Blogs from Burkina Faso, Africa - page 8

It was Sunday morning, around 4h30 AM, I was stupidly going back home after a night out in the clubs, things I have been doing about every weekend lately. My girl friend and I splitted up at the bar and as usual, said that we would send each other a message to make sure we were home safe. That night, I didnt send my friend a text message. I suposed the thieves have been spying on me or looking at my movements in the past week and maybe notice that white girl on her moto out late every saturday. I was driving on Kwame-Khumah, this big European street where you almost feel like you are in Toronto. Then, arrived at some point, I turn right on this somewhat not too safe road to go towards my ... read more

As February is getting to an end, the winds started blowing!! I thought the winds were on when Dee was here, but I was surely mistaken. Tornadoes of dust form sometimes in the middle of the street and the wind blows so hard that it makes my moped move sometimes. What is weird though, is that it only blows during the day and at night, it's calm. I suspect the sun and the heat have something to do with that. I'm sure my dear Stacey would have some weather scientific reason for this! ahah At least the nights are still cool for now, but the heat will come and the sweat will be pouring out of the pores! I dont want this to happen, at all even. The weather was so nice this past little while. ... read more

The weather in January was downright bearable. The dry winds from the north brought lots of dust and a strange coolness. The days were in the high 80’s/low 90’s but the sun was less intense and the nights were cool: below 70 even! This was freezing for the villagers. They were bundled up in your old winter coats and huddled around fires at night, all complaining about the cold. School started thirty minutes late each morning because it was considered unjust to expect the students to arrive in the bitter early morning cold. As for me, I’m enjoying each day that it’s cool enough to sleep in my bed on a mattress and not on a cot outside. But it won’t last long now. “The Cold” has already left us and we’re headed quickly toward ... read more

Alright!! Trying to catch up the blog entries and I seem pretty good with it for now anyway! My dear girlfriend was visiting me in Burkina for 2 weeks and man did that visit feel good. Being 4 months away from each other, really, it changes a lot of things and make you forget a lot too. We had a nice time back together and really I can't wait to be back home with her. But aside from the little love story there.. I was really surprised to have my baby in Africa. It was her first travel experience and man, she rocked it! I was pretty afraid of hearing all those judgements and comments about the culture and I was expecting to have arguments, but really, it did not happen at all. She was the ... read more

Shawn and I spent our Christmas in Burkina Faso - We gave up our hopes of going to Timbuktu because of time constraints and settled on a place with an equally exotic sounding name. Ouagadougou (pronounced Wagga-doogoo) was our new Christmas Destination. We noticed the difference as soon as we crossed the border. The French speaking immigration man joked with us as he chain smoked cigarettes. An empty shot glass sat beside him on his desk - we attributed his friendliness to the beverage. We later found out the glass was for incredibly strong green tea from China made by adding a cup of sugar and mixing continuously for three minutes. You will frequently see a couple of men sitting in the street nursing a teapot that sits on hot charcoal. You drink the tea ... read more

I made the switch from veggie to vegan about two months before leaving for Africa. Go Figure. In a place with as limited of food choices as your local 7-11, I was going to skip out entirely on anything animal; no meat, eggs, fish, dairy. I, the incredibly dutiful subscriber to sustainability, good karma, and digestive functionality, would boldly go where no vegan dares to go; to the land of little else to eat but starchy bread and stringy goat. Regardless of all the quips my doubting, ye of little faith friends back home piled on me before I left, I was going to stick it out. I mean, visiting Africa pretty much means malnutrition anyway, so why not stick to my big green guns and go down in hippie land history in the meantime? I ... read more

I ni la fila! Ca fait deux jours, deh! I know…it’s been a long time since I’ve updated… The rainy season ended in October and the last month has been harvest time. This year’s rainy season came too late and didn’t last long enough, so the corn harvest has been weak. Since corn is the staple food, many villagers are concerned about shortages later in the year. Some other crops were “gatés” as well, and some, such as millet and cotton, seem to have done alright. Bike paths that once crossed vast stretches of sand are now canopied by tall stalks whose tops are inverted by the weight of millet grains. Picked cotton accumulates in mounds of fluffy softness seemingly too white for the dusty climate. The village is again empty during the day. When ... read more