Into Mopti, where finally financial. But learned in the bank that Mali and Burkina Faso ( meaning "Land of Incorruptible People", and called Upper Volta until 1984) are at war and I'm thinking the worst.
Bought two small camel-skin boxes, one for me and one for my sister Anne and wandered along the shore passed moored longboats. Bought a pineapple and met up back at the truck where the mask and decorated gourd team was decorating the truck. Vicki had bought Kelvin a beautiful bronze mask and had met someone who told her where it was from, it’s tribal use and the changes in the decorations, originally facial but now on masks only.
Out of Mopti town for the last time - we hope - pretty easy road encouraging snoozing until we hit the “dirt track” and we were back to the back seat being a bucking bronco. But the scenery was fantastic: very rocky terrain reminiscent of the Flinders ranges. There were many tiny Dogon villages along the road, some with the first stone huts we've seen - dry stonewalls with thatched roofs. Also lots of cute storage shelters on stone feet. These villages look almost like studio sets for a happy African village, someone remarked later on.
We left the rocky country for wide plains dotted with baobab trees.
Lots of men wearing the aged leather and woven hats that I covet but I was too shy to ask for one and not sure how much I want to pay. Also a bit uncomfortable with the touristy/I want aspect of my travelling.
We stopped at a beautiful little village beside a huge baobab tree to take photos. A few women came out to watch us, a half-blind old woman with breasts almost to her navel grinned gappily at us.
Camped off the road near a smaller baobab tree. Nearby was an elderly woman wind-sifting greens. I went over and she wasn’t able to speak, either English or French, or maybe not at all, but she explained in sign language that the husks and small orange berries she was collecting were food. This gentle old woman had a huge goitre and smiled at me with rotten teeth.
Big bats screeched over us after dinner, louge and close and probably roosting nearby.
The war - over mineral wealth between Mali (where we are) and Burkina Faso (where we're headed) was mentioned on the BBC World Service when Jeff tuned in his radio. No mention of borders being shut so hoping for the best.
Countdown to Christmas now with plans afoot for all sorts of feasting and little groups drifting off in various directions to practice in secret. Vicki and I finished off our Christmas song with another verse of sheer brilliance! A lot of us are remembering Christmases past and thinking about what family will be doing at home so we have to make this a great one.
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