Welcome to Timbuktu

Exploring the City of the 333 Saints, Mali, 2011

The welcome I am given by Ali and Abdoulaye - our Timbuktu-based guides - and their families is heartwarming. I had expressed my wish for a local experience, and was granted the opportunity to stay at the home of Ali’s family.
My visit to Timbuktu turned into a journey to remember. It again showed me that all ethnical groups and regions in Mali have their own cuisine, culture and customs.

A bucket filled with water and an old can, touches the floor with a gentle sound. Nonchalantly, Ali’s mother points at the elevated area, ‘shower’, she explains. ‘Toilet’, she says, pointing at a pipe / hole in the wall. I nod my sleepy head.
Once alone in the bathroom,  I take a moment to properly look around. Showering on a platform? Okay, but how am I supposed to use the so-called toilet. With a bit of luck I’ll manage to pee in the not-so-wide pipe, but what about the rest? How do they do it? I can’t get my head around it. Has Ali’s mother confused the words shower and toilet?