Monthly Archives: October 2011

Mourning Qaddafi; or, The Curse of the Marietou Palace

Posted on October 22, 2011 by

“If Mr. Qaddafi is missed and mourned anywhere, it will be in Africa, where he bought friends far and wide. In Bamako, the capital of Mali, a new campus of government buildings bears Colonel Qaddafi’s name, and all the fancy … Continue reading →

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Bamako’s Parc National

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

Until recently, if you were looking for a place to go in Bamako approximating the Western notion of a “park,” you were basically out of luck. The city has its share of plazas, squares and monuments, but none intended for … Continue reading →

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Settling in Bamako

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

Back in the old days –the late 1990s– I fancied I was different from your average Western expatriate in Mali. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I was meant to “live at the level of the population,” to borrow a phrase … Continue reading →

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