Day 1.

Ground side at Terminal One at Dubai International Airport at 1am, ready to begin the journey to the West African country of Mali.
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Queueing up to check in for my flight on Ethiopian Airlines.
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In the Marhaba lounge for an early morning bite to eat.
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After the four hour flight to Addis Ababa I would then transfer for the seven hour flight on to Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako.
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After last visiting back in 2016 I had always wanted to head back to West Africa. After spotting the opportunity to travel with the Dubai Trekkup Meetup group for a one week trip to Mali for a very reasonable $980 I decided it was good time to go.

About to head to the gate.
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The security situation in Mali has been fraught since the start of the Northern Mali conflict in 2012. Despite the intervention of France and a coalition of neighbouring African countries, much of Mali remains off limits due to the presence of various Islamist groups including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Islamic State.

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Although our itinerary was relatively safe, the plan was to also venture into the red 'advise against all travel' area as advised by the UK Foreign Office, including the town and UNESCO World Heritage site of Djenné and the central plateau region, home of the Dogon people.

As well as the possibility of Islamist terrorist attacks such as the 2015 Radisson Blu hotel attack in the capital Bamako where 20 hostages were killed, there was also the danger of ethnic violence in the Mopti Region of the country.

A few weeks before we were due to depart there was a massacre in the Dogon village of Sobane Da when Fulani militia killed 35 people and only ~40 kilometers from the Dogon village of Begnimato where we planned to visit.

A couple of people pulled out of the trip shortly after this but luckily seven of us remained and were still committed to going.

The ET A350 for our early morning flight to Addis Ababa.
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Watching the safety demonstration after they had closed the doors and prepared for push back.
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Breakfast served after a bit of an early morning snooze.
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And some hot Ethiopian black coffee to shake off the red-eye fog.
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Watching the Oscar winning film Green Book with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali.
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Disembarking at a wet and rainy Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
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It was my first time visiting the airport since the much needed new expansion was finally opened. Funded and built by China for $363 million, it has tripled the airport’s capacity from 7 to now 22 million passengers annually.
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Boarding the ET 787 for the 10:40am departure after the short layover.
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Tomato juice served soon after take-off
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Fish and rice with some white wine for lunch somewhere over Central Africa.
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High above Ghana as we get closer to our destination.
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And arriving at Bamako's Modibo Keita International Airport.
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Upon deplaning I made my way to immigration. A security officer was checking through everyone's passports at the front of the queue. I'm not sure if it was because of my more exotic passport stamps (Iraq, Libya, Pakistan etc.) but I was handed over to another security officer and told to meet him again after collecting my luggage.

Despite being for flagged for some reason I was quickly stamped into my 133rd country visited.
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At the luggage belt I met up with Piotr, the trip organizer. Unfortunately I was the only one of the group that was flagged for further checks so everyone would have to wait for me until I was interrogated.

After grabbing my bag I was directed to the security office. Luckily the security officer was quite friendly and quickly ascertained I was just a simple tourist and not some French mercenary. I had to completely empty my bags and I was a little nervous about him discovering my drone but luckily he thought the remote was a game controller and didn't venture further to see the actual quadcopter.

He did ask me if I had a 'gift' for him but I just feigned ignorance and said I could only offer him some of my protein bars which he quickly declined.

After getting some West African francs from the airport ATM, I finally met up with the rest of the guys and then followed our local guide, Ibrahim, to the waiting van for the ride into the city.
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Outside Hotel Les Colibris for our one night stay in the capital.
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The modest but comfortable lodgings and importantly cool airconditioning.
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We were pretty exhausted after the jetlag and long travel day so dinner was just at the hotel restaurant. I wasn't too hungry so just opted for a coke and some fries. It was also a good chance to chat with the rest of the group, with people from a range of countries including Poland, Spain, Pakistan, Germany, Italy and as well as myself from New Zealand.
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I then crashed into bed early at 8pm (and midnight Dubai time) to rest up for the drive to Ségou tomorrow.

Day 2.

Baguettes and an omelette for breakfast with Mathias from Italy and Hussam from Pakistan, both Civil Engineers working in Dubai. We chatted about some of the current Dubai construction projects including the 1000+ meter tall Dubai Creek Tower (apparently on hold) and the 210-metre giant ferris wheel Dubai Eye (problems with the foundations causing it to lean).
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Also at breakfast was Sanny who had arrived in the early morning hours on a Royal Air Maroc flight via Casablanca and Doha.

Just after 8am we packed our bags and loaded up the van for the journey to Ségou.
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Today's drive would be for 235 kilometers on the main road to Ségou, the fourth-largest city in Mali and situated on the banks of the Niger River.
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Snaking our way through the busy Bamako morning traffic.
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Passing the 46 meter tall La Tour d'Afrique, designed as a giant baobab with foothills at the base and a cradle at top with Bamanan ideograms representing consultation, union and solidarity.
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At a Shell Service Station on the outskirts of the city to buy some snacks and drinks.
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And finally on the open road heading east. The road condition were surprisingly good and we managed to cruise at a decent speed.
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Stopping at a café in Konobougou about halfway to Ségou.
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And a strong double espresso for a shot of energy.
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Sheep munching on the side of the road as we headed off again.
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Stopping to get a photo of a Baobab tree.
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Just after midday we arrived at the town of Ségou-Koro, situated 10 kilometers south of Ségou and on the right bank of the Niger River.
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The local kids really excited to see the Toubab (white person) visitors.
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And definitely not too shy for selfies with Sanny too!
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Following Ibrahim with our local guide walking along a mudbrick wall alley. Ségou-Koro was created by the founder of the Bambara Empire, Kaladian Coulibaly in the 17th century.
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A baby sitting in the shade of a tree.
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The great-grandson of former king Kaladian Coulibaly, Bitòn Coulibaly, used the Ségou-Koro as a capital for his new Bambara Empire and built an army of several thousand men and a navy of war canoes to patrol the Niger River.

Our town guide posing for a portrait.
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A lady balancing a bundle of sticks on her head. The town in many ways conserves the tradition and architecture of the ancient capital of the Bambara Empire.
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A girl in the entrance of the Village Chief's house.
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A lady and her daughter just inside.
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Paying our respects to the village Chief.
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And his beautiful wife.
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We then met with the custodian of the old royal domain and now shrine to Bitòn Coulibaly.
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And made the short walk through to the shrine in the middle of town.
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The high red clay walls.
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The village kids tagging along with us.
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The interesting three-pronged key to unlock the front door.
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In Bamanan cosmogony the number three represents a man and woman by the number four. Bitòn built the royal domain with seven connected rooms, representing the sum of these two numbers.
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The seven rooms sheltered all the assemblies relating to the governance of his kingdom.
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The grave of Bitòn Coulibaly in the courtyard outside.
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Vont. We then continued our walk through Ségou-Koro.
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Ibrahim buying some candy to give to the kids.
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An ancient mud brick mosque on the riverbank of the Niger river.
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And some of the village kids posing for a photo on the mosque front steps.
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Mud bricks drying on the river bank.
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A patchwork of crops growing from the water of the river.
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Ségou-Koro center with the river stretching out left and right.
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A boy and his two goats sheltering in the shade. It was interesting also to see a Malian chicken which looked quite naturally proportioned and not like the plump overbred chickens we have in the west.
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Women and children relaxing under a tree.
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A young woman posing for a portrait.
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Another ancient mud mosque inside the town.
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After the very interesting and enlightening stroll through Ségou-Koro we then made the short drive to the city of Ségou.
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Checking into Hotel L'Auberge.
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And our room for the one night stay. My roommate for the trip was Udo, a finance executive from Germany who worked for Siemens in Abu Dhabi.
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Délicieux et rafraîchissant. For lunch we went for a short walk to a local restaurant.
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And a tasty serving of fish and chips.
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At a Supermarché on the way back to the hotel to buy a few bottles of water.
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Back at the hotel we got to meet Monique from Papillon Reizen, the Mali tour company that had organized our trip. Monique was originally from the Netherlands, but travelled the world and eventually settled in Ségou of all places.

In the afternoon we met up at 3pm for a walk through the Ségou Monday market. Ibrahim advised to ask for permission before taking photos close up to avoid any unnecessary aggression and to be careful of our bags from any pickpockets.
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A couple of donkeys hauling a load of goods and people.
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Seau de peinture.
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Fish being deep fried.
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Garçon et ânes.
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Monday was the main market day so even though it was late-afternoon the market was still very busy and bustling.
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Women and children.
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A baby wrapped up with their mother.
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Various herbs and spices for sale.
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A girl reluctantly posing for a portrait.
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Craftsman.
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Mother and baby.
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Sweeping brushes for sale. Despite Ibrahim's concerns everyone was quite friendly and not bothered by the bunch of camera wielding Toubab traipsing through their market.
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Nuts and pulses.
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Bread of the day.
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Big sister.
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Fried fish.
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A woman wearing a T-shirt of the famous Malian singer, Rokia Koné.
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A boy resting on the bank of the Niger River.
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We then walked down to the river. Another girl center wearing a Rokia Koné t-shirt.
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Loading up wood brought in on riverboats.
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Green, red and blue.
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Water bus.
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Prendre un repos.
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A lady wading out to sell snacks to the passengers on the boat.
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One of my favourite captures of the afternoon was this fleeting but beautiful smile.
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Music.
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Leopard.
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Boy and bicycle.
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After the exciting walk through the energetic and very photogenic markets, we made our way back to Hotel L'Auberge.

The hotel pool where I went for a dip and some temporary respite from the hungry mosquitoes at dusk.
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For dinner we ate al fresco at the hotel. A bottle of red French wine to share.
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The hotel restaurant had a wood-fired oven so we all opted for some freshly cooked pizza.
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And enjoying a tasty and cheesy end to day 2.
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Day 3.

We had a long day on the road today so we were packed with bags in the van and ready to go just after 7:30am.

Another Malian chicken roaming about for something to peck.
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Baguettes and instant coffee for breakfast to start the day.
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Passing a war memorial as we depart the city. Unlike yesterday with clear blue skies, dark rain clouds loomed above and signalled imminent rain.
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Today's plan was to drive almost 500 kilometers, first to the town of Bandiagara and then on to the Dogon village of Begnimato where we would stay the night.
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Crossing a bridge over the Bani River, the main tributary of the Niger River.
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Mathias had brought a cheap Chinese karaoke microphone/speaker he had purchased previously on trip to Somaliland. Along with some cheap rum from Piotr it made for some amusing entertainment to help pass the time on the long day on the road today.

It also made brief announcements in heavily accented Engrish in between songs which made for some cheap laughs too.

Stopping for a break in the town of San. By now the rain had begun to fall, leaving the ground muddy and wet.
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A roadside toilet break with guys on the right and gals on the left.
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Stopping to fill up the van in the town of Somadougou.
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Just after 1pm we arrived in the town of Sévaré. Lunch was at a local restaurant with goat stew in a peanut sauce served with steamed rice.
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An hour and 62 kilometers later we made it to the town of Bandiagara, the main gateway to Dogon country.
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And where we picked up a few food supplies for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately not all of the eggs survived the bumpy road ahead though.
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From Bandiagara the plan to was head ~25 kilometers south-east to the village of Begnimato located by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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We then ventured onto the dirt and muddy road across the Mali central plateau.
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The cropfields criss-crossed with rows of rocks to stop the soil being washed away by the rain.
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Some Dogon Militamen on their motorbikes. They weren't too keen having their photo taken so I sneaked a shot with my iPhone.
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In recent years there has been increasing violence between the Dogon and Fulani communities in the Mopti region of Mali.

The Dogon people practise settled agriculture whereas the Fulani are semi-nomadic herders. The Dogon have often accused the Fulani of bringing their cattle onto their farms and destroying their crops, leading to tension and even violence between the two groups including the masscare of 160 Fulani herders in March 2019 and the slaughter of 35 Dogon villagers in June 2019.

The tension between the two communitites has been exacerbated by climate change, land degradation, population growth and jihadist groups exploiting grievances to recruit Fulani and boost their numbers and power in central Mali.

The Islamist militant conflict that began in 2012 and spread to central Mali in 2015 brought more instability and consequently weakened government control. Hence the Dogon self-defence militia were formed to protect their own people.

We were very lucky to visit Dogon Country when we did as shortly afterwards the Dogon militia prohibited further tourists from travelling to the region.

About thirty minutes into our drive the van came to a halt after an apparent mechanical issue with the driver not able engage the clutch.
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It appeared to be the mechanical linkage between the pedal and the clutch so luckily nothing too serious though.
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Ibrahim quickly made a few phone calls and said not to worry and everything would be sorted in 45 or so minutes.

While we were waiting we went for a walk to a nearby Dogon village.
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The people were all out working in their fields so the village was eerily deserted.
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A couple of Landcruisers from Bandiagara arrived a short while later to rescue us.
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We then loaded up our luggage and supplies to continue the drive to Begnimato.
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We arrived at a small village at the end of the road just as dusk was beginning.
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It was still a ~2 kilometer walk to Begnimato so Ibrahim enlisted the help of some of the villagers to help carry our luggage.
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Making our way down the hill with Begnimato just visible beyond the trees. Luckily we had brought headlamps to help navigate in the fading light.
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We arrived in the village right on nightfall. The village had no electricity so it was almost completely dark.

My sleeping bag laid out on the roof of a village hut. It was too hot to sleep inside so we would be sleeping under the stars tonight.
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After setting up our sleeping arrangements we gathered for dinner.
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With some surprisingly tasty pasta and goatstew.
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And some juicy Malian mango for dessert before retiring to the rooftops at the end of day 3.
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Day 4.

Udo slowly awaking at dawn on the morning of day 4.
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After arriving in darkness the night before, I was eager to explore the village now in the morning light.
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After the relatively modern city of Ségou it is was great to see the traditional mud brick buildings and rock wall architecture of Begnimato.
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And to see the dramatic and breathtaking rocky cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment.
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A rocky chasm next to the village extending out towards the cliffs.
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A natural rock pillar rising high beside the village. There are dozens of other Dogon villages located along the rocky cliffs of the escarpment.
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The mud buildings of the village blending in with the surrounding red and brown rock.
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Some low morning clouds drifting over the village.
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The Dogons arrived at the Bandiagara Escarpment in the 14th century close to the neaby the village of Kani Bonzon and originally to avoid conversion to Islam. From there they spread over the plateau, the escarpment and the plains of the Seno-Gondo.
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A panorama of the village showing the surrounding unique and beautiful landscape.
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Looking south to the cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment and the Seno Gongo plain which stretches to Burkina Faso in the south-east.
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Begnimato center in the middle distance with the crumbling rock of the escarpment in the foreground.
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The cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment stretch for over 200 kilometers with height varying from 100 to 300 meters.
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Since 1989 the Bandiagara Escarpment has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The three different sections of the village visible from above, segregated based on Christian, Muslim and Animism beliefs.
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And in the village where we were served a tasty breakfast of bread, nutella, fried donuts, omelette and Nescafé.
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A carved wooden Dogon door. After breakfast we went for a stroll through the village.
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A Christian woman wearing a cross around her neck.
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Women pounding maize to make flour.
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Two pigs in their sty in the Christian section of the village.
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Another ornate carved wooden door.
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An elderly Dogon man posing with his cane.
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We then walked to a large open area for the start of a performance of a Dogon masked dance.
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The beats from the drummers providing a steady rhythm.
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And the masked young men dancing just behind.
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Some of the masks were decorated with cowry shells, apparently used centuries ago in West Africa as a form of currency and hence highly valued.
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The dancers snaking out along a long line.
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The dance put on for us today was a condensed version of a funeral ritual intended to urge the reluctant dead into the afterlife, where they can assume useful roles as ancestors.
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A dancer wearing a Kanaga mask.
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The Kanaga mask is topped by a vertical double cross that represents a bird and also refers to the arms and legs of the Dogon creator God, Amma.
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While ours lasted about 30 minutes, a proper Dogon funeral dance, honoring important elders, can go on for days.
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A tingetange dancer on stilts, which represent the long legs of a waterbird.
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Just behind was a dancer wearing an impressive five meter tall sirige mask. The mask’s straight lines are believed to connect the celestial world of the living with the spiritual world.
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The dancers resting at the end of their very energetic and entertaining performance.
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It felt like quite an honour to a get a brief glimpse of a centuries old tradition.
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A village elder wearing a cowry shell necklace.
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And a drummer wearing traditional Mali dress including his Bògòlanfini shirt and which we would get to see how it was decorated later in the trip.
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After the Dogon mask dance we made the short walk to the edge of the escarpment.
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At the edge of the cliff looking down at the trees and Seno Gongo plain below.
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Ibrahim relaxing on the edge.
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Piotr (center) and Udo (right) pausing to take in the expansive and breathtaking scenery all around us.
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And myself nervously posing for a photo a few steps from certain oblivion!
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Back in the village where we visited the home of a Dogon Dozo, or traditional hunter.
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An array of baboon skulls and other dead animals on the wall.
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And some tasty press coffee for morning tea before packing up our gear and getting ready to leave Begnimato.
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Saying farewell to the village kids as we prepare to depart.
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We then began a hike through the rocky landscape to the nearby village of Inndarou.
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Sanny trekking through a gap between two rocky cliffs. A friend of mine once did a mind-boggling 125 kilometer trek over four days in the 40+°C heat of summer in Dogon country.
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Luckily today though our trek to Inndarou was only a few kilometers and we were luckily to be blessed with overcast weather and temperatures in the low 30's (celsius).
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Passing some basket carrying locals.
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After the short hike we soon arrived at the Dogon village of Inndarou.
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Like Begnimato, Inndarou also consisted of Dogon architecture with the distinctive mud-brick buildings and rock walls.
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A man smoking a pipe as he applies mud plaster to a granary that will be used to store food.
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A lady wearing a yellow dress and a colourful headscarf.
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And the kids coming out to see the new visitors to the village.
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The village blacksmith toiling away.
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Goats sheltering in the shade of a rock wall.
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In the center of all the huts was the village Toguna. Used as a general gathering and meeting spot, Toguna are purposely built with a low roof to force people to sit and to avoid any aggression when discussions become heated.
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After walking through the village we climbed up to get a better view.
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Looking across the village with Begnimato in the distance in the upper-right.
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And down at the village of Inndarou below.
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The steep cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment to the right.
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To the south with the Seno-Gondo plain beyond.
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The village of Dioundourou on the plain just below.
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And our time at the Bandiagara Escarpment unfortunately coming to an end with our driver arriving to pick us up after getting the clutch pedal fixed in Bangiagara overnight.
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Back in Bandiagara where we stopped for fish and rice for lunch.
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The plan for this afternoon was to head to the city of Mopti via a brief visit onroute to the village of Songo.
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After a short drive we arrived in Songo. Outside the beautiful village mosque.
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An old lady carrying a bucket of wooden branches.
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Men resting in the village Toguna.
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A girl collecting foliage to feed the family goats.
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A man weaving cotton fabric.
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Looking down on the village as we walk up a steeply rising butte.
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Ibrahim then took us up to the rock shelter where Dogon cave paintings covered the wall.
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The rock shelter is where ritual circumsion is carried out by the village blacksmith for boys as they enter adulthood.

Although Songo is now Muslim, the Dogon initiation still takes place every three years with boys coming from the surrounding countryside.

The paintings refer to “the life of the world”: astronomy, masks and sacred paraphernalia, spirit figures, totemic prohibitions and ritual cycles and are used to educate boys about adult life, behavior and responsibility.

The wall continually evolves every three years as it is selectively repainted. Some symbols are freshened up, others are left to fade and occasionally new things are added.

We then drove on to the city of Mopti and checked into Hôtel Doux Rêves.
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And our room for our one night stay.
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After a quick shower we headed out for a walk through the city.
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Outside the Grand Mosque of Mopti, which was built between 1936 and 1943.
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The mosque design was based on the much bigger Great Mosque of Djenné (which we would visit tomorrow) and was constructed using sun-dried mud bricks covered with a layer of banco, a mixture of mud and grain husks. Also known as Komoguel Mosque, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2009.
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Continuing our walk through the city.
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The local kids definitely weren't camera shy!
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It was great to be greeted by smiles and laughs rather than by stares and suspect looks.
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Women carrying bundles of colourful fabric.
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Boats on the banks of the Bani River. Mopti lies on the right bank of the Bani River and a few hundred meters upstream of the confluence of the Bani with the Niger River.
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Two ladies waiting for the next departure.
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We then went on a boat ride on the river to watch the sunset.
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Sanny and Ibrahim enjoying the beautiful view.
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The sun now getting closer to the horizon.
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And cruising up to the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers.
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Back on land again where we went to a local restaurant for fish and chips with some Castel, Africa's most popular beer, for dinner to end day 4.
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Day 5.

Nescafé and more baguette for breakfast at the beginning of day 5.
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Fuelling up at the local service station where Udo convinced a local kid to wash the windscreen before he gave him some candy.
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Today would be a long travel day, heading first to visit the town of Djenné before making the journey back to Ségou.
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About 100 kilometers south of Mopti we turned off the main road and headed west towards Djenné.
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On the way we stopped at the village of Tonbonka to check out the local mosque.
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A boy posing in front of the banco coated walls.
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A short drive later we arrived at the banks of the Bani River. We had to wait a short while for the ferry to cross back over so we had to fend off several ladies and kids trying to sell us various necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
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I eventually gave in though and bought a couple to take home for Rianda.
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The ferry soon arrived and our driver attempted to drive up on to it. The van initially got bogged down in the mud and sand but after a bit of a push made it safely on board.
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Making our way across the river with some of the local kids catching a ride with their stacks of firewood.
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After reaching Djenné we drove into the center of town to the Great Mosque of Djenné.
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Along with the Old Towns of Djenné the mosque is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On Mondays the large courtyard in front of the mosque is filled with stalls for the weekly market but today it was empty except for kids playing.
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With our local guide briefing us on the history of the mosque.
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The first mosque on the site was built around the 13th century and the current structure dates from 1907.

We then walked to a nearby building to get a better view of the mosque. A little girl greeting us as we walked up the stairs to the roof.
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Looking down on the mosque. The mosque was built using mud bricks and reinforced with bundles of rodier palm that stick out of the building's facade. These extrusions are called 'toron' and serve as both decoration and as a type of scaffolding for workers.
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Every year after the rainy season, men from the town climb onto the mosque's built-in scaffolding and ladders made of palm wood and smear mud and grain husk plaster over the walls to repair erosion caused by rain and cracks caused by changes in temperature and humidity.

A local man sitting on a mat on the north-eastern corner of the courtyard. The mosque is the largest mud-brick structure in the world.
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The mosque was originally open to everyone but after French Vogue magazine organised an ill-advised fashion shoot with short-skirted models posing inside in 1996 it has been closed to non-Muslims.

However our local guide managed to convince the local Imam's son to make an exception for us for a reasonable 10k franc ($17) each.

The mosque custodian at the main entrance.
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The prayer hall with the forest of ninety massive rectangular pillars reaching to the ceiling. It was quite a sight to behold and unlike any other mosque I had ever seen before.
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Looking up at the pointed arches above.
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The citizens of Djenné have resisted modernization with only minimal electrical wiring for loudspeakers and no indoor plumbing in favor of the building's historical integrity.
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Sunlight coming in through a door to the mosque interior courtyard.
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The interior courtyard surrounded on three sides by galleries.
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Goatskins used for prayer mats on the sandy floor inside the western gallery which is reserved exclusively for use by women only.
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And thanking the Imam's son for the privilege of seeing inside the historic and unique mosque.
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Our local guide then took us for a walk through the old town. Workers mixing mud and grain husks to make the banco that is then plastered over the mudbricks.
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With the mosque and town designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all building work must be performed only with traditional mud bricks and plaster.

A Fulani woman posing for a portrait. In Mali, Fulani women tattoo their mouth and lips, a tradition known as “Tchoodi” and is performed just before they are married.
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The tomb of Tapama Djenepo, who was sacrificed by being buried alive in mud in the 13th century to appease the gods, ward off evil spirits and allow the construction of Djenné.
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Two boys drawing water from a well.
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Cooling off from the summer heat.
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A wooden window frame with octogram cut-outs.
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Outside a local Madrasa, or religious school.
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After the walking tour we retreated into a local restaurant to escape the midday heat, rehydrate and have some sticky rice and mystery stew for lunch.
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Squeezing past a cart and donkeys as we make our way out of Djenné as our visit to the historic town comes to an end.
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And about to drive up onto the ferry to cross the Bani River. Luckily no issues this time getting stuck in the muddy sand.
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The karaoke still going strong thanks to more cheap rum while we take a break.
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Making good time on the road with the sun beginning to set as we head towards Ségou.
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Back at Hotel L'Auberge in the city.
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And enjoying some more pizza al fresco after a long but unforgettable day.
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Day 6.

Another generous serving of baguette and instant coffee at the start of day 6.
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After breakfast we made the short walk down to the Niger river. A herd of goats ready for sale for upcoming Eid al-Adha.
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Goats are often sacrificed by Muslims during Eid al-Adha in honour of the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.
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About to board our boat ride for this morning. The plan was to cruise over to village on the north side of the Niger River.
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Laieta and Sanny enjoying the view of the river rom the front of the boat.
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Men diving for riverbed sand to sell for construction material.
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Enjoying some traditional Malian tea onboard. Very strong and very sweet!
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We then docked on the river bank, ready to disembark to explore the small village.
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A boy maneuvering a river boat loaded up with wood.
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The village kids eagerly greeting the visiting Toubab.
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Medicines for sale at the village 'pharmacy'.
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Two men affectionately embracing.
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Another riverboat ferrying wood across the river as we made our way back across to Ségou.
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Once back in the city we headed to a local Bògòlanfini craftshop.
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We were then seated for a short lesson on Bògòlanfini. Made by the Bambara people of Mali, Bògòlanfini is derived from three words in the Bambara language. ‘Bogo’ which means mud/earth, ‘lan’ translates to with and ‘fini’ is cloth.
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To produce the Bògòlanfini fabric, cotton cloth is first soaked in a dye bath made from tree leaves. It is then painted black with special fermented mud which reacts with the dyed cloth, resulting in a dark bown color when the mud is washed off.

We were each given a small piece of cloth to try for ourselves. My meagre effort of a slightly out of proportion Kiwi.
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Colourful handpainted Bògòlanfini fabrics for sale.
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Some beautiful table cloths and bed throws.
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And a simple hand scarf I bought to take home for Rianda.
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Back into the city for lunch with pasta, beef stew and fried vegetables.
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We then started the ~3.5 hour drive from Ségou back to the capital Bamako.
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Stopping for another double shot of espresso as we passed through Konobougou again.
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Mingling with the chaotic city traffic as we arrive at the outskirts of Bamako.
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And checking in back at Hotel Les Colibris.
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It was our final night in Mali so we headed across Martyrs Bridge over the Niger River to the northern side of the city.
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And at Restaurant Le Loft, the top-rated place on Tripadvisor to eat in Bamako.
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A surprising upmarket and fancy establishment with a clientele that seemed to be a mixture of French expats, UN employees and wealthy locals.

A bottle of Castel and some French red wine to drink.
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After ordering we went around the table, each giving our highlight of the trip. There were alot of memorable moments but one of my favourites was exploring the dramatic sandstone cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment.
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I had quite abit of francs left so decided to chance my stomach on the riverfish carpaccio for the entrée.
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Followed by the delicious duck confit for the main.
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And the decadent chocolate fudge pudding with cream for dessert. A great meal at probably the best restaurant I had eaten at so far in West Africa!
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Day 7.

Omelettes and baguettes for breakfast at the hotel again. Our flight today was until 10:45am so we had nothing planned apart from making our way to the airport.
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Back at Modibo Keita International Airport and where we finally said goodbye to Ibrahim and thanked him for the memorable and amazing trip.
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Airside with my two boarding passes through to Dubai. Our plane was coming from Dakar and hence we had open seating for the first leg to Addis Ababa.
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And about to board the Ethiopian Airlines 787 at the end of an incredible week in Mali!
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