From Mopti this morning we began our trek to Timbuktu. This road trip
provided a full-body experience; it was bumpy, dusty, unmarked, and long
- should we have expected anything else? Due to banditry on the main road,
we drove on a back route. Believe it or not, a place like Timbuktu has
a back route. Our driver constantly scanned the horizon and drove with
the pedal pressed to the floor. Two weeks ago a group of Tuareg bandits
ambushed a tourist convoy. They shot dead the drivers and guide. Our driver
didn't want to be the next casualty (many drivers refused to make this
trip) so he drove like a mad man. Each passenger of our three-truck convoy
had a concussion from hitting the rooftop and coughing convulsions from
the dust. After 10 hours of this offroad bump-a-thon, at times forging
a new road through the sandy Sahel, we arrived in Timbuktu. The city's
border the guards wanted a 5000 CFA bribe per person ($7 US dollars).
Our guide refused to pay and put up enough of a fuss until the guards
let us pass for nothing. Our first thoughts upon entering Timbuktu, "Is
this it?" |
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We passed a lone, mounted Tuareg nomad on the way. Camels provide the most comfortable way to travel in this region.
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To reach Timbuktu we needed to cross the inland Niger River delta. Never expected to get our feet wet in the desert.
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Timbuktu skyline. Take our word for it, this is not a party town. |
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For safety reasons we camped on the roof of this hotel.
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