Bamako

Spent the morning between the French Embassy (for Togo visas) and the Man From Uncle (SMert) working out a P of A. Had several rapid shits and felt a bit wobbly so retired to bed while seb & Jan went to the market. Rose later and went in search of the museum, but it was closed (Monday) so wandered through the 'Arboretum' and found a 'zoo' - I use the term lightly. 1/2 dozen small enclosures and 2 doz small cages. The lasy selling nuts on the door was also the ticket lady, so bought some nuts and a ticket. Most enclosures were too overgrown to see if anything lived in them, and the cages were pitifully small but there was a v tame hippo who loved nuts and would rear out of the water onto the parapet and open its mouth wide for a few nuts. Acquired 2 students who gave me a quick tour, only I knew more than they did, and I have never seen anyone move so quickly when I told them there was a croc behind them. Over a 6 foot wall backwards from a standing start!

Felt better in the evening so returned to the fray.

Bamako is a nice city, no doubt helped by the fact that we didn't spend too long there and that there were other gringos in town. At first it doesn't really seem like a capital city at all, but it grows. It is very busy during daylight hours, cars, taxi buses, mpeds by the 000s and people everywhere, almost all selling something. It is however, unlike Dakar, a very fiendly city and only a few vendors are at all pushy, and they are probably mostly Senegalese. Most of the buildings are two stories high and a mix of French Colonial and Malian styles, and all are a bit scubby though this doesn't necessarily detract from them. They are usually pastel pink or green along quite wide tree lined avenues(pushing it a bit) of which only 3-4 are properly tarmacced, and i saw at least 1 set of traffic lights. All the roads have semi open drains on either side but they didn't really smell and seemed quite effective.

Wanted to buy a reflective car sticker of the president for my backpack - maybe i'll get the chance in Mopti.

The museum was small but well spaced and displayed, but could have done with a guide in English, (we met someone on the boat who was composing one!).Read more