Sunset On The Niger River

After an overnight flight from Kigali, Rwanda with a connection in Addis Ababa, I finally arrived in Bamako, Mali in the early afternoon. For those keeping track, yes, I flew east to Ethiopia only to turn around and fly further west to Mali. Flight routes in Africa are not always ideal, but I try to optimize for time on the ground.

Bamako is not an area to really stick around and explore too much, so having met my guide and driver at the airport, we immediately proceeded to make the 3hr journey by car to Segou. Exploring the market and city in the morning, we made an afternoon visit to a couple villages on the Niger River.

The river itself was quieter than expected. Sure, there were a fair share of pirogues ferrying people and goods, fisherman finishing off their day's labor, and me. Western white tourist, relaxing and cruising across the river back to my humble accommodations for the night. A not entirely common sight in a country that has had travel warnings advising people against visiting the country for the past several years. The sunset, and the peace afforded due to the utter lack of tourists, were precious and beautiful.

The sun sets after a day of exploring the city and some local villages.