Airport experience... never again!

After having had a hilarious first experience at Bamako airport this evening, the temptation was too high, I decided for my laptop, in stead of going to bed.

A few weeks before, I already described the "Arrival" at Bamako Airport but I think that the "Departure" beets it all! I will never forgive myself for not taking my camera with me this evening and I think that I will buy a tape recorder because like the conversations from this evening are priceless.

After arriving in Mali 21 days ago (and my first time ever in black Africa), my husband had to leave for a mission and me (very naively) proposed to accompany him to the airport. With my western standards my idea was to go with him and the driver to the airport, let him check in and have a coffee together before his departure. Wrong idea!

The airport is about 15 km from the city center and the ride is quite fascinating for someone like me, who is new in Mali (or Africa all together). A big chaos was greeting us outside of the airport even before arriving to the parking area. The driver pools in as close as possible to the entrance, we agree that first he parks the car and after that he will come to find us inside.

The moment we got out of the car, like flies, a few dozens of sellers attached us, trying to sell us a hugh range of products like toilet paper, telephone cards or bidding mats (some of them even very sophisticated, with a compass integrated). Eager to get inside the airport, we bravely fight our way trough the mess but at the door we bumped into an impressive police man blocking the entrance, saying; Not so fast, show your tickets firs! So, my husband shows his ticket and tells the police man that I'm accompanying him till the passport control.

'Pas de ticket, pas d'entré", no ticket, no entry he tells us. With our stupid western mentality it took us a few seconds to realize that what he was telling was that without a ticket or a visitors badge, nobody can go inside the airport. While we were discussing with the police man, the driver arrives (of course with a visitors badge on his neck), he takes over the discussion in bambara and after a short conversation he tells us in a low voice "continuer". So despite the police man's protests behind us, we both walk inside to find ourselves in a different kind of chaos, with about 300 passengers waiting all over the place, without clear queuing up system, in a space that even a person not suffering of claustrophobia could easily get an attack.

My husband already did check in online, he had his seat and he only needed to give his luggage but there was nobody who could tell where to go. Meanwhile the police man arrives with the driver behind him and he orders me IMMEDIATELY out of the airport. Being impressed by the tight security, I say goodbye to my husband and while I follow the police man to the exit, the driver proposes to find out about the luggage.

Once outside, the horde of seller/business men attacked me again, but this time (being a white woman alone) with a slightly different business proposition. Among other things like a camel ride in the desert, some wanted to sell me camels, others were proposing camels as a payment for me. Even if the whole conversation was quite friendly and funny, after a few minutes I gave up and to the same police man's incredulity I dared to step 1 meter inside the airport again. As an answer to his protest, I told him that it was his duty to get rid of the bunch of sellers as well and as long as they are there I'm going to wait over here. Realizing that he is going to loose the battle with me, he just gave up 1 meter of his precious territory.

Back in the car, on our way to the centre, I told the driver that I was impressed by the serious security inside the airport. He looked at me, deciding if he would enlighten me or not and probably thought that it was his duty to help me out of my naivety.

The REAL STORY was that while talking in bambara the police man asked him 5000 CFA fancs (7.5€)  for letting me inside but the driver didn't want to give him more than 1000 CFA fancs.

And suddenly it struck me the reason why the police man knew and shook hands with so many passengers. ANYBODY who wanted to go inside the airport, just slipped a 'tip' in his hands while 'saying hello'. Welcome to Africa!