Monday 16 April 2012

11th - Sikasso

The dawn light saw 3 dishevelled travellers emerge reluctantly from their trucks. Our plan was to tow my truck with the other one to the nearest village only a few kilometres further on. Neither truck would start. I  could not believe the bad luck we were having. I hitched a lift to the next village with Bob -  a truck stopped immediately for us. Within the hour we had found (yet another) mechanic, hitched back to the trucks, got one started and towed the 2nd back to his village. The hospitality of everyone was striking. I simply could not reconcile the help and smiles we received with the international news reports of riots and looting.

By this time I think we were becoming accommodated to the fact that (a) truck fails; (b) mechanic is found; (c) truck gets fixed.

And so in this mode we made our way to Sikasso, our last stop in Mali for the night. We found a large hotel reminiscent of a Disney world stage setting where the attempts to portray prosperity just somehow missed the mark. However it provided us with showers, which were heavenly, cool beer and food. Slowly we began to feel more human barely trusting what tomorrow may bring.

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