On Sunday we departed for the three hour drive from the capital city, Bamako, to our small village, Kangaba. Emerging from the hustle and bustle of city life into the vast land of greenery was an experience hard to forget. In describing it I would have to say it was much like the stereotypical Africa you think about. Small mud huts with thatch roofs. Young half-naked children stopping to stare at the "tobabo" (whites). When waving at them from the window, huge smiles come across their faces as they yell to us in Bambara. There were lots of donkey carts that we passed along the road, and herds of cattle or goats to maneuver around. The road was red dirt, and as it is rainy season now, there were many grooves and ruts to dodge around as well where water would wash through. For the beginning of the journey there was a mountain range to our right, the west (i think). It was gorgeous.l At one point we stopped to take pictures of the one water fall. Later we turned away from them and then it was flat land, but very green. Occasionally we would pass by small wooded areas where the government had proclaimed it to stay untouched, or Mango groves, or rice fields. A few times we had to drive through water, but for the most part the road was dry.
Continue reading "In the beginning...."
