Trek Through Africa: MALI (Day 51-55)

Day 51 : Tuesday 12th Jan - Senegal / Mali

Still felt tired, had breakfast then started to feel ill, me and Kristin are too ill to do cooking, so Niels, Rekki and Esther are doing it. Filled up with water at a town. Slow going all day on a very poor road, we had to fill in large holes with rocks several times. At the border we had to cut down a lot of bush and build the road down to the river which took hours Fording the River Started to feel ill with stomach cramps. Fell asleep at the side of the river while everyone else went swimming.


Day 52 : Wednesday 13th Jan - Mali

Started off on the road ( track ) to Bamako the capital, can only make 15 km/h at best. Drove all day till 9 at night.


Day 53 : Thursday 14th Jan - Mali

Mali is a police state so we have to check in with the police everywhere. This is usually to pay them a bribe instead of a larger fine later. After doing this they then would not let us use a massive stone bridge across a river unless we paid them even more, told them to piss-off, and we drove on to find another bridge. Bought a large piece of goat meat and decided to have our main meal at lunch time. Found a ferry that could get our truck across, them made a barbecue with the goat. Drove on till 11:00 at night then slept on the truck, could not get my mosquito net up properly and slept badly.


Day 54 : Friday 15th Jan - Keto, Mali

Made breakfast early. The road is poor and the going slow. Getting hotter now. Truck got a puncture, while it was being mended I set off walking down the road, walked about 5 km to the nearest town, on the way I met a Ghanaian called Godwill Annan, he was a good laugh. We waited at a well in the centre of town for the truck but it did not arrive. After 3 hours I decided to walk back and see what had happened. Met it after a mile, they had to do some extra work on it. Went back into the town for shopping.


Day 55 : Saturday 16th Jan - Mali

Got up late thinking that Bamako was just down the road. The drive was very slow and bumpy. Stopped at a dirty town built round a railway station, the kids there were a pain. Drove all day expecting to cross a river for a wash, but when we got there it had dried up.