Mali - Part 3 (Niger River)

Hard as it is to believe, the easiest way to get to fabled Timbuktu is by river. Three days cruising down the Niger River to be precise. Nothing to do but sit and watch the world go by: watch villagers washing at the river's edge, fishermen putting in their nets, goats getting transported across the river by boat, cattle taking a circular swim in the river to get clean, black smoke belching transport boats moving slowly, birds flitting back and forth between trees and cattle grazing on the river banks.
A couple of highlights were:

• hippos lolling on the riverbank (not a great photo though)
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• the spectacular mud mosques visible in many of the villages
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• the colour of the local women as they went about their daily tasks
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• camping on the riverbank with a warming campfire
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• watching the sun rise and set over the vast Niger River.