Touareg in Taodenni
Taodenni, Mali 2005
Touareg men pass the time at the salt mines of Taodenni. They have come north from Tombouctou with their camels laden with fodder and millet. They will trade millet and/or buy salt from the miners and then travel south for up to six months selling the prized salt in various villages.
Respect
The man, Ali, whom you see in the center, began working on the caravan route when he was a boy traveling with his father from Tombouctou to Morocco. His sense of the desert was keen. Our guide, Alberto Nicheli, would test him using his GPS and Ali never failed. The men have covered their face with their tagelmoust as a mark of respect for Ali.