Baobab forest in western Mali between the Senegal border at Kidira and Kayes |
24 November 2006 |
An excellent road connects Kayes, Mali with Kidira, Senegal |
Rotel Tours of Germany expedition bus, Das Rollende Hotel |
Donkey cart and baobab, Mali |
Donkey cart and baobab forest, Western Mali |
Baobab forest between Kidira-Diboli and Kayes, Mali |
Baobab forest between Kidira-Diboli and Kayes, Mali |
Cattle seeking shade beneath a baobab, Mali |
Baobab forest near Diboli, Mali |
We entered Mali 1 1/2 days after leaving Dakar, Senegal |
Baobab, Mali |
Baobab, Mali |
Baobab, Mali |
The road from the Senegal border to Kayes passes through a baobab forest |
Baobab fruit |
Excellent paved road between the Senegal border at Kidira and Kayes |
Twin donkey cart, western Mali |
The Dakar-Bamako Railroad, Mali |
Unfortunately, this beautiful road does not penetrate far into Mali. After Kayes it is rough dirt track |
Railroad crossing, Dakar-Bamako Railroad |
Stop sign, western Mali |
Régie des Chemins de fer de Mali (RCFM) |
Herd of cattle kicking up dust, Mali |
Outskirts of Kayes, Mali |
Diakitel, Kayes, Mali |
Cedez le Passage, Bouldevard de l'Indepéndance, Kayes |
Monument, Bouldevard de l'Indepéndance, Kayes |
ADEMA PASJ - political party office Kayes, Mali "Travail Solidarité Justice" |
Hott Photo, Kayes, Mali |
A donkey parked in Kayes, Mali |
Ancient Merdeces truck, Kayes, Mali |
Mosque, Kayes, Mali |
Boy give thumbs up, Kayes, Mali |
Lost sheep at the grand coiffeur, Kayes |
Kayes, Mali |
Kayes, Mali |
Brazil fan, Kayes, Mali |
CRAK - Fédération Nationale des Artisans du Mali Coordination Regionale des Artisans Kayes |
Coca-Cola broke down ici, Kayes, Mali |
Man and his two children, Kayes |
Young girl, Kayes, Mali |
Compagnie Aerienne du Mali |
Foosball, Mali |
The woman running the foosball arcade, Kayes |
Colorful West African clothing, Mali |
3 + 2? Kayes, Mali |
Kayes, Mali |
Kayes, Mali |
Fly Emirates - Arsenal, Mali |
Me with some kids in Kayes, Mali, with the Rotel Truck |
Fly Emirates, Mali |
Me and the kids in Kayes |
Cat, Kayes |
Mr. Bakary Traozé, shopkeeper with his son, Kayes |
Independence monument, Kayes, Mali |
Kids in Kayes as our bus leaves |
Au revoir! |
Railyard of the Dakar-Bamako Railroad, Kayes, Mali |
RCFM Chemins de fer du Mali |
Railway bridge crossing a dry river bed outside Kayes |
They say the railroad link to the capital Bamako is why no investment has been made to upgrade the road from Kayes eastward |
The bush of western Mali |
The road from Kayes to Diamou soon leaves the railroad |
Just a small taste of the crappy road ahead |
Power lines from the hydroelectric station at Félou, Mali |
Dirt track approaching Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali, 15km east of Kayes |
It took us 45 minutes to drive the 15km from Kayes to the Fort de Médine |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, a relic of Mali´s French colonial past |
Rotel at Fort de Médine, Mali |
History of the Fort de Médine - built in 1855 by the French |
The village was founded in 1826 by Hawa Demba Diallo |
Fort de Médine, built in 1855, withstood a siege by El Hadj Omar |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Hotel de Ville, Médine, Mali |
The HQ of Fort de Médine now houses town hall |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Lake formed by a hydroelectric project on the Sénégal River, Médine, Mali |
Sénégal River, Médine, Mali |
Sénégal River, Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Powder magazine, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Souvenir Colonial Français à Paul Holle, défenseur de Médine, 1857 |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Donkey, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Ruins of the Officer's Mess, Fort de Médine |
Donkey, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Donkey in the ruins of the Officer's mess |
Donkey, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Donkey, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
19th century French artillery, Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
MaliNov06 157.jpg |
Multibarreled French artillery, Fort de Médine, Mali |
French Gatling gun, Fort de Médine, Mali |
French Gatling gun, Mali |
Fort de Médine, Mali |
Woman and girls collecting buckets of water from the Sénégal River, Mali |
Old man, Médine, Mali |
Donkey, Médine, Mali |
Kids in the village of Médine, Mali |
Médine, Mali |
Boy in Médine, Mali |
Médine, Mali |
Monument in front of the Ford de Médine, Mali |
Médine, Mali |
Our big red truck made quite an impression on the local kids in Médine, Mali |
This was not at all uncommon... |
Bye bye! |
The kids of Médine chanting "Allemand" |
...and then chasing after the bus as we leave |
Médine, Mali |
Sénégal River below the Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Hydroelectric plant at Félou, Mali |
Hydroelectric plant at Félou, Mali |
Centrale Hydro Éléctrique du Félou |
Centrale Hydro Éléctrique du Félou |
Sénégal River below the Chutes de Félou |
Sénégal River below the Chutes de Félou |
Sénégal River below the Chutes de Félou |
Young man in Félou carrying a large bag on his head |
Primitive grass hut of a local fisherman, Félou, Mali |
Primitive grass hut of a local fisherman, Félou, Mali |
Fisherman's hut overlooking the Senegal River, Mali |
Fisherman on the Senegal River at Félou |
Sénégal River at Félou, Mali |
Sénégal River at Félou, Mali |
Fisherman in a West African canoe called a pirogue |
Fishing pirogue at Félou, Mali |
Fishing pirogue at Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Man paddling a pirogue on the Senegal River, Félou, Mali |
Another pirogue pulled up along shore |
Bus taxi from Kayes, Mali |
West African pirogue, Mali |
Félou, Mali |
Félou, Mali - the water level is low |
Rocks at the Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Villagers who live near the Chutes de Félou, Mali |
The Rotel open for an overnight stay near the Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Natural hole in the rock |
River flowing through a hole, Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Félou, Mali |
Hydroelectric power station, Chutes de Felou |
Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Donkey cart carrying water |
MaliNov06 251.jpg |
MaliNov06 252.jpg |
Woman of the village near Felou carrying buckets on their heads |
Donkey, Félou, Mali |
Boy from the village near Chutes de Félou |
Boys from the village near Chutes de Félou |
Côte d'Ivoire fan, Mali |
Boy holding a big green bucket |
Another boy from the village |
Boy, Felou |
Girl, Felou |
Zidani |
Girl from the village near Félou |
Pirogue on the shore of the Senegal River, Mali |
Senegal, Mali |
Sunset over the hills west of the Chutes de Félou |
Boys from the village who came to our camp |
Sabine Staats-Brauer entertaining local kids with her art |
Chutes de Felou, Mali |
Fishing pirogue at dusk, Senegal River, Mali |
Silhouette of boys leaving our campsite, the lead holding up his trophy |
Silhouette of boys leaving our campsite at Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Silhouettes, Chutes de Félou, Mali |
Chutes de Félou after sunset, Mali |
Lone figure with the Rotel |
Africa has some beautiful sunsets |
Rotel silhouette at sunset, Mali |
Rotel silhouette at sunset, Chutes de Félou, 24 November 2006, 2 days out of Dakar |
The Rotel at sunset camped at the Chutes de Félou |
Another Fly Emirates boy, a recurring theme throughout the trip |
Sunrise over the Senegal River, Chutes de Félou, 25 November 2006 |
Breaking camp for an early departure for a long driving day which will not see much distance covered |
"Road" leading south from Felou towards Diamou, Mali |
Rutted track that passes for the main road from Western Mali to the heart of the country |
MaliNov06 319.jpg |
Dirt track, Western Mali |
Peanuts are grown by the villagers around Félou |
What peanuts look like when they're pulled from the earth |
On tracks like this we made slow progress |
A truck coming in the opposite direction kicking up dust on the track |
MaliNov06 328.jpg |
Boy in Mali carrying straw |
Walking two calves, Mali |
They don't see many tourists here |
The narrow sandy track between Felou and Diamou |
Man operating a water pump, Mali |
Round Afrian huts, Mali |
Walled compound with 3 thatched huts |
Mosque, perhaps Lontou |
Village, Western Mali |
Farmer tending peanuts, Western Mali |
Kids waving as we pass |
Village in Western Mali |
Village in Western Mali |
Village in Western Mali |
While most of Western Mali is Muslim, this village, 25km from Kayes, is Christian |
Christian village 25 km south of Kayes |
50 kg bag of Thai rice "Le Baobab" |
Village 25km south of Kayes |
Western Mali village |
Village 25km south of Kayes |
Village 25km south of Kayes |
Village 25km south of Kayes |
Hamada Sissoko, Maçon à Fanguiné Koto |
The family of Hamada Sissoko, villagers 25km south of Kayes |
The young son of Hamada Sissoko |
Village 25km south of Kayes, Mali |
Another family in the same village |
Village of round thatched mud huts, Mali |
Boys in soccer shirts, Mali |
Village 25km south of Kayes, Mali |
In contract to Senegal's square huts, Western Mali's are round |
A Christian village we visited about 25 km from Kayes |
Young woman with infant, Mali |
Older man in the village |
Village elder on a donkey cart |
Village elder |
Old woman in the village 25km south of Kayes |
Grandma |
Woman and baby in front of the village church |
A friendly send off from this pleasant village |
Continuing down the dirt track towards Diamou |
Another village in Western Mali |
Brazil fan |
We made very slow progress this day, maybe 80km in 10 hours of driving |
Perhaps with a smaller Land Rover we could have made better time, but the "road" was very poor |
European Roller, Western Mali |
Since the railroad connects Kayes with the capital Bamako, upgrading the road is a very low priority |
Rotel expedition truck, Mali |
The road between Kayes and Mahina are horrible. One day in 10 hours we did 80km |
Rotel expedition truck, Mali |
Signs of erosion, Mali |
The first significant high terrain we've seen since leaving Dakar |
Western Mali |
Friendly wave from a villager in Western Mali |
Rondavels, Western Mali |
Excited village children rush out to watch our big red truck pass by |
Village of round thatched mud huts, Western Mali |
Western Mali (14 05N/011 15W) |
Prominent plateau near Diamou, Mali |
Plateau near Diamou, Western Mali |
Boy on a bike, Diamou, Mali |
Diamou, Mali |
Diamou, Mali |
Piles of peanuts for sale, Diamou, Mali |
Diamou, Mali |
Diamou, Mali |
I would guess women's clothing shop |
Local bank - Caisse d'Epargne et de Crédit, Khasso Buntumba, Diamou, Mali |
Boy in a faded Fly Emirates shirt, Diamou |
Mali Post Office, Diamou, Station Hertzienne, Mali-Canada copperation project |
SOTELMA - Société des Télécommunications du Mali, Diamou |
Tailor shop with foot operated Buttefly sewing machine, Diamou, Mali |
Auto parts store, Diamou, Mali |
Main Street, Diamou, Mali |
Shop in Diamou, Mali |
Diamou Railway Station, Mali - Transrail |
Diamou Railway Station on the line from Dakar to Bamako |
Tientienfu 2008 Diamou |
Diamou, Mali |
Large outdoor ovens, Diamou, Mali |