The Places

I decided it'd be good to put up some links talking about the highlights of the trip before we leave:

Bankass: Dogon Land

Home of the famous Dogon cliff dwellers, "Pays Dogon" or Dogon Land is a fascinating look into the way these ancient people lived and live. The Dogon have been remarkably resistant to both Christianity and Islam and practice a primarily untouched way of life.

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cliffs_of_Bandiagara_(Land_of_the_Dogons),_Mali

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/516

Timbuktu:

The name says it all, and if it doesn't, this Wikipedia article does:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu

Mopti:

A trade city bordering the Niger river, Mopti is a bustling town where we'll get to take a Pinasse boat trip to a Tuareg village there.

Djenne: One of the oldest cities of West Africa, dating back to 200 B.C., Djenne also house the world's largest Mud Mosques and is a World Heritage Site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djenné

http://googlesightseeing.com/2008/03/the-great-mosque-of-djenne/