Taxi to Bamako

We are back in Bamako. Our flights there and back via Mopti were in a tiny, very ancient, twin prop aeroplane. Air Mali only have two planes and the other one is at the menders. Everything seemed to be held together by duct tape and I swear there was a garmin satnav glued to the dash. Never had a plastic garden chair as a seat on an aeroplane before.
Very sad to leave Timbukto - it really is a magical place. Whatever you do ignore the guide books that say it's an anticlimax. It's definitley not. The people are so friendly. You get the usual polite hassle at first - come and see the shop of my father, brother, uncle's second cousin twice removed etc. When you're face becomes more familiar after a day or so everyone leaves you alone except to say bonjour or bonsoir about a million times a day. The hotel La Maison where we stayed is fantastic. An oasis of cool calm in the desert. The chef must have at least one Michilin Star. Every meal was better than the last.
We still can't quite believe we've actually been to Timbukto. I can remember by mother saying to me when I was little and had taken a long time to fetch something from the shop "Where've you been, Timbuktu?" I never dreamed for a moment that one day I'd actually get there.