Bamako at last
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
19
103
Trip End
Jun 24, 2006
Bamako,
Mali
Sunday, November 6, 2005
Miles Travelled: 16940
We have finally arrived in Bamako, the capital of Mali, after 4 nights of bush camping and lots of dusty driving. Once the center of extensive trade and wealth in the 13th-15th centuries, Mali is now one of the poorest countries in the world, with subsistence agriculture the main occupation. The rural housing here is interesting, mainly mud-brick walls in rectangular structures, punctuated by a few round mud huts with thatch roof (maybe the kitchen??). One memorable image is that of a typical rural mud-brick house --- with a very atypical late-model Volkswagen Cabriolet parked outside. Hmmm....
From Bamako, we will set off on various excursions up the Niger River and into Dogon country, culminating in the legendary Timbuktu.
