You could say that I found myself in Mali as an accidental tourist. A chain of events that began at my local brasserie. Armed with a yellow-fever shot and four cameras I flew to Mali as a photographer for The Festival Au Desert. I had no expectations, just vague ideas and I knew next to nothing about my destination. There is something about the air in Mali that breeds contentment, it is a warm breeze that lulls. The terrain changes constantly bringing different trees and flowers into vision every few miles. Camels, sheep, and goats wander freely and you feel blessed to be a part of it for a few moments. The festival is planned around the first full moon of each year. I found myself lying on the sand watching stars shoot across the sky, the full moon lighting up the stage, listening to some of the purest music I have ever heard. We danced by night and wandered the dunes by day stopping to watch groups of rainbow-clad nomads. Being there was a privilege. This is my Ode to Mali.