I just had my first visitor stay with me for almost a month! These are his thoughts and experiences!
Day 1: Arriving in Ouaga, seeing the
skies darken and an utter downpour commence then getting some
precious pizza.
Day 2: Taking a camion (bush taxi) to
village. Fortunately our camion was livestock free. At one point in
the trip the camion broke down and the windshield wipers began moving
on their own accord, which was dealt with by restraining them
manually (the windshield wipers won) and lifting up the dashboard to
twiddle with the rest of the wires there (which somehow worked). Also
biking around Ouaga and almost dying a couple of times.
Day 3: Fish pasta, yum (yuck). Then
dohlo, the local millet beer, more yum, then bunny slaughtering.
Towards the end we didn't know what to do with the head and entrails,
Katie suggested seeing if the neightbors want it. I brought it over
and offered it to them. They took it and gave me back the pot
completely empty. A man excitedly yelling, “I love you,” in a
bad Burkinabe accent (he thought he was saying good afternoon).
Day 4: Formation in a smaller village
and being treated like an honored guest simply because I am white,
lots of photos. Playing some random hip banging game for woman with
some random Burkinabe man who dragged me into it.
Day 5: Walking around in the sun and
getting dehydrated then spending the afternoon in bed drinking Oral
Re hydration Salts.
Day 6: Being offered wives,
girlfriends, and fiances. A particularly unattractive and old
Burkinabe woman missing several teeth telling me she would give me
lots of babies.
Day 7: Big marche day, drinking dohlo,
eating attieke with a large amount of rocks.
Day 8: Highway bandits stop and rob two
buses (ten kilometers from Katie's site) one of which had a person
who had gotten a lot of money digging gold individually. I fucking
love Burkina.
Day 9: Sleeping outside lots, getting
scared of the wind and running inside. Then being too hot to sleep
because it is too hot inside. Weighing babies who peed and pooped
everywhere. Working with kids, reading them stories in English (they
do not even speak French) which they found utterly fascinating.
Day 10: Making tofu, dust and wind
storm without rain. Lots of drinking, took three naps and guilt free.
Day 11: Went to Mane for a crazy marche
day with so much stuff (in comparison to Katie's marche). Being
abandoned for one and a half hours at a dohlo stand with Burkinabe
who gesticulated at me lots. Drink three liters of dohlo. Lots of
meetings. Having to ride on the back of a motorcycle while carrying
my bike after getting a flat and feeling like I was going to die the
entire way.
Day 12: Played with kids, threw a
whistle ball. Met with lots of little chiefs but not 'the chief'.
Day 13: More tofu making and a pretend
rain storm getting some sweet Burkinabe tailored pants.
Day 14: Quick trip to Ouaga, walking
around the Grand Marche and then a long ass ride in a cramped bush
taxi, that stopped for an hour (while still in Ouaga) because they
didn't have enough money for gas.
Day 15: Travelling to Banzon alone and
somehow not getting lost / killed even though I speak absolutely no
French. Waiting for half an hour in a taxi while the driver argued
with a gendarme (military) because he was parked illegally. Then
riding in a bus that looks like it shouldn't be able to roll and
having to get out to cross a stream to make sure the bus wouldn't
fall over. Finally, meeting Tyler and spending a night in paradise.
Day 16: Thinking that I am in China
with rice paddies. Seeing four hippos in the wild and eating mangoes
straight off the tree. Meeting the Burkinabe Jack Sparrow.
Day 17: Having to run to not miss my
bus, catching up on e-mails, eating tasteless fried things, drinking
with Peace Corps volunteers and eating porc au four.
Day 18: More email and waiting a long
time for an expensive dinner (as in nine dollars). Actually being
able to use a toilet and a shower = winning
Day 19: Listening to a long repetitive
argument with a jeweler, buying a daba (tool of all trades) partying
with Peace Corps (which entailed drinking and getting a lap dance).
Then going to a dance hall where you can only dance with yourself
whilst looking a mirror. Stumbling back to bed and being woken up at
5am because the bus was supposed to leave at 4:30am. The bush taxi's
early start was all for naught as we waited for two hours while a
gruesome truck crash was cleared, walking to the bus right as the sky
began to downpour. Then enjoying a nicely cramped ten hour drive back
to Ouaga. Getting pizza again that tasted so much better after a
couple of weeks in Burkina.
Day 21: Chillin' at the Peace Corps
bureau, then getting Lebanese food at a swanky Burkinabe restaurant.
Being accosted by a kid high on rubber cement who was asking for
money then getting ice cream at a place that had way too many
options.
Day 22: Heading back to Silmidougou on
a uneventful bush taxi ride. Being greeted by people who actually
knew me and speaking Moore which was nice. Then hunkering down for a
rather impressive dust storm.
Day 23: Eating tasty millet and beans,
playing with kids then listening to Katie talk to a chief. Then
coming back and making our normal: macaroni with nido sauce.
Day 24: Heading back to Mane to get a
wonderful t-shirt and complet, playing with kids and waiting for a
chief for a while.
Day 25: Marche day and last day in
village. Tofu and dohlo and putting up with drunk children (got to
love Burkinabe parenting) seeing a pig strapped to the back of a bike
and waiting all afternoon again for a chief. Then getting a kick ass
boubou.
Day 26: Traveling to Ouaga solo, being
overwhelmed by the artisan village and buying some Burkinabe crafts.
Biking to a great interview and chilling at the transit house.
Day 27: Kaya, staying at a wonderful
auberge run by orphans with air conditioning!! Drinking Nigerian
Guiness (not bad) and and bad raisin wine and then going to a very
legitimate club to look for Burkinabe dancing with themselves in the
mirrors (but alas we were too early in the night). Getting lost in
the marche and looking at lots of pagnes.
Day 28: More marche strolling and a
final pizza dinner in Ouaga.
Day 29: Last day in Burkina! Having to
leave to the airport ridiculously early to make sure I am on the
flight.
