Have You Ever Been To Timbuktu?

I haven’t visited how about you?

Photo by Catherine Hammond on Unsplash

While this sounds a little like a Dr. Seuss story, it is not.

Timbuktu is a real place. A legitimate city located in northern Mali. Timbuktu was a significant trading route for ivory, gold, and salt, long before it became a French colony.

Timbuktu is twenty kilometers north of the Niger River. It boasts a population of 54,453. Timbuktu is surrounded by sand dunes, and all of the streets are covered in sand.

Photo by Sangga Rima Roman Selia on Unsplash

Timbuktu experiences an annual flood from the Niger River due to heavy rainfall. It peaks in September, and lasts until December.

Historically, Timbuktu gained an almost mythical status because of incredible riches and charm.

Although, no longer terribly rich nor majestic, Timbuktu is an unequivocally incredibly ancient and beautiful desert town with unique charms.

There is a particular idiom associated with Timbuktu.

From here to Timbuktu

This phrase is used to describe an undesirable journey. For example: I am not going from here to Timbuktu to look for your…