Bamako Bus Station, Mali (West Africa)
In all the chaos of this Western African capital one thing was certain: I had to leave Bamako and leave it quick. I woke up at 5 A.M. only to realize (after I got to the bus station) that the 6 A.M. bus to Mopti, harbor city almost 300 miles east from Bamako, doesn't really depart at 6 A.M. The thing is, in Africa buses leave when they're full. And so I waited. Luckily I met a friend, and we finally departed around noon, just before the rainy season storm. Bus stations in Africa are interesting places. I rarely knew where to go, but there're always people who'll be happy to show you the way (to their employers ticket office, of course). Long hours pass slowly in humid and hot climate, but there're always merchants and street food vendors, and so you can buy a fan made of straw mat and feed on batata fries, meat brochettes or grilled corn.
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