Answer to last week’s TT: “The Pink Panther”.
And the winner was Pauline Baker – well done Pauline!!

Here’s the full version, in ‘jazzy duet’ style:

Yes, less than a mile from my house, I can take a leisurely cruise on this boat:

We went on New Year’s Day (with Clive, whom I greatly thank for the photos in this post) and it was a relaxing and enjoyable experience! The whole trip lasted around two hours – under the Old Bridge and almost as far as the New Bridge. We then doubled back and went eastwards into the countryside, with views like this:

Very pleasant! The boat held around ten people and was powered by a motor. The whole trip cost 2,000cfa per person (that’s around £2.80), which is good value for money! To catch the boat yourself, take the road to the right of the ‘Amandine’ restaurant near the old bridge (the CRS/Bla Bla road) to the very end and ask for the boat ride man. Should work!

Have a good trip!

(Sung by Madelaine again)

Answer to last week’s TT: The Harry Potter theme. Here’s the full version:

And the winner was Jennifer Aniston – oops, I mean Anderson!!!

Answer to last weeks TT: Consider Yourself, from Oliver.
Here’s the full version:

And the winner was Jennifer Anderson – well done Jen!

Bamako’s answer to Alton Towers, the Luna Park has some fun rides for all the family (and some lethal-looking ones too!)

Of course, it is considerably more ‘down market’ than any theme park I’ve been to in Europe, but still fun! We especially enjoyed the dodgems – or bumper cars, which is a better name because you are actually allowed to bump here! There was also a fun ride which went round in circles and you could press a button to move up or down!

However, the merry-go-round (or terror-go-round) was an ‘unforgettable experience’ (top right photo). It seemed to have only one speed: very fast, and the seats swung out at about a 45 degree angle. Finally, it went on for what felt like an age. My daughter threw up after going on it, and I felt dizzy for quite a while! Kind of fun, but not for the faint-hearted!

The Luna Park opens around 4:00pm and is worth a visit (but don’t blame me for any injury/discomfort/trauma suffered during your trip!) There are loads of nice photos of the park here and an article in French (showing the park packed out to capacity) here.

Of course, the Luna Park reminded us of “Magicland” in Cotonou (blogged about here) and, whilst that one was newer and therefore less run down, I think that the Luna Park has as much to offer in different ways.

Thanks for reading!

I was recently in Southern Mali, working with the Jo people and had the privilege of recording the instrument you see above. Underneath the wooden bars hang several gourds; these serve as resonators to amplify the sound of the instrument. Ingenious!

Here’s what it sounded like:

Great sound and a lovely instrument! However, it may come as a surprise to you if I tell you that this is by no means an indigenous instrument for the Jo people. What you see here is the kind of balafon played by the Bambara. The Jo have their own balafon, known as the saba, but for the time being, churches are not playing it – maybe one day…

Time for a lesson from one of our timeless pioneers in the field of ethnodoxology: Roberta King, who worked with the Nyarafolo (Senufo) in northern Cote d’Ivoire and successfully reclaimed their balafon. The local folks decided to use only their local percussion instruments because (she says):

“They claimed this provided a truly indigenous sound and an authentic rhythm that fit the message of their song [...] Such a sophisticated development came only after many years of working together toward worship songs that would speak meaningfully to them.”

Wow! So there’s hope for me yet then! Download and read Roberta’s full article here – it’s very interesting.

Last week’s TT was the Indiana Jones theme. Here it is:

And the winner was Sophie Dann – well done Sophie (who are you?)!

For example, the counter says that I’ve had 2,814 visitors from the UK, 2,543 from the USA, 201 from Canada, 79 from Mali and 70 from Benin! I wonder who they are and why they visit?

Well, below are some clues as to why people visit this blog. Here are the main search phrases and their percentages:

Which is the only king in a modern standard pack of
cards that doesn’t have a moustache? (14.8 %)
Space hopper (5.5 %)
Rob Baker (5.5 %)
Lois and Rob in Benin (3.7 %)
Kids riding bikes (3.7 %)
Giving Chocolate (3.7 %)

Fascinating! Apparently, the king without a moustache question rates fifth in the world out of about 44,000!!! (And all because of this trivia question!)

The following have also been searched, but less often:

Cotonou market photos (1.8 %)
Climate in Mali (1.8 %)
Wake up tired malaria (1.8 %)
Malian culture 1 1.8 %
Mitsubishi Montero car 2009 (1.8 %)
Co arinate (1.8 %)
Cockroaches (1.8 %)

Thanks to Reggie for sending me those – I hope you all found them interesting!

Answer to last week’s TT: “The A Team” here’s the full version:

And the winner was Anne Anderson – well done Anne!

And, no, we don’t even walk around bare-footed! The main reason is the dust and dirt everywhere and the fact that it’s cooler and more comfortable to wear sandals. Mind you, we do take our shoes off indoors, so the dust on the floor is bound to have an effect on our feet, even if it is washed regularly.

THANKFULLY, our bathroom is equipped with a bidet which – rather than being used for its designed function – provides a handy foot-wash before bed time!