djenné

mopti, mali

i can now claim to have seen the world's largest structure built out of mud. cross that one off the existential checklist. but before you go thinking that this was some tacky construction or dubious honor (such as the world's largest ball of yarn or largest prairie dog-arguably the greatest raisons d'etre for states like nebraska and kansas), i'll try to offer a little better perspective.

djenné, my most recent destination, is one of a handful of malian towns that can claim to have a long and distinguished history as a center of islamic scholarship. centuries ago, when the chief of the island converted to islam, he erected a massive mud mosque. though this did not survive to the present day, in 1906 the present replica was built on the exact same site, measuring in at fifty feet at a minimum and having a capacity in the tens of thousands. each year, thousands volunteer at the end of the rainy season to help repair the town's centerpiece and source of pride. if the mosque alone is not impressive enough, then you must realize that the entire town is composed of mud buildings, many with modern aesthetics and multiple stories, densely cast along labrythine streets.

as planned, the visit to djenné was timed to coincide with the big market on monday. people from near and far come by bus, car, moped, horse, donkey cart, or foot to buy or sell their wares. nearly as impressive as all the rice, fish, spices, goats, donkeys, music, hardware, and cloth for sale, among other goods, was the fact that this market was for locals and by locals. this meant that while i was offered a fair share of jewelry and heard 'toubab' frequently, i was not the center of attention and was able to observe just as much as i was observed for a change. if you've been to africa, you understand that this is rare.

mali-utiae: shout-outs to mali
1. inshallah (god-willing)
we (english speakers) need this word or to create its equivalent. while we in the west are accustomed to telling others that we'll definitely go to their uncle's potluck or come back to kearney next summer, west africans have a good failsafe. all you have to say is 'until next time, inshallah'. this way you put the onus on the deity and don't have to hint at your complete lack of interest.

2. the cfa
the currency in west africa is the cfa (west african franc), which is currently trading a bit less than 500 to the dollar. while the numbers are high, the coin:paper bill ratio is among the best in the world. with coins for 50, 100, 200, 250, and 500; bills for 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000, the cfa is very friendly on the pockets. while argentina has you pining for coin, london has your pockets weighted down with metal, and zambia has you needing rubber bands to hold the wadded stash for even a simple gum purchase, the cfa has a wonderful balance that doesn't stretch the wallet leather nor put piggy banks in your trousers.

3. fellow travelers
having just said fare-thee-well to nine interesting fellow toubabs, it seems that mali attracts the travelers that yours-truly prefers as company. for one, as it is landlocked, it is rarely the first stop for someone on a tour and rarely the only destination. this means that the traveler is able to confront and get over the afro-shock in senegal, the gambia, or ghana and come to mali a little bit hardened. for another, as it is poor and in africa, it is rarely the first stop for someone in their global stamp-collecting odyssey. this means and was evident in the people i met who 1) had interesting stories from places they've already been all over the globe, and 2) didn't bat an eye yesterday when the driver of the car we worked so hard to arrange pawned us off on a slow, steamy, unsympathetic bus. when ten people can take it in stride like that, it makes a potentially frustrating situation much more endurable.

4. alcohol
perhaps the worst combination in the world is poverty and alcohol, and i again must give islam its props. mali, though poor, is extremely safe because its population is devoutly religious and therefore overwhelmingly dry. so while people may be without means, they are not threatening or belligerent in the way that only the sauce can transform someone. also, as an added bonus, they actually do have beer here for the thirsty.