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 Leaving Bamako it is
surprising how fast the city ends and the landscape becomes completely
agrarian. Even before we leave the built up area open spaces are used
for vegetable gardens. Not long ago these areas probably were
completely rural. Today they are now being enveloped by the city.
 Our route parallels the Niger River. Where you can see it,
if you look carefully, you can see a current, but mostly it looks like
a long narrow lake. Few boats on the river have motors.
The canoes
seem to prefer to stay near the shore where it is shallowest and they
can pole. Sometimes they were clearly crossing river, providing a
connection between villages on opposite shores. Mostly it is not clear
where the boats are coming from or going.
Upland from the river, where
the land is flat, there is miles and miles of sorghum. It is very ripe
at this time of year so the tops bend over heavy with grains. Some are
whitish, some yellow and some red, distinguishing the variety of
sorghum. Less common are fields of millet. The stalk is similar but
the head is very different. Every few miles there is a village, but in
between there were plenty of well worn roads and tracks leading off
into the farm land suggesting that there were a lot of villages and
hamlets in the area that we weren't seeing. Where the land is more
rolling, within a few hundred yards there is a stark difference from
the troughs and crests. The lower lands generally being lush and green and
the "hilltops" (a few meters higher) were thinly vegetated and desert-like in many places. It is
amazing the difference that a little longer exposure to moisture
makes.
  The
cycling destination is Koulikoro, the up-river terminus of the Mali
river boat service when the water level is high enough, roughly
September through November. Taking timeout from waiting for the
boat to start loading, it is nice to stroll around Koulikoro.
Every walk brings a different set of experiences and images: This time
the camera spotted a beverage called "American Cola,"
  the
gravel selling operation on the bank of the Niger
River, extraverted students on their way home from school and a young
girl bicycling back and forth -- don't know if this was for our
benefit or a regular afternoon activity for her. She didn't seem
particular interested in our presence or our bicycles, so the later is
more likely the case.
 A little after dusk we boarded the boat that would be home for the
next two days. Most of the passengers are Malian. There are four class
of service: first with two people per cabin, second with four people
per cabin, third with about twelve per cabin and forth which is the
open lower deck. As every size and shape of bundle was carried aboard,
local entrepreneur added a festive air to the activities with the
candle lit business; some roasted meat or corn, others sold biscuits
and candy, assorted dry goods or drinks.
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