In the big city

About an hour ago, I arrived safely in the modern arms of Bamako. This time, I wasn't as startled by its development. This is either because I'm used to the comings and goings or I've finally realized that Bamako just isn't developed. That being said, when I got to Rosemary's house, I took a hot shower and the whole bus ride was worth it.

The bus ride wasn't too bad. I took the Africa Tours bus, which left right out of Douentza as opposed to coming from Gao. They told me to show up at 6 AM, so at 5:30, I woke up to the sound of donkeys and roosters battling the muezzins for who was the most effective alarm clock. Salif drove me into town in the half-light of early morning, and of course, we proceeded to sit there for an hour, since no bus in Mali can actually leave on time.

At first, I was afraid it was going to be a long trip, since the bus stopped to pick up people 3 times before arriving in Sevare, regardless of the fact that there were no seats. To make matters worse, I had a mother with a two-year-old on her lap sitting next to me who would regularly spill into my space. They spoke Tommo-So, though, and while I didn't speak to them at all, I reveled in the fact of understanding some.

The bus ride went smoother from Sevare on, with fewer random stops and fewer people in the aisle. In the end, we got in about 12 hours after we left--not bad for a Malian bus ride.

Driving along the freeway in Mali, you get a very clear picture of what the social problems are. Everything few kilometers, there's a billboard against overloaded trucks, AIDS, excision, and myriad other issues. I often wonder if anyone actually does or can read them, though, if they're effective at all. Well, at least they try.

A few other tidbits from the village and Douentza. When I was there, I got my first taste of baobab fruit, "monkey bread". It's not particularly good. Hard and dry and kind of tasteless, but it felt pretty authentic eating it. Also in the village, I saw the tiniest lamb I have ever seen, a little brown and white thing scarcely bigger than my kittens (who, by the way, are back to their old chipper selves). I was able to pick it up with one hand and considered stealing it. Finally, guinea fowl always make me laugh, just from their ridiculous proportions. If you haven't seen them, do a Google image search. On my way back from the internet on Saturday, there were eight guinea fowl evely spaced up on a wall, all facing the road and all clucking furiously. I don't know what the convocation was about, but I wish I'd had my camera at that moment. It was hilarious.

Anyhow, I have many errands to run while in Bamako, which I will describe in detail tomorrow. For now, it's off to make some phone calls and go to bed.