Whirlwind Ride and Flights Across the Continent

I knew going in to the Festival in the Desert that I was doing something crazy. I traveled all the way from Nigeria back to a desert outpost outside Timbuktu in Northern Mali so I could participate in this Tuareg music festival. The whole drama of waiting for a Niger visa in Abuja, Nigeria, put me off a bit and I ended up on this crazy series of flights back to Bamako, then paid a painful chunk of cash for a supposedly comfy and dependable 4×4 ride to Timbuktu and back to Bamako, missing the final day of the music festival so that I could return in time to catch a flight from Bamako. Instead, the 4×4 had engine trouble and I ended up having to rent a vehicle with only a few hours to go before my flight left the airport.

Baobab Trees on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Trees on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Trees on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali

Scrub on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Trees on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Trees on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali

Scrub and Palms on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Tree on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali Baobab Tree on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali

Baobab Tree on Route From Timbuktu to Bamako, Mali
The flight from Bamako, Mali, to Accra, Ghana, was the first in an incredible arc of flights planned across the continent, traveling then on to Johannesburg, South Africa, and finally to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. After a lot of travel aggravation with South African Airways, I ended up instead skipping the Congo portion of the trip and heading on after a fourteen hour harangue in the Johannesburg airport to Harare in Zimbabwe.

Griot Convergence in Timbuktu

January 12, 2008, Hotel Boctou, Timbuktu, Mali

Boubakar Touré, Owner of Hotel Boctou, Timbuktu, Mali

Boubakar Touré, the owner of the Hotel Boctou, told me that there had been a conference in December 2007 on griots at the hotel here in Timbuktu. He mentioned that a fellow named Paul Raukin has been gathering stories in Timbuktu aided by a guide named Azima. He also mentioned Madame Touré Zalia-Maïga, at the University of Arizona at Tempe. And a fellow named Salem Ould el Hajh (tel. 9407926) has English translations of the transcripts of the griots who spoke in Songhaï (or Songhui or ???) and Tamchek languages at the conference.

Travelers Joshua and Heather Tallis, who I met on the route from Essakane to Timbuktu, recommended reading the books entitled Salt and Cod, as well as a book called Timbuktu by Marq de Villiers and Sheila Hirtle.

Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

The eighth annual Festival in the Desert (Festival au Desert) took place in Essakane, Mali, on January 10-12, 2008. I made it late the first day, stayed the second day, and had to leave really really early the morning of the last day. So, I missed my most anticipated musician playing at the festival: Tiken Jah Fakoly. I got to experience lots of really good music though.

Campsite, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Attendees Gathering With Camel, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Attendees Gathering and Setting Up Traditional Tents, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Sand, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Stage Amidst Sand Dunes, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Tuareg Camel Riders, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Audience Experiencing Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Local Mali Musicians With Camels in Background, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Audience Experiencing Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Audience Experiencing Local Mali Musicians, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Dung Beetle Leaving Tracks in the Sand, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Seated Camel With Ornate Saddle and Colorfully Dressed Rider, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Veiled Tuareg Men, Their Camels, Donkeys, and Old and New-Style Tents, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Stage, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

One apparently traditional event at the festival is camel racing. At the same time, with a bunch of jostling in the crowd, a ceremony of women took place, perhaps a form of “dressage” to show off their finery for potential spouses.

Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Veiled Tuareg Camel Riders Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Hot Camel Butt, Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Vincent and Senja Milling in Crowd Before Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali What Does a Camel Gotta Do to Race Around Here, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Preparing for Camel Race, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Ritual Involving Seated Women, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Ritual Involving Seated Women, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Ritual Involving Seated Women, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Ritual Involving Seated Women, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Ritual Involving Seated Women, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Camel Racing, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Camel Racing, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Camel Racing, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Camel Racing, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali Camel in Profile, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

Camel in Silhouette on Dune at Sunset, Festival in the Desert, Essakane, Mali

A Day in Timbuktu: Ahmed Baba Institute and Another Manuscript Library

The Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques – Ahmed Baba (IHERI-AB), formerly the Centre de Documentation et de Recherches Ahmed Baba (CEDRAB), commonly known in English as the Ahmed Baba Institute, houses an excellent collection of historical manuscripts in Timbuktu.

Sign for Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Bad Photo of Manuscript, Al Ahkam al Shar iyyat al Kubra, Copied in 1204, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Photo of Manuscript, Al Shifa bi ta arif huquq al Mustafa, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Photo of Manuscript, Al Shifa bi ta arif huquq al Mustafa, Illumination Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Photo of Manuscript, Mus haf Karim, Illuminated in Gold Leaf, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Photo of Manuscript, Mus haf Karim, Illuminated in Gold Leaf, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Koran Commentaries Copied in 1241, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Koran Commentaries Copied in 1241, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Risalat fil Basariyyat, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Risalat fil Basariyyat, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Letter From El Hadj Omar, Copied Around 1850, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Risalat ila Amir al Fullan Ahmad Ahmad, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Pharmaceutical Treatise, Written 17th Century, Copied 18th Century, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript Copied in Marrakesh in 1599 by Ahmad Baba of Timbuktu, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Blurry Photo of Manuscript, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Blurry Photo of Manuscript, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Tarikh al Sudan, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Tarikh al Sudan, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Tarikh al Sudan, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Tarikh al Fattash fi akhbar al buldan wal juyush wa akabir, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Tarikh al Fattash fi akhbar al buldan wal juyush wa akabir, Detail, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Tarikh al Fattash fi akhbar al buldan wal juyush wa akabir, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Medical Treatise in Verse, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Illuminated Koran, Purchased in Fez for 40 Mithqual of Gold in 1817, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript, Two Pages of Parchment, Koranic Verses and Text About Arabic Alphabet, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Two Pages of Parchment, Koranic Verses and Text About Arabic Alphabet, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Manuscript, Biography of Sheik Sidi Al-Mukhtar Al-Kounti and His Wife, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

Koranic Prayer Art, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali Water-Damaged Family Tree, Ahmed Baba Institute, Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques, Timbuktu, Mali

We walked through Timbuktu from one manuscript library to another.

Donkey Cart, Town Square, Timbuktu, Mali View of Ostrich-Egg on Minaret of Mosque, Town Square, Timbuktu, Mali View of Ostrich-Egg on Minaret of Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali

View of Ostrich-Egg on Minaret and Layered Tower of Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali

The other library also had amazing historical manuscripts.

Al Shifa Qadi Alyad, Arabic Label, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Al Shifa Qadi Alyad, French Label, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Al Shifa Qadi Alyad, Illuminated Manuscript, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali

Al Shifa Qadi Alyad, Illuminated Manuscript, Blurry Detail, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Albakhari, Volume III, French Label, Copied in 1277 H, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Albakhari, Volume III, Illuminated Manuscript, Copied in 1277 H, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali

Manuscript Cabinet, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Arabic Label, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Illuminated Manuscript, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali

Ancient Manuscript Box, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Old Small Manuscript Tied in Leather Case, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Arabic Label, Small Leather-Bound Manuscript, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali

Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Arabic Label, Small Leather-Bound Manuscript, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Leafing Through Old Manuscript, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Arabic Label, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali

Need Transcription and Translation of Title, Marabout Magic Manuscript With Tables, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Photo of Man, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali Photo of Man, Manuscript Library, Timbuktu, Mali