Day 6: Cliff Descent

  Nombori, Mali
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Morning on the cliff-top village of Begnimato, where we spent the previous night with a bunch of Dutch trekkers, begins well: two strong coffees, then my first visit in a number of years to a long drop 'facility'. Textbook. Clean as a whistle, and I admit to a little pride in my job.

We head off at 8am through a rocky world of mini-oases and patches of shocking blonde scrubland. The wind is strong but refreshing up here and after some good photo-ops we come upon Dourou. This is the one Dogon village connected to the world by a road (just!) and the urban contamination is evident in some of the children. It also seems dirtier than the other villages. However, I have a chill-out afternoon in the campement and even venture shower and shave, although the water direction is largely determined by the wind!
 
The toilet facilities are probably worth a mention at this point. While the locals are generally happy to squat in the open, provided they're more than 6yds from the nearest bystander (bizarrely, men go down on one knee to pee!), the sensibilities of the Toubab (foreigner) are catered for with roofless mud hut toilettes, complete with sack-cloth door, a packed-earth floor and, occasionally, a shiny white porcelain Shanks toilet bowl, plumbed straight into a hole in the ground. No seat obviously, but not bad for the middle of nowhere!  On the flip-side, one can also be faced with the hole-in-the-floor approach, the acceptability of which is directly proportional to the height of the inevitable 'shit-cone' rising from below; apologies for that image!
 
I happen upon three Londoners in Dourou Campement and it turns out they finish their trek and head back to Mopti same day as me. They are also looking for people for a boat trip and the possibility of us taking my boat to TMBK2 is on the cards. They are heading in the opposite direction but we agree to meet for beers on Thursday at Ya Pas de Probleme. 
 
Late afternoon and we head off for the cliff descent. Bouba has a good habit of not giving away any surprises. The photo ops on the gorge descent are great, but the first peep of the pink sand dunes and immense sandstone cliffs are fantastic - a camera-fumbling moment.