Mopti

After a conducted tour of the village and an impromptu clinic (almost everyone has large sores and a headache) we set off back to the top of the Falaise and another spectacular view of the plain. My Achilles was very sore but I struggled on, what a martyr! We descended the very steep path preceded by 1/2 dozen young girls carrying huge bundles of wood on their heads, back to Koni-Kombele, where we hired a donkey cart of take us the last 2 KMS in the heat of the day (Lazy buggers). Another cart had been hired by 2 fat girls who were off an overland truck, A Scot and a Yank, to get back to the lorry that was awaiting them in Bankas. After a very hot ride during which Seb upset the (apple)cart by sitting too far to the back and lifting the poor donkey off the ground. The poor beast was regularly beaten for his troubles too. On returning to Bankas we found the rest of the lorry party, naturally including a Kiwi nurse that Jan knew.

They truck departed and we had a stroke of luck as we found a bachee for Koro tout suite. We eventually reached Koro when the campement was clean and friendly, and the spaghetti fairly edible.

The posters on the wall were hilarious - with v bad translations into English, one of a disco championship with such gems as "Digging the knife and Fork" and "Funking the Hip".Read more