about26-10 Across the Sahara to Timbuktu

Everyone got up in the dark at 6 am when the goats got going. We were packed up and on our way to the well field north of Djebok by 6:30 am. This area of wells is a basin or flood plain of maybe 50 acres. There are perhaps 20 hand-dug wells that are highly regarded by all the herders in a large area surrounding the wells. These wells have two attractions, one being that they are relatively shallow. The wells average about three man heights deep, which is the way the nomads describe the depth of wells. Being shallow means they can pull the water up faster and easier than at some of the other wells that can be as deep as 75 or even 100 man heights.

The second attraction for these wells is that cattle drinking the water from these wells are the best and healthiest cows of any place in the area. Being so popular meant the wells were crowded, busy and an interesting place to photograph. When we got there about 9:30 am there were herds of cattle, donkeys, camels and goats scattered around the various wells. Watering a herd is generally a two-man process with a donkey doing the heavy pulling. There in a heavy bent stick inserted in the ground beside the well. This stick has a section that curves out over the top of the well and has a wooden pulley installed. The water is pulled up in a large leather bucket that holds between five and eight gallons of water. The leather bucket is attached with a hand made cotton or leather rope that goes over the wooden pulley and is attached to the donkey.

One man handles the bucket and the other man directs the donkey. The donkey starts off next to the well when the well man drops the bucket. When the bucket is full the well man signals and the other man get the donkey going to pull up the water. When the bucket gets to the top the well man signals to stop the donkey. The well man then swings the full bucket over a watering container where he pours it out. This two-man team keeps this up until they run the well dry, which often doesn't take long. When the well goes dry they just give it a rest and move over to a new well. You can easily tell the depth any well by looking at the ground, at the turn around area, where the donkey or camel stops and starts back to the well. This well field area floods in the summer rainy season and collapses all the wells. The wells have to be re-dug, by hand, when the area dries out in the fall.


Starting the donkey to pull up the water bucket.	A full leather bucket of water.

From the wells we continued on south toward Gao. Along the way we saw a large herd of good-looking cattle with big curved horns, quite similar to Texas Longhorn cattle. There were probably a hundred or more cattle and I made to comment to Nimit that this must be a very wealthy family. He said these were Falaney tribesmen and their cattle. Apparently the Falaney are the only ones herding this particular type of cattle and, according to Nimit, the Falaney NEVER sell any of their cattle.

We stopped and talked with the family that consisted of a matriarch, a teenage boy, several young girls and three kids under four. They had a large mat laid out, with what Nimit said was their entire earthly possessions. He said the Falaney were known for their traveling long distances and their ability to travel light. According to Nimit they never stayed in the same place two nights in a row. This family had already traveled down from Niger and was getting ready to swim across the Niger River, cattle, kids possessions and all. That seemed impossible to me but Nimit assured me they would do it. I took quite a few pictures of the group with no complaint on their part. I gave them 2,000 Ff, which the matriarch rubbed on her forehead as a sign of thanks.


A Falaney day camp with everything they own.	The Falaney long horn cattle.

We arrived back in Gao a little after noon and checked back into the World Vision Guest House. Later in the afternoon we intended to charter the Pinasse again and head back across the Niger to the Rose Dune. But, before we left for the Rose Dune I had a little shopping to do.

My niece Cara, who is a curator at the St. Louis Museum of Art, had asked me to find her a piece of the indigo cloth the Tuareg nomads use for their turbans. I'd seen indigo cloth in many of the markets we'd viewed in our travels. However, Nimit had told me if I wanted the really high quality material that the Tuareg nobles used for their turbans there were only a few places it could be found. One of those places was a little shop in Gao, so the afternoon's agenda included a visit to the indigo turban shop.

When we got to the shop the proprietor had left for the Mosque to pray. We waited out front and watched the action at the stall in front of his shop. Almost all the permanent shop owners have an arrangement with a street vendor who puts up a tented roof and sells goods off the street. The street vendor at this location was selling dates, peanuts and tobacco. They pack up all their goods every night and haul them away and then bring them back again in the morning.

When the shop owner returned he had three pieces of indigo turban material for sale. The high quality material is made by sewing separate narrow strips together to make a wide piece of turban material. The separate strips in the turban material give the turban a texture with highlights that is very attractive. I selected a piece 50 strips wide for 50,000 Ff (about $85.00). The indigo dye in these turbans is definitely not color fast, which is why the Tuareg are known as the 'Blue Men of the Desert'. The indigo dye comes off the turban and stains their faces blue.

I had Nimit tell the shop owner that I wanted to take his picture with the indigo turban material. His instant response was no, no picture. I said then, no sale and left the shop. Nimit stayed behind and after a long discussion the shop owner agreed to one picture, with the material draped over his shoulder. I was getting thoroughly turned off over this constant no picture, no picture routine. It would have been one thing if they had a firm conviction about not having their picture taken. But that wasn't it. It was, no picture, BUT if you pay me money it's Ok. The people in Kenya seem to be the same way. You just wonder how this attitude develops over an entire continent.


Shop owner with indigo cloth on his shoulder.	A Tuareg noble with his indigo turban.

I got my picture and with my shopping done, we headed for the waterfront for our Pinasse ride across the Niger. We had the same boat we'd used for our first trip to the Rose Dune. This time I had them take us to the far end of the big dune and get us ashore in the little village, that I had now learned was called Qoyma. Actually that was also the native name of the big dune. The Rose Dune name was a European invention. After studying the light, I decided to photograph the smaller dunes north of the village.

My staff of four and I set off through the village. By now I was very much into this photographic helpers thing. I decided the proper equipment for me to carry was the 2 oz. level and the 1 oz. Panoramic viewfinder. Everything else was the staff's responsibility. By taking the viewfinder off the camera, I could direct my crew as to the exact spot to place my tripod and camera. That way I avoided all that tedious moving of the tripod. If I'd had a couple more days, I'd also have had them changing film.


When I came ashore at the village Qoyma this young girl wanted to hold my hand. Our Pinasse is at the top.	Nomad women walking to the village Qoyma. This village is at the base of the Rose dune.

We'd gotten to the dunes at what I thought was a little bit too early for the best afternoon light. I decided to proceed anyway, and it was a good thing I did. After about 45 minutes of shooting, the sun went behind a cloud and didn't come out again. By that time I'd gotten some pretty good shots, including panoramas of the village with the big dune in the background. I quit when the sun disappeared because I've learned that without sunlight and shadows, sand dune pictures go flat and lose that three dimensional look that makes them special. We headed back down the dunes to the boat and a cool ride across the Niger. You have to experience it to appreciate how fast the temperature drops in the desert when the sun goes down.

Since these last two trips to the Rose Dune were add-ons by me, I went ahead and paid the 20,000 Ff charter fee (about $32.00). I thought that wasn't too bad a price to charter a 100 ft. boat that picks you up and drops you off to order, supplies crew members for camera lugging, and waits as long as you want for your return.

from the Ray I. Doan Photographic Collection