In July 2006, Swedish-born Sophie Sarin started writing about her efforts to build a hotel in the ancient trading town of Djenne in Mali. She had no experience as a hotelier and little of Djenne. There were rich human stories, wonderful photos, dramas, even romance as Sarin became involved with a local man whom she married in 2009. After a coup last year plunged Mali into conflict, her postings became must-reads for anyone trying to understand the region. “One of the loveliest things about life is that it starts again every morning,” she muses in a recent entry, adding: “The best thing about the night/day arrangement is that it gives one the opportunity to reinvent oneself every day.”
LINK: Djenne Djenno