Dogon, Mali

On Monday (7th March) morning we went to the Ghana Embassy in Bamako and guess what, it was holiday in Ghana so they were closed! We are not having a great time with embassies at the moment but we went straight to the Burkina Faso one to try our luck there. It was open and they issued the visas while we waited but they have gone up an extortionate amount to 47000CFA/72euros each!!! We headed out of town to Kangaba Camping for the night-where a massive spider had taken up residence in the bathroom-then back again in the morning for the Ghana visas, or so we thought! Since January, they have changed the rules and if there is a Ghana embassy in your home country, you must apply there. We have since found out that if we had got it in England or Spain we would have to specify a date of entry, which of course we have no idea and it has to be used within 3months of issue, so it would have run out whilst we were in the country as we were planning on staying for a long time. Enough time, money and kilometers wasted so we got back on the road to Dogon.
We spent 2 days bush camping on route to Dogon where we were serenaded by wolves howling at all hours and I didnt even dare go out for a pee in the night! We arrived in Dogon the next morning expecting to be swarmed by guides after reading the guide book. It wasn´t as bad as we thought and got chatting to Ali 'Ali Baba', who is a native Dogon guide. He took us for our first Malian meal of steak, green beans and chips. mmm! We negotiated a tour around the area for 17500CFA/27euro per person per day, stayed in Toguna camping at the entrace to the town (very basic) and met Ali early the next morning. The tour was extremely surprising.
The first day we set off around the villages of the southern plateau handing out hallucinagenic drugs (kola nuts) to the village elders which we had bought the day before. I could have easily swapped Adam for a few bags of kola nuts with the lady from the local shop. . . she didn't want him to leave! As we walked around the villages the children were holding my hands and wouldn't let go, very different to the rest of Mali where they all run and hide or shout 'toubab' (whiteman) wherever we go. At another village we climbed up the rock escarpment into the tiny mud structure houses of the Dogon and Pygmy tribes. They used to live up there for protection from other tribes and wild animals but now they are abandoned as they are so hard to get to and the villagers live in newer towns below the cliffs. It was so nice not to be hassled by the children for gifts and the people selling things suggested very reasonable prices so we bought a few bits and they left us alone.
After a lunch of rice, sauce and lamb we left the car parked at a camping area and trekked 6km through the cliffs to a brilliant campsite on the upper plateau. It was hard going but worth it for the view and a nice cool breeze which was a lovley change from the soaring temperatures of up to 49degrees!!! There were a few other tourists at the top, Americans, Canadians and Italians and another guide, Omar who we had met in Bamako-his dad is a great Musician and has taught many famous Malian Musicians. Everyone had dinner (rice and chicken) then all of the music students had a bit of an unplugged session into the early hours. Fantastic! Sleeping on a mattress on the roof with just a mosquito net between us and the stars was great too.
Next morning we had tea and homemade doughnuts which were delicious, then it was a tour of the village with everything from anamists to hunters, with all of their prize catches strung up outside their houses (monkeys, cats, lizards). Another hike back down the cliffs before it was too hot, through valleys and ravines with homemade bridges and staircases across them, stopping on the way for lunch (rice, sauce and goat) and a very relaxing foot and leg massage-it is such hard work travelling! By now the heat was really getting to me so we went back to the campsite for the evening and had a few beers with Ali to say goodbye.
Next day we passed through the border into Burkina Faso with no problems at all except that the carnet for the car is not accepted here so we had to pay 5000CFA/8euro for a temporary import permit. We bush camped on the way to the capital and it is not as hot here but the flies are unbearable. We got to Ouaga and paid someone to show us the way to the Ghana embassy but once again were told that we cannot get a visa as we are not residents. We have found a free camping for truckers with a pool and wifi, so we will stay here then go to Bobo in a few days and try for the visas at the border (fingers crossed). If not it will be a shame as we really wanted to see Ghana and spend some time there. . speaking English. . .with the sea to swim in . . . and the cool Atlantic breeze!!!!!



Lunes (7 de marzo) nos fuimos a la embajada de Ghana en busca de los visados, como siempre con nuestro suerte estaba cerrado ( Fiesta en Ghana). Asi nos fuimos en busca de la embajada de Bukina Faso y esta vez tuvimos suerte y nos entregaron los visados en un par de horas cuando suelen tardar 2 dias.
Nos costo 47000 CFA (72€ cada uno!!) Esa noche regresamos al camping Kangaba donde encontre la araña mas grande que he visto hasta ahora esperando me en la ducha, que susto! Por la mañana fuimos otra vez en busca de los visados de Ghana, resulta ser que en Enero cambiaron las normas y hay que ser residente del pais donde se solicita el visado (vaya!). Solo se puede pedir visados para tres meses de la fecha de solicitud. Si no sabes cuando vas a llegar, pueda ser que cumplán antes. Parece que no quieren turistas, una lastima cuando parece ser el pais mas interesante de Africa del Oeste. Teniamos ganas de tiranos al Atlantico y poder hablar ingles, aunque solo fuera por unos dias. Intentaremos de nuevo en Bukina Faso.
Asi nos fuimos camino a Dogon, donde viven los tribu en los acantilados protegido de los enemigos. Estuivmos dos dias acampados en el campo para llegar, donde escuchamos lobos por la noche.
Llegamos por la mañana de Jueves(10 marzo) a Dogon, segun el libro de guia, ibamos a estar rodeado de guias, no fue asi. Conocimos a un guia de raizes Dogon llamado Ali (Ali Baba)y fuimos a comer fillete, con verduras y patatas fritas, negociamos un precio de 17500 CFA ( unos 27€) por dia todo incluido, para llevarnos a los pueblos Dogon al otro dia.
Esa noche acampamos en el camping a la entrada del pueblo.Reunimos con Ali a las siete de la mañana y fuimos por los pueblos del plateau sur, repartiendo nueces Kola, como equivalente a hachis para los europeos. Dejamos el coche en uno de los pueblos y empezamos a subir por el acantilado hasta llegar a los pueblos escondidos, fue increible. Quien iba a saber que habia todo una civilizcion alli. Pasamos esa noche en la terraza de una caseta de barro despues de haber comido (pollo y arroz)con otro grupo de turistas de Canada, Italia y America. Nos acostamos escuchando musica de la gente tocando guitarras, uno de ellos resulto ser un hijo de uno musico mas famoso de Mali, le habiamos conocido en Bamako unos dias antes!!
Por la mañana cruzamos a otros pueblos y bajamos por otro camino cruzando acantilados increibles hasta llegar otra vez al coche, comimos y tuvimos un masaje de piernas por el masajista del pueblo, que duro es viajar!!! la temperatura rondaba ya los 49 grados.
Fuimos al camping del pueblo de nuevo, donde tomamos unas cervezas con Ali para despedirnos de el. En general lo hemos pasado muy bien.





Madrugamos la mañana de Domingo (13 de marzo) y fuimos camino a Bukina Faso, casi todo el camino de pistas de barro rojo y muchos ondulaciones! Cruzamos la frontera sin problema, pero tuvimos que pagar 5000CFA (8 euros) importacion temporal del coche, porque aqui no aceptan el carnet de passage. Aqui parece que hace menos calor, menos mal. Acampamos una noche en el campo y llegamos el Lunes (14 marzo ) al capital Ouagadougou ,fuimos directamente a la embajada de Ghana para solicitar el visado. No tuvimos suerte nos dijeron lo mismo que en Mali

hay que pedirlo en tu pais de residencia. Parece que no vamos a poder entrar, lastima.

Buscamos un Hotel/hostal/Camping en el centro de la ciudad, nos dejan acampar gratis si comemos en el hotel, al menos tienen wi-fi asi podemos ponernos al dia en el blog etc.

Aprovecharemos nuestro tiempo aqui a ver que ruta vamos a coger y si tenemos que pedir algunos visados, ya que se nos han estropellados los planes un poco.