Today is another all day drive as we leave Burkina Faso (Dragoman only devotes 5 days to this country!) and cross into Mali. Our destination for this evening is the small border town of Koro. Having said that Ouagadougou does not release its grip willingly. Junior partner PeeWee Herman fails to stop at a police checkpoint as we head out of town and the local officials chase after us in irate mood. Adonis orders PeeWee to keep driving. I’ve never been part of a car chase before let alone one that involves the police let alone in Africa. Of course the speeds are negligible because we’re in a 10-ton truck. Despite Adonis urging PeeWee not to stop he does eventually pull over and the car chase ends relatively quickly. The police are furious and want to board the truck. Adonis refuses and tells us all to close the windows. Adonis remonstrates with the police, telling them they must let us leave. The police insist we accompany them to the police station. This standoff really has nothing to do with law and order and everything to do with extortion. Once tempers calm down a little a hushed conversation ensues. Money changes hands and suddenly the police are all smiles and wishing us a safe journey. “Is the bribe coming out of the kitty?” Margaret Thatcher asks pointedly. “No,” Adonis replies, “PeeWee’s salary.” PeeWee pulls away from the scene of the crime looking suitably chatised. It’s a typical day in Africa.
The drive north is unbearably hot, but the rural scenery (villages, donkey carts, even camels) is pleasantly pastoral. From an eco-system perspective we are now in the Sahel (a belt of semi-arid grasslands and acacia savannas that lies just below the Sahara proper). It’s only going to get hotter and drier the further north we go. Border formalities are a breeze (CFA 15,000 [US$30] each for the Mali visa). We camp in the in the idyllic village of Koro. Sinead O’Connor and the Invisible Man are on cook duty tonight and if the temperatures are not already hot enough, they elect to cook a spicy curry. Gee thanks guys! Despite its isolation and harsh environment the people of Koro are friendly and it’s fun at the end of the day as the temperatures drop a little to stretch our legs and explore. The town has some beautiful architecture, especially the Sudanese-style mosque. Mali itself is known as the jewel of West African tourism and we have some fantastic adventures ahead of us, none of which sadly involve air-conditioning.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of broken hearts and broken test tubes.
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