Expedition Reaches
Bamako, Mali
After battling our way through Western Mali we finally
reached the capitol, Bamako, mid-afternoon
on March 1. The past several days saw more of the same kind of driving
and terrain that we have grown accustomed to over the past week. The last
couple of nights we found camp areas beside the roadway and ate mostly food
supplies we had on board from the States. Al made an incredible white clam
sauce with pasta one nite and the other nite we enjoyed Raviolis. The weather
has given us a bit of a break and temperatures have only climbed to around 95
degrees F. At night clear skies have brought the temperature down into the mid
70’s. The road conditions have also improved somewhat; we were able to make
excellent time coming into Bamako today.
The one thing we have noted is the overall lack of traffic- complete
lack of cars entirely for that matter. We probably only passed 20 cars in two
days- and that was on the one and only road into Bamako from the West. So far
Mali has impressed us considerably. We have had little or no issues with
checkpoints or police. We have seen our
fair share of monkeys, baboons, birds and lizards- and of course the cattle,
goats chickens and dogs that are everywhere. Luckily, so far that camel way
back in Morocco is the only beast to fall victim to the not so good stopping
ability of our Land Rovers.
Paul, Wilson and I experienced a bit of African taxi culture
last nite on our way back from the internet café. The dilapidated taxi we had
taken seemed to be making some especially loud clunking sounds. This really
isn’t all that unusual. Some of the cars you have to wonder how they even move.
This was different though. I was getting poked from behind the rear seat. We
finally figured out that there was some kind of large horned animal in the
trunk. The driver kept turning up the
radio until we could barely think. This
was probably so we wouldn’t hear the animal.
After several near misses with other taxis, a few trucks and pedestrians
we made it safely back to our hotel.
We are staying at the Hotel De L’Amite. The best hotel in
Bamako, although it looks like it was built in the early seventies and not
touched since. I like to use the word “was” to describe this common
scenario. It is obvious at one time
this was the place to be. The key phrase here is “was”. At least we have
showers and proper toilets. After arriving from our journey on Mali roads it
looked a lot like I was making chocolate in the bathtub while I was taking a shower. I think it will probably take two or three
showers before actually getting fully clean.
We are staying in Bamako just long enough to make all the
repairs on the vehicles and then we are off toward Timbuktu and back to the
Sahara.
-Michael Ladden