In Nana Kenieba we adopted Madou as our group mascot. He was quiet and followed us everywhere; an adorable child in a photogenic red shirt.

In Dogon country we went down the cliff; at the bottom are the Dogon dwellings, and up in the cliff are the ancient Tellem caves, where the Dogon now bury their dead.

Baobab trees have tremendous root systems, reaching hundreds of meters into the earth, searching for water. In the winter they lose their leaves; their seeds are high in protein, and have the consistency of astronaut ice-cream.

Mr. Coulibaly drove our bus for the first few weeks.