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The airport serving Mopti and Sevare is a fairly dilapidated affair and the usual rows of airport seating are all located outside of the small terminal building. Our flight is scheduled to depart at 7 am, but Granpere told us not to go to the … [Continue reading]
Choosing the cheap accommodation option in Timbuktu (which sits on the edge of the Sahara Desert in case I hadn't mentioned it) means no air conditioning and not even a fan. So it was hot; real hot last night. We did have a mosquito net and since … [Continue reading]
Christi and I decide to explore downtown Bamako, although even getting there is a nightmare. We cross the wide shallow Niger River via the Bridge of Martyrs. All manner of humanity and pollution-belching vehicles (notably mopeds, motorcycles, cars, … [Continue reading]
The engine in the Dragoman truck is revving and about to pull out of the Sleeping Camel when a dusty, dirty Jeep Group arrives from Timbuktu. I learn from Agatha Christie that they had about the same amount of time as Christi and I in the desert … [Continue reading]
Breakfast at 7 am after an unpleasant night under the stars. Take a quick group photo by a nearby Baobab tree, pack up the camp and deal with the bags (boy is this becoming tedious) and we're on the road by 8 am. The temperature climbs rapidly and no … [Continue reading]
Our destination for today is a bit of a tongue-twister, Parc National du Niokolo-Koba, which hopefully offers more opportunities for wildlife viewing. Having said that if you really wanted to go on safari few people would choose West Africa over East … [Continue reading]
Twenty people in a pirogue are not the ideal conditions for a safari along the Gambia River in search of hippos and crocodiles, but that's the Dragoman way. Even before that, though, there’s a very nice sunrise over the river. The cost to the kitty … [Continue reading]
Sadly, Dragoman allocates only one full day in Parc National du Niokolo-Koba and it's time to move on via Tambacounda to the coast. When Timbuktu was removed from the official Dragoman itinerary, something had to be substituted to fill in the time. … [Continue reading]
Today is an all day pirogue trip through the Sine-Saloum Delta, which is full of mangrove swamps, palm groves, shimmering flat lands, salt marshes and lagoons. We take two pirogues, which are not that big or that comfortable. Unexpectedly we set … [Continue reading]
Today is a big day for me because I finally begin my cook group activities aboard the Dragoman truck. And let me be quite clear that I have never cooked for 20 people before and I have no idea how to cook for 20 people. Also I'm feeling a little … [Continue reading]
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