OK, Mali was incredible. I went with 4 other volunteers. We were there for 2 weeks. Mali is a beautiful country. The travel there took some time though. 50 hours on a bus! When we arrived we were stunned to see hills! Coming from a country were the highest point is 160 feet. Mali's landscape is what you would expect for a county in the Sahel. Mostly dirt, bushes, and mostly Acacia species. So to make a long story short we first traveled to Bamako the capital of Mali. Bamako is in a way a nice city. Some skyscrapers and bridges. More motorbikes than I have ever seen. Bamako has about 1.5 million people residing in the city. It may be the dirtiest city have seen. But it is known for the best music scene in West Africa, if not all of Africa. We went to one show is was really cool. Dancers, Kora players, drumming, and guitar.
Our second stop after Bamako for one night was a drive to Mopti and Sevare. In Sevare we caught up with our guide Hassimi. Hassimi is a big guy, but one of the must jovial guys I have meet. Many of the people in The Gambia are similar to him, by always showing their happiness through their conversation and attitude. Hassimi let us stay at his compound before heading out to Dogon country. That night myself and the other guys had a few beers at a local bar. It was really nice, good food, company, and of course the beer. In Mali, they carry 5 different types of beer. For you all this is not a big deal, but after drinking only one type of beer in The Gambia for a year, you are very excited about options.
The next morning went were in Dogon rather quickly. We would travel around Dogon for next 3 days. We visited many villages, which I have pictures of on facebook. Dogon is one amazing place. Villages built on cliffs and hills. Incredible rock formations and people that fought to keep there animist beliefs until recently (about 500 years ago.) Most are now Muslims. We did visit one animist village at the end of our trip. It was interesting. Most of the villages we went to are now built below the escarpment. The older villages we visited were still built off the escarpment. After Dogon, we traveled back to Bamako again for 3 days, which I talked about above and then home.
Since being back at site some work has occurred. My fence for my range land management project has been completed. So currently, about 4 hectacres is fenced with 3 lines of barbwire. Since completion, we have hired one man to guard the property because currently the Cashew trees are fruiting and the Indian Jujubes. Also, sheep and goats attempt to enter the garden as well.
Also, my compound just got electricity. I know have a light in my hut, my backyard, and front yard. My host father purchased solar panels from selling watermelons he grew on an acre of land! I don't know how I feel about it. I feel that it is taking away from my experience here. I feel that I did not have an option, because it's his house I am living in and his materials he purchased. It is weird to be living in the middle of nowhere and look up and see that there is a reading light above your head. Its weird to not have to purchase shit batteries for your lamp and radio all the time. I guess the times are changing here little by little (Ndanka Ndanka in Wolof.) So you can imagine that I was equally surprised when a man arrived to install a Satellite dish for my host fathers home. I found it so interesting to watch TV again after many months maybe even a year. I found that I have lost almost all interest in the Television. I would much rather read. The joy my family and half the village children had when the first splotchy images appeared on the screen was priceless.
In about two weeks I shall have about 6 baby turkeys in my compound. Currently, our duck project is going strong. About 6 or 7 ducks are sitting on eggs. This is good news, because if all the ducklings live we may be looking at 70 ducks or so. I currently have about 22 females and 2 males. I can't think of much else to say now but that I am healthy and feeling good. I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, they really made my day.
Later.
