Rewind to Mopti and Sevare

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MERCI BEAUCOUP!

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I have just completed a day of pure laziness...and it was wonderful!  My biggest outing was this morning when I decided to walk to the muslim cemetary (incredibly uneventful except I got lost).  After about an hour winding through the streets of Segou relatively unharrassed by people wanting to sell me something (which I considered a small blessing), I arrived back at my hotel.  I took coffee, then about an hour later ordered hummus (the hotel is owned by a Lebonese family) and a Coca.  I read a few more chapters in my book and then decided to move the party poolside :).

My piece of heaven in Segou!

I widdled away the entire afternoon here...got a little bit of color today to prove it :).

Before I forget to mention it again, I have to talk about all the Obama shirts, backpacks and bags I see on a daily basis.  Usually it is little kids sporting well worn t-shirts that are decorated with the stars and strips and Obama's big ole head right in the center.  Typical wording on  the shirt includes "hope" or "change" or "yes, we can."  Generally speaking they do love him here.  A question I typically get asked is, "How is Obama doing?" However, like at home, support is waning.  I have been surprised at some of the opinions expressed to me.

This guy studied this Obama shirt for a good few minutes...I couldn't wait any longer to see if he ended up buying it!

Now to go backwards just a few days to my time in Sevare and Mopti.  Mopti is a major port town on the Niger river and trading center between the north and south (I would have taken a pinasse from Mopti to Timbuktu had safety circumstances been different). Sevare is a 10 minute drive south of Mopti and was the towned I stayed at before and after my trip to Dogon Country.  I was able to get a small glimpse of each of these towns during my 2 night visit.

The woman's market in Sevare.

It happens everyday.  

A boy by the name of Allah guided me through the market.

This part of the market was the vegetable market.

Allah's mom works in this market selling potatos and sweet potatos...I got to meet her.

The colors of the Mali countryside is usually red, brown and green....but the markets are vivid array of colors.  There is always so much to take in.

Oh, Goodness...the chicken market.

I received a bit of a shock when the chicken seller killed one right in front of me...I wasn't expecting it or that much blood.  Needless to say my little friend, Allah, got me out of there rather quick.

These are the rice fields on the way from Sevare to Mopti.

At the mosque in Mopti I was greeted by this herd of children all clamoring for a picture....so they got their wish :)

Salt from the Sahara!

There are slabs of it for animals to lick as well as finely granulated for cooking.  I bought myself a little back of the cooking salt....50 CFAs (10 cents).  Best deal so far in Mali...I had to ask again if the salt seller was serious about the price.

A look at all the pinasses in port in Mopti.

My guide from the Dogon, A.G., also took me around Mopti.

Shea butter...all natural!

These guys were off loading a ton of smoked fish. 

As they took them off the boat they packaged them in the big cardboard boxes.  Some would be sold in Mopti, others were headed to Timbuktu and even Burkina Faso.

Sunset on the Bani River.  Mopti is surrounded by the Niger and Bani rivers.

My swiss friends!!!  It was like a little homecoming...we had slept in the same campemente in Dogon one night and really enjoyed eachother.  It was fun to run into them in Mopti.

A.G. has us pinasse it back to our 4X4 to go back to Sevare.

Mopti at night.

Tomorrow I head back to Bamako.  I think I have to be in the car with my original guide, Mo, for the 3 hour drive.  He is quite the hustler...and I am sure he will use the time to try and extract as many pennies out of me as he can in the last 48 hours we have together (he has been doing that for the last 14 days so why stop now).  He is kinda the high stress type...like a little piece of NYC in Africa.  Frankly I am not a fan of him...but he is who I am stuck with. He is the one aspect of this trip I would definitely do differently next time.

Back to my hotel to share some conversation with one of the young guys that works there...then back to the room to make sure all my laundry is drying (I guess I wasn't that lazy today cuz I did do laundry!). 

Catch ya again in Bamako....which will be my last posting in Mali!