…for a number of reasons.

Firstly, we had to sit about 10 feet away from the bonfire so that we didn’t get too hot:

Plenty of wood available though – most of that came from the local market for the handsome sum of £2.30!! (Unlike last year in England, when I had to beg for it at the local tidy tip!)

Secondly, you CAN’T buy fireworks ANYWHERE in Mali in November; end of December, yes, but otherwise they are unobtainable here. Thankfully, some friends had brought some ‘Tasmanian Devils’ with them from Guinea and gave us a few (don’t ask HOW they got those across the boarder!!!)

Some other friends had a couple spare from last New Year and – due to the dry climate here – they still worked fine, sending up sparks which then exploded high in the sky with a loud BANG. Only trouble was (and this is difference no.3) half the neighbourhood came out of their houses in panic, thinking there was a coup d’etat, or at very least a shooting (T.I.A. eh?)

One thing which was the same was the delicious food – baked potatoes with Heinz Baked beans followed by some delicious deserts: parkin, fudge and good old flapjack. Yum! A great way to ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November!’ That’s Guy Fawkes Night, by the way!