There are TONS of pictures of this trip being posted (as I write this).
YOU CAN SEE THE REST OF THE PICTURES AT
http://www.avivalaloca.smugmug.com/AFRICA
***************
On Thursday, September 27 at 4 am we hit the road in our big tuba-bus (tubabu is the word for white people, bus is our vehicle for transport; tubabus is our bus!). After about 2 hours we had our first flat tire, right before a big rock hit our windshield and nearly shattered it. We played a lot of music and danced around whenever we were stopped by the police (frequent occurrence). Bus rides were long but we frequently made up songs about the routes and about the other people on the bus. When we weren't singing, we were sleeping.
The first stop was Segou, where we lived the luxury life. A/C rooms, delicious pizza and an amazing swimming pool with great live, interactive music every night. We went on a boat trip (always fun) down the Niger River to a small village on the river bank where we saw some ancient mosques from the 11th century.
In Segou we also went to an amazing bogolon cooperative, where many people work together and make all different kinds of bogolon cloth and then sell it. Bogolon is a cloth that is painted on with mud from the Niger River. The dies (to die the cloth) are all natural, made out of leaves, flowers and plants found locally. More modern bogolon has incorporated stronger colors (less earthy tones--i.e. browns, reds) and added greens and blues and some yellow. The style and ideas have remained the same, but the patterns have changed a bit.
Each shape holds an important meaning, and when different symbols are combined they have certain meanings. For example the shape on the bottom left corner means "traveling."
19 October 2007
Teriya Bugu and Djenne
After Segou we arrived in Malian paradise--a small village on the banks of the Bani (aka Niger) River--Teriya Bugu (TB). TB is an eco-village resort with camping, delicious food and a swimming pool; you can't swim in the river. They had paddle boats, canoes, soccer and basketballs and tons of other activities. We had a bit of a health emergency so most of us spent 4 days relaxing at TB while others were back in Bamako. Another long drive and a quick, unexpected ferry to Djenne. Djenne is a United Nations World Heritage site, because of the ancient mud mosque. We arrived in the mid-sun peak heat and thoroughly the splurge (after 4 days of camping) for AC rooms, and relaxed and washed up after not having bather during the entire trip (swimming pools are much better)! That afternoon I was fortunate enough to hang around the mosque and the downtown (not much bigger than the New Haven Green) around sunset to catch some beautiful photos.
Each year there is a huge festival (December 27-29) where the children re-mud the mosque. They climb up the pegs sticking out from the sides and put a new coat of (special) mud on the mosque. That must be a scene!
Each year there is a huge festival (December 27-29) where the children re-mud the mosque. They climb up the pegs sticking out from the sides and put a new coat of (special) mud on the mosque. That must be a scene!
Dogon country to the end
Djenne led us to the Dogon country, where my roommate (Lydia) jumped out of a tree (at a restaurant) and really messed up her ankle. After a long, painful drive (on seriously non-existent roads) we arrived in Songhai--the true definition of the middle of nowhere. Also, during the drive we had to make a detour across a river because the bridge broke
The Dogon country is a step out of most worlds. These people have been living like this for so many thousands of years. Obviously there has been people living in Africa for many thousands of years, but the way these people live hasn't changed much. They are incredibly isolated and very "undeveloped (what a shocking word)." There is no electricity, except for the occasional solar panel that charges a small battery to light a bulb, no running water, people cook with charcoal and live totally off the land. Clothes are washed in the local watering holes/ponds. Food is based on millet crops and animals.
Onions and tea are also grown locally. There are over 80 dialects of "dogonkan (Dogon language)," each village having their own adaptation, and most people don't even speak Bamana (Mali's "national" language). French is unheard of, except for small children who have aptly learned "donnez-moi 100 francs/biki/bonbon (give me 20 US¢/pen/candy)!"
The landscape and setting is unbelievable. People (pygmys) moved into the nearby cliffs (rock houses) in the 1100's when the Arabs started coming because they didnt want to be converted or killed, and the remains are still very alive and well preserved. Very few people still live in the cliff houses now, but they live in their own mud huts (with grass roofs). Our trek took us 2 days, and we spent the night on the roof of someone's house in tents or the open air (feeding the mosquitoes).
After Dogon trekking we returned to Segou (looooong drive-15 hours!), dined in luxury, swam in the pool, and relaxed in the AC. Monday (October 8) was market day in Segou and it was BUSY.
Return to Bamako, back to class, work, and regular old life. On Monday (October 22) we all move into our homestays. I am going to be staying in a neighborhood called Lafiabougou (relax village: lafia=relax, bougou=village) in Bamako. I have switched apprenticeships and will be working and learning about beaded jewelry. I will be working with a woman (woohoo!) who has worked in Mecca for 7 years. She recently returned to Bamako. I will post more once I am settled!
The Dogon country is a step out of most worlds. These people have been living like this for so many thousands of years. Obviously there has been people living in Africa for many thousands of years, but the way these people live hasn't changed much. They are incredibly isolated and very "undeveloped (what a shocking word)." There is no electricity, except for the occasional solar panel that charges a small battery to light a bulb, no running water, people cook with charcoal and live totally off the land. Clothes are washed in the local watering holes/ponds. Food is based on millet crops and animals.
Onions and tea are also grown locally. There are over 80 dialects of "dogonkan (Dogon language)," each village having their own adaptation, and most people don't even speak Bamana (Mali's "national" language). French is unheard of, except for small children who have aptly learned "donnez-moi 100 francs/biki/bonbon (give me 20 US¢/pen/candy)!"
The landscape and setting is unbelievable. People (pygmys) moved into the nearby cliffs (rock houses) in the 1100's when the Arabs started coming because they didnt want to be converted or killed, and the remains are still very alive and well preserved. Very few people still live in the cliff houses now, but they live in their own mud huts (with grass roofs). Our trek took us 2 days, and we spent the night on the roof of someone's house in tents or the open air (feeding the mosquitoes).
After Dogon trekking we returned to Segou (looooong drive-15 hours!), dined in luxury, swam in the pool, and relaxed in the AC. Monday (October 8) was market day in Segou and it was BUSY.
Return to Bamako, back to class, work, and regular old life. On Monday (October 22) we all move into our homestays. I am going to be staying in a neighborhood called Lafiabougou (relax village: lafia=relax, bougou=village) in Bamako. I have switched apprenticeships and will be working and learning about beaded jewelry. I will be working with a woman (woohoo!) who has worked in Mecca for 7 years. She recently returned to Bamako. I will post more once I am settled!
15 October 2007
working on it...
i am working on the post about the big trip that we took in the past 3 weeks but I am not yet done.
However, I have started putting up photos online. Check them out at www.avivalaloca.smugmug.com
However, I have started putting up photos online. Check them out at www.avivalaloca.smugmug.com
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