https://stevedrice.net/ 2026-05-01T08:12:23+00:00 https://stevedrice.net/ https://stevedrice.net/_media/wiki/dokuwiki.svg text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:47+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day1 Day 1 - Sunday, July 18th, 2004 Ok, so the plan is that we take the train from Dakar, the capital of nearby Senegal (where we will be able to get our visas for Mali), to Bamako, the capital of Mali then work our way across the country from there with the ultimate destination of Timbuktu but with notable stops along the way including a trip to the Dogon Valley. Of course, I am not naïve enough to think that this plan in any way shape or form will actually happen but it is comforting to have a g… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day2 Day 2 - Monday, July 19th, 2004 A day of a few disappointments and a lot of exhaustion but in the end we have a plan for getting to Mali! The night was not all that pleasant with my not getting any sleep due to the heat and noisy fan though I was up early for breakfast, having had a shower I waited for the others to arrive. Eventually they emerged and we had our rather spartan breakfast of bread, butter and jam along with the hot drink of our choice (mine being hot chocolate that was a powde… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day3 Day 3 - Tuesday, July 20th, 2004 Another busy day, it seems I will never be able to relax before we start out on our grand journey. Today we met just before 9:00 for breakfast. Sue and Chris had been up earlier and had taken the opportunity to visit text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day4 Day 4 - Wednesday, July 21st, 2004 We finally made it, Bamako in all of its splendour. Perhaps “splendour” is not the right word. “Squalor” perhaps? At least the portion we are staying in. It was an early start to the day as I got up at 6:30 to begin packing. The light had come on mid-way through the night so I was able to use the fan for a while making my sleep quite good, thank you. 7:00 we got together for breakfast which we quickly finished then we grabbed our packs and made our way out o… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:49+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day5 Day 5 - Thursday, July 22nd, 2004 We are on the road, finally. Away from the big city of Bamako though we did have a bit of a rocky start. Getting up in the morning it was apparent that we could not stay where we were. Nobody had really had a very good night's sleep, we could hear the pitter-patter of rats on the roof and never mind the numerous mosquitoes eating us alive. Over breakfast at the small place across the road that we had visited last night for coffee we made the decision to move on… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day6 Day 6 - Friday, July 23rd, 2004 I am beginning to really like Ségou and I think a lot of that has to do with Djoliba where we are staying. I slept very well with the mosquito net keeping out pretty much all of the many bugs that seem to be around (must be the rainy season). Anne and I, still sulking a bit from yesterday, helped ourselves to breakfast at the hotel with her having museli (yes! text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day7 Day 7 - Saturday, July 24th, 2004 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 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day8 Day 8 - Sunday, July 25th, 2004 Well, after last night neither myself nor Anne were happy with the accommodation so first thing this morning we went out in search of alternate arrangements. We had read about a few places that were quite some distance away so we set out to find them. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:51+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day9 Day 9 - Monday, July 26th, 2004 It was another relatively late start today as we got up at 8:00. Breakfast was the grapefruit I got from Ségou that I have been carrying around with me for some days now! It was early enough that when we got to the main square outside the mosque there were still some stalls being set up. On the side streets near the square there were some trucks completely full of mangoes that they were selling by the dozen out of the back. We explored the market. Down an alley… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:51+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day10 Day 10 - Tuesday, July 27th, 2004 Breakfast was a bit earlier today, at 7:00. It has been served for us every day at a table to one side of the central courtyard but we have had a problem every day with the enormous number of flies that seem to crawl over everything as we are trying to eat. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:51+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day11 Day 11 - Wednesday, July 28th, 2004 We are on our way! Finally we are on the last stage of the journey to Timbuktu. Of course, it is a long way back as well... This morning started bright and early at 7:00 when we headed over to the other building for breakfast even though the time of departure had been set for 9:30. We met Ebrima and Diana there who we informed about the change of plan. We were packed, paid and at the boat by 8:30 ready to go. I was able to get the man at the small shop to fi… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day12 Day 12 - Thursday, July 29th, 2004 It was a very long night last night and I have been sleepy pretty much all day. Not that we have been doing a lot of strenuous activity though...Lying in a boat all day is pretty stressful, I must admit. It was terribly uncomfortable in the tent last night with my resorting to opening the tent flap (and mosquito netting) in order to try to get some fresh air in (it did, but also the mosquitoes which did not seem to be bothered by my mosquito repellent). Just… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day13 Day 13 - Friday, July 30th, 2004 5:30 we were up to help the crew take down the tents. They are very serious about getting up early. I look forward to “sleeping in” past 6:00. But in this case 6:00 we were in the boat and off on the final leg to Timbuktu. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day14 Day 14 - Saturday, July 31st, 2004 We were definitely right about sleeping on the roof as we found it wonderfully cool and I slept very well. Inside Anne, Diana and Ebrima reported that it was very warm all night with little comfort from the stand fan that had they had been provided. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day15 Day 15 - Sunday, August 1st, 2004 Last night did not sleep as well as the first night. I got up early to have a shower but then returned to the roof to lie down for a bit longer. When everyone was up they all ordered food though I refused to pay for a breakfast that I do not really enjoy so I waited while they had their bread and tea/coffee. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day16 Day 16 - Monday, August 2nd, 2004 We needed an early start so getting up at 5:00 the vehicle arrived shortly after I had a shower and packed to get ready. Chris and Sue were already in the vehicle waiting for us (lord knows what time they had been up). The four of us got into the back seat with all of the bags behind. It sounds crowded but actually the vehicle was quite large. It seemed as Ali was going to come with us as he climbed into the back along with our bags. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day17 Day 17 - Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 It has been a long day of a lot of travel. Yesterday we had been assured that transport out of Hombori would not be a problem as today was the market day there would be buses leaving at 9:00 and 10:00. Getting up at 7:00 everyone else had a text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day18 Day 18 - Wednesday, August 4th, 2004 The Dogon Valley was one of the “must see” things we all had on our list for Mali. We have heard so much about the area so we knew that it was something we would really make sure actually happened. I must admit, it really is quite amazing particularly in this time of year: the rains have made the whole place vibrant and green that only accents the spectacular scenery. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day19 Day 19 - Thursday, August 5th, 2004 It was very quiet last night though I was bothered a bit by mosquitoes though the coil did help out a bit. There was the distant sound of rhythmic thumping in the distance and climbing on the roof of one of the rooms I was able to see a group of about 10 ladies pounding millet under a tree actually a bit outside of the village. Behind them were the cliffs and the pygmy village. Quite magical really. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day20 Day 20 - Friday, August 6th, 2004 The sun woke us up quite early. I took some time just to enjoy the view sitting on my mat. Our roof is higher then the others around us and we are able to look out over the ravine only 20 meters or so away and the massive pillars of rock towering above the other side. Looking to the left you can see down the length of the ravine and the floor of the valley beyond. Fantastic. At this time in the morning none of the others in the camp were awake so I made my trip… text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day21 Day 21 - Saturday, August 7th, 2004 I seem to be getting use to early mornings (5:30 this one!) though this is probably also due to the fact we get to bed quite early every night. Last night I was extremely warm in the room. I kept my door open, screen door shut, as much of the night as I could to try to encourage some cool air to circulate. It was not altogether successful. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day22 Day 22 - Sunday, August 8th, 2004 It was glorious to sleep past 7:30 this morning. Last night was difficult as some of the other people staying on the terrace were up until quite late at night and moving beds around and talking loudly. Anne and I headed to a small stall across the way that Chris and Sue had recommended. We had a serving of liver and onions (in a small bowl long with some of the wonderful bread they have here. It was quite tasty (but not what I would consider a normal text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day23 Day 23 - Monday, August 9th, 2004 Breakfast today was at the same place as yesterday though today in his pot he had mutton and onions (instead of liver). Packing then paying the bill Anne and I were ready to leave, waiting for the others by watching a bit of television. Sue told us they wanted to leave later but Anne and I wanted to avoid travelling during the day so we agreed to leave now and meet them later in Bamako. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day24 Day 24 - Tuesday, August 10th, 2004 Another, hum, interesting day. We were at the station, as requested, at 7:00 am to queue for tickets for the train but some “helpful” people there asked us to sit down on a bench out in the front instead. We watched as the massive throng of people there cleared as the daily Kayes train left. The queue for tickets on our train was inside the station but was not really that long. We waited. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:57+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day25 Day 25 - Wednesday, August 11th, 2004 Another early day. Another visit to the train station. This makes how many visits early in the morning? How many times must one visit a train station to take a train? Arriving before 7:00 for the planned departure of 9:00 we were told that there was a delay and that the train would be leaving at 19:00 instead! We sighed a bit then headed down the road and sat down for something to eat (omelette and coffee). text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:57+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day26 Day 26 - Thursday, August 12th, 2004 Sleep is not a term I could really use to describe what I got last night. I suppose I dozed in and out of consciousness but I cannot really say I “slept”. Shut my eyes, most definitely, squeezing them shut in hopes of sleeping, yep, but sleep? No, not really. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/day27 Day 27 - Friday, August 13th, 2004 It is amazing how things all come together and work out in the end. In the morning I was up just in time to see the sign beside the track: “Tambacounda”. Overnight, in about 9 hours we had travelled less than 250 km! The trip was getting ridiculous. From Bamako, we had been on the road for about 32 hours and travelled about 650 km. At this rate they would be in Dakar in another 32 hours. Anne and I had tickets for a small place just outside of Kaolack but we … text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:45+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/introduction Mali Journal Introduction Living in The Gambia here in West Africa is a very interesting experience. Life is definitely not like I was used to in Canada and then England. After more than two years I am ready for a bit of a break so I got together with a couple of other volunteers to plan a trip to Mali a rather large country to the east of The Gambia and where you can find the legendary city of Timbuktu. This journal is a record of what happened on this trip and the experiences we shared. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:45+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part1 Part 1 - Getting There [Map of Journey] * Day 1 - Sunday, July 18th, 2004 * Day 2 - Monday, July 19th, 2004 * Day 3 - Tuesday, July 20th, 2004 * Day 4 - Wednesday, July 21st, 2004 => Continue to Day 1 - Sunday, July 18th, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part2 Part 2 - Ségou and Djenné [Map of Journey] * Day 5 - Thursday, July 22nd, 2004 * Day 6 - Friday, July 23rd, 2004 * Day 7 - Saturday, July 24th, 2004 * Day 8 - Sunday, July 25th, 2004 * Day 9 - Monday, July 26th, 2004 => Continue to Day 5 - Thursday, July 22nd, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part3 Part 3 - The Journey to Timbuctu [Map of Journey] * Day 10 - Tuesday, July 27th, 2004 * Day 11 - Wednesday, July 28th, 2004 * Day 12 - Thursday, July 29th, 2004 * Day 13 - Friday, July 30th, 2004 => Continue to Day 10 - Tuesday, July 27th, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part4 Part 4 - Timbuctu and Hombori [Map of Journey] * Day 14 - Saturday, July 31st, 2004 * Day 15 - Sunday, August 1st, 2004 * Day 16 - Monday, August 2nd, 2004 => Continue to Day 14 - Saturday, July 31st, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part5 Part 5 - The Dogon Valley (Pays Dogon) [Map of Journey] * Day 17 - Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 * Day 18 - Wednesday, August 4th, 2004 * Day 19 - Thursday, August 5th, 2004 * Day 20 - Friday, August 6th, 2004 => Continue to Day 17 - Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:47+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/part6 Part 6 - The Trip Back [Map of Journey] * Day 21 - Saturday, August 7th, 2004 * Day 22 - Sunday, August 8th, 2004 * Day 23 - Monday, August 9th, 2004 * Day 24 - Tuesday, August 10th, 2004 * Day 25 - Wednesday, August 11th, 2004 * Day 26 - Thursday, August 12th, 2004 * Day 27 - Friday, August 13th, 2004 * Postscripts => Continue to Day 21 - Saturday, August 7th, 2004 text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/postscripts Postscripts As you may have guessed I wrote this journal after my journey. Taking a laptop computer with me on this trip would have been a nightmare so I relying on copious notes I had taken at the time and my memory I was able to write this journal in the weeks after I returned. It has turned out a lot longer than I thought but I hope it proves to be helpful. text/html 2015-10-02T20:11:47+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/africa/mali/journal/sidebar * Mali Journal * Part 1 - Getting There * Part 2 - Ségou and Djenné * Part 3 - The Journey to Timbuctu * Part 4 - Timbuctu and Hombori * Part 5 - The Dogon Valley (Pays Dogon) * Part 6 - The Trip Back