I'm in Bamako, Mali

[xr8dxj]

I arrived earlier in the week on business and am having a blast. :wings:

FYI, at the black market exchange rate of 450:1 I'm managing the following:
41,000CFA ($91) per day gets me a vehicle and driver
18,000CFA ($18) per day gets me a Bambarra/French/English interpreter
45,000CFA ($100) per day gets me a hotel room
20,000CFA ($44) per day gets me, my terp & driver sufficient water, lunch and diner at local dives and street vendors
And FWIW, a simple smile and a wave opens up the world. Mali is awesome.

 

[xr8dxj]

A few more pictures... tomorrow, back to Paris.

 

[hieronymus]

Mali ain't awesome at all.........
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8080447.stm

 

[Connie]

I remember a rather fabulous French bakery in Bamako. (Of course by now I couldn't tell you where it is)

 

[jdayment]

I think I saw you in front of Appaloosa on Sat. or a vehicle exactly like yours with other white guys in front of it.

 

[fireflyr]

I spent some time in Pagala gar, Togo in the early '80's. One of my most vivid memories were the children greeting us with a song everytime they saw us:

"Yovo, Yovo, bon soir, ca va bien, merci!"

I later found out that the translation for Yovo was 'the color of the foreskin of a dog'. I have no idea if that was true but it made me laugh none the less. I arrived in country a trim 165 pounds, and left a very aerodynamic 135 pounds. Watch the street food.

Beautiful country with beautiful people.

 

[RMP&O]

that doesn't really sound very cheap to me for Africa. I mean $100 a day for a room? The $91/day for the TLC and driver doesn't sound to bad but still. I have been able to hire a car and driver for as little as $20/day in 2nd/3rd world countires. Granted it wasn't a TLC but transpo is transpo.

All in all over $250/day. That is pretty expensive in my book. Many countries closer to home a lot cheaper than that.

Yet, thanks for the pics! I always nice to see and hear about peoples travels!

 

[xr8dxj]

I think I saw you in front of Appaloosa on Sat. or a vehicle exactly like yours with other white guys in front of it.

Could have very well been us. On Saturday we ate next door at Le Cafe du Fleuve. I love their Mutton Djubaji. By chance, did you attend the artsy-photo/video/music exhibition at the Le Briqueeteri Friday evening? Myself and a friend attended after eating at Le Byblos. My last meal in Bamako was lamb-kabobs at the Broadway.

Our vehicles were rented from Maxicar (off# 002 23 20 24 25 25) located at N12.66326 W7.94690. They only pay their drivers 5000CFA per day so I tipped the driver with extra shawarma and a 5000CFA Orange Cell phone card for dealing with my terrible French & Bambarra.

that doesn't really sound very cheap to me for Africa. I mean $100 a day for a room? The $91/day for the TLC and driver doesn't sound to bad but still. I have been able to hire a car and driver for as little as $20/day in 2nd/3rd world countires. Granted it wasn't a TLC but transpo is transpo.

All in all over $250/day. That is pretty expensive in my book. Many countries closer to home a lot cheaper than that.

Yet, thanks for the pics! I always nice to see and hear about peoples travels!

Capitol city prices! We stayed at the Olympe Hotel which was best we could find because of some mining industry convention in town. However, prices from Segou all the way up to Gao dropped off considerably. The 450:1 exchange rate was only good for "big face" $100USD bills. Older $100USD bills got a 445:1 rate and $20USD bills (if they were accepted at all) got a 440:1 rate. Additionally, I left Bamako with only 500CFA in my pocket. We were running low on cash since we only came with $2000USD per individual for the week and nearly every ATM machine in the city was down. A nice lady from the Canadian Embassy directed us to a working ATM machine that she knew of. By the time we got to it only three of us could get more money out before it went down. I felt like a refuge when we left Bamako, but like a millionaire when we got to Paris and was able to swipe my card with confidence!

Here are a few more pics of the TLC itself:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Isn't Timbuktu (Tomboctou) in Mali? If I was there I'd go just so I could take a snapshot of me next to a road sign reading "Tomboctou."

 

[jdayment]

Could have very well been us. On Saturday we ate next door at Le Cafe du Fleuve. I love their Mutton Djubaji. By chance, did you attend the artsy-photo/video/music exhibition at the Le Briqueeteri Friday evening? Myself and a friend attended after eating at Le Byblos. My last meal in Bamako was lamb-kabobs at the Broadway.

Our vehicles were rented from Maxicar (off# 002 23 20 24 25 25) located at N12.66326 W7.94690. They only pay their drivers 5000CFA per day so I tipped the driver with extra shawarma and a 5000CFA Orange Cell phone card for dealing with my terrible French & Bambarra.



Capitol city prices! We stayed at the Olympe Hotel which was best we could find because of some mining industry convention in town. However, prices from Segou all the way up to Gao dropped off considerably. The 450:1 exchange rate was only good for "big face" $100USD bills. Older $100USD bills got a 445:1 rate and $20USD bills (if they were accepted at all) got a 440:1 rate. Additionally, I left Bamako with only 500CFA in my pocket. We were running low on cash since we only came with $2000USD per individual for the week and nearly every ATM machine in the city was down. A nice lady from the Canadian Embassy directed us to a working ATM machine that she knew of. By the time we got to it only three of us could get more money out before it went down. I felt like a refuge when we left Bamako, but like a millionaire when we got to Paris and was able to swipe my card with confidence!

Here are a few more pics of the TLC itself:

That would have been you we drove by in the 91 FJ80 my wife was driveing send me a pm next time you head this way.

 

[xr8dxj]

I certainly will. I'll pass you my Orange Cell number.

 

[Hltoppr]

Now I'm drooling...I'm willing to bet most of that Cruiser, engine, trans, etc. would bolt righ into my 70 series....

I can only imagine gaining 100hp and having air conditioning....:drool:

 

[Toy-Roverlander]

Now I'm drooling...I'm willing to bet most of that Cruiser, engine, trans, etc. would bolt righ into my 70 series....

I can only imagine gaining 100hp and having air conditioning....:drool:

Gaining 100hp? What engine you got now? Surely you have more than 36hp:ylsmoke:.

Awesome cruiser by the way... If only I had the money...

 

[Fifthpro]

I think I saw you in front of Appaloosa on Sat. or a vehicle exactly like yours with other white guys in front of it.

Hey Dayment...does that TLC look familiar? That is the same one our friends had forever from Maxi.......

 

[jdayment]

sure do it's a really nice cruiser