August 25, 2011
For the first time since I’ve been in Mali I am finally getting the opportunity to travel. A friend of mine, Veronica, that was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique a few years back has been in Ghana for the past two months on a volunteer job. That job is completed now. She left Ghana a few days ago to travel through Ghana and Burkina Faso to come visit me in Mali. I am so excited to see a friend...here...in Africa...and to travel. We are going to visit in Sikasso, then head north to the Mopti region and visit Djenne, which is home to the biggest mud structure in the world, and to visit Dogon, which was home to the cliff dwellers many years ago and whose structures continue to exist. We will do a 2 or 3 day hiking trip with a guide. Interesting fact, there are only a few places on earth where you can see enough of the earth at one time that you can actually see the curviture of the earth. I am excited to see that, if nothing else just to say that I did. Then we will visit a few other touristy destinations in the area, do some serious Artisan shopping and hopefully get some real authentic souveniers of Mali and gifts to bring home.
I was in Bougouni helping the volunteer in that area, with several other volunteers to paint a mural on the wall in a school in her area. I am leaving this morning to go back to Bougoula, change my clothes, pack my traveling backpack and leave again for Sikasso. My village is actually part of the Sikasso region but Bougouni was set up to be my banking town because it is only a 45 minute bus ride from my village opposed to Sikasso which is 2 ½ hours. This is my first time going past my village in the other direction (east). I’m excited. Veronica has already been there for 2 days because she got in early. She has been staying with a friend, Genni, from my stage that lives in the area. There is definitely a special commorauditry amongst the PC community, current and previous, that I am grateful for so my Veronica didn’t have to try and find a hotel and stay by herself until I was able to catch up to her.
After a quick uneventful (which is always a welcome surprise) bus trip I arrived in Sikasso. Took in a lot of harassment from the taxi drivers and others at the gar (bus station) until I finally found a “real” cab and arrived at the restaurant to meet Veronica and Genni...and from what I understand they met another American the night before staying in Mali for a few months with his cousin who lives nearby with his wife and 5 children (6 on the way). They met him in a restaurant and started chatting (as we tubobs tend to do). He has been wanting to make this trip but it is difficult enough traveling around a country when you have only some language skills, but he has absolutely none. So being a perfect opportunity, he decided to tag along. So within minutes of arriving at the Sikasso gar I am finally sitting quietly with Veronica, Genni and our new travel partner Jacob. We sit and chat and catch up for a couple of hours, have something to eat and head to Genni’s house as the plan is to leave early in the morning to start our adventure.
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