105 Degrees 5pm in the shade
Scenery as we entered Mali
After successfully completing our pirogue trip on the Niger River, we accomplished everything we wanted in Niger and made our way over to the border with Mali. We entered with no problems; it wasn’t until we actually entered into Gao that things turned sour. The entire town seems a bit desolate; flat, sandy streets lined with mud brick homes. The heat was intense and we were all getting edgy. IT was time to get out of the sun and relax. We wanted to check in with the police first thing just to avoid problems since we read that this is the procedure in the guide books. It turns out that the police ARE the problem. They required more forms and photos from us in order to spend one night in Gao than we need to fill in order to get our 5 year visa to Mali. Ultimately, I had to make my French worse and ultimately pretend to not understand a word hoping to move things alone.
The males of Gao are persistent.
Every man in this town seems to be a tout. They all followed us in the room to attempt to speak on our behalf. Of course, they all had suggestions that they gave to the police officer where we were spending the night. I got really mad that first of all, we don’t need their help, and secondly we do not want a safari anywhere, no desire to ride a camel at this time, no desire to stay in a hotel, no SPACE even for the stupid passport stamp that doesn’t mean anything anyhow! I got so frustrated that I left the room and went back to the car where David was waiting and also being pestered by touts swarming the vehicle. Bobby and Peta returned with our unnecessary passport stamps that cost us 1,000 CFA each.
Market scene
We drove around this blasted town for hours trying to find a place to stay. Guys on motorbikes were thinking that they were leading us to their /friend’s /cousin’s hotel. We had no intention of following them, we just happened to be going in the same direction while they are diligently signaling. Once we turned on the street that we were looking for they grew very worried we went the wrong way and rushed after us. David yells at them that we aren’t following them and to please go away and we start this whole process over again.
We were all overheated, flustered, and starving. We stopped in a restaurant that serves 3 things. Not bad but a bit strange, just like everything else in this town. We met a robed and turbaned man from Amsterdam who was walking to Jerusalem; he is taking quite a detour going via Africa. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon looking for Camping Euro or the Sahara Passion. Never found the latter, it just seemed to disappear like a mirage.
On a positive note: the women here are fantastic. For as aggressive and persistent the men are, the women are friendly and laid back. This is also the first time in Africa that we have seen women driving motorbikes; some even carrying men on the back.
We found a place to stay, actually one of the first places that we stopped to ask directions. It was a campment right on the big, dusty plaza by the Algerian Consulate. The proprietor was a nice Nigerian big mama. We drank lots of drinks and ate dinner there, big mama made a nice and simple meal. During dinner there was a remarkable rain storm; amazing to witness considering this is a part of the world that is seldom blessed with heavy rain.
Gao has left everyone frazzled and we are eager to get on the road to Timbuktu!
105 Degrees 5pm in the shade
After successfully completing our pirogue trip on the Niger River, we accomplished everything we wanted in Niger and made our way over to the border with Mali. We entered with no problems; it wasn’t until we actually entered into Gao that things turned sour. The entire town seems a bit desolate; flat, sandy streets lined with mud brick homes. The heat was intense and we were all getting edgy. IT was time to get out of the sun and relax. We wanted to check in with the police first thing just to avoid problems since we read that this is the procedure in the guide books. It turns out that the police ARE the problem. They required more forms and photos from us in order to spend one night in Gao than we need to fill in order to get our 5 year visa to Mali. Ultimately, I had to make my French worse and ultimately pretend to not understand a word hoping to move things alone.
Every man in this town seems to be a tout. They all followed us in the room to attempt to speak on our behalf. Of course, they all had suggestions that they gave to the police officer where we were spending the night. I got really mad that first of all, we don’t need their help, and secondly we do not want a safari anywhere, no desire to ride a camel at this time, no desire to stay in a hotel, no SPACE even for the stupid passport stamp that doesn’t mean anything anyhow! I got so frustrated that I left the room and went back to the car where David was waiting and also being pestered by touts swarming the vehicle. Bobby and Peta returned with our unnecessary passport stamps that cost us 1,000 CFA each.
We drove around this blasted town for hours trying to find a place to stay. Guys on motorbikes were thinking that they were leading us to their /friend’s /cousin’s hotel. We had no intention of following them, we just happened to be going in the same direction while they are diligently signaling. Once we turned on the street that we were looking for they grew very worried we went the wrong way and rushed after us. David yells at them that we aren’t following them and to please go away and we start this whole process over again.
We were all overheated, flustered, and starving. We stopped in a restaurant that serves 3 things. Not bad but a bit strange, just like everything else in this town. We met a robed and turbaned man from Amsterdam who was walking to Jerusalem; he is taking quite a detour going via Africa. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon looking for Camping Euro or the Sahara Passion. Never found the latter, it just seemed to disappear like a mirage.
On a positive note: the women here are fantastic. For as aggressive and persistent the men are, the women are friendly and laid back. This is also the first time in Africa that we have seen women driving motorbikes; some even carrying men on the back.
We found a place to stay, actually one of the first places that we stopped to ask directions. It was a campment right on the big, dusty plaza by the Algerian Consulate. The proprietor was a nice Nigerian big mama. We drank lots of drinks and ate dinner there, big mama made a nice and simple meal. During dinner there was a remarkable rain storm; amazing to witness considering this is a part of the world that is seldom blessed with heavy rain.
Gao has left everyone frazzled and we are eager to get on the road to Timbuktu!
Scenery as we entered Mali
