The plan and execution of the building work for the new restaurant/bar is advancing at good pace- just as well since there are only four days left before we leave and we are attempting things hitherto unheard of in Djenne such as spiral staircases which need intense supervision…
And just to help us along, a guardian angel/architect was dispatched by the powers above: Harry, a Dutchman who wrote his doctoral thesis in architecture on the mud structures of Djenne, and who has worked here on and off for twenty years on various projects, conveniently -for us -couldn’t find an air conditioned room at the Campement where he always stays. He had to come to Hotel Djenne Djenne , and was swiftly intrigued by, +roped in to lend his expertise to , the impending spiral staircase in what I modestly call our Hangar Designed By God (see entry..)
Here are the drawings which ensued in a frenzy of creativity one hot afternoon. I gave him a bogolan shirt for his effort, ( but still charged him for the room. Let this be a lesson to professional people who are planning to descend on the hotel-beware!)