2011
15
wrz
Famous Dogon Country
Mali, Falaise de Bandiagara
Przejechano 14945 km
THE SPONSOR OF MY BICYCLE SPARE PARTS IS COMPANY PRODUCING FINE BICYCLE SADDLES www.abi.com.pl
When I have been approaching the falaise from the east, it was looking like a cost of an unknown continent, a little bit like Kimberly in north Australia. High red and orange cliffs visible from far away.
If you will look from the base to the east there will be endless sandy plains stretching as far as you can see!
Plains covered with casual trees and so on. In between there are some villages and of course millet fields. And everything on a very pure soil. Through the sand! I was trying to ride my bike. It apprise that I had to change my rear tire and one spoke. So I had some "attractions" on the way
As closer I was getting there the harder it was, The last 2 km I had to push my bike most of the time!
I decided to enter this “magical country” just straight ahead following an road to Dourou village which is already on top of Falaise. On the map it was the main road but not in reality!!
The spectacular views were rewording for all that pushing of my bike up and down in the sand which was a very hard work as well as climbing up the cliffs.
.
I have been doing some resources before and my CS friend from Mopti (exactly Severe) told me about the best spots to visit. For that I had to continuou to Sanga. A few hours rest in Dourou, was fairly earned and after that I had departed. Following a very raff track through the Falaise. It was barely a road, marked with few stones, I have been worried seriously about my bike, it could not survive it.
On my way I have been passing few Dogon villages, everywhere people where very friendly, and everywhere they have been asking for money gifts and so on a specially children’s. It start to be very annoying as wherever I went kids ran to me screaming "Done bombon, done bidon, done..."
Looks like somebody has done hire a very bed job!!!!
I have reached Sandga on the next day morning as the road didn't give me to much chances to do it in one go.
Sanga is a big village which also serves as a tourism centre for the region. You will find hire few quite good hotels with restaurants, some souvenirs shops and plenty of guides happy to show you around. There is of course an official association of guides so it makes it easier to find properly qualified guide, few of them even speak English which helps a lot!
People who know me would be probably surprise, but I decided to have a guide. There are many advantages of having a guide, but for me this time it was only two; He will keep the begging kids far away and show me the way thru the real maize of tracks in this mountainous area of Dogon Dominium
Dogons are also as I later find out quite hard to communicate as villagers very rarely speak even French. I was also happy to have somebody who will answer on all my questions- which I had a lot!!!
Dogon Country is very dear!! Not only because everything have to be transported from outside. For last few years it was very popular for tourists and this made for some of villagers a main income.
As I already know where I was willing to go it didn't took me to much time to discus our track with the guide and get to some kind of consensus.
We agreed for 3 days in the area of Yendouma, Youga,Kundu, Banani and Yeye Viliges for a total sum of 39 000 CEF food and accommodation included. I left my beloved bike taking with me just a small backpack and went on.
Walking in a canyon and descending down through Tiogou vilige fallowing an very picturesque stream falling down on few cascades, surrounded by overgrown baobabs!!
First night we have spend in Yendouma which was as everyone would like to imagine an Dogon village, situated on the cliffs making it hard to conquer “castle” contains of houses connected to each other with small corridors all of it made of stones or mud! Elderly people sitting on some “good view” places chatting with each other or tending to some domestic works. Women’s and men’s going back from the fields positioned on the plains, man caring tools on their arms, women’s and girls resting on their heeds big jars of water, climbing up to their evening refuges!
There was some kid crying and some more have been playing running around. The sun was almost down at that very moment when we just came to the village, After accommodating in the raff guesthouse. We went on small tour of the “living castle”, we sat on the view point and observe village life, Balam my guide has been explaining me the use of each house and the customs attached to it.
The view was really impressive, village cascading down to the plains, Sharp ended cliffs, and plains up to the horizont Few bigger and smaller rock formations in the area all of it in the sunset light some already in the shade. Gentle wind blowing through my shirt cooling me down and kipping of the mosquitoes. It was a bit of a magical moment.
After we have had saturated our self with the landscape it was time to descend to the guesthouse and eat something.
In that part of Africa if you have time and sit waiting for something it is always time for a small glass of tea. But it is not that one as you mait thing.
Hire it is being prepared in a small jag, it is very strong and it goes in 3 shots!
The say that the first one is strong like African dirt.
The second one is truth like life.
The third one is sweet like love.
After we had our diner made of rise and some vegetable souse. (You mait say it is pure, But hire in Mali it is an luxury . In general when I ask what they have to eat. They usually have 3 answers: rise, pasta or kuskus. Like it or not ... but this is what there is to eat!
But not this time....
The night I have spend obligatory on the ruff, it is cool there that’s why everybody are slipping like this.
The sky full of stars, the moon shining like crazy, It is the type of light which will never run out in Africa!!!!
The next day was very impressive, we went early morning to Youga villages situated on an separated peace of Falaise. there are many of ancient Tellem houses and bountiful views from top of the cliffs. We have been following and ancient track on top of it and in some very claustrophobic crevasses.
It is very magical over there!
On the third day morning although we have been planning some nice walking I start to feel very tired , and be feverish that was a signal of coming trobles.
We had to change the plans and walk strait back to Sanga where in the local hospital I could make a malaria test and check what is going on.
It was very hard walk in the fiver back up the cliffs, it was a marked day so the path was full of people. There was many people caring goods on their heads up to Sanga for sell and so on.
To my surprise the blood tests show up not only malaria but also typhoid. Thanks to the help of my guide I got proper advices from the doctor and start taking medicine (malaria) strait away, but typhoid will have to wait until I will reach some better pharmacy.
When thanks to Aspirin my fever was down Balam showed me couple of spots in Sanga and we finished our tour.
I sat in the shade of a garden with the guides for a company and wait until the medicine will start working, I just rested as much as I could knowing that tomorrow I will have to cycle 100 km to Severe where better rest and medication for Tifoide could be taken.
The next day morning I still had fever means the Coartem for malaria which I took wasn't handling the situation. I know that the only answer is to go city. I took paracetamol in hefty dose and pack up, took water with me and went slowly down the road to Severe. I decided to take it easy......
When I have been approaching the falaise from the east, it was looking like a cost of an unknown continent, a little bit like Kimberly in north Australia. High red and orange cliffs visible from far away.
If you will look from the base to the east there will be endless sandy plains stretching as far as you can see!
Plains covered with casual trees and so on. In between there are some villages and of course millet fields. And everything on a very pure soil. Through the sand! I was trying to ride my bike. It apprise that I had to change my rear tire and one spoke. So I had some "attractions" on the way
As closer I was getting there the harder it was, The last 2 km I had to push my bike most of the time!
I decided to enter this “magical country” just straight ahead following an road to Dourou village which is already on top of Falaise. On the map it was the main road but not in reality!!
The spectacular views were rewording for all that pushing of my bike up and down in the sand which was a very hard work as well as climbing up the cliffs.
.
I have been doing some resources before and my CS friend from Mopti (exactly Severe) told me about the best spots to visit. For that I had to continuou to Sanga. A few hours rest in Dourou, was fairly earned and after that I had departed. Following a very raff track through the Falaise. It was barely a road, marked with few stones, I have been worried seriously about my bike, it could not survive it.
On my way I have been passing few Dogon villages, everywhere people where very friendly, and everywhere they have been asking for money gifts and so on a specially children’s. It start to be very annoying as wherever I went kids ran to me screaming "Done bombon, done bidon, done..."
Looks like somebody has done hire a very bed job!!!!
I have reached Sandga on the next day morning as the road didn't give me to much chances to do it in one go.
Sanga is a big village which also serves as a tourism centre for the region. You will find hire few quite good hotels with restaurants, some souvenirs shops and plenty of guides happy to show you around. There is of course an official association of guides so it makes it easier to find properly qualified guide, few of them even speak English which helps a lot!
People who know me would be probably surprise, but I decided to have a guide. There are many advantages of having a guide, but for me this time it was only two; He will keep the begging kids far away and show me the way thru the real maize of tracks in this mountainous area of Dogon Dominium
Dogons are also as I later find out quite hard to communicate as villagers very rarely speak even French. I was also happy to have somebody who will answer on all my questions- which I had a lot!!!
Dogon Country is very dear!! Not only because everything have to be transported from outside. For last few years it was very popular for tourists and this made for some of villagers a main income.
As I already know where I was willing to go it didn't took me to much time to discus our track with the guide and get to some kind of consensus.
We agreed for 3 days in the area of Yendouma, Youga,Kundu, Banani and Yeye Viliges for a total sum of 39 000 CEF food and accommodation included. I left my beloved bike taking with me just a small backpack and went on.
Walking in a canyon and descending down through Tiogou vilige fallowing an very picturesque stream falling down on few cascades, surrounded by overgrown baobabs!!
First night we have spend in Yendouma which was as everyone would like to imagine an Dogon village, situated on the cliffs making it hard to conquer “castle” contains of houses connected to each other with small corridors all of it made of stones or mud! Elderly people sitting on some “good view” places chatting with each other or tending to some domestic works. Women’s and men’s going back from the fields positioned on the plains, man caring tools on their arms, women’s and girls resting on their heeds big jars of water, climbing up to their evening refuges!
There was some kid crying and some more have been playing running around. The sun was almost down at that very moment when we just came to the village, After accommodating in the raff guesthouse. We went on small tour of the “living castle”, we sat on the view point and observe village life, Balam my guide has been explaining me the use of each house and the customs attached to it.
The view was really impressive, village cascading down to the plains, Sharp ended cliffs, and plains up to the horizont Few bigger and smaller rock formations in the area all of it in the sunset light some already in the shade. Gentle wind blowing through my shirt cooling me down and kipping of the mosquitoes. It was a bit of a magical moment.
After we have had saturated our self with the landscape it was time to descend to the guesthouse and eat something.
In that part of Africa if you have time and sit waiting for something it is always time for a small glass of tea. But it is not that one as you mait thing.
Hire it is being prepared in a small jag, it is very strong and it goes in 3 shots!
The say that the first one is strong like African dirt.
The second one is truth like life.
The third one is sweet like love.
After we had our diner made of rise and some vegetable souse. (You mait say it is pure, But hire in Mali it is an luxury . In general when I ask what they have to eat. They usually have 3 answers: rise, pasta or kuskus. Like it or not ... but this is what there is to eat!
But not this time....
The night I have spend obligatory on the ruff, it is cool there that’s why everybody are slipping like this.
The sky full of stars, the moon shining like crazy, It is the type of light which will never run out in Africa!!!!
The next day was very impressive, we went early morning to Youga villages situated on an separated peace of Falaise. there are many of ancient Tellem houses and bountiful views from top of the cliffs. We have been following and ancient track on top of it and in some very claustrophobic crevasses.
It is very magical over there!
On the third day morning although we have been planning some nice walking I start to feel very tired , and be feverish that was a signal of coming trobles.
We had to change the plans and walk strait back to Sanga where in the local hospital I could make a malaria test and check what is going on.
It was very hard walk in the fiver back up the cliffs, it was a marked day so the path was full of people. There was many people caring goods on their heads up to Sanga for sell and so on.
To my surprise the blood tests show up not only malaria but also typhoid. Thanks to the help of my guide I got proper advices from the doctor and start taking medicine (malaria) strait away, but typhoid will have to wait until I will reach some better pharmacy.
When thanks to Aspirin my fever was down Balam showed me couple of spots in Sanga and we finished our tour.
I sat in the shade of a garden with the guides for a company and wait until the medicine will start working, I just rested as much as I could knowing that tomorrow I will have to cycle 100 km to Severe where better rest and medication for Tifoide could be taken.
The next day morning I still had fever means the Coartem for malaria which I took wasn't handling the situation. I know that the only answer is to go city. I took paracetamol in hefty dose and pack up, took water with me and went slowly down the road to Severe. I decided to take it easy......
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