In the morning we are rolling early. First up - a visit to Senassa Village (Sangu) the site of a male circumcision ceremony for teenage boys. Fortunately, we were not there for the ceremony. Short climb. Interesting lecture. Spectacular views.
From the site high in the hills, the village almost looks like a miniature model. Extensive paintings cover the rock wall, caves and cliff face before us. The guide tells us that the images date back millennia but are repainted/renewed every year. One painting of a large snake invokes the memory of another lecture, in another African cave, a dozen years before.
Big driving day. En route to Djénné we take a ferry across the Niger River. The four Trans-Africa tour vehicles filled the flatbed aluminum ferry for the short ride across the river.We spooked a hippo as we pulled away from the shore.
Djénné is the home of the largest mud brick mosque in the world. Many interesting sites, scenes and smells. The town has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage site. As part of that designation, UNESCO put running water into the city in 2003, with an unintended consequence - The increased water usage overwhelms inadequate sewage systems, and the wastewater outlet is primarily the street. A pungent flow runs through most major streets. At one point I almost lost my lunch in the heat and smell.
While waiting for the ferry on the ride back, I walk up to Wes, Susan and Jan looking at a pinasse on the bank. I say "That's probably like the boat we'll be in for our trip on the river." They bust out laughing, saying we were just saying we hope our boat is not like that. As it turns out, I was right.
Our third camp was in a nondescript field near a village. Mountain Sobek calls it a "Bush Camp." Sigrid is almost getting used to camping. Almost.
Bush Camp Panarama (click to enlarge)
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