The wall decorations in my gf's childhood room in the village of Fana, Mali A directionless post has been a long time coming. And now, with my brain T'ed off on 3 Malian teas (think diabetes), I will write one. 1. It will be numbered, though. I developed a strain of...
Month: February 2012
Want to Experience the Energy at Festival sur le Niger? Watch this
I just returned to Bamako from the Festival sur le Niger in Segou. Most festivals are removed from reality in the best way possible, but this weekend was particularly incredible. I plan on returning every year. This is a clip from Salif Keita's Saturday night...
Bamako Balani Shows: Streetside Music, Theater and Dance
Please read this post if you haven't already. I'm about to talk about block parties in Bamako, but there is still a refugee crisis in the Sahel. A few weeks ago I spent an evening on the most crowded street corner of the quinzambougou neighborhood in Bamako. Chris...
2 Easy Ways you Can Help over 20,000 Malian Refugees Right Now
UPDATE 2/10/11: My host family from Timbuktu has made it to Mauritania. They are staying in the border town of Fassala. They are safe. The UNHCR has a camp there and the family reports that they have shelter and (limited) food. People continue to arrive in a steady...
2012 Festival au Désert in Words and Photos + Update from Bamako
I recapped the Festival briefly in this post. The event was over two weeks ago. A lot has changed in northern Mali (and in Bamako, you could say) since then. I will address this to an extent later in the post. I will also list some resources for you to follow. I first...
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Scoot West Africa

Want to travel with me in West Africa? A friend and I run scooter trips in the region. scootwestafrica.com.
Things I write about
The Great Jakarta Tour of Far West Africa Part 1: Bamako to Dakar
That time I got married in Mali
Bamako to Abidjan by bus: a chance to get intimate with the hot season
You Bring the Yam, I’ll Bring the Fire
Drawing Camels with 100 Different People in Bamako in 24 Hours
A photo essay: Bamako taxi interiors
A Cocktail Shaker and 10 meters of Fabric in Adjame Market
My sheep, sail boats on the Niger, dance contests and other photos from Mali

