Howie reports, briefly, from "a place so foreign" that it feels as if he's gone to another planet

An overview of Bamako from the elevated north

In an e-mail from Howie, still in Bamako, I had this: "Right now I am in a place so foreign that I would have thought I would have had to go to another planet to find anything like it."

On his Around the World Blog you'll find a new post today, asking "How Safe Is It for Americans to Visit Dakar in Senegal and Bamako in Mali?" You'll find his assessment of both personal and health safety issues. (Hint: He has found both cities quite safe, the greatest "danger" being the mosquitoes in Dakar and the exhaust fumes in Bamako.)

He concludes, regarding Bamako:

I've walked all over the city, including to really remote areas without paved roads or the blessings of any kind of modernity, and the only vibe is friendly, friendly, friendly. People are unimaginably poor, but this is a Moslem country, and the level of personal ethics is very high.

I might also add, there are American flags everywhere and people walk around with Obama T-shirts! This has got to be one of the safest cities for tourists I've ever visited anywhere.

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