Two days ago my mother called from Sweden- am I OK? she had seen pictures of floods in Mali. I said I knew nothing about it and that we were OK.
It is not the first time I have noticed that new travels much slower within a country like Mali than to the outside world. So, yes, indeed there may well be floods here.
The rains have been heavy and frequent, in Djenné itself five mud houses fell in the last violent storm. Yesterday we heard that two great hydro electric dams have had their sluice gates opened to release some water- it seems to be travelling this way!
Perhaps the rains have now all but stopped but water is creeping up towards the entrance gates of Hotel Djenné Djenno with quiet and deadly determination. Tomorrow morning we will start shoring up with sand bags. Keita and I are leaving for Bamako and then I am off to London again on Saturday- at the moment I feel as if I am leaving a sinking ship!