He Says - Chill out time

26 – 27 Oct 09
The 4x4 taxi that picked us up drove the complete opposite of the Mercedes taxi, he was slow and careful and avoided as many obstacles as possible. As a result we got back to the Auberge Kanasay at about 1700h. Irrelevant of the money savings we decided to continue to sleep on the roof. During our trek we found it to be the best way to keep cool, it being cheaper was only a bonus. The views alone should have made this the more expensive option. The first night the plan failed us. There was no wind and it was a hot night, however from that night on it was the best option by far.

The success of the trip put me in a festive mood, and on that first night back, I was craving a beer so I had one then another, two beers and I was drunkish ! Not really drunk but “happy” as they say. Tiemo came by to say hello, see if we were settling in okay and get the rest of his money. Although I felt like the latter was almost embarrassing for him. We gave him a 20k CFA tip (so 1 day for 1 person or 10%) and this he really did seem to be embarrassed by (but happy too). We chatted for a while and he asked us to go for dirt ride (motorbike) on Sunday to two cool villages. I was not sure if this was as friend or as guide.

The next day (Saturday) was chill out and chores day, Tam spent morning in river doing laundry Mali style and had a little helper. In true Mali style Tam’s little helper did not want payment or anything, just helping the crazy (and probably only) white woman to ever do the laundry in the rive was enough. However when we offered him a “sucery” (coke/fanta..) his eyes became the size of Anubis’s headlights and said yes. Once he got it he almost ran a way, got a couple of friends or maybe his brother and sister and shared the drink. It was like mana from heaven. We saw him a couple of times after that and each time he grins a huge grin and waves like we are Santa Clause or something. The rest of the day was hanging out just relaxing and recovering from our trek. That night Tiemo came to the Auberge to see if we still wanted to go for the ride. He made it very clear with out us asking that it was as three friends going out, this really made me very happy.

The next morning arrived and I had the issue of how to get Anubis down the 4 steps, to get him in we had the help of many men. But now there was but one. I knew also that this time I have gravity on my side. So I used it. I jumped Anubis out of hotel. 4 stairs no problem! The ride was a lot harder then I was expecting and I was struggling with Anubis’s and Tam’s weight on the soft sand and even on the harder rocks.

I though it was simply that it was hard, I was still tired from the trek and I had not done a lot of two up dirt riding in years. I am sure some of this is the case, but I was also coming down with something as we got to the first village I was dizzy and feeling very ill. 30k of off piste riding and I was sick this was not a good thing. I put on a brave face hopping it would pass as we walked around and relaxed a bit but I was constantly feeling like I was going to vomit. I was getting worst by the minute (this btw will be the first time Tam knows how bad I felt, I did not want to ruin it or worry her). It was a shame as the village was not on the tourist trail and as such the people were great. For the first time we were invited in to eat and the “to’” it was amazing (unlike the restaurant to’ we ate). We sampled a bit of food eaten in the traditional style (sitting on the ground eating with right hand). It was great tasting but unbelievably hot on the hands. Although ill it was so good that both of us could have eaten our fill, but as this was unplanned, we assumed that there was not really enough to feed us. So after a polite amount we excused ourselves.

Unfortunately I was feeling really bad by time we headed out and towards the next village. The to’ had some positive effects though and I was a bit stronger I was finding the riding a lot easier. The sand traps (in general were no longer stopping us and we only had one or two kick outs). I was feeling extremely shaky and was not sure if it was a good idea to push my luck with the 30k return trip and an other 10k to the next village. Then Tiemo’s bike broke down. It was the end for me. Although we got it running, I said no more. We were too far out to get help if we need it. It was too far to push the bike and I was getting worse by the minute. Fortunately, we got home with out issue, but I was dead for rest of day. I can only remember little bit of the day from that point on. I remember laying on palm wood chair in the Auberge’s bar, Tam making me eat some spaghetti, then some how we moved up to our terrace. I was not asleep during any of this time, but not really awake either.
The next day I felt marginally better, we headed out to the local market for some local breakfast of mutton curry with pancakes. It was great and something I could eat every day.

Just out side market guy came up to me and wanted a high-5 but grabbed my wrist instead. He then held on to me as hard as he could, I could tell he was trying to hurt me. I broke the lock easily, to which he responded by kicking me in the shin as hard as he could. It was not a good kick and did not hurt I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I think he wanted me to go down. Was he trying to mug me? The years of martial arts practice came back to me (despite the more years of not practising). I went into fight stance with out thinking. I scoped out his body position,
I planned my attack. I felt that I was sort of back in control of the situation, but I stopped myself from going on the attack. I just stared at him. I did not know what was going on… the guy looked like he wanted to fight a few people around started to shout (not sure what) and I kept starring at him. I was not going to attack nor would I risk turning my back on this person who attacked me for no reason. I was a good head taller then him but he looked fit. His grip and kick were not powerful, but I was not sure that I could take him. I may remember the stances and moves but after 15yr of not practising could I really defend myself like I once could? I did not know if I could take him with minimal force, so all my instincts were yelling “if this turns ugly, treat this as life and death, do not try to subdue but try to take down permanently” It was a scary bunch of thoughts that I have not had in years. From many a door way the local’s shouts were getting angry, but no one moved.

Then he left. With as little warning as the first attack, he just turned and left. I did not understand what happened was it some kind of cultural misunderstanding or was he mentally unbalanced or was he a nut job drug head. I did not know. I was glad it was over, but I was angry. I spent the next 3 hours feeling like a Gecko brother.

I, in retro, realised he had a mouth full of yellowish crumbs, that we have seen on a lot of the really older people. If it was only a cola nut or more I don’t know. We headed again to the market for lunch. We sampled some more of the local foods and enjoyed ourselves being the tourists that we are. I purchased a huge watermelon and headed home. We saw the attacker 2 more times, I don’t know if he saw us but he did nothing. I did observe him steal some food from one vendor, yelled aggressively to a few other people, and hit (or tried to) yet an other person. Although I cant be sure, sometimes the Dogon language sounds harsh to me but the reactions of people around me told me that at very least he was a bully. The rest of day was trying to get me over my fatigue that seemed to be getting worse not better. Tam did some more laundry, as she attempted to clean our very ripe bike gear.

That was our last day in Bandigara and for all in tense and purposes our last day in Mali. The next day we arose early and started to pack up our gear, although I was still extremely tired. At about 0730h I looked over the edge of our balcony to see Tiemo waving from the end of the street. I got Tam up and we went down to say our goodbyes and thank you. I was great that he came to see us off. That was his express reason for being up so early too. Thanks again Tiemoko you are a friend.

After a quick breakfast Bouba, asked us if we kept track of the food and drinks that we have had. He was very happy that Tam was keeping track as he could only remember about half of it. Ironically the 4 days there and all the food and drink we wanted was still cheaper then a couple of days in other hotels alone. We went out to the bike to be cheered on by what seemed like the entire staff of the hotel as well as much of the town. So if you ever find yourself in Bandigara, Mali I whole-heartedly suggest the Auberge Kansay!!!

On our way out of town we passed the attacker from the day before. Now we were in full bike gear with helmets on and visors down so there is no was he could have know who it was and yet he struck out at Anubis. I gunned the engine leaving him a cloud of smoke and flying rocks and sand. I am more convinced then ever that he was either on drugs or mentally unstable. Either way he is lucky that it was us that he was playing with, many people I know would not have walked away. I also think that he is not doing the town any favours and one day he will annoy enough people and they will do something. If he is on drugs I don’t care what they do to him (kill him for all I care), if mentally unstable I hope they can find him some help. Unfortunately I feel that it is most likely that he will come to an unpleasant end.

From Bandiagara we headed back to San, the turning point for Bamako or Burkina Faso. This included a 10km stretch of rough piste that was a detour. We had taken it once before on the way to Djenne but it had degraded a bit in the last week, probably due to the rains. About half way though the piste both Tam and I noticed a lot of banging and knocking coming from the rear. Once we were safely off the piste we examined the luggage rack and found that it had sheared off the main mount point for the panniers. Knowing the rest of the route was good bitumen I was not too concerned about it and would deal with it once we were at the hotel. The remainder of the ride was uneventful. We enjoyed a roadside lunch in a tin shack lean to in San. After which Tam would not agree to carry a watermelon the 1k (on the bike) to the hotel. Disappointed, we went back to the hotel, and although my illness was not over, I had to fix the bike. So I spent the next two hours MacGuyvering a new bracket. While Tam stayed in the room working on the computer, although this seemed extremely unfair at the time it turns out that she was coming down with the illness that is afflicting me. We had an early night as tomorrow we hit country number 9: Burkina Faso!

Mali has been a great place, it started out great, had a low in Bamako and finished on an awesome high in the Dogon valley. The people (as a general rule) are nice and helpful. They have the balance of working with tourist and not thinking of them as walking wallets about right. Unlike some places they still make friend with their clients and form relationships that are not only finical. It is a friendly place, it is place where I feel like I have made friends. I have noticed that of all the African countries so far Mali has had the most aid from foreign countries. I don’t know if this helps them or hinders them. I don’t know if all the pressure to be like Europe or the US is a good thing. I do know that there lives are based on hard physical work and labours, I do not think if this is a bad thing, I do not know if it is a sad thing that many want the easily life they think that we have. There is a beauty and simplicity of many of the rural Malian’s lives that I envy, there is many things that I don’t know. But I do know that Mali has become a place that will remain in my heart for many years to come and that I have left a bit of myself there.