Mali

worldvespaTravel15 Comments

mali


Bamako at last! After a long journey that lasted 9 days, after 8 night sleeping in our tents inĀ forests, rivers and mountains, after 1520kms, we were there! They were the most intense, the most adventurous, the most real 9 days of journey until now! One more thing is that Thanos, after traveling together for about 2 months, decided to go back to Greece. He had his reasons. So, now I am traveling with Liam and we are planning to go until South Africa together.

The way Liam travels is very similar to mine and we have many things in common, especially our philosophy on traveling. He’s open minded and he lives every moment without worrying for the details. He likes adventure and he is open to every kind of challenge! We have already started to make some crazy plans for our route over the maps of central and south Africa (especially if someone takes into consideration what types of motorcycles we are on!).

I enjoyed every single day before our big stop in Bamako! It was something completely new to me. Every morning we used to wake up at around 7:00, coffee and breakfast, packing and riding for 100kms (or sometimes for 200kms so that we could find a nice place to pitch our tents before sunset). Always staying in our tents, hidden somewhere away from the eyes of the passing-by (or at least that was our intention), next to a river or in any place we found nice.

Mali

Just arrived at "TheĀ Sleeping Camelā€.

Mali

I don’t know why but I really like Bamako. Maybe because it reminds me of my hometown, Thessaloniki, back at the good old days.

Mali

A view of Bamako from the old bridge.

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Despite the tiredness and all the dirt I had on me the first days, I had made it! We both had made it! We had figured out ways to make our trip more comfortable. For example, we took with us as much water as we could carry (I carried 13lts of water on my vespa), and after leaving it in the sun for some hours, we had hot water to take a bath…It was just a bath but it was so relieving after a long, difficult day on the road. We could also wash our clothes and cook our meals.

When it comes to people, I don’t want to repeat myself: our entrance to Mali (border-crossing is a procedure that no one considers as easy) was fast and without any problems. We spent less than an hour from the one passport control to the other and I paid nothing at all for my vespa because I had the ā€œcarnet de passageā€. However, Liam had to pay 15 euros for a temporary permit for his motorcycle even if this time we decided that he should go first, so that the officers could let him pass before seeing that only I had a ā€œcarnet de passageā€.

After Liam came back holding a proof of payment, I took my ā€œcarnet de passageā€ and entered the office (it was more of a wooden hut!). The officer asked me what was the thing (the carnet de passage) I was holding and before I started to try to explain him, he showed me that Mali wasn’t anywhere on the list of countries written on its last page. I was ready to pay the amount he asked me but then I realized that his question was not to pay, but if I agree to pay. I gave him a very serious look and in a way that showed that I know exactly what I’m saying, I started with my story: that I had asked at the embassy and I had been officially reassured that the ā€œcarnet de passageā€ is for every country in Africa regardless what is written on it.

Mali

Fishing at the Niger River.

Mali

In Bamako, we didn’t use our stoves. The choices for a meal were endless. The sandwich in this photo has: minced meat, french-fries, fried bananas(!), tomato, cucumber, onions, sweet and hot tomato sauce, salt, oil and some spices and it costs 0.75 euros! It’s difficult not to gain some weight!

Mali

Just having a night walk...

Mali

Street food next to the embassy of Ghana.

Mali

Street food next to the embassy of Ghana.

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And as I was ready to confront him with more arguments, he just asked me where should he put the stamp! So, this is how we entered Mali. From the south of the country we took the small, quiet road from Kanieba and Kita, following the wise advice from a French guy who was traveling on a bicycle – Took this road and not the central one from Kayes to avoid the obligatory military escort and its huge cost (around 70 euros).

Bamako is something else! It’s not a very large city, with a population of about 2,000,000 people and a really chaotic way of life! Every single moment of the day the only thing you hear is the sound of car horns. The traffic problem is an everyday routine and even trying to walk on the streets is difficult. No-one respects the circulation rules, they are just trying to survive among a chaos between cars, motorcycles, dust and car fumes. The best choice in order to see the city is to take a taxi and if you want some kind of adventure, you hop-on in one of the green mini-buses with a man hanging out of every each of them yelling their destination (in a mini-bus like that, even if there is space for 9-10 people, they manage to put 20 passengers!).

The cost is less then 0.3 euros and you have the experience of seeing the city without worrying about your vehicle! (of course, we Greeks are a bit used in chaotic circulation, but for the rest of the Europeans, it would be such an experience!). Food is also very cheap here in Bamako. We could find a decent meal and very big portions at a cost of less than 1 euro. If you get hungry again, you can grab a delicious sandwich with fried banana from the street market and eat it while sitting on a bench.

Mali

Mali

Nothing tastes better than street food!

Mali

Poor neighborhoods in Bamako right next to really expensive houses, behind tall fences.

Mali

Will Smith Jr?!?!

Mali

Sweet potatoes at a cost of 0.0075 euros each. Savory donuts at a cost of 0.037 euros each!

Mali

Changing tires in a Vespa is really easy!

To be continued...

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We (Stergios & Alexandra) are traveling around the world 2-up on a Vespa scooter. For 4 years we've been traveling in Africa & South America and we're still rolling. Our book "Rice and Dirt: Across Africa on a Vespa" is now available.

15 Comments on “Mali”

  1. ĪœĻ€ĻĪ¬Ī²Īæ, παιΓιά. Χαρά ĻƒĻ„Īæ κουράγιο ĻƒĪ±Ļ‚.
    Καλό ταξίΓι να έχετε.

  2. All the best dude. I’m following your trip from cold and wet London. I wish I could be there. It won’t always be easy but just keep going!

  3. ĪµĪÆĻƒĻ„Īµ καλά βρέ παιΓιά?μερες έχετε να Ī±Ī½ĪµĪ²Ī±ĻƒĪµĻ„Īµ φωτο και αρχιζω να Ī±Ī½Ī·ĻƒĻ…Ļ‡Ļ‰!!

    1. Καλά ĪµĪÆĪ¼Ī±ĻƒĻ„Īµ μην Ī±Ī½Ī·ĻƒĻ…Ļ‡ĪµĪÆĻ‚! Ī— ĪµĻ€ĻŒĪ¼ĪµĪ½Ī· ĪµĪ½Ī·Ī¼Ī­ĻĻ‰ĻƒĪ· θα γίνει Ī±Ī½Ī±Ī³ĪŗĪ±ĻƒĻ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ¬ Ī±Ļ€ĻŒ Γκάνα γιατί το ίντερνετ ĪµĪ“ĻŽ ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī½ ĪŸĻ…Ī±Ī³ĪŗĪ±Ī½Ļ„ĪæĻĪ³ĪŗĪæĻ… μας φρενάρει λίγο.

  4. ĪšĪ±Ļ„Ī±Ļ€Ī»Ī·ĪŗĻ„Ī¹ĪŗĪ­Ļ‚ φωτογραφίες φίλε!
    καλή ĻƒĻ…Ī½Ī­Ļ‡ĪµĪ¹Ī±!!!

    1. Δημήτρη σ’ĪµĻ…Ļ‡Ī±ĻĪ¹ĻƒĻ„ĻŽ για όλα τα Ī¼Ī·Ī½ĻĪ¼Ī±Ļ„Ī¬ ĻƒĪæĻ… μέχρι Ļ„ĻŽĻĪ±!
      šŸ™‚

  5. Άντε ρε παλικάρια, θα κατεβείτε και Γκάνα τελικά; Αν είναι Ī­Ļ„ĻƒĪ¹, ĻƒĪÆĪ³ĪæĻ…ĻĪ± θα Ī²ĻĪµĪøĪæĻĪ¼Īµ Ī® ĻƒĻ„Ī· Γκάνα Ī® ĻƒĻ„Ī· ĪœĻ€ĪæĻ…ĻĪŗĪÆĪ½Ī± Φάσο! Θα ĪµĪÆĪ¼Ī±ĻƒĻ„Īµ ĻƒĻ„Ī·Ī½ Accra για καμιά ‘βΓομάΓα κι ĻĻƒĻ„ĪµĻĪ± ανεβαίνουμε προς τη ĪœĻ€ĪæĻ…ĻĪŗĪÆĪ½Ī± Φάσο σιγά-σιγά!

    Άντε, τέλεια! ĪšĪ¬Ļ€ĪæĻ… θα ĻƒĪ±Ļ‚ Ļ€ĪµĻ„ĻĻ‡ĪæĻ…Ī¼Īµ! Ī ĪæĪ»Ļ χαρήκαμε με τα νέα!

  6. ĪšĪ‘Ī›Ī—Ī£Ī Ī•Ī”Ī‘ Ļ„Ī±Ī¾Ī¹Ī“Ī¹ĻŽĻ„ĪµĻ‚ !!!! που ĪµĪÆĻƒĻ„Īµ τωρα?? Ļ€ĪµĻĪ¬ĻƒĪ±Ļ„Īµ το bamaco??? Ļ†ĻĪ³Ī±Ļ„Īµ απο το Μάλι ???

  7. το ειΓα το mail.Ī±Ļ€Ī±Ī½Ļ„Ī·ĻƒĪ± ĻƒĻ„Īæ Γικο ĻƒĪæĻ…!!!
    πολλα φιλια ĻƒĻ„Ī· Ī²ĪµĻƒĻ€Ī± ĻƒĪæĻ…!!!!!

  8. μπραβο ĻƒĻ„ĪµĻĪ³Ī¹Īæ ηρωα!!!καλη ĻƒĻ…Ī½ĪµĻ‡ĪµĪ¹Ī±….

    1. ĪĪ±’ σαι καλά ρε φιλαράκι!
      Ī„.Ī“.Τσέκαρε και καμιά φορά τα email ĻƒĪæĻ… ρε! Σου Ī­ĻƒĻ„ĪµĪ¹Ī»Ī± μνμ!

  9. ĻƒĻ„ĪµĻĪ³Ī¹Īæ με τον λιαμ καλα τα πατε,καλο ειναι να ĻƒĻ…Ī¼Ļ€ĪæĻĪµĻ…ĪøĪµĪ¹Ļ„Īµ για να βγη το ταξιΓι ĻƒĪ±Ļ‚ μεχρι τελους.Ī· εικονες και Ī· Ī±Ļ†Ī·Ī³Ī·ĻƒĪ· ειναι γα—-Ļ‚.καλη ĻƒĻ…Ī½ĪµĻ‡ĪµĪ¹Ī±.

  10. ĪœĻ€ĻĪ¬Ī²Īæ.Ī ĪæĪ»Ļ ωραία Ī¹ĻƒĻ„ĪæĻĪÆĪ± και φωτογραφίες Στέργιο(το video το είχα Γει).Καλή ĻƒĻ…Ī½Ī­Ļ‡ĪµĪ¹Ī±

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