13th December 1985 : Ripped off by Mali Police Day!

Rumbled into the town of Gao and headed straight to the police station, where Kel learnt that Exodus had to pay 7500 West African CFA Francs for each person to travel across Mali and each passenger had to fork out an additional 3000 CFA for a photography permit and 2000 CFA in urbanisation tax! Ha! My Mali budget blown on the first day (I can't find historic exchange rates but it was a considerable amount for budget-conscious overlanders). We’ll all be photographing madly now that we are official! Kel was furious and when pawing children asked for cadeaux we told them to ask the police or tourist office because they had all our money!

The market was similar to Ansongo, being right on the river. Lots of spices and oranges but few other vegetables because the supply boat hadn't been. Many boats were moored along the busy and smelly river's edge but all were empty. Garbage was abundant, though, with long-legged goats (sporting enormous testes) and children rummaging through huge piles. In one store, two men were making sausages by hand, clipping the gut casing and then squeezing down minced meat and fat, then laying them on the table for the immediate attention of clouds of flies (meat was rarely on our menu during this section of the trip).

Several women wearing fabulously bright coloured cottons, some similar to what we'd seen but also gorgeous new ones, were weaving grasses into intricately patterned flat plates for winnowing grains. 

Back on the truck everyone was getting pissed off with the persistent boys crowding around us and the truck and we just wanted to leave. Had to rescue Nikki and Myrta from market bargaining before we could escape. Moneygrubbing had soured everyone's taste of Mali. We started wondering aloud what the officials would feast on for dinner with our money.

A bumpy drive brought us to a lovely lunch spot amongst palm trees, where we almost instantly gathered an audience of people and cattle. After lunch, we dramatically ripped up the crows' nest roster because it had proved unnecessary, with the same people liking to be up top and many of us preferring to stay in the back. 

Bumping post-lunch drive through sandy country with one major stop, to watch two long camel trains loaded with slabs of salt moving through the barren - and cold-again - country. At least the wind keeps the mozzies away.

Beautiful camp beside a small sand dune, with the pink-streaked sunset silhouetting palm trees. Feels like we are much further from the Niger River, the sights and sounds very different from last night. 

Another meal based around dehydrated food, to which I have developed an aversion, all I can smell and taste are chemicals. One mouthful and I was done. So ate peanuts for dinner.

Traded me brushing Vicki’s hair for her giving me a head massage, the other fire sitters laughing at my groans of pleasure.

Slept well on a truck swept clean of insects by the wind.