Moving on to Djenne

So, my head barely touched the pillow before I was awoken by a phone call at 7am, to say the ride to Djenne had been cancelled and I was better off catching the bus at 8am. I was all ready to go and after locating a taxi, managed to get to the bus station around 8.30pm. Somatra travel loosely operates a first come first served basis. The bus wasn’t yet loaded, and there seemed to be constant arguments about passengers and storage of goods. We managed to leave around 9.30, people and goods packed in. I sat fairly near the front, and was cooled by the air coming into the bus through the drivers window, great when it was moving, but the heat built quickly as soon as it stopped.

We headed in an easterly direction nearly all the time, roughly working in parallel to the great river Niger. Around five hours later, the bus stopped at Djenne Carrefour (Junction) and a few of us stepped across the road to the bush taxi rank. Seydou had arranged a motorbike to pick me up, so I deposited my big suitcase on the taxi roof for 1000 CFA (£1.50), arranging for it to be left at the taxi depot in the square in Djenne. I waited for Oumar; a man in a green Boubou on a black bike was the only description id had. I waved off the taxi and the USA Peace Corps guys I’d danced with at the Bar the night before. The bike arrived, not quite the Harley id dreamed of, but he we went at a good pace, despite the pot holes, wind in my hair, just the way I like it. At one of the villages we passed the bush taxi, off loading someone or something. Djenne is situated on a bend of the Bani River, a tributary of the Niger. At Sanouna, where the small motorized ferry crosses, I was deposited, camera in hand, on the waters edge, while the bike was lifted into a tiny Pirogue. Two minutes later we were on the other side and were whizzing along the road again. The road is raised here, like a causeway, so there is a great view across the low marshes. On either side pools blooming with water lilies, rice, rich green pasture full of birds, cows, and Fulani herds people.

The road was busy with horse drawn carts, motorbikes, donkey carts and bush Taxis leaving the busy market which make Djenne a tourist magnet on Mondays. After crossing the small bridge into town, Oumar took me for a spin around the towns outer perimeter. The town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is made of a pale local mud. Re coated most years, the building become organic rounded forms Im here to work with the top master mason to learn about the practical process of building and maintaining houses here. After checking in to my hotel and being shown my room, which to my delight had a bed with a thick mattress, a toilet, a shower and a sink (luxuries I will always appreciate after 35 days sleeping on the floor, drawing my own water from the well and washing in a bucket).

A picture diary

Sunset over the Bani-bo	Solo, Salif Keita's Drummer
Messing around with Madou	Jhony Chancel, Dancer - with one of my artworks
Meeting with Salif Keita	Lettre du l'eau et du Feu 5
Letter of Water and Fire	La Petroleuse Vanessa
Excuse me while I kiss the ...	Fixing my watering calabush.
Donkey carts as far as the eye can see.	A view towards Djenne.
A Balanzan Tree.	De Bacou Traore.
Habib bowing kisses at my camera.	A cool interior in Ton's house.
Another blue period piece.	And another!