My Round the World Trip
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#8 Mali - Djenne, He Ain't heavy, he is my brother
This is a land in which the women age quickly, and it's not hard to see why. I've spent hours on long journeys being jolted along on bumpy roads and everywhere you see the labour of women. They take on many jobs in and out of the hosuehold.
They care for the kids, harvest the fields, pound the millet, fetching water from the well located few kilometers away by balancing the pails on their head (for 2-3 hours daily) cook for the family.. and I see the men sitting around very often.. and yet they are regarded to have authority and status. This was particularly true in Pay Dogon (mali) where I spend a few days trekking there. I am thankful for being a women where I am from.. we have so much freedom and choices and equal opportunities
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Six-GHz
Senior Member
I'm going through your blog - I believe the trip has been a roller-coaster ride for you - some good, some bad - but all unique and priceless experiences nonetheless.
I enjoyed every article, from your painful decision to leave Borneo, girlish innocence in needing your SKII and mani/pedicures, your resourcefulness in earning money from timeshare talks, to humourous Cuban party troubles, Argentian who made you blush and encounters with Columbian coke sellers. They sure makes an absorbing read!
I also notice that there are some gaps here and there. Of significance, your plans to Antartica ends like a teaser! Anti-climax! So you picked MV Ushuaia... then?
Pardon if I read your blog like a storybook from some libraries - because it's so down-to-earth and real - and complete with a few pages missing!
I enjoyed every article, from your painful decision to leave Borneo, girlish innocence in needing your SKII and mani/pedicures, your resourcefulness in earning money from timeshare talks, to humourous Cuban party troubles, Argentian who made you blush and encounters with Columbian coke sellers. They sure makes an absorbing read!
I also notice that there are some gaps here and there. Of significance, your plans to Antartica ends like a teaser! Anti-climax! So you picked MV Ushuaia... then?
Pardon if I read your blog like a storybook from some libraries - because it's so down-to-earth and real - and complete with a few pages missing!
Heh there,
Thanks for your support
I am just transferring my trip into words at my wordpress blog, thus some parts are still in process.
I have just added a few new chapters last sunday (thats usually when I have the time to catch up on my writing) This week I will add my Antactica adventures.. if not you can wait till I arrive at that destination for the photos on this thread :0
Btw, I didn't pick MV ushuaia
)
More strange perverted experience in Nicaragua, read it
Cheers!
http://busytravelbee.wordpress.com/
Thanks for your support
I am just transferring my trip into words at my wordpress blog, thus some parts are still in process. I have just added a few new chapters last sunday (thats usually when I have the time to catch up on my writing) This week I will add my Antactica adventures.. if not you can wait till I arrive at that destination for the photos on this thread :0
Btw, I didn't pick MV ushuaia
)More strange perverted experience in Nicaragua, read it
Cheers!
http://busytravelbee.wordpress.com/
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Mali, the 2nd poorest country in the world, is not an easy place to travel but the experiences are one in a million thus leaving deep memories. it offers great sights but at the tourists zones, the locals projected a mecenary and very aggressive selling attitude. I had more than one bad experience here and it left me with lots of frustration while travelling here. I am always "fighting" against scams, Corrupted officers and policemen, unreasonable demands and street vendors. Here the vendors who surrounds you and badger you till it drives you nuts and its here, the only country where I lost my cool with the vendors - having suffered a 18hours uncomfortable trip and preparing myself immediately for the 3 days boat ride to Timbuktu and yet they didnt let up when I said I dont need to buy anything (from water, boat tickets, porter services, trinkets, souvenirs).. I yelled and threaten them,saying I am giving them 2 mintues to disappear before I turned nasty....hahah
Stay tuned for more of Mali
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Map of Pay Dogon (dogon country)
From djenne, I travelled towards the Bandiagara for a 4 days trek in the dogon Country.
#11 Mali, Pay Dogon - Djigibombo, Kani Kombole, Telli, Ennde,
Begnemato and Indale
WHEN TO TREK: Mali is wettest in July and August, and hottest between April and June. The harmattan (strong wind off the Sahara) blows from January to June, so October to February is the best time to visit and also the most touristed. I trekked in August and it was raining almost everyday - very uncomfortable and difficult to snap photos. Many times, we had to stack our bags on our heads and wade through many rivers which came about because of the rain. ON many days, I was trekking without shoes as flips flops gets stuck in the mud and trackshoes on the hand have to be remove once too often to cross the banks. As had limited change of clothes, I was smelling quite bad whe I completed the trekking
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#12 Mali - Pay Dogon, women at work
The Dogon are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali. The Dogon are best known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and their architecture. I was trekking from village to village in the Dogon region east of here, situated along the Bandiagara escarpment, a long ridge that stretches north to south for many miles. The landscape looks a lot like the grand canyon but with vast stretches of open land and only one ridge with ancient cliff dwellings tucked inUnderneath the cliff dwellings, or on top of the escarpment, people live just as their ancestors did — growing crops like millet (the most important mainstay), beans, gourds, peanuts, chilli peppers and squash. And their animist beliefs haven’t changed either, although Islam and Christianity have made an impact here.
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#8 Mali - Djenne, He Ain't heavy, he is my brother
This is a land in which the women age quickly, and it's not hard to see why. I've spent hours on long journeys being jolted along on bumpy roads and everywhere you see the labour of women. They take on many jobs in and out of the hosuehold.
They care for the kids, harvest the fields, pound the millet, fetching water from the well located few kilometers away by balancing the pails on their head (for 2-3 hours daily) cook for the family.. and I see the men sitting around very often.. and yet they are regarded to have authority and status. This was particularly true in Pay Dogon (mali) where I spend a few days trekking there. I am thankful for being a women where I am from.. we have so much freedom and choices and equal opportunities
nice capture..
TommyShooter
New Member
maybe Nikon shd sponsor yr next trip....
Just like the guy dancing ard the world and posting on youtube
Just like the guy dancing ard the world and posting on youtube
Ted888
Senior Member
#12 Mali - Pay Dogon
The Dogon are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali. The Dogon are best known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and their architecture. I was trekking from village to village in the Dogon region east of here, situated along the Bandiagara escarpment, a long ridge that stretches north to south for many miles. The landscape looks a lot like the grand canyon but with vast stretches of open land and only one ridge with ancient cliff dwellings tucked inUnderneath the cliff dwellings, or on top of the escarpment, people live just as their ancestors did growing crops like millet (the most important mainstay), beans, gourds, peanuts, chilli peppers and squash. And their animist beliefs havent changed either, although Islam and Christianity have made an impact here.
Really interesting. another world...
There are 2main groups- Star alliance and OneWorld which comprises of a group of airlines. Example star alliance has Singapore airlines, Lufthansa, United airlines and others. (the list changes yearly as new contracts are made) I picked OneWorld because they had more airlines catering routes to and around south America.
The routes can be decided by you but you have to meet the criterias,such as flights going there, traveling only in forward direction, must cross 2 oceans, valid for 12 months (which I didn't meet as I extended my trip to 15minths) .I planned my trip by chasing summer thus I had flights for 20stops(including stopovers ) all in one direction. In between i had few flights which I paid on my own - flying from mexico to Cuba!
Singapore -Hong kong -south Africa
Dubai - Jordan
Israel - Spain
London - San Francisco
Los Angeles - Mexico
Panama - argentina
Colombia - Miami - Washington
New York city - japan - Singapore
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It is, indeed! Being the 2nd poorest country in the world doesn't make life easy for the malians. But at least in the countryside, they can still survive since they have natural resources. Those in the cities suffer even more and that is why crimes and scams thrive. Though I had to fight off a few unpleasant experience in Mali, in one case I had to threaten to call police (although I don't mow if it would have help as they are corrupted everywhere) and got into a big fight with a hostel owner for trying to scam me- awful feeling especially when I m alone and being cornered but Still I feel sorry for their plight.
Whatever ill feelings I had about my country and the government disappear as I see the lives of the Africans , be it in the south, east, north or west. We complain about everything when we have so much, we blame the government for everything we can't get in our lives but after Travelling in Africa, I took off my rose tinted glass and took a good hard look at the real world
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It did cost a fair bit but I reckon we spent as much, if not more while staying in Singapore
)
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shierwin
Senior Member
Had be following this series of your travel. Must be a great and enriching experience...
Many of these countries were once rich states but over time had deteriorated to be what they are today. Sad... Good national leadership is the only way for states to proper and to better the life of their people. Here, we've been well-fed (spoon-fed!). Expectations of our people have change, not sure for the better or worst. Intolerance, lack of acceptance and graciousness seem to be the norm. They bring their home baggage on group tours; they're not there to experience a different world/culture. Complaints of "sub-standard" facilities and service are freguently heard... Go to Banyan Tree and they'll be pampered.
#13 Mali - Pay Dogon, For grains
In the Dogon villages, there always four specific places: one was the hut where women live each month while menstruating (as is the case in many African cultures, the Dogon believe that menstruation is dangerous to men), a hut where women store their personal possessions, and another larger building where the family grain supply is stored. We were told that the village women are not allowed in that building lest they see how low the grain supply is...Finally, there is always an area where villagers conduct sacrifices to appease their god, Amma and other various and sundry spirits of their animist religion
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#14 Mali, Pay Dogon
The Dogon villages have some distinctive structures. The open low-ceilinged structure are togu na. They are topped by three layers of millet (representing the plateau, the cliffs, and the plains). Only men are allowed to hang out in the togu na. Disputes are settled in these structures; the low roof is high enough to sit under but too low to stand and fight
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