This year we had the most exciting adventure in the Malian portion of the Sahara desert. We attended the Festival of the Desert (Festival du Desert) in Essakane, Mali, approximately 65km outside of Timbuctu. The festival which started in 2001, takes place the second week in January every year and celebrates Tuareg culture. The Tuareg are nomadic people whose territory stretches across Mali, Niger and Algeria. Many other nomadic peoples, such as the Fulani (Peul) from Mali and Burkina Faso, and the Mauritanians attend the festival. At night, international stars (from Mali as well as from other parts of Africa and Europe) perform on the main stage, but throughout the day, dancers and drummers can be found performing in the sand throughout the desert. There is also a conference that occurs simultaneously but that was in Tamaschek, the language of the Tuareg.

The journey to the festival was arduous. The first stage was to get to Timbuctu, which is in the northern area of Mali. We headed towards Timbuctu from near Mopti, a journey which took us past the Dogon mountains. The ride took about five to six hours over rough road. Just when we thought we were a stone's throw from Timbuctu, we ran into traffic! Every one headed to the festival had to wait to cross the river by ferry. It ended up being a four hour wait!! But every one was in good spirits: musicians entertained the crowd and fresh fish and bread was cooked right there on the side of the road. We finally got across the river and slept in Timbuctu. From there to the festival in Essakane. Its only 65km but it can take up to three to four hours to cover the distance. This was not a trip for the faint hearted . The road conditions were grueling and we spent more time with our behinds in the air then on our seats!