Melissa, I love reading your letters, I feel like I'm traveling along with
you. I read it to my 10 year old who wanted to find the places on a map.
Thanks for sharing.
Renee
-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Enderle [mailto:melissa@afribone.net.ml]
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 10:25 AM
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Subject: River Trip to Timbuktu
Hi all,
Although this letter took longer than I anticipated, I finally have it done.
Here is the first of three emails regarding my trip to Timbuktu and Dogon. I
hope you enjoy it!
Niger River Trip to Timbuktu
Although it is possible to reach the fabled city of Timbuktu by modern
transportation (car or airplane), we chose to go by pinasse on the Niger
River. Although it considerably lengthened our time spent in transit (a 4WD
vehicle can go from Mopti to Timbuktu in about 6 hours), the nearly three
days spent on the river up to Timbuktu and two days back to Mopti were
romantic, leisurely, and filled with scenes that could come right out of
National Geographic.
On the 26th of December, we boarded the pinasse in Mopti, the main port
city in Mali. Many pirogues (narrow dugout canoes) had already docked on the
shore, with the fishermen hastily unloading their morning catch. Making the
journey to Timbuktu were the Director of AISB where I work, her adopted
8-year-old daughter, a music teacher from Kenya International School, our
guide, the three-crew members of the boat, and me.
The Niger, Source of Life for many
As we departed Mopti, boys and young men in pirogues were throwing out their
nets in hopes of catching capitane and other local fish. Typically, these
fishermen would be from the Bozo ethnic group, traditional fishermen of the
Niger. One could spot an occasional donkey cart on the shores of the river,
as well as women washing clothes in the river, and special pumps with hoses
that enabled nearby fields to be irrigated. Women pounded millet in much the
same manner that their ancestors pounded the grain staple food. Children
from the Bozo and Fulani (ethnic group that traditionally are the cattle
herders) villages enthusiastically waved and greeted us as our pinasse
(essentially a larger version of the pirogue boat and with a domed canopy
woven from grasses) passed by. Suddenly children would come out of homes or
stop their chores including tending the nets, pounding millet, or tending
cattle.
Occasionally, another pinasse would pass us by, typically equipped with a
larger motor. Some pinasses were transporting tourists to Timbuktu,
including a boatload of Asian tourists equipped with camcorders, cameras,
and other fancy gadgets. Other pinasses heavily laden with local passengers,
produce, motor bikes, and even sheep.
In order to reach our destination in a timely manner, we knew that it was
important to keep the boat moving rather than making stops. Fish was often
purchased from the fishermen just pulling up their nets. It was cooked over
a hot coal "stove" right on the boat. On the same hot surface water was
heated for tea or Nescafe. Spaghetti and potatoes were other common meals.
For dessert we had watermelon - for some reason, it was especially fun to
spit the seeds out into the water.
Although it took us longer to reach our destination, our slower motor
enabled us to see and enjoy the abundant activity occurring both in the
water and along its shores. Near the Fulani village of Seweri, we had the
opportunity to witness cattle crossing the river, sometimes with only their
head, horns, and humped back sticking out of the water.
The Niger River, especially in the flood plain area around Mopti, is an
ornithologist's delight, filled with numerous types of birds, many of which
are migratory. White herons, finches and kingfishers lined the shores.
Others swooped through the sky in a huge flock, changing direction and color
simultaneously. At times the river became rather narrow, enabling a closer
view of life along the shore.
After a supper of fish caught by a Bozo fisherman and some rice cooked right
on the boat, we watched the sunset be replaced by a full moon and a glorious
array of stars. With the moon illuminating our way, the crew navigated until
we reached the seasonal Lake Débo. The tents we pitched provided some
protection against the mosquitoes and other pests, but not against the
chilly air. We got up a little after 5:30 am so our boat could cross the
lake before the waves got too rough. Even though the lake was quite wide, it
was also rather shallow, with patches of weeds already showing up in areas.
One could also see piles of sticks anchored but floating, indicating good
fishing or the depth of the water.
The first village we stopped at was Aka. It had a mixture of people from the
ethnic groups Bozo, Balla (former slaves of the Tuareg), Fulani, and
Songhay. Like most villages along the river, it had no hospital, doctor, or
even a school. The mud brick structures had a definite Moor influence,
similar to some of the architecture I saw in Djenne. I found it rather
ironic and amusing to see TV antennae amongst some of these mud structures.
Near the village we spotted wild monkeys in the tall weeds.
Later on in the day we stopped in the village of Niafounki, home to Mali's
blues musician Ali Farkatouré. I was surprised at the large size of the
town, complete with a bustling market. In the congested market, bras were
being sold right next to a stall selling the to and other local foods,
roots, enamel cookware, plastic goods, and huge hunks of dangling meat. In
the street, women were baking pita-like bread in open stoves. Some of this
was purchased, providing a break from the baguette bread we normally had for
breakfast. In addition to the fish and vegetables purchased in the town, the
local bread provided a wonderful supper. A little past the shores of
Niafounki, we once again slept on the shores of the Niger.
Once again up at 5:40, we headed to our final destination, although slowed
by rough waters. To get our fish for lunch, the crew parked the boat by a
tiny village composed of temporary dwellings of the Songhay and Balla
groups. We took this opportunity to meet the local people and stretch our
legs. Some of the children were completely naked or scantily clothed. Others
were dressed in ragged western clothes. Evidently not getting many
light-skinned visitors, we were quite the curiosity to them. Small fish was
being smoked over the hot coals. Chickens and sheep were wandering about.
Prior to taking off, we gave the children (many with runny noses) some
crackers and our empty water bottles.
For several different ethnic groups, the Niger River provided a livelihood
as well as a source of life. The Bozo people are known as the fishermen.
Especially prominent in the Niger River flood plain near Mopti, they can be
seen throwing out nets or special traps to catch capitane and other fish.
Their homes are typically made from mud brick, sometimes with a roof covered
with grass. The Fulani traditionally are the cattle herdsmen. They wander in
search for grass and water for their cattle. The Songhay are more common
closer to Timbuktu. They often grow rice in the wet season and either raise
cattle or fish, especially in the dry season. Some homes of the Songhay
people are mud brick while others are more temporary. The Balla people,
former slaves of the Tuareg people, are essentially a mixture of different
ethnic groups stripped of their identity. Along the Niger, the Balla try to
survive through fishing. Like their Tuareg counterparts, the Balla typically
live in non-permanent domed tent-like homes and can be rather nomadic.
Along the shore, vegetation began changing from the grassy and almost marshy
areas nearer Mopti to few to no shrubs in the sandy soil. Some trees were
growing in the water, most likely on dry land during the height of the dry
season. During the third day on the boat, the shore became sandier. One
could see where the level of the water had been during the rainy season,
carved in the sandy ground.
Ever nearing our destination, we spotted a hippo. At first only the
uppermost part of its head and body was sticking out of the water. Then it
gave a half-hearted yawn. Anxiously watching the unusual site until it was
beyond our view, we were once again reminded why the slower river travel is
also a more memorable method. The river's edge began changing from the green
provided by the flood plain to fringes of the Sahara. Tiny villages
continued to dot the river's edge. I found it so odd to see TV antennae in
these remote and sometimes transient villages with no running water and
solar panels providing the means of power for the televisions. A few donkeys
and even some horses were seen, typically hitched to a cart or doing other
manual labor.
