West Africa: Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso

West Africa is one of the poorest but most culturally diverse regions. For decades many parts of West Africa were under French rule and a strong connections with France still exists today. Traveler Justine Shapiro visits three former French colonies: Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali, traveling north from the old slave coast into the Sahara ending her journey at the legendary city of Timbuktu.