The secret of the Baobab Fruit
Mali, 2017
I am someone, who needs freedom. I need to be able to spread my wings and every now and then I need to set out on an adventure, roam, and gather experiences. As the owner of a travel agency, I had soon discovered that there was little time and opportunity left to travel the world myself.
That realization, however, didn’t keep the travel bug at distance. Nor did it stop the restless feeling, which arises whenever I have been in one place for 'too long'. At times, I just have to get out of the office and away from home and the daily rhythm. Now is such a moment. I need to explore new grounds. Tom Poes come up with a trick[1]!
“Monique, there really isn’t a tourist craving to visit Manding country. Everyone has heard about the Dogon people, their architecture and culture, and so they want to go hiking in the land of the Dogon”, my partner states with conviction.
I sense that he does not instantly agree with my intention to invest time, energy and money in an extensive exploration of the hiking possibilities in Manding country. To me hiking is freedom, and I know that there are clients who also appreciate going off the beaten tracks. The Manding region being close to the capital, will make hiking in Mali accessible to travelers who do not have the time to travel all the way to Dogon country. We have at times had discussions like this. In the end, my team usually comes along, if alone for the sake of calming my restlessness.