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| MALI: Places |
| In Neni I drank attaya with a Frenchman named Paschal. He's been living in the Neni for the last month and hopes to stay throughout the year. He and his brother crossed the Sahara in a mini-bus via the mine fields in Mauritania.....without an escort. They were hoping to pass through Senegal but the Duane refused them, saying that their car was "too old" to come in the country......... How 'bout that! So they had to continue though no roads Mauritania to get to Mali. Anyways, Paschal liked Neni and decided to stay - by himself with little support. Du courage, man. |
| Ogon House in Neni |
| Telem Houses in Yougah piri |
| Telem Houses in Yougah |
| The Telem were the first inhabitants of the "falaise" before the Dogon came and kicked them out. Their houses, which are all abandoned, are high in the steep cliffs. These building are pretty big. Most Telem dwellings are tiny hovels hidden in the cracks of the rock. During my first trip to Dogon Country I was told that the Telem were pygmies that were driven out by the Dogon about 700 years ago but my guide said that there are Telem villages in nearby Burkina Faso .....and the people are tall, hardly pygmies. |
| Streets of Ileri |
| Mopti is definitely the cross-roads of Mali. It is a flavorable city with many different people -- Turegs, Fulas, Bozos, Dogon, etc, etc. The city is bustling with boats and buses traveling the Niger and Bani Rivers from Timbuktu to Goa. It is also bustling with riffraff. "Guides" are constantly asking to help and when I was there most of the "guides" had been put in the clink in anticipation for a Jacque Chirac's visit. A rug seller, the bastard, did the old switch-a-roo with me. I bargained hard for a gorgeous rug I didn't want and then he gave me the ugly rug I definitely didn't want. Other than that the mosques is your quintessential Sahelian architecture and getting lost in the alleys of the old city is totally worth the time |
| Sheep loitering in front of the Hogon in Ileri: A hogon is a strategically designed meeting place for the elders. In the case that an arguement heats up, the beligerients are forced to remain seated in fear that they would hit their head on the ceiling of the squat architecture of the structure. |
| The costs were pretty simple. The trip was 17,500 CFA per day (if you are traveling with more people the cost should be less). This included the guide's charge, food, campament fee, and visit taxes. Drinks in the villages were on me. I also had to pay 12,500 CFA for a taxi to drop us off in Sanga and 7,000 CFA to pick us up in Dourou. My guide, who I suggest, was Amadou Ouologuem (Wologem) of Koro. You can find him at Hotel L'Aventure in Koro or call him at 2-42-01-91 or ouologuem2@yahoo.com. If you plan to go to Dogon Country via Bamako, I suggest staying in Severe over Mopti. Mopti is definitely lively but I tried looking for places there and the rooms were gross, especially for the cost and the owners of the hotel were rude. Severe while tamer is only 10 min away by taxi. There are numerous kind and polite hotels and restaurants. I suggest Mac's Refuge. It is a nice spot, a little out of the way but the breakfast.........did I say pancakes, yoghurt and muesli. Besides it feels like B&B back home......people sittin' chattin' and eating together. Also check out Peace Corps Baba for knick-knacks (and e-mail) they are a little more expensive but good quality and no hassle (and I like to bargain). |
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| Market Mosque in Ileri |
| Mopti Port |
| Graineries in Dourou |
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