WHEN ONCE ISN'T ENOUGH...go again!

    Having been once, I couldn't leave Mali with Siby being on the pedestal I'd managed to put it on, so a return visit ought to make me see more sense, and fall out of love with the place, right? ...Wrong!

  After arriving on the plateau in style, all that was left to do that day was watch the sun set, set up camp and rest for the weekends adventures ahead of us.

  See below: Traditional Malian tea making.

  Greeted by our guides in the morning, Dan and I were mocked for having tea making equipment with us, although they mocked us less later when we all had tea! With a higher level of respect, we were taken to the harder wall first, which we thoroughly enjoyed, before packing up and marching to the next location for more fun.

  Following our guides through the overgrowth, all we knew was that we were going to be rappelling. I wondered at every peak if we were to climb and rappel that, but every time we would walk past, like an obedient dog, following her masters without question, I would continue on. After half an hour we came to a cave, and we were led into it, it opened at the other side, as I scrambled down a rock face my view was obscured by foliage, but from the noises Dan was making I knew it was good! From behind the foliage we stepped out onto a cliff edge, with the most incredible view over Siby, a nearby village and what appeared to be all of Mali. I could do nothing more than stand in awe as our guides set up the ropes.

  Having rappelled the 75m drop, with big smiles, all packed up and set off to the village below as our guides explained that they've taken very few people there. With the greatest mutual respect, Dan and I took our guides out for dinner before saying our farewells, over which they explained how they don't take many people there, and how much they enjoy that rappel themselves.

  With Siby still firmly on a pedestal, all that was left was to leave there for the last time.

 A couple of marriage proposals later, we were 'home', in Bamako once again.

LINKS:

More from Mali
The first visit to Siby