Africa 2006

Dogon County is the most visited region of Mali. It’s a 250 km long escarpment near the border with Burkina Faso which has been home to the Dogon people since the 13th century (but don’t quote me on that date – I don’t have my guidebook here!). The Dogon speak their own language (and many dialects) and are primarily animist. The entire region is a UNESCO listed heritage site and it is popular to undertake a trek along the bottom of the cliff, walking the few kilometres between villages in the early morning and late afternoon (it’s too hot midday) and staying on the rooftops of village huts at night, gazing at the stars (there’s no electricity in the villages so the star gazing is pretty good).

I trekked (well, walked is more like it) with a guide and a porter – yes, the good life again – from Tuesday until Friday last week. We awoke with the sun, had a sugary Nescafe and baguette for breakfast, and then walked to the next village where I would relax for lunch and read for a few hours.

On the second day, my guide, Barou, and I were charged by a bull – briefly anyway. The big horned creature, of which there were many en route, gazed at us briefly before stamping his feet and making a run for it. Barou disappeared faster than I could blink, and I ran behind a tree, before the laughing owner of the beast came up and tamed it. Yikes.

The scenery is stunning, with an orangey glow shining off the 200-300 metre high cliff on the left-hand as I walked northwards. The right-hand side are sandy dunes dotted with shrubs. People I met on the way sort of sung their extensive Dogon greetings, which require questions and answers on family, health, children, the day, before moving on.

Walking up and down the escarpment (the main towns of embarkation are at the top) is a bit more of an adventure – I was a sweaty mess after scrambling up huge boulders to reach the top, gripping my camera and tourist Tilly hat with me. After one particularly challenging section, I reached the crest of a hill and saw a woman my age gracefully pass me with a baby strapped to her back and about 50 kg of millet in a pottery jug balanced on her head.

Remind me to visit the gym again when I return home.