Reflections on Bamako..
Trip Start
Jun 20, 2009
1
7
Trip End
Aug 04, 2009
Bamako, Mali
Friday, August 7, 2009
On first look Bamako is a hot, dusty, chaotic city - the river and the sandstone escarpments add some much needed charm but the stark and brutal poverty, grime and for lack of a better word - 'muck', continually assaults the senses. This isn't a tourist city. Living in Bamako for better part of 4 weeks however, has opened my eyes to the rich social fabric that unites the people and creates a uniquely African experience.
For a place that is so desperately poor, Bamako had surprisingly a lot on offer in terms of great restaurants, cheap food, great music and a vibrant night life. The city's locals love to dress up and have a good time. Be warned - you will feel a tad out of place in jeans and a nice top if you go to any of the city's night spots. Women and men, strut around in long flowing dresses and full suits, without breaking into a sweat, even as temperatures hit 35 degrees in the shade. In a city where being poor is the norm, a nice dress, jewellery and some make up can separate you from the milieu and automatically indicates a certain status. This attitude manifests itself in so many ways - from the 'special vip' entrances to clubs to the way business is conducted in a stuffy, formal manner. To dress down is frowned upon - so remember to pack your best clothes if you are ever visiting Bamako! And don't forget to bring your party shoes - the city's residents love to party and clubs are open till the wee hours of the morning. The clubs are not expat dominated, as one would expect. Night time is when you really see Bamako's young middle class. Another strange quirk, considering Bamako is 96% muslim - the city is more liberal than my home town of Bangalore, where women are stoned for going to night clubs, where dancing is 'forbidden' and bars close by 1130. Bamako - you win hands down in the night life department.
The French not only left Bamako their language but also blessed the city with the art of baking! The number of rottiseries, pattiseries and boulangeries is jaw-dropping and you can see a number of informal bread making businesses around every corner. It also means that you simply cannot find a loaf of sliced bread in Bamako. Believe me, I tried. French bread styled rolls are the way to go.
And then there are the taxis. Machines in Mali are doomed to die. Quickly. The dust grinds everything down and it doesn't help that most cars are 30 years old (no kidding) and are put together from spare parts that have been discarded by the Europeans. I have not seen older, dirtier (yes, goats are often passengers), fly infested and more retro looking cars in my life. But guess what, not a single one of the taxis ever broke down. One can always take the pulse of a city by watching people drive - the patience and tolerance of foolhardy maneuvers is quite amazing. Cars often cut in front of one another with a simple 'thumbs up' gesture that is enough to pacify the driver. Similar moves will elicit the middle finger in any other part of the world. Road rage is non-existent and strangers talk to one another while stuck in traffic jams - in Bamako it seems that everyone is united by their daily struggles and people take it all in their stride with good humour.
Interactions between the locals are truly amusing - A long drawn out greeting is part of the social norm where you are asked about the well being of yourself, your wife, your family, your village, your goats.....before any other business is talked about! The entire exchange is done at a furious pace in Bambara or the local language, but it gives you an indication of how important relationships are to Malians. Interactions are also easily misunderstood by foreigners and often it seems that people are yelling at one another, when they are simply joking or striking up conversation. Tension is always diffused by laughter and I hardly ever saw any aggression.
Religion is layered over a social fabric and common culture that binds people uniquely. Islam is predominant yet it's presence is only felt during the daily time of prayers. It doesn't influence social interactions like it does in some other countries. Social class, family integrity, tribe allegiances and clans are the dominant influence and religion is just another layer. Bamako is truly an inspiration to the muslim world! As a woman, I was always respected, treated fairly and never felt unsafe. Crime is virtually non-existent and the city while economically poor but socially rich.
In the end, one word sums up my experience in Mali - Endurance. Endurance of the heat, the noise, the dirt and the grime. Endurance of the women, who are the engines of the economy, carrying babies on their back while they work in the hot sun everyday. Endurance of social workers and ngos that fight bureaucracy and corruption. Endurance of the business men that deal with incompetence and red tape. Endurance of the common people as they live a hard life where even the simplest of things are difficult to accomplish. Endurance of the machines, of mud houses, of creatures, of farmers who survive the harsh sahelian climate. Endurance thrives in Mali. It simply has to.
