Bamako!... at last!!!!

Hey All!

I've made it... so far. Wow, the combination of being rusty at traveling/Africa and being exhausted (after five hours in delayed flights, including the Paris-Bamako one in which we had to return to the terminal to remove an unruly passenger!) has made this first day a challenging one. However, I'm definitely still in the game!

It's really hot and dusty here - with people EVERYWHERE selling EVERYTHING you can imagine! Many who catch your eye, or vice versa, will ask you how you are (though I'm already starting to beat them to the punch!). Many of those, though, have a shop with some wares they want you to see and they can be a little difficult to shake.

One friendly gentleman had me following him deep into a maze market and, as I began to get a bit of a bad feeling (also realizing how easily I would lose my sense of direction) I decided it was time to lose him, despite how cool the market was. I had already told him I was trying to go elsewhere from where I understood he was leading me, so I just had to follow my gut on that one.

The hotel is nice enough (actually, it's a tranquil oasis where I've already met so,e nice folks - travelers and locals alike) and I'm getting by on my French, but just barely... and, of course, I speak no Bamana, the local language in these parts. I'm really just trying to get my bearings and get/land on my feet (especially after it taking about 31 hours to get to the airport here and then probably another two hours before I got to the hotel).

Taking out money by VISA seems pretty easy so far. Hopefully that and good Internet connections will continue throughout the trip.

So I am gonna try to get outta the hustle and bustle of town tomorrow and head to Ségou. After that, probably Djenne and then on to Mopti to set up a trek into the Dogon country. From, there I should head straight to Timbuktu for the Festival and then maybe a bit down the Niger River back to Mopti for a flight or a bus back to Bamako. Of course, all may change and I'll do my best to keep y'all updated.


Sooner or later,
love
g.