Well, I’ve said goodbye to Timbuktu for the time being.
This time, I decided to make the trek down to Bamako by road. It’s a long, two-day ride, and I’ve done it several times before, but I wanted to see the countryside again and to let the hours fly by with no work and no obligations except to sit and to look. I found a driver who was making the trip with an empty space in his 4 by 4, so I didn’t even have to risk the bush taxi.
We left in good time at 5:30am, in order to get onto the first ferry across the river. The river’s so tiny at this time of year that the trip only takes about 15 minutes. In the rainy season it takes an hour. Once across the river, the race over the very bad, unpaved road to Douentza begins. I say race because even the best drivers take it at top speed in order to reduce the chances of getting stuck in the said. It’s a rollercoaster ride, and I for one, was pretty happy when we reached smoother sailing farther south.
The short ferry ride wasn’t the only change in the trip. At this time of year the desert is green. The rains have come and little stalks of grass cover the sand, making it look like verdant pasture. South of Bambara Maude I even saw some camels being used to plow.
We were lucky with the weather. It didn’t rain, but it was slightly overcast, so our un-air-conditioned car wasn’t horrendously hot. And, more importantly, we were able to ford the places in the road that had been flooded – though at times the water was almost up to the windows. We passed some trucks that hadn’t been so lucky.
I wonder how much longer these little difficulties will remain part of the trip to Timbuktu? Farther south, things continue to improve – yes improve, though nostalgia does not always paint it in this light. Down in Segu I spent the night in one of the new roadside hotels – I think I could quite accurately call it a motel. It was right next to a major gas station and lit up with pastel lights at night. – rather than at the more expensive tourist-oriented hotels by the river. In Sevare, when I checked out the gas station’s convenience store, I found it extremely well stocked. I bought some cashew nuts and was tempted by the soymilk, just because I was so surprised to see it 800km from the capital.
On arriving in Bamako I immediately went out to the Broadway Café to get my French fries and veggie burger. Later that evening I ate a huge salad and ravioli and rolled back to my hotel in a food coma. There’s nothing quite like the effect of rich food on the body after it had been denied it for several months. The taste and the energy high are amazing. The effect wears off after about 24 hours of eating rich food, unfortunately.
So, now I’m in Bamako for the last few weeks of my Fulbright grant. I’ve been enjoying some solitude, the food, and the light reads.
