July 26, 2003
Bamako by Car
On most of the weekdays we've spent in Bamako, we've had the good fortune to be able to hire a car and driver to get around the city. We've been all over Bamako in search of NGOs, schools and factories, and the view out the car windows is always changing. For example, this is from yesterday morning, at the edge of the industrial zone, where we ran into a roadside livestock market in full tilt. This cow had enormous horns, and the handlers were worried that the sound from the passing cars would drive into a rampage.
Where ever we go we pass dozens of fruitstands, with their pyramids of lime-colored oranges and green bananas.
Driving through the city is like driving through an endless, open-air shopping mall. You don't even have to get out of the car--the vendors come to you. At every intersection, we're approached by kids selling prepay cell phone cards, toothbrushes, water bottles, leather belts, soccer balls, dog leashes--you name it. Here, down by the river, we passed a clothing store among the trees.
Traffic is sort of a competition, and some formula based on horsepower and momentum seems to dictate the right-of-way. We've only passed a couple accidents, including a mobylette (moped) squashed between two sotramonts (minibusses). Here's what they look like when not crashing.
