| The Indigenous Dogon Culturals of Mali 5-Day Extension |
| 30 March - 3 April 2010 |
| The Dogon tribal people of West Africa are among the most facinating to meet and photograph. We highly encourage you to take this short extention to your West African Expedition! |
Maximum Participants: 12 |
| Photographer Leader: David Anderson |
Our Itinerary
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| Tuesday, 30 March 2010 |
| Ouaga - Bandiagara |
| The landscape is characterized more and more by huge millet fields. They provide food for large villages communities. They are inhabited by Dogon, on a flat land dominated, far away, by the famous Bandiagara escarpment. This flat land has been populated for the last century. Dogon, looking for land, moved from the cliff back to the low land. The links to their original villages: giant granaries with an anthropomorphic façade, looking at the visitors (they seem to say: « Be careful… we saw you coming… ”); Togu’na (men shelters) with craved pillars representing the ancestors figures are settled in middle of the village, silent witness of a long history and rare example of tribal art still in is contest. Old bearded figures walking in the dusty paths or sitting in the Togu’na. Generous enthusiasm accompanies every new visitor. |
| Hotel Cheval Blanc or similar (BLD) |
| Wednesday, 31 March 2010 |
| Bandiagara – Dogon Cliff (Sangha) |
| We start our exploration of Dogon clifts. A path across stones and some millets and we reach a hidden village. A dozen people live in an open cave … some adobe dwellings… a spring in the middle… fresh water nourishing generations of lucky families... Beside the spring the house of Hogon (the high priest) displaying fetishes and trophies. Two items reunited in one single activity: hunting, privilege of a special cast, and challenge to wild forces of the nature, needing spiritual protection. The voice of people resonates in the cave, and from there to the rest of the valley. The soft light of sunset design long shades in the fields. Time to set up the camp; soon stars will light the sky; Sirius starts pulsing. The knowledge of the Dogon concerning Sirius has preceded modern astronomy. Sirius A, Sirius B, Sirius C are part of local myths, basement of a 60 years calendar. Now, the silence of the night shortens the distances … the visitors feel to be closer to this amazing world. Also Sirius seems to be closer. In the afternoon Dogon masks have deep eyes, framed by vertical and parallel lines. A kind of rectangular box looking at you from an other world. Pure cubist art, with on top of all, the soul of a population living in communion with spirit of ancestors, nature, stars. They dance al together in a circle, accompanied by drums. Afterwards, group-by-group, they run in the ring and start dancing every one with his peculiar movements. Just men stand in front of the masks. Women stay away, on the clay roofs of surrounding houses. Even if a taboo for them, they do not want to miss the performance. Masks are related with death and funerals; women are related with birth and life. They have opposite and complementary roles. Better to avoid any unfortunate clash. |
| Campement La Guinna (BLD) |
| Thursday, 1 April 2010 |
| Dogon Plateu |
| On the “plateau” the main colour is the grey of the stones, broken by the green of the onions fields, along the ponds and rivers. Dogon are tough farmers: during the raining season they farm millet, and during the dry season it is the turn of the onions. The visit of the cave beautifully painted with design made of the classical cosmogonist colours of African people (white, red and black) will allow us to receive a full explanation about the initiation rites that every 3 years take place in this natural amphitheatre. We will visit also the hidden locations of a fortified village, perfectly camouflaged in the rocky countryside, one of the more astonishing examples of African architecture. |
| Hotel Campement or similar (BLD) |
| Friday, 2 April 2010 |
| Djenne - Segou |
| Djenne, the most beautiful and genuine example of Sudanese adobe architecture. The story houses of rich traders families, the Koranic schools, the mosque -that is also the biggest building out of clay in the world- make together a unique inhabited center in the world. Some details deserve special attention: the technique used to built the roofs, the setting of the rooms in the houses, the Morocco style windows, the Toucoulors gates, the rounded and the square bricks dating the time before and after the beginning of the ... colonization. In Djenne we understand that a mason can be an artist. These artists, here in Djenne, are called “barrey”. They work just with hands. No tools. Like sculptors. The oldest among them replace the work of the hands with the pronunciation of magic spell, able to support the house, even in case of danger. To build a house like an artist, to protect it like a priest. Here is a “barrey”. No way to understand Djenne without crossing the path of one of them. |
| Auberge (BLD) |
| Thursday, 3 April 2010 |
| Segou - Bko |
| Founded in 1852, Segou, keeper of one of the most ancient histories of West Africa, capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom, has an undeniable charm which is well worth discovering. Ancient kingdom of culture and tradition, Segou has inspired numerous writers and historians. Among the most famous is Maryse Condé. Segou is also the site where Mungo Park, the first European in modern times, gazed upon the Niger River. When he arrived he ‘fell to his knees, thanked God, and drank from the muddy water.’ (Mark Jenkins, To Timbuktu) .Bamako, the capital. The administrative buildings have the marks of beautiful Neo-Sudanese style. The museum is the best ethnographic museum in West Africa. Its great collection displaying the beauty of African shapes contains ancient art objects of astonishing beauty. We will admire masks, ritual sculptures, archeological terracotta’s, textiles, musical instruments, tools, and traditional weapons… We visit also the blacksmiths, expert in turning every thing in every thing else. We depart this evening for home. |
Photographic Expedition Price |
| (Per Person, Double Occupancy) |
Prices are subject to change due to currency exchange rate fluxuations! Photographer's Price: $2,000 per person Non-Photographer Traveling with a Photographer: $2,000 per person Small Group Premium 4 Photographers: $800 per person 5 Photographers: $400 per person 6 Photographers: $200 per person 7 Photographers: $100 per person Trip will not be run with less than 4 Photographers Single Room Supplement: $250 Deposit to Secure Participation: $400
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Safari Price Includes: |
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| Not included: |
| Special photo set ups for photographers, mineral water, all drinks, gratuities to staff, and international flights. |
| Carbon Offsets: |
| Focus on Planet Earth understands that air travel contributes to increased green house gases and global warming. Therefore, we encourage our expedition participants to assist us in making each Focus on Planet Earth expedition carbon neutral. You can offset your air transportation carbon impact by purchasing carbon off-sets. As an incentive for you to do this, we will deduct 50% of the amount of your purchase from your final invoice. To offset the emissions from your flights go to Carbon Off-Set Calculator. |
| International Air Transportation: |
| You are responsible for booking your own international air transportation. To assist you, we will provide you with the airport codes and the dates you need to arrive or depart. |
For the lowest airfares, we recommend you visit: www.davidanderson.worldventures.com |
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