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Our trip started from a town called Bandiagara. The Dogon country is an escaprpment with a steep cliff face. All along the top and the bottom of this villagers have settled in small communities. We basically crissed crossed up and down the escarpment on a flipping awesome trekking experience... We trekked through millet and rice fields, crocodile rivers (wether there are still crocs we had a debate!), vast fields of cattle herding and a day in the rain. We actually cheated a bit in that we got porters to carry our bags along the +- 35km we did in 2 1/2 days. The only reason being that we went straight to the border from here and each bag was about 18kg... we felt like colonial slave drivers :-]

The history of the Dogon people goes something like this (dont have my note book on me so its not dead accurate). Four families settled in this valley around 700AD. The influence of Islam was spreading rapidly across north and the interior of Africa and reached the Dogon people. The older generation converted from their Animalist worship by means of animal sacrifice and fetishes to Islam. But the younger folk was disgrunteled and moved south west to Keyes area. The older brothers pursued them and met in Bamako (translater river of the crocodile). After some convincing, the younger ones agreed to head back to the Dogon villages. But that nightm while the older brothers was sleeping, they set out again for Djenne. Here they spent 3 years seeking concil on their ways. The oldrs brothers couldnt find them and went back to theuir camps. And then the younger brothers completed their circle route and went to settle in the Dogon country again, maintaining their animalist ways. And so you will find tranditional villages, Islam, catholic etc etc in this valley. Quite bizzare actually! but a great learning experience. Our guide Seidou was really cool and informative!

Iak (note man boobs), Neilas and me