Festival of the Niger

4/5/6/7 February

 Easy 4 hour bus trip to Segou and find a hotel with a terrace (read flat roof) for camping. Head off to the post office to try to post my parcel which turns into no mean feat, I can tell you. Firstly the woman at the desk inspects my box, which we both agree may be strong enough to post. I tape it together, pop the things in and another woman weighs it. All good so far and I’m directed into a back office where a kindly man quotes the cost after we establish that I want the parcel to go by sea mail  Still all good until he talks about the Douane – what the heck is the douane? He shows me another parcel with a form filled out and stamped. Ok, I can do that. I fill out the form listing everything (well nearly everything) that goes back into the box. Then we establish that the Douane is at the other end of town and they are the ones who do the stamping. Hmm an official office on a Friday afternoon may be hard to deal with – a lot of praying and visiting of mosques to do on Fridays. I find the Douane, and get passed from office to office, eventually finding the correct office, but yes it’s closed until she returns this afternoon. I lunch @ the Douane cafeteria next door and then settle back in their cool offices to wait. I downloaded February’s Monthly mag, so am content to catch up on some reading with a cool breeze. Hours pass and I am beginning to doubt that Madame may even return ( I certainly wouldn’t if I was her - no one is counting hours worked here!). I give a few guys a bit of a treat with my questions in french,and they find a new place for me to sit! Not accomplishing much but I figure they’d tell me to go away if there was no hope, wouldn’t they? After another hour or so folk begin to appear, and one bloke in particular is followed up by my new friend in reception who explains what I want. Within another hour he has found the stamp, he questions my honesty with “so I sign for 32 items, are there 32 items in there?” I say yes, but am beginning to realise that no one is particularly interested in what I have in there, only that the two totals add up on paper. Much nodding, repacking and finally taping the box closed, I have the stamped douane in my hand. Woo Hoo. Post office is closed now so the parcel will have to wait for Monday. Next thing is to contact Abou for my sleeping bag that I left with him in Timbuctou. He collects me and we head out to an afternoon concert. Very relaxing until the friends

MORE baguettes anyone?

and numerable cups of green tea we head back to the festival where I take my leave with blanket in hand. I head into the festival later to relax with an evening of music by the river, with beers in hand. And a great night’s sleep under the blanket for the next few nights! lol The weekend follows a great pattern of easy breakfasts, wander past all the souvenir sellers  to whom I become known as Madame Tranquil! Then watch whatever cultural dance is shown or listen to regional musicians. Lunch gets tough choosing between many cheap and yummy restaurants, then rest up to late afternoon to wander along the river to a far stage

A persistant islamic rasta!!

for music and a few beers as the sun sets. Get a lift back to town, puchase a ‘festival bracelet’ at an exhorbitant price and head back to the river for the night’s main concerts. Plenty of food and cold beer available here too. I’m afraid my african diet has gone to pack here in Segou. Most tourists head off on Sunday, but after all my hard work in securing a doune (only applicable here in Mali) and I’m heading to Burkina from here, I stay an extra day to see my parcel off successfully. A big market today in town which is really interesting but I also have trouble shaking off one particularly persistant rasta who wants to be my friend – he must be desperate and I'm the only tourist left in town,as most tourists left town today!

most

Making tea - Mali st

Fact: Festival costs are certainly geared to milking the Internationaux –one days costs me 40 euro, but Nationaux only 8 euro. I do understand the politics of it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t smart paying out.

If anyone has any ideas about what this is, please let me know - 

I think it looks like a peanut with a tumour!