Ken & Patrice at hand of Fatima.
The trip
Below is a very rough sketch of my recollection of our trip
to Mali. Some of the exact events may be recorded in the
wrong days or missed and places may be confused. But it
does provide a broad indication of the visit organised by
Nouvelles Frontieres.
Wednesday 23/12: Brussels to
Paris Orly. Flight to Bamako. Late arrival. Met by guide
Aly and driver Ada. Night in hotel.
Thursday 24/12: Bamako -
Ségou - San (430 Km, 7h). Lunch Ségou. Visits
to various bambara, sekoro and bobo villages. Dinner and
night in Teriya
Hotel.
Friday 25/12: San and inter-river
region (130 km, 3 h). Ferry. Visit bambara, bobo and peul
villages. Picnic lunch. Meeting with head of village and
afternoon of traditional dances. Camp in village.
Saturday 26/12: Breakfast and
transfer to Djenné (70 km, 1 h). Visit peul village.
Arrive and explore Djenné. Dinner and night at
Djenné Campement Hotel.
Sunday 27/12: Continue to Mopti
(100 Km, 3h30). Visit port, lunch overlooking port. Dinner
and night at Y'a
pas de problem Hotel.
Monday 28/12 and Tuesday 29/12:
Pinasse trip on the Niger river from Mopti to Lake Debo and
Konna. Mainly fish lunches and dinner on board. Nights
camped on river bank.
Wednesday 30/12 and Thursday
31/12: Pick up 4 wheel drive car at Mopti. To
Hombori & Douentza (255 Km, 5h). See the Hand of Fatima
and the Hombori plateau. Visit villages at the foot of the
Gandamia : in particular Kikara. Dinner and nights in tents
at the Hombori and Gourma campings sites.
Friday 1/1: Douentza-Sangha (275
km, 5 h). Breakfast at camping and head for Sangha. Lunch
at local restaurant. Dinner and night at hotel.
Saturday 2/1: Dogon country. Down
cliffs from Sangha to Ireli then walk 4 or 5 hours through
villages to Tireli. Dance of the masked Dogons at Tireli.
Night in tent on terrace.
Sunday 3/1: Cliffs of Bandiagara.
4 to 5h walk under the cliffs from Tireli to Nombori
visiting various towns. Night in tent on terrace at Nombori
after lady's dance there.
Monday 4/1: Climb up cliff from
near Nombori (2h30 walk) to meet the van on top of plateau.
Head back to Mopti (100km, 3h30). Lunch at Bandiagara. Stay
in Y'a pas de
problem Hotel in Mopti.
Tuesday 5/1: Leave Mopti for
Segou (400 Km, 6h). Lunch at San. Visit Segou and then the
seat of the Bambara kingdom visiting village head. Dinner
and night in Independence
Hotel.
Wednesday 6/1: Sego-Bamako
(230km, 4h). Visit national museum as well as impressive
recycling centre. Night in hotel.
Thursday 7/1: To Bamako airport.
Air Mali flight delayed 5 1/2 hours. Thus arrival in Orly,
minus suitcases, after train for Brussels had left. Thus
had to stay at airport hotel and travel next morning.
Thursday 14/1: Suitcases
delivered!
Go to Mali 2009-10 pictures from others page
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