PiCS From Bamako

So Bamako was pretty amazing, we headed there for Christmas 2008 and it was an awesome time. here are pics mainly from Dogon Country. This village is famous for it's "houses on the cliffs." No one lives on the cliffs anymore but back in the day people lived on cliffs and the rest of the land was forest. Eventually they moved lower down and explored the land. nowadays no one goes up to these cliffs and is basically not allowed by outsiders to go up there. But it's fascinating to see these houses up there and you wonder how the heck did they get up there in the first place? Anyway this place was beautiful and like over a 60 km hike in the mountains.

Yay me and Jess, first day on the hike singing Disney classics. Those kids there are asking for our water bottles all day, well actually througtout the entire trip.

These next four pictures are from this other malian village that follows the Niger River, there entire community participates in the making clay pots and such. It's pretty amazing, there are those who make the coloring, those who shape the clay, those who burn the pots, dip them in water, etc. Mostly the women. I remember seeing men, actually a group of five men and they were sitting drinking tea and ALL the women were working.

Pirougue ride.

Goat in a bag?

This is how they straighten the Mali fabric, they bang it with large mallots until it's smooth and shiny. Those things are freaking heavy! the next few photos are Dogon Country again.

dude, camels!

More clay making, this women was doing an awesome job and totally undisturbed by us videoing, and taking photos while she worked.

Here's some finished projects from the clay sculpting community.

Here I am under this shape of some kinda sort of whatever. I dont know what you call this. And below is me and Astrid with our private jet. Just kidding, the plane to kankan.