January 1996 Bamako, Mali While I was in Abidjan, I met this businessman from Mali at my hotel. I told him I was planning on visiting his country and asked him if he could recommend a reasonably priced hotel for me in Bamako. He highly recommended this hotel located directly across from the outdoors crafts market. I made a quick mental note of the hotel.

The rogue taxi that abducted me at the Bamako airport delivered me to this hotel safe and sound albeit for an exorbitant fare. Basically I was ripped off. After dumping my bags in my cavernous and musty room, I went downstairs to get something to eat and drink after my perilous journey. Walking outside to the small dining area, I sat myself at a large table which was already occupied by at least 10 young Malian guys who were enjoying a round of beers and a hippiesh white lady. As I ordered my meal, the entire delegation quickly welcomed me to Bamako. It was apparent to me right away, that the young men were all touts. They seemed relatively harmless enough as they were laughing and smiling. Chatting with them, I was keenly aware that I was being sized up. A couple of the touts inquired whether I was going to visit the Dogon country and Timbuktu, and tried to pitch their services as tour guides. In addition, I was offered a bedwench for the night and some marijuana but I let them know that I really wasn’t too keen on any of their propositions.

The white lady had some real horror stories to share about her travel odyssey; apparently she was raped and robbed of her monies and passport while staying with some Nigerian prostitutes at a Catholic mission. Now she was biding her time while the US Embassy in Bamako was trying to facilitate her departure so she could return home. After finishing my dinner, I excused myself and I retired to my hotel room. I really didn’t get much sleep that first night as there were more than several mosquitoes in the room, and they kept whizzing over my head. During my brief stay in Mali, mosquitoes and touts turned out to be a recurrent theme. C’est La Vie!

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