Uncertainties

An early morning view of the River Niger from the balcony of the Swedish Residence.
I am so lucky to stay here now, although Eva is on holiday- I will see her for the  last week of my stay in Mali at the end of the month  and that will be the very last time in this place which has occupied such an important position  in my universe during  the last 5 years: Eva is now retiring.

I wish I could write freely about my plans and and movements, but alas it would be foolish...I spent last night at the American Club in Bamako where they were having a belated Independence Day celebration. There I conferred with Paul Chandler, a interesting American who knows a lot about Mali and how to get from A to B using unorthodox methods because he organizes music festivals all over the country, mostly in inaccessible places. He put me in touch with various people who will hopefully be able to get me to Timbuktu and back by traditional means, since the UN flights are becoming virtually impossible to board. I spent most of Friday at the airport trying to get on a flight to Timbuktu, but was told to come back and try again after the weekend. So that is what I will do tomorrow morning of course. But failing that, I will get there by other means of which i cannot speak until I am happily back again..and I may not say much while I am there either, since I do not want to draw attention to myself. So please bear with me in what may be a week or so of radio silence. I am in touch with Cat, the new ambassador  at the British Embassy.