopped at this facility where the Mali mud cloth is decorated.

 

Yvonne got to try her skills…

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She chose the symbol for the Dogon people – the connection between sky and world.

 

Our final dinner with our guide and driver was in Segou.

 

We’re still in touch with Niamanou and, through him, know that Salah is still driving between the countries.

 

Wonderful guys. Wish we could travel with them again.

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