This travelogue is about a journey through Mali, which I made together with friends from November 17th until December 15th.
DUS - CDG - BMK - Bamako - Ségou - San - Djenné with Senossa - Mopti - Lac Debo - Niafounké - Timbuktu - Gourma-Rharous - Gossi - Hombori - Douenza - Banani - Bankass - Ende - Banani - Sangha - Bandiagara - Mopti - Bamako – BMK – CDG – DUS
Why publish this travelogue after all these years? I digitalized my handwritten travel diary and thought some aspects are also interesting to the public. Moreover this kind of travel nowadays would risk your live [1], so maybe this travelogue is already giving a historic account.
Day 5, Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Djenné
Morning city walk with a visit to the mosque. Evening boat trip around the city. Eating on the roof of Bayabou's parents' house with a view of the mosque at night.
The city is a real maze. Going with a guide also has the advantage of being able to take more photos. Visiting the mosque was a bit expensive (5000 F), but it was worth it, and it also preserves the building. The first mosque dates back to the 13th century, the current mosque dates back to 1907, but no one was mentioning the centenary anniversary. The Great Mosque of Djenné “ is a large brick or adobe building in the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style” [2].
Twice on roofs to see the surroundings. Next very nice visit, Alqasba (the old Kasbah).
Overall, it's easier to take photos than the guidebook says. Charles is always afraid of conflicts.
I've written 30 postcards in the afternoon; seems somehow alleviating. I like to maintain contacts.
Nice ride around the city in a boat (7000 F); it didn't go all the way around because the river (Bani River) no longer had enough water. What will it be in six months? Women bathing. Some are crying out about taking photos, which we haven't done yet. One time, however, it was annoying because we didn't want to photograph the women but rather a tree that was full of bird's nests.
A boy pulls a strand of lotus out of the dirty water of the lagoon and eats it, but he also drinks the water in which sheep droppings and other excrements can be seen again and again.
Return in the evening. Conversation with the manager, who explained to me how high the water rises during the rainy season, almost to the grave of the Walled Virgin.
Saved two lives today -: 1. a small fish that jumped into the boat and 2. the frog that got lost in my bathroom and couldn't find its way out of the room.
On the way to Bayabou's house I said that it was hard to describe the scene on the street at night. Hardly any light coming from the houses, no street lighting and only the moonlight. People appear as silhouettes and only become recognizable later. The houses have changed color from ocher brown to dark gray. Small fires become visible or still glowing coals that have been thrown in front of the house. Shadows of trees in the silver light of the moon. Charles therefore noticed that we have lost the language because we are used to showing pictures. Thomas Mann could have described this. I add: and Heimito von Doderer [3]. And these poets would have known how to describe without boring you with a list.
We were sitting on the terrace of Bayabou's home and watched the bustle under the only arc lamp in front of the mosque, but also the rest of the mosque in the moonlight. Nice night view. Photos. But then my battery failed. This could be a problem later on the river, but also in Dogon country.
Nice dinner with a kind of mantou [4] and a vegetarian sauce and papaya. Charles and Geneviève just sipped tea. I really enjoyed both the meal and the tea. They sat uncomfortably on the carpet again, just like on our trip in Iran, while I found it nice and comfortable.
Sitting nicely in the garden under the moon. Addendum -: Children, donkeys and dogs were running around in the forecourt of the mosque.
Day 6, Thursday, November 22, 2007 Donkey cart
Trip to a nearby village on a cart with Demis the donkey. Long journey with the donkey cart to Senossa. The donkey bucks, is hit or threatened, runs for a bit and then slows down again. Nice view of the landscape when driving slowly, but also shaky; some photos are blurry.
Then an impressive tour of the village of Senoussa (Senossa), also with some good photographs of people and village life. Pretty big mosque. Lots of children begging for sweets and BICs or simply shouting: “donne-moi un cadêau”. But why exactly? And has every child already received this? It would be bad if someone started this. Geneviève, of course, gives her a ballpoint pen and apologizes that it doesn't write anymore, but that's even worse.
We get to know the village mayor, watch the blacksmith, see women pounding millet. Goats, sheep, cattle run around, children anyway. There are sea lilies in the water, which are also blooming, and other marsh flowers. Photos are supposed to cost, but I think this devalues the value of a photo. It is very hot as we are late. This is only partly Geneviève's fault, because the wheel on the first cart was broken, so Bayabou had to organize a second donkey cart. We ended up traveling for about five hours; much longer than expected.
A French couple drove past us in their car and asked why we are driving a donkey cart. Charles answered: “Because we are poor”. The man said, completely dumb, that he was once equally poor. But the woman understood. And where we were going -: to Timbuktu, of course.
Charles talks about his problems with Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis [5], and that he has to cancel her invitation because of the requirement to wear a tailcoat and the day-long journey. Absolutely correct. He wants to note his petty-bourgeois, existential lifestyle in the letter.
Written the remaining 20 postcards, but the post office was already closed. Sat on the roof in the evening and looked at the mosque.
A dinner in a small restaurant, but not as good as two days ago. The moon half-lit a side street. The bright-dressed woman stood in the light, but on the shady side stood the dark-dressed neighbor.
Links and Annotations:
[1] The U.S. Department of State / Bureau of Consular Affairs for instance writes: "Violent crime, such as kidnapping and armed robbery, is common in Mali." And more risks are mentioned. Moreover it advises: "Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney." https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mali-travel-advisory.html
[2] The Great Mosque of Djenné https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mosque_of_Djenn%C3%A9
[3] At the time I was reading quite a lot of Heimito von Doderer' works. He was an Austrian writer and lived from 1896 until 1966.). My favorites are: Die Strudlhofstiege oder Melzer und die Tiefe der Jahre (1951)
[The Strudlhof Steps,], Ein Mord, den jeder begeht (1938) [Every Man a Murderer], and Die Dämonen: Nach der Chronik des Sektionsrates Geyrenhoff (1956) [The Demons]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimito_von_Doderer
[4] The mantou (饅頭) is a Chinese steamed bun made out of wheat dough.
[5] Wikipedia: „Gloria, Dowager Princess of Thurn and Taxis (Mariae Gloria Ferdinanda Joachima Josephine Wilhelmine Huberta; born Countess Gloria von Schönburg-Glauchau, 23 February 1960) is a German noblewoman, socialite, businesswoman, Catholic activist, and artist. Through her marriage to Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, she became the Princess Consort of Thurn und Taxis.“ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_von_Thurn_und_Taxis
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| The Strudlhof Steps in Vienna |
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