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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
Hello ng reader,
finally we can contribuite to this ng as well. The intent of these notes is to provide some tips and practical information based on our journey to Mali and Burkina Faso so essentially to answer questions like: - Is it possible to organize the trip independently or do you need to go through a travel agency? - How much would xxx cost? - Is it easy to hire an 4x4? - How long does it take to go from A to B We hope that in this may help you avoid the mistakes we have made. We would suggest you refer to your chosen travel guide for detailed descriptions of places, hotels and restaurants. We only add that from experience French travel guides seem to be more detailed than other guides including the Lonely Planet We went to Mali in December simply because this suited all the participants to the trip. However it seems that the best time to travel to West Africa is from the end of October to the beginning of November. However even in the December the weather was fine and we enjoyed it very much. At the beginning we considered various options including joining a travel organisations specialising in West Africa . Eventually and thanks to the advice of other travellers, we realised that we could easily organise everything independently. We got in touch with an organisation of independent travellers called “Argonauti”. This organisation provides practical information based on travels which their members have already done. The organisation is a volunteer-based, non profit organisation. The information that we got from them was in relation to possible itineraries and tips on what to see. You will find it below . We got the impression that the “Argonauti” was really a valid organisation providing some very valuable advice. We flew Royal Maroc from Rome with stop in Casablanca. We left on 17 December and arrived in Bamako at 2.00 in the morning. Our worries that we may not find transportation from the airport into town vanished the moment we stepped into airport in Bamako: we were immediately surrounded by people offering to change money (luckily we had CFA 5,000 which Giuliana and Italian girl met at Casablanca had given us) , people offering to carry your luggage and a real crowd of taxidrivers vying to get you into their taxis. Please remember that there are no such things as meters here so it would be advisable to agree the price before getting into the taxi. There were four of us and we paid CFA 5,000 to get into town. It seems that taxi tariffs may vary in relation to how many passengers there are. We gave the taxi driver the address of where we were staying: a B&B which we had found on the internet (www. . be). Maritu, the owner is a very nice and friendly lady. The room itself was also not bad. The place was clean and well kept. The bathroom had a Turkish style toilet and cold shower. The only real disadvantage was that it was far out of the city centre which meant that we had to take taxis in to and back from town. On the way from the airport we attempted to make some sort of conversation with the taxidriver in our broken French. We told him that we were planning to travel through Mali and Burkina Faso and that we wanted to hire a 4x4. The following day, we thought that our first priority would be to look for a car to hire. Before leaving Italy I had found on www.malipages,ml a list of travel agencies which we intended to contact on our arrival, but as it turned out we did need to, because the taxidriver who the previous night had driven us from the airport had spoken to a friend of his. News goes around very quickly here… and both the taxidriver and his friend were waiting for us outside the B&B. The taxidriver’s friend introduced himself as an “Agent” or in his own words “the best agent in whole of Mali and maybe the whole of West Africa”. He would provide various services to tourists. He said that he knew what we wanted and he could offer it at a very competitive price. We had just arrived in Mali and did not really have an idea of what the ongoing price for hiring a 4x4 was, so we thought it best to base our negotiations (“haggling”) on the prices given us by Roberto Pattarin, the representative of the Argonauti, the travels organisation we had contacted in Italy. Back in 1998, he had hired a good quality 4x4 and driver for CFA 60,000 per day, excluding petrol costs. Taking into consideration the inflation we were aiming at agreeing a price of about CFA 65,000 per day. We managed to agree this price and were also given a “complimentary” extra day which means that had we been harder negotiators we may have easily brought the price down to CFA 60,000. Later we found out that our dear “Agent” Abdalar was only the friend of the owner of a car hire agency and that he hardly knew the driver whom he had introduced to us as “his best driver”. However despite all these “behind the scene” manoeuvres, Lassi, the driver was indeed an able and professional driver. Throughout the journey we had various confirmations of this: Lassi is a good driver and a very reliable person. He is always very cheerful, we can still hear his contagious laughter. He has been a driver since 1987 and he seems to be very well known throughout Mali. If you want to get in touch with him is contact details are…… . Alternatively if you want to hire a 4x4 for the whole or part of your journey your best option is the “Hotel del Amitie”, the best known hotel in Bamako and a meeting point for just-arrived- tourists and drivers looking for work. You will find the contract signed with our “Agent “ attached below. We decided not to specify the whole itinerary and allow ourselves to change the route if wanted to. The price of the contract includes also CFA 300,000 representing the full living costs (including accommodation, food, guides, taxes) in the Dogon region. The Dogon region is considered a “distinct” territory. Our advice would be to wait until you are in the Dogon area before choosing your guide and your itinerary. In Bamako our “Agent” had assured us that a “reliable” guide would meet us in the Dogon region. Later we found out that there was not such a person and that, unknown to us, the instructions given to Lassi, our driver, were to hire any “reliable” guide who would be cheap enough to hire. In the Dogon region, we were “entrusted” to a local young man who tried his best to explain whatever he knew about the Dogon culture, but to really appreciate the Dogon we would advise to choose a good local guide who has professional knowledge of Dogon’s culture and traditions. These are totally different and often unknown to other populations of Mali. In the bigger centres like Sanga, there are some authorised professional guides who, presumably, should be good. Altogether we were in Bamako for three days. Before leaving we stocked up on mineral water. We have paid 6000 CFA per carton of 12, 1.5 litre bottles. We left early in the morning and headed towards Segou. We stopped on the way in a village called Fana, where we had breakfast. It was strange to see the same types of shops you may have in our countries: barber shops, photo shops petrol stations all in an Africal style. What, in particular, attracted my attention was the internet centres advertised outside tinned sheds while basic services like running water or tarred streets were still missing. Maybe it is the strange mix of cultures which creates this. Our next stop was in Segou Koro (old Segou), a village few kilometres away from Segou – town. Segou Koro is well worth a visit. I would like to say a few words about the first impact visiting an African village. As most of the western people who visit Africa for the first time we were also full of generosity and good intentions. We bought pens, colour pencils, medicines and whatever we thought could be useful gifts for the locals. At the end of our visit of Segou Koro we got the pens out of the car with the result of being literally assailed by the kids who would vie to grab whatever they could. The fact that some, for us, valueless pens would create such a reaction really made us rethink about what we were doing. We quickly realised that it was very patronising of us to go there feeling “generous” for distributing pens. At the end of the day, we are just tourists: we spend our one, two or three week holiday there and then we go back to our comfortable lives. It is my opinion that if we feel strongly about the situation maybe we should contribute to or take part in one of the many NGOs projects which can make a real difference to the lives of these people. Segou Koro is really fascinating. It has probably left us such vivid memories also because it was the first village visited in Mali. There are two mosques in Segou Koro, one of them is really old. You will often see in Mali that the four roof corners of a mosque are decorated with emu’s eggs. Our Agent explained to us that this is to remind God that although man resembles God, unlike God he is not perfect, just like the emu, which although it resembles a bird, it is not a bird and cannot fly. Unfortunately in Mali you are not allowed to enter a mosque unless you are Muslim. We arrived in Segou proper in the early afternoon. It took us approximately 7 hours from Bamako including the two stops. The road is in good conditions. Segou is a quiet town, not too touristy, with a nice view on the river. We stayed at the Hotel Auberge, a nice hotel owned by a Lebanese. We paid 25 000 CFA per night for a triple room with bathroom and hot water . As in all other stops throughout our journey we were constantly surrounded by kids who wanted to sell souvenirs and other goods. We went for day trips to Markala in the morning to see a dyke. Initially we were not sure about this visit but then the walk on the bridge and seeing the fishermen patiently waiting for their catches and the nearby food market was worth the visit In the afternoon we went to Farako which we reached by pinasse. From Segou it takes about two hours to reach Farako. The village is famous for its terracotta crafting. We arrived late in the afternoon when the women were about to light the bonfires to cook the vases. The people seem friendly as always. You had the feeling that the village was not in the usual tourist itinerary: no souvenirs for sale, no one who would invite you to visit his boutique or tried to sell you something although this village is also mentioned in the Lonely Planet. The pinasse cruise was organised by Modibo a bright young man recommended by our “Agent” before he left Segou. We paid 30 000 CFA (petrol included) for the pinasse trip. On the way, Modibo and his friend, the captain of the pinasse made some African tea for us: this is a sweet mint tea which you drink out of small glasses. Our choices of restaurants for dinners were less fortunate: we tried both restaurants: “Soleie de midi Nuit” as well as “Arinae”, but the service in both restaurants is somehow…slow (we waited 1.30 to be served) and the food is nothing special. Other tourists have instead told us that the restaurant at the Hotel Djoliba is a valid alternative. The next stop was Djenne. We arrived on the Sunday, about one in the afternoon. We left Segou at around 9 in the morning. We stayed at “Le Campement”. The choice was not very fortunate. The rooms were very basic, but that was not so much the problem, as it was the atmosphere of the venue for “Sunday tourists”, a feeling of snobbery and the very arrogant attitude of the owners of the place who do not even try to hide their aim of sponging as much as possible out of tourists. Le Campement is the most popular hotel in town and therefore the entrance is always crowded with hangers out who try to bully you into hiring a guide to take you around town on the pretence that it is dangerous to walk around on your own. It is not, it is safe to walk around at night even though not very practical if you do not have a torch. Besides, you will never be alone, you will always have someone walking along with you who will point you in the right direction, tell you in which shops to stop. Take your time to wander around the place, you will appreciate it more this way. We did find a guide for ourselves or rather they found us: two bright students who unlike the guides of “Le Campement” wanted just to show us around and practice their English. They gave us good advice, mostly disinterested advice. In Djenne we bought some silver bijouterie and some very nice bogolans bought at the “maison des femmes”. Haggling in Mali is an art, each negotiation may take hours. You start with a “premier prix”, the first price which none of the two negotiators really expect to agree upon. This is followed by a number of offers which tend towards a middle ground and eventually a price acceptable to both parties. Monday is market day in Djenne. Unlike other markets this starts quite late. We followed the advice of our friend Pattarin of the Argonauti travelassociation: ie. Go early in the morning of the market day to the entrance of town and watch from there all the merchants arriving from the nearby villages. We have done more than this. We left by horse cart at seven in the morning to go and see a nearby Bozo village and drove back into Djenne together with all the merchants who were making their way to the market. I think this was probably one of the best experiences of our stay in Mali both for the variety of people we have come across and the authenticity of it all. To get to the Bozo village we had to cross over a moat full of water which surrounds the hill upon which the village is built. December is the dry period therefore the level of the water is low but Yaya, one of our guiding students explained to us that in the rainy seasons the whole area around Djenne is flooded with water and it is a wonderful spectacle to see. The village is really very beautiful and it is the natural end of the itinerary. On the way back we drove along the line of carts and donkeys and bicycles and people on foot all heading to the Djenne market. The market itself is a colourful and dazzling event. You will find plenty of information in your guidebooks about it. Amongst the various stalls you will note some sell all types of western medicines. It made us wonder where medicines which …. unwary Blanche (including us) bring and distribute end to. We have noticed that quite often what we expected would be distributed in reality ended up somewhere else. The advice from the Argonauti was to try and make friends with the market merchants and at the end of the market offer them to take them back home thus getting the opportunity to have some time to talk to the merchants and maybe see some off the track village. We, however, decided to leave for Mopti in the early afternoon before the market was over. There is only one road into and out of Djenne, therefore, on our way to Mopti we drove back the same way we came for the first part of our journey. On the way to Mopti we enjoy the scenery, the bright colours and the rice pads. When we arrived in Mopti we tried to stay at the Catholic Mission, highly recommended in the Lonely Planet. Unfortunately the heavy 2002 rains damaged the buildings and the Mission will not take in any guests until restorations works are completed. We eventually got into the hotel “Le Fleu” a decent hotel a bit out of the town centre. We did not like the restaurant. Your travel guide will have comprehensive information on what to see in Mopti. Wandering around town you will sooner or later end up in the port among the overcrowded pinasses and the fish left out to dry. We had a good look around the port and the surrounding area ( do not miss the view from the Bar Bozo, maybe enjoying a cool drink at the same time). We also had a trip on pinasse to two villages near Mopti. They were a bit touristy but still worth seeing. In Mopti we also needed to withdraw money on our credit cards. You can do this only at BDM Bank in town (not the BDM in Sevare). Getting money out of your account in Mopti is an incredibly lengthy and complicated experience which involves handing out your passport and credit card to an officious lady and sitting around a small waiting room together with other unfortunate travellers for at least a couple of hours. Sometimes you will see the same officious lady walking in and out of the room holding passports and credit cards. It seems that she sends a fax to the Visa Office in Marocco where your credit card details are verified and approved. She will then call you into her office to sign a yellow form where she had previously written God knows what. Your name is eventually called out at the counter where you can finally get your 300,000 CFA (this is the maximum amount you can withdraw). You will be charged a flat fee of CFA 5000 to cover the cost of the fax to Marocco and other handling fees. The good news is that apparently you can avoid this palaver and get money in Bamako out of any cash points! In our case, it was waiting for our money in the BDM Bank in Mopti that we started chatting to some French travellers: Nathalie, Laurent, Philippe and Marco who then became our companions for the pinasse cruise to the Lac Debo. We all wanted to go and see the Lac Debo so we decided to hire a pinasse all together. The Lac is not often mentioned in travel guides but we highly recommend the cruise. Negotiations for the hire of the Pinasse went on for … hours but thanks to Marco we got a very good deal CFA 110,000 (we have attached a copy of the contract) the Pinassiere was very good and professional despite the fact that we had substantially reduced his initial offer. When we got to the Lac we realised that there were no villages to be seen in the surrounding area apart from one small fishing village (Gouma) whose inhabitants only spoke their own dialect. This in itself is very unusual as most of the population speak Dyoula (the common language widely spoken at least for commercial purposes). We spent the night of 24 December on the Lac Debo. There was no moon and this enhanced the starry sky… unforgettable. We spent the night around a bonfire, listening to the sounds of the crickets and other small animals populating the area. On the way back we stopped at a couple of villages on the river. The village of Duma was probably the most beautiful. Here, the people would initially look at us with curiosity. They would not assail us asking for presents, pens and sweets as they do in more touristy areas. They welcomed us, warmly as it often happens in Africa. We got off at Konna while the rest of our group continued back to Mopti. At Konna it was market day and the little quite village we had left on the way to Lac Debo had transformed into a buzzing market with a multitude of pinasses, people wearing the traditional colourful dresses and selling all sort of goods and spices. Unfortunately we had little time to enjoy the market as we had to set off for Timboctu. We stopped in Douetza after dark. The road is not in the best condition and all together it takes about 10 hours to get to Timboctu from Mopti. On the way to Timboctu the scenery changes dramatically as we approach the desert. Unlike what some travel guides say, Timboctu is worth the rough ride to get there. Unfortunately for us, Timboctu is the place where we got ripped off big time! Our only excuse is that we were tired after the long drive and we did not have much time available. We arrived at about one in the afternoon and were immediately approached by a “friend” of our driver (pls remember that there is always some tacit agreement between drivers and the local people, at the end of the day we are only one-off tourists, the drivers instead will be dealing with the locals on a regular basis – we cannot really blame them for this). This particular “friend” told us about an hotel. We asked for the price: 27,500 CFA the highest we have ever paid in Mali, reluctantly we agreed. After this, we had lunch and in the meantime this gentleman would list all all the possible sightseeing visits. Unwisely we rushed into agreeing what he proposed without shopping around. He also charged us CFA 5000 for having the passports stamped (something which is no longer necessary and if you wanted it done it is actually FREE!). He then rushed us through the visit of the town providing very little explanations and arranged for us to spend the night in a Tuareg camp with return on camel’s back. (very tacky but there you are!) . This guy is so slimy that I remember that when we were at the Timboctu Museum of Musical Instruments, the director of the museum who spoke fluent English was giving me some information on where to buy some instruments at a good price. At this point our “friend” broke into the conversation saying that he knew the best place to buy musical instruments. He took us back to his house and introduced me to a person who asked 15,000 CFA – “a special price” – for an item I subsequently bought for 3,500 CFA. In short, if you ever go to Timboctu please stay well away from a guide called Ayouba a short, plumy, good mannered day-light robber! Amongst other things he claims to be an official guide recommended by the Lonely Planet! Later we found a Tuareg who goes to Timboctu every 15 days to sell craftwork of his and other villages. We have bought a few nice objects from him. The quality seems better than what we had seen around the stalls. When he is in Timboctu, he is based with Koran manager: Mossa Haidar, . He seemed to us a honest and reliable guy. All in all the stop in Timboctu was good and even more enjoyable for the short stay in the desert with the Tuareg Chief of the village (in reality you could not define it as “village”, since all the huts are spread out across a very wide area). Were we to do this again, we would, probably, allow more time for the excursion into the desert and we would hopefully try and find a more honest guide. Incidentally Mossa Haidar also mentioned to us that he can also organise trips and go further into the desert to Tuareg villages a bit further out from Timboctu After Timboctu we went back South towards the Dogon region, going back the way we came. If we were to travel to Mali again the only change we would make to the itinerary is to go to Gao. The road to Gao, although longer, is tarred. Furthermore this way we would visit another place. On the way back we stopped again in Douentza. We went to the market. This is probably the most beautiful market we have seen in Mali. Although it is not very big it is definitely tourist-free. We were the only tourists around. Wherever you go in Mali you have to accept that there are two different prices: one for the locals and one for the tourists. At the Douentza market, some women obviously not used to dealing with tourists, were offering some hand embroidered cloths at very good prices. However, when we were about to pay some other merchants got involved ostensibly telling the women off for having agreed such prices with tourists. Immediately the price asked for the same cloths went up three times! Douentza market was a good spot to stock up on bananas, papaya, dates and various food before setting off for the Dogon region. In the agreement with our “Manager” in Bamako it had been agreed that all the expenses for the five day visit to the Dogon were already included in the price agreed. This was not the cheapest of choices but it turned out to be the most practical as we got rid of the responsibility of having to agree transit tariffs, village taxes, guide fees, accommodation costs etc. Lassi recommended to change the itinerary slightly from what agreed with the “Mmanager” and getting into the Dogon from the three cliff villages of Yuga. We stopped at the campement “Baoab” at the foot of the cliff. There are no services there other than the water pump but the place and the scenery are absolutely fantastic! The next day we set off climbing to visit Yuga na, Yuga Piri and Yuga yuga. It has probably been the most interesting day in the Dogon region, maybe because there are very little tourists around here or at least we have come across very few of them, including a group of “Avventure nel Mondo” an Italian package tour operator who crossed the cliff in the opposite direction. I thing they had stayed in Sanga, something which I would strongly advise against. When we drove past Sanga we noticed the typical western style hotel. In Sanga we also gave the director of the school library all the pens and colours and most of the medicines we had. Subsequently the children told us that these are not distributed to the children or whoever needs them but simply resold. I will not say anymore on the Dogon region. It has become the main destination in Mali and therefore you will find a lot of reference material on internet. I would only add that you may just as easily go around the place without having to distribute cola nuts as it seems the suggested “etiquette”. The price for these nuts vary from 15 000 CFA per kilo to 5 000 CFA, if you decide to buy any I would strongly advice to shop around before you make the final decision. Furthermore I would also like to recommend the hotel “Le Village” in Bandiagara, BP 35. This hotel is not mentioned in travel guides but it offers a good and friendly service. The manager’s wife is also a very good cook. The next stop for us was in Burkina Faso. We crossed the border at Koro. The passport checkings and other formalities took in all about 30 minutes. We did not even need the photos which we had been told were required to obtain the visa and we took at Douentza. The total costs for the entry visas for three persons was 40,000 CFA. Past the border, we drove straight to Ouagadougu, the capital. We chose a comfortable hotel as one of our travel companions had temperature, this because of fatigue not malaria. Burkina Faso seemed to us more advanced than Mali from an infrastructure point of view. The capital has very little to offer in terms of sightseeing, with maybe the only exception being the very interesting Music Museum which is worth a visit with the assistance of the guide. Get ready to come across some very aggressive vendors who will not take no for an answer. People seemed to us less friendly that in Mali. Maybe it is just a feeling but we felt a bit nervous walking around at night, a feeling which did not have walking around at night in Bamako or Mopti. We spent more time that planned in Ougadougu and we skipped the trips to Tiebele and Gaua. Our next stop was Bobo Dioulasso. As we were approaching Bobo we noticed how the vegetation was changing, becoming more lavish and florid. This thanks to the abundance of water. We visited the nearby waterfalls of .. and the lake of… - a day trip from Bobo. At the lake we also managed to see the ears and the tips of the noses of a family of hippoes who were taking refuge from the heat in the water. We also saw large sugar and banana plantations, miles and cocoa, the former a strong competitor to Ivory Coast’s. Bobo is a lively place. There are also some drums training schools where some Italian schools organise short or longer stages. One of these is the Association “Siraba”. Nights are very animated in Bobo with numerous activities and live music being organised in various cafes and restaurants. The market is also interesting. You can really find anything here. We went back to Mali, to Bamako, driving past Sikasso which also seemed an interesting place. We stayed at the … an hotel, fairly central run by a Lebanese, less welcoming than the B&B of Maritu but with the advantage of being closer to the centre. Don’t miss the Museum just outside the centre in Av de la Liberete it is extremely interesting! We spent the last day in the capital visiting the nearby Sibi. On the way back to Italy we had a 5 hour stop in Casablanca and used this time to catch the train into town and go and see the Grand Mosque which is literally very big!. Beware the taxidrivers who will try not to use the meter. We hope we have given you some general information which you may find useful if you have any queries we will be pleased to reply to you. You may contact us: Conclusions: In short the trip can be made by anyone with a minimum of adaptability. You can easily arrange everything as independent travellers without having to rely on agencies. Take some pieces of parmesan cheese with you will find useful in emergencies. Massimo & Sonia & Remo |
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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
"Alan" wrote in message m... This trip sounds very interesting, and yes, I hope that a travel agent or tour group is not required to visit these places. I'm curious though, in the spirit of independent travel, why not simply take buses and trains to your destinations? Lonely Planet indicates that bus and minvan transport is quite good, even up into Mali, No? Sure, but as usual in Africa, pretty dangerous too. Large ("intercity") buses tend to be safer than the minibuses. There are numerous companies who provide that kind of service between various places in Burkina and (also various places in) Mali. There are no trains between the two countries. Herb |
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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
Actually, as my little experience and referring to Mali and BF, I
would not state "pretty dangerous". The feeling we had was a quite place, where hardly you would get in trouble, as long as you hold a correct behaviour. During my trip in South Africa I felt less "easy going" that in Mali an BF. Regards, Massimo. P.S. I got the address of our driver: Mr Lassine Diarra Location de voiture Hotel de l'Amitie' Bamako Republic du Mali tel: 646 4748 BP 4645 "Herb" wrote in message ... "Alan" wrote in message m... This trip sounds very interesting, and yes, I hope that a travel agent or tour group is not required to visit these places. I'm curious though, in the spirit of independent travel, why not simply take buses and trains to your destinations? Lonely Planet indicates that bus and minvan transport is quite good, even up into Mali, No? Sure, but as usual in Africa, pretty dangerous too. Large ("intercity") buses tend to be safer than the minibuses. There are numerous companies who provide that kind of service between various places in Burkina and (also various places in) Mali. There are no trains between the two countries. Herb |
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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
I was talking about the buses etc. Read the initial question....
It's not Nigeria so not at all dangerous... Herb "MassimoM" wrote in message om... Actually, as my little experience and referring to Mali and BF, I would not state "pretty dangerous". The feeling we had was a quite place, where hardly you would get in trouble, as long as you hold a correct behaviour. During my trip in South Africa I felt less "easy going" that in Mali an BF. Regards, Massimo. P.S. I got the address of our driver: Mr Lassine Diarra Location de voiture Hotel de l'Amitie' Bamako Republic du Mali tel: 646 4748 BP 4645 "Herb" wrote in message ... "Alan" wrote in message m... This trip sounds very interesting, and yes, I hope that a travel agent or tour group is not required to visit these places. I'm curious though, in the spirit of independent travel, why not simply take buses and trains to your destinations? Lonely Planet indicates that bus and minvan transport is quite good, even up into Mali, No? Sure, but as usual in Africa, pretty dangerous too. Large ("intercity") buses tend to be safer than the minibuses. There are numerous companies who provide that kind of service between various places in Burkina and (also various places in) Mali. There are no trains between the two countries. Herb |
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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
"Miguel Cruz" wrote in message ... I'd say most of the danger comes from bad driving and occasionally horribly road conditions. Indeed, I was talking about the buses and their drivers... But the buses are really uncomfortable on a scale not matched anywhere except maybe rural China. We ended up hitchhiking and catching rides with cargo trucks - it was faster and a lot more comfy. What do you mean, not comfortable? Airconditioned with television and (stinking) toilet? For about 30.000 CFA Bobo - Bamako?? Herb |
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Report on Mali and Burkina Faso (a bit long !)
Herb wrote:
"Miguel Cruz" wrote: But the buses are really uncomfortable on a scale not matched anywhere except maybe rural China. We ended up hitchhiking and catching rides with cargo trucks - it was faster and a lot more comfy. What do you mean, not comfortable? Airconditioned with television and (stinking) toilet? For about 30.000 CFA Bobo - Bamako?? Hm, I guess we missed something, because we never found any air conditioned buses in Mali. Well, we found a lot of buses that used to be air conditioned and so the windows were permanently sealed, but none with A/C that actually functioned! But we took a strange route so that may have made a difference. miguel -- Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu |
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