20th November

Home today - very mundane international flight, with only the usual annoyances - nothing compared to the journey I've done, and the others are continuing with.

As far as I know, Dave and Jacky, Mark and Sue, Oliver and Ian are all in Timbuktu. I'll be keeping the blog going with any updates they send about the next couple of weeks, which should take them through Burkina Faso and Mole National Park, finishing in Elmina to visit Sabre Trust's Ghanaian headquarters and see schools they have built. Many thanks to those who have contributed towards the next one.

It feels odd to be home, with the adventure continuing without me, but there's so much I need to catch up on - I couldn't have stayed any longer. Now to dream of the next trip.....

19th November - Goodbye Africa

Bye text, 2pm

Bad night's sleep on the roof, as there was a very high wind all night.

Up for 6.30 breakfast then hurried goodbyes as Jonny, Diana, Rosie and I had a short sharp climb up the falaise (cliff), while the others, all going to Timbuktu, were whisked away in 4x4s. To meet Matt at Bongo we walked just over a mile horizontally, with nearly half a mile of vertical.

At the truck, more hurried goodbyes as my bag was tied on the back of a motorbike.
Then, as I wondered whether my coccyx would ever recover, my driver, Dai, expertly covered the 25 miles of very rough concrete and dirt track to Bandiagara to meet my next ride. This was Sauri who, with me, his brother and his Australian wife Chris, were to make the 400 mile journey back to Bamako to get me to my flight this evening. Looking good as we've covered 150 miles in the the first two and a half hours.

18th November - Trekking in Dogon Territory.

Joined by children and a puppy for breakfast. The children got watermelon but the puppy had to settle for the washing up water.

By text 8pm
Fantastic day today - trekking in Dogon territory - beautiful and primitive. Google it. It felt great to use our legs.


We have now set up our mosquito nets to sleep on the roof of a house, have been serenaded by local children, had a dribble of a shower and waiting for food.

Tomorrow: Breakfast at 6:30, hike up a cliff face, then motorbike pillion ride for an hour to meet a 4x4 which will take me to Bamako for my flight home. I may have some Internet there and be able to upload some more photos.

Do see Tom's blog which picks up at Bamako, to follow the cars on down to Ghana for the next 12 days: http://www.saharanexpeditions.org/Sahara_2010/Blog/Archive.html

17th November - Tabaski - and to Djenne

By text - 12:29.

Bush camping last night was one of our best campsites yet; no mosquitoes, a cool breeze, and a large enough space to spread out.

See left - life in the truck cab, and evidence that some basic hygiene was done (that's a toothbrush in Matt's hand).

Then on to the historic 13th city of Djenne, through very lush countryside; lakes, trees, small villages celebrating Tabaski, everyone in their best clothes - lots of Obama t-shirts, and only the sheep not having a good day.

Now through marshland, approaching a ferry that will take us through the Niger inland delta to Djenne.

By Text - 21:05.

Djenne this afternoon was stunning, and also indicative of the state of Mali's tourist industry. the mosque is the most photographed building in west Africa, but today we were pretty well the


only tourists in town. We were given a tour by the very personable Yaya and we picked our way between roasting sheep's heads and small boys
using rams' scrotums as whoopie cushions. The town is on an island, so the ferry there and back made us sitting ducks for the sale of jewellery, tin toys, woodcarvings etc.

Set up a bush camp near a couple of villages, from which about 20 children came to watch us eat, dance to the truck's sound system and do our washing up.

16th November - departure North

8am
On our return from lunch yesterday, Jonny embarked on a clutch rebuild - so as to be ready for the 6am departure today. Jonny Mark and Ian worked on into the night with reassembly by head torch, but when fired up the car was found to have a fractured oil pipe. With this repaired, reassembled but not tested we all went to bed, alarms set, but no idea whether we'd be leaving as planned. Jonny and Diana had said that if necessary they'd follow on behind.

This morning all awake, no sign of Jonny at 6am, and news of a new plan formed in the night: No split of the team, leave later, giving Jonny time to check over the car. This would squeeze my time in Timbuktu so that I'd hardly see it in daylight. So my new plan is: continue with the group, go to Djenné - en route to Timbuktu - where there is a mud mosque; the largest mud structure in the world, and more beautiful if less iconic than Timbuktu. Then I can fly home from Mopti on Friday/Saturday and the others continue to Timbuktu without any time pressure. This plan was of course not formed without about 5 alternative scenarios being considered, and I'll be surprised if it lasts more than a day or so.
While deliberations under way, Rosie and Tom (Jonny's son) resorted to playing Buzz Lightyear Operation.Oil pipe proved to be still not oiltight, but Ian soldered it in situ and it now seems to be holding.
8am now and someone is currently searching Bamako for 5 litres of suitable oil for him. Revised departure time of 9am - if everything's okay with Jonny's car by then.

By text 8:51am
Jonny's car now a runner. Should get away by 9. Most likely now that we will go to Djenne to see the mud mosque - more beautiful, but less iconic than Timbuktu.


Rosie with one of the team Gollies made by Oliver's business as a special commemoration of the trip






By text 16:43pm
It was nearly noon when we finally got moving - me in the truck with Matt and Rosie, having handed over the Leaf-Jag to Rollo with a page of notes.

Tomorrow is the start of Tabaski, a festival for which each family buys the largest sheep they can afford. They then truss it up and explore all forms of sheep transport - tops of buses and trucks, backs of pushbikes and across the lap on motorbikes before killing and eating it.

Passed through several mud hut villages thronged with sheep while Rosie speculated whether we could construct a spit and join in. Lunch stop under trees for sandwiches provided by the Sleeping Camel - Matt's Auberge. Ian asked if I'd like to swap seats to the Jeep and get some air while he got some sleep.

By text - 20:30
The afternoon in the Jeep was fun - a nice change and very attractive green countryside with smiling waving people, although I rudely fell asleep. Matt found us a very pleasent open spot for bush camping, where a campfire and paelia were soon under way. All of us are exhausted after our various Bamako exertions, and are happy to be in bed by 8:30pm.




Breakfast will be at 7 and off soon after, although Jonny warns of imperative engineering.

15th November - day in Bamako

By text: 1pm
Now on my way to Lunch, where Matt will tell us what he's learned about the situation in Timbuktu and what our choices are.









2pm
Briefing had, decision made, and I'm excited. Timbuktu is on, not in old cars, but in landcruisers with local driver/guides. The schedule is designed around my flight, which means a 6am start tomorrow. So no repeat of last nights performance - six of us clubbing until 4am - not leaving until we saw the bottom of the third litre of Absolut.

14th November - To Bamako
by text - 12:02
Very good nights sleep - at 1400 feet, so much cooler than it has been. Then only 90 miles into Bamako.
Rosie rode with me and it was a very scenic journey, through rural villages of smiling waving people, women with infeasibly large loads on their heads and babies on their backs. Also colourful markets and goats travelling on the back of bicycles, motorbikes and the roofs of trucks and buses.

Somehow we lost David and Jacky on the outskirts of Bamako so guided by the GPS co-ordinates, arrived at the Sleeping Camel, Matt's Auberge, at 11am.

Now well into my first beer and everyone's arrived.
Very hot, and arriving in Bamako

13th November - Into Maliby text 19:12.

A good evening camping in Kayes - not very nice or welcoming camp site. All rejected the upgrade to a room, on the grounds that camping would be nicer. Joined by an Austrian couple driving to South Africa in a series 3 Landrover. Oliver generously treated us all to beers to celebrate his daughter passing her exams.On the road by 8 this morning with Bamako just 400 miles away. Stunning drive - through sparse bush with Baobabs. Many birds and occasionally wildlife - a glossy black oil slick of a snake oozed accross the road in front of me.The temperature at 43 degrees centigrade had us all wilting and the cars overheating. Stopped for lunch - chunks of mutton being cooked in the street. Decided we couldn't make the remaining 200 miles today so planned to get beyond Didjeni - the edge of the red danger zone - and find a place for bush camping. We've decided we like the feel of Mali - everyone is friendly, smiles and waves.

12th November Senegal-Mali crossingby text - 10:07am
At the Senegal-Mali border, my last border crossing, am still in our first hour here and seem to be making decent progress. Am making a study of truck art - there is a fashion for heavily customised fuel tanks, bumbers and cabs.I left the car unattended and had my battery stolen - by Jonny, whose own was now completely flat, so I then needed a bump start.

by text - 12:31pm
Still at the border. This looked as if it was going to be a quick crossing, but after 3.5 hours we're still here. Have eaten chunks of mutton from a roadside stall and about to do battle with the gridlocked trucks to get on our way. Put the hood up for the first time - a bit of a fight, with the sacrifice of several fingernails. Where can I find a manacurist when I need one?

by text 3pm.
Arrived in Kayes - allegedley the hottest town in Africa. I don't know what the temperature is, but we are all melting and the cars are overheating.. Need to change money and shop, then find somewhere to camp.
After this I've only got 400 miles to drive before handing over the car to Rollo for the final leg. The FCO office advice is now that North Mali is a complete no go area with bad things happening to westerners, so don't know yet if I'll get to Timbuktu, or my route and timing home.

by text - 5:13pm
So nice - Now showered and with all my clothes washed, life feels better. We're in a campsite in Kayes, Mali. The truck's gone into town and when it gets back there'll be cold beer. Can't wait.by text -10:11pmSpent the eveing on the campsite with an Australian couple - new audience for David's stories.. they're doing a similar tip by landrover and kept saying how mad they think we are. Up early tomorrow and on to Bamako, or as far as we can get. Will make a new plan in Bamako.