We arrived at the gar (oh the gar...what a horrible place) at 9am and actually where on a bus heading to our first destination where we would have to change buses by 10:30. We were lucky that it only took an hour and a half and also VERY lucky that the sun was not out and it was threatening to rain. The temperature was probably 15-20 degrees cooler than it could have been if the sun had been out. The first part of the trip although uneventful took a bit longer than it should have as it seemed that our bus driver stopped every 2 miles to pick someone up, pee, pray or get something to eat. Un-frickin-believable. It should have taken 3 hours, from what I understood and instead took us 5 hours. We finally arrived in Bla and had to switch from a full size bus to a bashe (bush taxi) for the next part of our trip going to San. A bashe is a full size passenger van, approximately 20-30 years old with hundreds of thousands of desert miles on it. They take the seats out of put in wood benches that extend around the perimeter of the inside of the van. They could sit up to 15 people (I’ve seen up to 20 or more people in them at one time), huge 80 kilo bags of rice, chickens and goats. We were lucky it was the 4 of us and only one other person. This part of the trip should take 1 ½ hours...so they said. 3 hours later and stopping only about 6 times to either pick someone up or drop someone off we arrived in San. Although it was a bumpy ride as bashe’s usually don’t have much in the way of good, sustainable tires or shocks...or brakes for that mater...and considering you could see through holes in the floor down to the road, and considering that half the windows were missing and the doors don’t shut all the way, it was actually a nice ride. The scenery was beautiful and even though it wasn’t far in distance you could see the terrain changing as we were moving out of a rainy season area into what would be more desert. We passed through several small and some larger villages. Waved to people on the side of the road that could apparently spot a tubob (white person) from a mile away in a moving vehicle.
Our plan was to spend in the night in San as it was already dark when we arrived and we had already been traveling for 10 hours. But when we arrived our chauffer tigi (bus driver) told us there was a bus that would be coming into San at 8pm and driving directly to our next and final destination of Bandiagara. We felt lucky to make a connection that quickly and directly to our destination spot without other stops in between...supposedly. He told us that it would be 3 hours to get there. We could be there and sleeping by midnight. You would think we would have learned something along the way even though we were only 10 hours in. That thing being that double whatever time they tell you it’s going to take and you will have a better estimate of timing. Regardless, we got something to eat, waited until 8:40 as nothing in Mali is on time or sticks to any kind of schedule and finally got on the bus to Bandiagara. We had to basically squeeze in the back but thought we are on the road, it’s night so it’s cool and it will only take 3 hours. Count our lucky stars, try to close our eyes for a little while and before you know it we’ll be there.
As it turns out we stopped several times, for what I’m still not sure, but just a minute or two and then 2 hours in they stopped for a half an hour for a bathroom and food break. We continued on our way and didn’t stop again until we were at some kind of check point were military personal boarded the bus and started checking ID’s. They only did the first few rows, checked some of the luggage on top of the bus and then went on about their business. That was another half an hour. So that puts us, what? An hour behind. NOT SO MUCH. Our 3 hour trip took 7 hours. We arrived at Bandiagara at 3:30 am. Exhausted, cranky, in pain, because if you remember we were squeezed into the back of the bus, and dirty. Traveling has got to be the dirtiest part of this Africa adventure. The dust blowing into the bus, the filthy buses in general, people throw their trash and left over food onto the floors and of course there is all kinds of luggage and packages spewn about the place...like chickens. We waited for about 45 minutes for the person that will be our guide for the next couple of days to come and get us to take us (walk us) to a hotel about ½ mile down the road. By the time we got here, got showered and got in bed it was almost 5am. I’m thinking we won’t get a real early start in the morning. But that’s OK. We have nothing but time for the next week or so. All in all, including stops and eating and bus time we have been traveling for 17 hours. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. And we are here!!
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