November 24 - December 2, 2010
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Our visit to Mali was made easy and comfortable by staying with Jennifer and Louay in their home. Patty’s daughter and her husband have had responsible positions at the American Embassy in Bamako for the last 18 months:
As difficult as life in Mali is, these two and their children have adapted very well. In their time off they take full advantage of their unique surroundings, with in-season picnics, swimming parties, rock-climbing adventures and sightseeing tours --- all the while enjoying the friendship of fellow American families. A 4WD vehicle makes the outback accessible for them and air conditioning at home compensates for outings in the heat.
Their two children attend the nearby American school. Five days a week, a housekeeper makes it possible for both parents to work. She prepares meals, cleans the house, does produce shopping, picks the kids up from school and cares for them until Jennifer and Louay return. Next June, the family will be moving to Damascus, Syria, for their second assignment and will, no doubt, adapt just as well there.
These next two photos could be entitled “When in Rome...”. On a dry morning, Louay buzzes the children, Noor and Adli, off to school, a distance of two blocks. This mode of transport is exceptionally common in Mali.
A few minutes later, Jennifer and Louay head off to work the same way:
When it does rain or mid-day errands need doing, their car is a necessity. The drive to the Embassy can take over 1/2 hour by car versus 10 minutes by motorbike. The one big disadvantage to the motorbike is inhaling air pollution. In a country with no discernible regulation of vehicular emissions, exhaust products hang heavily over the city most days. It is common to see motorbike riders wearing handkerchiefs to screen out some of the pollution. Riding inside a vehicle has got to be better in that regard.
Every Friday evening, the family drives to the American Club to join other families for a “night out”. This particular evening, we joined them and are pictured here, awaiting our hamburgers while the kids play elsewhere:
The American Club is on the banks of the Niger River. With the help of a security guard, the riverside gate was opened to allow us a short walk along the water. We had this view of Bamako at dusk:
The Niger gets used for many purposes --- apparently, being a laundromat for some is one of those. With the help of my camera’s zoom, this lady appears much closer than she really was:
Our drive back home that evening met with the usual heavy traffic:
It DID move though. Interestingly, Jennifer and Louay do not drive at night except when necessary. Even by day, traffic can be chaotic with motorbikes, cars, donkey carts and trucks crossing every which way. Compounding the danger at night are black-skinned people, some of whom wear dark clothing which makes them difficult to see.