It was actually quite a late start this morning as we got up at 8:00 with Chris and Sue heading off to get the bus tickets. Anne and myself had breakfast at the hotel though I am getting a bit tired of paying so much money for a “continental breakfast” all the time and not taking advantage of it. I do not drink coffee or tea so to pay for such a breakfast where you only get bread (with butter, and, in this case, extremely sweet – too sweet for me – jam) and tea/coffee I don't think it is really worth it.

Eventually the six of us (including Ebrima and Diana) left to catch the bus that was scheduled to leave at 10:30 though we were early. I had to use the toilets and that was something I will not do again with the sewage all around the whole area, with no doors on any of the “stalls” being able to latch closed.

After waiting in the waiting area for some time eventually the bus arrived from Bamako that was to take us to Djenné (actually, not Djenné but the “carrefour” or junction where the road to Djenné branches off where you can catch bâchées into the city). The bus was full. Getting on-board we were told to get off and that there was only one spot available with other spots waiting in the aisle (possibly someone would get off a bit later and then a seat would be available). We were not happy particularly since they had sold us tickets for seats. Getting our money back from the ticket sellers we learned we could possibly get a bus with another bus company that was leaving at 12:00.

Going with someone who offered to show us the way eventually we were led to the bush taxi park where we were told we could hire one of them to take us to Djenné though it would be quite expensive. Upset again we told the guide that we wanted to go to the BUS terminal so he eventually led us through the back streets of Ségou along the dirt roads strewn with rubbish and mud to the much larger bus terminal. This was a much better bus company for us to get to Djenné as they had two buses a day instead of just the one of the other company though it was about 500 CFA more (5,000 CFA instead of 4,500 CFA with the other). Picking up our tickets we sat down to wait for the bus since though it was very close to 12:00 the bus had still not arrived yet.

Eventually the bus arrived at the far end of the compound in the heat of the sun so we managed to get ourselves and our bags there to be told we could not get on the bus right away. Sitting in the shade out of the heat of the midday sun we chatted for a while waiting for the driver and helpers as they seemed to be in the process of repairing something on the bus. Not a good sign. There were a lot of small shops selling things as well as the ubiquitous ladies selling smaller items (such as sandwiches, mangoes, bananas, and deep fried “dough-balls” I call the unflavoured dumplings they sell). Eventually we were allowed on the bus at about 1:45 (when we were supposed to leave at 12:30) where I sat beside a student from Bamako for the journey who was going home to see his family in Mopti. He practised a bit of his English on me and I practised my French on him though conversation lagged only a short time into the trip where we both fell into the monotony of travel.

The rain was coming down for much of the trip though we did stop at one point to help an aid (NGO) vehicle that had skidded off the road and landed in the ditch. With the help of a number of the police who were on board our bus they were able to push the vehicle out of the mud and get it back onto the road. It did attract the interest of everyone on the bus though as we all got out to watch the entertainment.

The journey was otherwise uneventful with the loud Malian music playing constantly from the bus cassette player and piped through the overhead speakers throughout. It did amuse me to see a few ladies selling things as they were travelling on the bus themselves. “L'autobus Marché.” The rain continued to come down and leak through the air vents in the ceiling causing one of the men from the bus company to spend much of the trip attempting to block the water from coming in (unsuccessfully). Most amusing to many on board was when he used a plastic bag which gradually filled with water until it began to leak again and completely soak the man when he tried to remove it.

We did have a big stop at the city of San where we pulled into a bus terminal. The bus, of course, was immediately overwhelmed with people trying to sell things as they walked through the mud inundating the compound: everything from boiled eggs to bread to iced drinks to grilled meat. Of course, people were trying to get off the bus as well but everything worked out in the end and we were once again off on our journey. For a bus trip in this part of Africa we actually stopped far less than I am used to though it was typically food and toilet breaks at every stop with the occasional bit of shopping if there was something particularly interesting on offer.

Eventually just before dark at about 7:00 we were dropped at the “Carrefour” for Djenné which is a bit depressing, as we were not really able to see anything on the trip into Djenné. But that was a bit later as we first had to wait for them to fill the bâchée. Eventually a bush taxi arrived that was on its way into the city that had enough room for all of us. Anne and I were crammed into the last seat by the back door with our rucksacks put onto the roof. We could see nothing out of the heavily tinted windows beside us or out of the front window some 6-7 rows of crammed people ahead of us. Chris and Sue were sitting closer to the front.

Coming to a small river we had to get out of the bush taxi so that they could drive the bush taxi into the water to get onto the small ferry. We had to wade out into the water onto the ferry ourselves. All of this was done in the pitch dark. The water is too shallow for the ferry to get too close to the shore. The ferry was polled to the other side where we then reversed the process, wading back out into the water while the vehicle left the ferry as well and climbing back into the bush taxi we continued on to Djenné. Passing into the city the only thing I really saw was the sight of the mud walls of buildings as we wended our way through the narrow streets towards the centre. They let us out in the rather muddy central square in front of the famous mud mosque (largest mud mosque in the world) which is also the place where the Monday markets are held. Immediately a number of youngsters came up to us and offered to find us somewhere to stay. I was not all that keen to trust them but then we did not really have a lot of choice…

The first place we went to (Kita Kourou) only had one room available (for two people) so Chris and Sue decided to stay there (they indicated it was quite “basic” with space only for the bed with a pit latrine elsewhere). Anne and I continued onto another place we had heard about guided by the same youths (“Chez Baba”) which turned out to be a large compound with a large open area in the middle surrounded on all sides by buildings but on the one side a two-story building used as the hotel. We were shown a room where we could sleep on the floor and found our two new friends were already set up in the same room: Diana and Ebrima! It was nothing like our accommodation in Ségou. A pile of woefully thin mattresses were in the corner (my back was beginning to complain already!) which we dragged a few into our respective corners to make some pretence of a bed up. 2,500 CFA for the night: no fan, no mosquito nets (for the “beds” or the windows), no bed and a pit latrine (a regular porcelain toilet over a hole in the ground) at the end of the hall (shared, of course) with the water from the shower running along the floor of the toilet to drain into the latrine. Charming.

We had a bit to eat at the “restaurant” in the hotel where I helped myself to one of the few dishes on offer – rice with “mutton” (and the always present tomato sauce). We did spend a few minutes chatting with Diana and Ebrima before heading up to bed. My back is absolutely killing me that might be a problem sleeping as I am on the floor. Diana has offered me some pills, she says taking both Paracetamol and Ibuprofen was recommended by her doctor for her back so I took some of each. I hope sleep comes soon…It is SO hot in here. I hope it is quiet tonight…

⇒ Continue to Day 8 - Sunday, July 25th, 2004