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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Mali: A Serious Loss

Mark wearing his hat in Timbuktu
Me and my hat in Timbuktu

As I settled into my spacious seat and waited for the Kayes to Bamako train to start the long journey to the capital of Mali, I slipped into that quiet reverie you get when you're settled in a comfortable seat and you know you don't have to do anything for hours. I remembered the nightmare bus journey from Diboli, I thought about the heat of the desert, I wondered whether the open windows would provide much respite, and I decided I'd probably need to wear my hat when the sun was high enough to strike my side of the train. And with an icy shard of clarity I realised I had no idea where my hat was.