I took an extremely hot and long train journey from Dakar, Senegal to Bamako, Mali. In Bamako I got to stay at a Catholic mission b/c a Swiss friend I was travelling with was applying to work with the Red Cross, and the two were apparently connected. Bamako is real Africa. Few tourists here. I love the red dirt. Lots of mango trees. People will probably offer you a mango as you walk by their home. From Bamako I went to Mopti which was okay, but I was really on my way to the Dogon region. The Dogon people have a unique culture. They live in mud houses and bury their dead in caves high in the cliffs that stretch throughout their region. I paid a few dollars to sleep on the roof of one of the mud houses. I got from Mopti to Dogon in a small pickup that as I recall had over 20 people in it. Get comfortable straight away because once it gets packed you won’t be moving much. I got a ride back on top of a large cargo truck, sitting on tires and other stuff. That was much more comfortable! A very interesting trip.