 | Mali Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 39 |  |
Popular Warnings or Dangers | Miscellaneous Warnings or Dangers Tips | All Tips (39) Even in the cool season Mali is extremely hot and dry (into the 90s F and 30s C in December). In some places shade is a precious commodity. Forget about cloud cover--we didn't see more than two or three wispy clouds in two weeks.
Take a hat to keep the sun off your head. And always have plenty of water at hand. It is literally impossible to drink too much water. There were days that I went through two liters of water and several beers and did not ever have to find a W.C. to relieve myself. Dehydration is a distinct possibility for anyone who is not careful and I suspect that dehydration is particularly unfun in a place like Mali where medical facilities are few and far between. Leave a Comment
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Mali is poor. I mean extremely poor. In 2004 it ranked as the 174th out of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Just ahead of Burkina Fasso, Niger and Sierra Leone. And well behind such troubled countries as Haiti, Chad, Sudan and Rwanda.
The Human Development Index uses data on life expectancy, education and standard of living for its composite index.
In 2002 life expectancy at birth in Mali was estimated at 48.5 years. Only 19% of adults were literate. Almost 75% of the population existed on less than $1 per day of income.
These are some more of the chilling facts: There is a twelve percent infant mortality rate; While another ten percent do not survive to the age of five; Thirty percent of the population does not have access to water from wells meaning they subsist on contaminated surface waters; And there is only one physician per 25,000 residents.
Yet, the people seem happy and mostly content. Leave a Comment
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One aspect of Mali was particularly difficult for me to get past--the strewn garbage in almost every neighborhood. I realize that there is undoubtably a severe shortage of landfills and very little organized garbage pickup. But to see the landscape given over to trash piles is disheartening. The average African seems very meticulous and fastidious when it comes to dress and grooming, yet thinks nothing of wading through the trash heaps that abut his or her home. Leave a Comment
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Everything is for sale in Mali and always at a small small price--at least according to the hawkers whose only goal is to separate the traveler from his or her cash.
At the end of a hike to the remotest Dogon village, you can be sure to encounter a merchant peddling his wares and for you, he is willing to give his best best price.
"No thank you, I don't want any of your crap" the weary traveler insists. "No problem, just look, no obligation" the hawker responds. "For you, it is cheap cheap."
And so on, and so on, and so on. Everywhere you go, products you don't want will be offered. Leave a Comment
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In the capital city of Bamako the pollution is down right horrific. It is not much of an exageration to state that it is possible to cut the fumes with a knife. Much of the problem comes from substandard vehicles and no emissions standards. But fires and blowing dust from the Saharra also contribute to the poor air quality. Leave a Comment
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The hot, sand-laden wind from the Sahara generally blows from March to June, raising the temperature considerably. It can at best be an interesting experience, at worst, terrifying. Along the banks of the Niger one evening, we had to sit in the tents to stop them blowing away. One particularly petite girl, was being lifted off the ground in her tent! The sand hits you like tiny bullets - most uncomfortable - and makes it very difficult to breathe!
The dust caused from the Harmatten can be a real nuisance, getting in your nose, ears and mouth, not to mention your camera! 300 million tonnes of dust is created each year by the Sahara, most of it blown across West Africa by the harmattan. This can cause a lot of difficulties for contact-lens wearers as well as respiratory problems - colds/bronchitis is common in travellers. Leave a Comment
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on December 16, 2004
on May 22, 2004
on July 30, 2004
on May 29, 2005
