BOUGOU SETTLEMENT

Taking roots in the red soil

By Saharan Susurrus

December 1^st, 2014

in and out of daoudabougou

A room to call my own.

Many quartier names of Bamako have the "bougou" suffix, meaning 'hut', or 'shelter' in Bambara, the main mother tongue in the capital. By extension, it's come to mean town or village. My new quartier is called Daoudabougou and it is where I rest my weary head, feed on sustenance, and the pivot point from whence to discover my new surroundings.

All that's missing is you (what more do you need than tea and music?) [wall decor: "sabara" in Tamasheq, used as cushions or for storage]

A bit of leftover curtain "pagne" and voilà, my first headwrap!

This is the Niger River, the lifeblood of many lands and tongues, as it snakes its way from atop the Guinea Highlands, making its way to Mali, bending through Timbuktu, then down to Niger and Nigeria from whence the countries take their name, skipping along Benin's border. It is beautiful, as it is dirty, here along the city environs.

The river divides Bamako in two, and much of your activity may depend on which side you are on at any given moment.

Niger River by night, from pirogue viewpoint, of the nth bridge...

Dangerous beauty, as the water hyacinth chokes this and many other waterways worldwide

alabadja, it's what's for dinner...

Food options are good in Mali. The cuisine of Mali takes the best of surrounding countries' palates and makes it her own. The most important part is that whatever you may be eating, it is shared with any and all, visitors, passers-by, no one is a stranger when it comes to having something in our bellies.

But at the heart of it all is the ubiquitous "rice and sauce". Any Malian that doesn't have it, especially at lunch, won't feel like they've had a good meal during the day.

Alabadja is a northern dish, and as I had not had the chance to taste it, we decided to make it in my more or less functional kitchen, as well as growing my repertoire of other cookery.

This way, I'll have those strong African mama arms in no time; pounding mutton meat for my first alabadja

Alabadja recipe, if there is such a thing

Typical composed plate, this one is vegetarian!

Achetke is a Cote d'Ivoiren dish, the starch base made of manioc, often served with fish. This week I found KALE at the market!

Discovering what's at the market, in the colors of the Malian flag

One of the first meals I cooked on my gas tank "stove": omelet in a wok!

One of the lovely popular dishes here: "cheppe", "riz au gras", "zame", the names reflecting its Senegalese origin and Malian variations

Attempt at making ginger chicken and a test to see what non-Malian foods Malian friends would eat up. The platter emptied out...

Another beloved northern dish: "fakoye", "maloghiya"

"Méchoui", aka barbecue, is another standard, but of course it must be mutton!

"Chogon", tiger nuts, pre-dried, terribly nutritious. One of my favorite snacks

Local orange. Typically sliced open at the top with the skin peeled but leaving enough pith, you squeeze and suck out the juice

life abound

Critters are everywhere. On the walls, in the walls, just outside your window sill, under your mosquito net, some rampant depending on the season. Not to forget the wandering bovines, donkeys, sheep, goats, occasional horses, chickens, and quite a few dogs and cats.

These lizards are so commonplace, but rarely quite like this. Make love, not war!

paint the sky blue

Outings include rooftop parties, concerts, trivia nights, even a decent movie theater (mostly empty, which is bonus to some). But you don't need much more than a friend or two, the night sky, and tea to make it an occasion.

First of many rooftop parties, with my housemate and teacher of all things Mali

I met Vieux in the States, how lucky we can be friends here in our adopted hometowns

Button Label

MUSICAL MEDICINE, MOROCCAN MARVELS

BOUGOU SETTLEMENT

Taking roots in the red soil

For whatever ails the soul

The Niger bug bites hard and ohh so sweet

Unending, undulating tales and ululations from Sahelian sands...