Among the Dogons
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
20
103
Trip End
Jun 24, 2006
Bandiagara,
Mali
Friday, November 11, 2005
We are in the most interesting part of West Africa, the tribal lands of central Mali. The Dogon are the most famous of these tribes, due to their isolation and tenacious hold on traditional beliefs. They live at the base of the Bandiagara Escarpment, which is a 200 km section of sheer cliffs. We were dropped off at the top, and then worked our way down the cliffs to the valley and trekked about 5 km to the first village. We slept on the roof of the "hotel" and the stars were amazing. The next day, we trekked 15 km to another couple of villages, while learning about the Dogon cosmology and animist belief system. Then on the third day we trekked another 5 km to our final village and then 3 km back up the escarpment to meet the truck.
This was one of our favorite parts of the trip so far. The countryside is beautiful and the people are friendly (except for the ones who are aggressively trying to sell something) and life here seems so "simple". Our guide said that if the rains are good and the harvest is plentiful, then people are happy.
We also had the chance to sample traditional Dogon food, which is a heavy "cake" made of millet with a suspicious green slimy sauce on it. Anna thought it looked like cow pie and green snot. Not all that appetizing. However, the rest of the food which we ate in the villages was delicious.
Comments
Wow.
Sounds like a great experience!
Re: Wow.
Will you bring back any of these green pies for us to try?
Fantastic Adventure !!!
Anna and Nathan,
Thanks for sharing your Fantastic Adventures with us!
The photos are wonderful. Sail boats seem to be a favorite subject. Best of luck! Will you be home for Christmas?
Homer Overstreet