Wednesday, July 30
Djenne, Mali
Every building in Djenne is made of mud. Every single one.
In fact, it’s against the law to build even new buildings with cement, aside from using it as a protective outer layer for structures otherwise constructed of — you guessed it — mud.
Imagine an entire town made of mud! It’s a child’s dream! Even I, at a ripe 27 years old, thought it was pretty cool. If only there hadn’t been raw sewage trickling through the town’s streets, giving Djenne a rancid smell…
What draws tourists to Djenne isn’t the abundance of mud homes, but one mud structure in particular, the world’s largest mud mosque. It was everything the guidebook promised, a stunning presence:

Djenne's mosque is the biggest mud structure in the world.
I know what you’re thinking: How does a mud mosque not wash away or resign to a pile when it rains?
This isn’t any old mud. It’s combined with leaves and some other materials, then left in the sun to thicken. The result is not slimy mud but heavy globs of mush that must be reapplied to the structures every year to keep their form.
I learned this from my guide, Yaya, who ended up becoming a friend. I’ve neglected taking a guide for most of this trip — they can be expensive and I prefer to explore on my own — but Djenne is so unique I wanted to soak up more information about the city than the guidebook could offer.
Yaya, a university student who guides during the summer to make money and practice his English, grew up in Djenne, so he easily answered my questions about the place and provide insight into the way of life there.

A family adding mud to their home.
He explained to me the different styles of houses in Djenne — traditional, modern and Moroccan — as we walked the town’s narrow streets. We came upon a family that was doing their annual mud-maintenance, and the kids screamed “toubab!” with joy when I entered the house to take a look.
Yaya also paid several homeowners to let us climb up to their roof terraces to have a look at the town from above.

Roof view of Djenne.
- Girls wear blue after being circumcized.
Yaya said he opposes female circumcision because it often leads to health problems for the girls. But although some residents have spoke out against it, the tradition is still practiced in Djenne.
Yaya and I ended up getting along quite well, so I treated him to dinner and that evening I followed him through pitch-black alleys to a friend’s house, where we drank Malian tea, watched for shooting stars and talked about the differences between his home and mine. An educated 23-year-old, he was eager to learn about American culture, and I sucked details out of him about living in Djenne, a town electricity reached just a decade ago.
In addition to mud, Djenne is famous for its Monday market, known as one of the most colorful in West Africa.
I tried to arrive in time to experience the market, but the trip to Djenne from Segou took all day instead of four hours as I expected. So I spent much of Monday in bus stations, playing foosball (a Grant past-time) with street kids. They call it “bobblefoot,” which I find fitting.

Playing bobblefoot with kid beggars.
I finally arrived in Djenne after changing buses twice, then taking a sept-place turned 12-place, plus two babies and the driver. I kid you not. Six people in the middle seat, plus one on the roof with the baggage, which included a goat. I squeezed in the back between two breastfeeding women.
The voyage also included an after-dark ferry crossing — Djenne is an island in the Bani River — that required us passengers to wade in the water shin-deep to climb on.
For Djenne, it was worth it.
July 30, 2008 at 3:02 pm
That is sooo cool! I had no idea that place even existed!
July 30, 2008 at 3:19 pm
So were the kids impressed that the toubab could block & plow? You looked like you were really concentrating!
July 30, 2008 at 4:10 pm
That is one interesting story Lexi! Glad you got to keep up your foosball skills while you’re away. I can’t see your pictures here at work, but I’m excited to get home and check out the mud buildings; sounds very interesting.
Love ya!
July 30, 2008 at 4:46 pm
those girls wearing blue! so shocking!
July 30, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Blue huh????……well when I got circumcized I just wore a shirt for a week that said “OUCH”. Yeah that might be a little more info than you needed, but happy trails!!
July 31, 2008 at 8:06 am
That mosque looks amazing! I loved reading about your tour of Djenne. It sounds amazing.
Also – very fashion forward! For the May issue of Vogue, the editors, model and crew traveled to that city for a fashion shoot.
http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/052708/popup/slideshow1.html
July 31, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Awesome stuff here, Lexi.
July 31, 2008 at 7:53 pm
What a wonderful place! I was so amazed by the mosque!It was incredible! Were you able to go inside? And you playing foozball was hysterical. I’ll bet the kids were impressed that you played so well! So you’re about 220 miles west of Timbuctu?
Keep traveling!!
Love,
Aunt Donna
August 1, 2008 at 5:45 am
They allow tourists into the mosque for a fee, but I didn’t do it because I think it’s really supposed to be private, and by tradition they probably shouldn’t have foreigners visit. Seeing it from the outside suited me just fine!
As for where I am… Now I’m in Mopti. I’m having trouble using Google Maps, or else I’d map it out for you…
August 1, 2008 at 6:12 am
lexi, try to stay focused, we’re at the cape at the clems. block and plow. it looks like you’re having fun playing foosball. are you heading for timbuctu? it looks like quite an eye opener, different world. be careful, keith
August 1, 2008 at 12:55 pm
The mud mosque is awesome, as is the concept of an entire town’s buildings made of mud. But those girls in blue made me shudder.
The foosball pic is just hilarious.
Enjoying your trip from the comfort of the office.
August 2, 2008 at 7:03 pm
bobble
August 3, 2008 at 11:53 am
Toubab! That’s so cute!
Ugh on circumcision for girls. I remember working on that issue, gathering data, etc, when I volunteered at the State Dept. But seeing real people who’ve had it done really brings it home.
What else did you learn from your tour guide about Djenne? You’ll have such great stories to share for the rest of your life! 🙂
August 16, 2008 at 9:25 am
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!