Once part of the three great West African empires--the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire--which controlled the lucrative trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and, alas, slaves--Mali has a rich cultural heritage (including, of course, the great entrepot of trade and ideas, Timbuktu). Its famed griots keep its rich musical tradition lively, and its less-known, but continentally important writers make it one of Africa’s intellectual centers. Our travels in Mali center on its fertile south, in Timbuktu; Bamako (once the haunt of Carmen San Diego); the trade crossroads of Mopti; Djenne, home of the world’s largest mud buildings; and the culturally vibrant and enthralling Dogon region.