Comments on: All the way to Timbuktu http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Amelia_G http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496837 Amelia_G Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496837 What a great tiny violin/ukulele! And Ali Farka Touré played with such dexterity. What a great tiny violin/ukulele! And Ali Farka Touré played with such dexterity.

]]> By: Amelia_G http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496825 Amelia_G Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496825 I know! So sad, shortsighted, frustrating as @#(*& I know! So sad, shortsighted, frustrating as @#(*&

]]> By: Maggie Koerth-Baker http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496307 Maggie Koerth-Baker Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496307 It's the scholars. Sorry. I'm not sure bookies were a thing yet.  It’s the scholars. Sorry. I’m not sure bookies were a thing yet. 

]]> By: Thorzdad http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496302 Thorzdad Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496302 My first encounter with Timbuktu was, as a child, reading Hop on Pop. I remember looking forward to that page emblazoned with the words "Constantinople and Timbuktu". My first encounter with Timbuktu was, as a child, reading Hop on Pop. I remember looking forward to that page emblazoned with the words “Constantinople and Timbuktu”.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496272 Paul Renault Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496272 Once of the other things that Timbuktu's famous for - musicians.  Playing music, at 'walking speed': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpWUcI7bGmY Once of the other things that Timbuktu’s famous for – musicians. 
Playing music, at ‘walking speed’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpWUcI7bGmY

]]> By: Martijn http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496226 Martijn Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496226 It wasn't just books. It was the center of trans-Sahara trade, a major center of learning, and for a very long time, completely unvisited by any Europeans. They heard about it, but they'd never been there. The first couple of European explorers couldn't find it or where killed while trying to find it. The first who reached it died there. The first who got back (by pretending to be a muslim scholar and being so educated on Islam that he was asked to preach in the mosque) died two weeks later from malaria. The place was world famous yet impossible to reach. I've been there a couple of years ago. Beautiful little town. And the best way to get there is the hard way. It has an airfield, but that's cheating. We took the boat from the nearest town along the Niger and it took us 3 days. The way back was an entire day through the desert by Toyota LandCruiser (they have no other cars there). Greatest vacation of my life. Recent news about Mali saddens me enormously. They're nice people mostly. It wasn’t just books. It was the center of trans-Sahara trade, a major center of learning, and for a very long time, completely unvisited by any Europeans. They heard about it, but they’d never been there. The first couple of European explorers couldn’t find it or where killed while trying to find it. The first who reached it died there. The first who got back (by pretending to be a muslim scholar and being so educated on Islam that he was asked to preach in the mosque) died two weeks later from malaria. The place was world famous yet impossible to reach.

I’ve been there a couple of years ago. Beautiful little town. And the best way to get there is the hard way. It has an airfield, but that’s cheating. We took the boat from the nearest town along the Niger and it took us 3 days. The way back was an entire day through the desert by Toyota LandCruiser (they have no other cars there).

Greatest vacation of my life. Recent news about Mali saddens me enormously. They’re nice people mostly.

]]> By: noah django http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1496200 noah django Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1496200 Maggie?  "book-making"?  As in printing and binding reading material, or as in gambling?  I'm gonna need either a different phrase or a context clue, because my (terrible, uneducated) guess of 14th century Mali might include muslim scholars or an inland refuge for pirates.  I will now click the link to determine which, but why not eschew obfuscation altogether, eh? Maggie?  “book-making”?  As in printing and binding reading material, or as in gambling?  I’m gonna need either a different phrase or a context clue, because my (terrible, uneducated) guess of 14th century Mali might include muslim scholars or an inland refuge for pirates.  I will now click the link to determine which, but why not eschew obfuscation altogether, eh?

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1495826 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1495826 Not anymore. It's being demolished right now. Not anymore. It’s being demolished right now.

]]> By: Amelia_G http://boingboing.net/2012/08/01/all-the-way-to-timbuktu.html#comment-1495793 Amelia_G Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=174439#comment-1495793 Timbuktu is gorgeous, tu. Never been there yet, but hopefully someday! Thanks, Maggie; this is a fun post and a great reminder. Timbuktu is gorgeous, tu. Never been there yet, but hopefully someday! Thanks, Maggie; this is a fun post and a great reminder.

]]>