A traditional Sahelian mud mosque on Flickr.
In the Sahel region they build their mosques out of mud. The wooden support beams double as scaffolding for repairs.
We saw village after village go by from the penasse. I spent a good portion of our ride on the roof listening to Ali Farke Toure.
Boats meeting on the Niger River. on Flickr.
There are no paved roads to Timbuktu from Bamako so everything has to be brought up by penasse.
The captain of our penasse on Flickr.
It was his first time piloting a boat through the night (we didn’t stop due to concerns with Al-Qaeda). He said “not a problem” then stayed up all night with a weak hand held flashlight searching for sandbars enlarged by the dry season.
Anil and Emilee and our lunch. on Flickr.
I’m not saying I’m glad to be out of West Africa. I’m just saying I’m glad to be in Beirut eating mezze along the Mediterranean.
Rue des Artistes on Flickr.
The row of tents for the musicians that stayed on site. I stayed in a tent similar to these with the other volunteers. The tents are without floors, so we slept on mattresses in the sand.
Ok. Here’s the music video I made with MC Touareg in Bamako. I’ve never made a music video before. Some stuff doesn’t quite work, but it was fun to make. I can now say I’ve made a music video in Mali….
And, yes, I dance in it…
Sunset on the lighthouse. on Flickr.
I’m still sorting through my Africa pictures. But now I’m doing it from beautiful and comfortable and fast internetted Beirut, Lebanon.
