Offroadin'

We have been doing a bit of driving lately. We took the road between Kayes and Bamako three times in just over a week. There is a new road, which is beat up by American standards but one of the best roads in Mali, that gets you there somewhere between eight and eleven hours later. Had we taken that road three times there would be nothing to report. Alas, we did not. There is another, slightly more tiring way to go. The back way takes a bit longer (i.e. two days) and is on a more, shall we say, traditional Malian road. A traditional Malian road is one that can make even riding in a Land Cruiser uncomfortable.


In rare spots the road is paved...


In various spots it was once paved...


In many spots it simply a jeep track...

And in some spots it disappears and you pick your own path.


Don't get us wrong, it is a prettier ride and there are actually things to look at as opposed to on the paved road. There are plenty of cute little villages, as seen in National Geographic.

There is also the "world famous" dam at Manantali. This is a relative term reserved for those whose world is confined to its shadow. It is likely none of our readers has ever heard of it although it does power those parts of West Africa which have been "electrified" as we would have said about a hundred years ago.

All in all, we recommend this ride to anyone, just not more than twice a week if it can be avoided. Your neck and back will thank you.