Cheeseplate in Timbuktu (literally! -- well, almost)

So I am in Mali (see map) this week for work -- in Bamako, actually, which is about 500 miles south west of Timbuktu.  Low and behold, when I sat down to dinner with my colleague tonight, there was a cheeseplate on the menu.  Who could pass that up?  (It turns out that most Americans traveling in Mali could pass that up, but luckily there aren't that many of us.)

The plate came with three solid cheeses

• a creamy Brie,
• a soft and tangy blue (very smooth),
• and a pleasant swiss. 

I think maybe it was supposed to be an appetizer, since it came with a lettuce salad that was dressed very simply with olive oil, no vinegar.  Lovely!  The lettuce was particularly nice with the swiss. 

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised (it is francophone West Africa), but the idea of a cheese plate in West Africa was rather startling. Happily, it was also rather tasty (nice french style cheeses)!