Once part of the three great West African empires—the Ghana, the Mali and the Songhai (which controlled the lucrative trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt and slaves)—Mali has a rich cultural heritage. Its famed griots keep its 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.