African Follies chronicles some of the most unusual experiences and misadventures of my two-month journey to West Africa in December 1995. Below is the complete 10 part anthology.

Nigerian Two-Step A shady con man tries to “get over on me” in Abidjan

Passport Capers A night on the town in Abidjan

The black market welcoming committee Trying to change monies in Abidjan

Touts and mosquitoes My first night in Bamako

A fishy tale about human sacrifice A comedic story of betrayal in Ghana

Abducted by rogue taxi
Frightening story of being abducted at the airport in Bamako

Stranded in the middle of nowhere Journey to Mopti turns into an ordeal

Bush taxi adventure in Mali The incredible completion of my journey to Mopti

Tout Central My hotel in Bamako is popular hangout for touts

Dealing with touts Tactics used by touts to gain your confidence

January 1996, Bamako, Mali I took a stroll through the crafts market in Bamako just checking to see what types of crafts are available. It seems that every 15 minutes or so, a young man would approach me inquiring whether I needed a tour guide to show me around the crafts market. All of the guys insist that they can get me the best prices. I tell him NO, I can manage by myself. Walking away, he would typically follow me and continue his hustle but I am insistent that I do not need his services. He implores me to look at the identification card that he wears around his neck; supposedly the card is issued by the tourist office and states that he’s a registered tour guide. I tell him thanks but no thanks and walk away.

Hanging around my hotel are a number of touts who want to organize a city highlights tour for me. I tell them no, I’m fine on my own. When they find out that I’m leaving Bamako shortly, their eyes light up and they propose to be my tour escort/guide for the popular 3 day/2 night expedition to the Dogon Country. I tell them NO again, but they don’t take no for an answer. It seems that each young guy who solicits me employs the same strategy - in order to convince me of his legitimacy, he pulls out a letter of recommendation from some an oversea tourist he did business with and a little makeshift photo album. After realizing I am not in the market for their services as tour guides, they are quick to offer me drugs and young girls for sex. Of course, I decline their offer and continue walking…

This actually happened to me in Mali, but the strategies employed by touts are similar in popular tourists areas around the world. If you’re a traveler, I’m sure you have had a similar experience.

I had just checked into my hotel located in the heart of the downtown Bamako after a late night flight from Abidjan. Sauntering out into the balmy desert night, I decided to get something to eat and drink in the hotel’s small garden café before going to bed. Sitting at the large dining table were at least six young gentlemen from Bamako and a hippiesh white lady from New York. The white lady had a real horror story to tell. They were enjoying a round of beers and welcomed me with smiling faces as I joined them at the table. After making some introductory chitchat, I had a hunch that most of these guys were local touts but they seemed harmless enough. After finishing my late night dinner and beer, I excused myself and went to bed.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get too much rest that first night in Bamako as the cavernous room was occupied by some mosquitoes that pestered me the whole night. In the morning, I walked outside the hotel to be greeted by some of the same gentlemen that I met the night before in the garden cafe. It was then that it dawned on me that this hotel was Tout Central. As this hotel was infested by both mosquitoes and touts, I made a decision to relocate to a more secluded (and better) hotel for the balance of my brief stay in Bamako.

What is a tout?

A person who frequents heavily touristed areas and presents himself as a tour guide (particularly towards those who do not speak the local language). In a similar fashion a tout would be someone who, acting upon his own initiative, loads or unloads the baggage from a bus, then demands payment for his services from the passengers. Some touts operate in holiday areas on behalf of local bars, restaurant or hotels, being paid to direct tourists towards certain establishments.

Definition from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tout

Touts are a fairly common breed in popular tourist areas all over the world. I have dealt with my fair share during my years of travel, and from my experience the most persistent and annoying ones have been in Jamaica and Mali, West Africa. If you have ever been on a cruise to the Caribbean, Mexico or South America, I’m sure that you may have encountered some touts in the arrival area in some of the more popular ports of call. Typically these touts specialize in tour guide services. In Ochos Rios, Jamaica, they may ask you “Hey mon, I tek you for tour of Dunn’s River Falls for swimming and picnic and afterwards I tek you to Nyabinghi session. We can smoke a bit of the collie weed, mek your head feel nice huh? Irie… I give you best price mon, No Problem. “

Some touts offer a full spectrum of services including sightseeing (they will ask to be your tour guide), hotel accommodations, recreational drugs and if the prospects are men, the services of a prostitute or a lady of the night. The passenger loading zone of airports and ferry terminals are popular venues of touts who specialize in accommodation services. Typically this type of tout represents several hotels and receives a small commission for any customer he delivers. The full service touts are far more widespread as it doesn’t pay to put all your eggs in one basket - if the tourist doesn’t need a hotel, he still may need a guide for a city tour. If a tout snags on to a generous patron (customer), they can make some good monies. Some touts who pay their dues eventually may go mainstream and become legitimate tour guides or licensed tour operators.

A little caution about dealing with touts - Buyer Beware. Many are scam artists or conmen trying to fleece you from your hard earned vacation money. Then again, some touts are honest, hard working people who just want to make enough monies to feed their families.

(Continued from Part I) January 1996, Mali, West Africa After the minibus broke down about 2/3 into the journey from Bamako to Mopti, I was stranded with 15 other passengers along the roadside somewhere in the boonies of the Upper Niger Delta of Mali. Looking into the darkness surrounding me, I could see nothing but silhouettes in the distance of what could pass as primitive huts and the scrubby vegetation of the African desert. At least I wasn’t alone.

About 90 minutes later, the bus driver was able to flag down a large dilapidated sedan that was headed to Mopti. Opening the door, the driver motioned for me to get into the cab. Looking inside the cavernous rear compartment, I was shocked at what I saw – squished together on three narrow planks of wood were at least 17-18 passengers, packed as tightly as a can of sardines. Like many bush taxis in Africa, the upholstery had been removed as the back of the car had been retrofitted to accommodate as many people as possible.

After a moment of hesitation, I stepped into the car, laid my one piece of luggage on the floor and squished myself between two bodies. I had placed myself in a very precarious situation by riding in this ramshackle vehicle with so many passengers - the alternative however was to sleep outside in the desert until daybreak. Enduring the extreme discomfort of the seating arrangements and the various body odors that permeated the air, I gritted my teeth as the bush taxi slowly proceeded towards Mopti. At about 3:00AM (4 hours later) the bush taxi arrived in New Mopti. As the passengers unraveled their bodies and got out of the car, they made a prayer to Allah for their safe deliverance. Thank G_D - the ordeal was over!

Old town Mopti - my destination - was about another 30 minutes away across the bridge. Due to a recent series of armed robberies on the bridge it was too dangerous to cross at this late hour. Apparently I would have to complete my journey to my destination in the morning. Fortunately, I was able to find a comfortable room at a fairly modern hotel and slept like a log until about 11:00AM at which time I caught the scheduled bus to old town.

On my return from Mopti to Bamako, I rode the first class bus. The seats were comfortable and the trip took only 9 hours. Viva la differencia!