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BURKINA FASO
Day 90 09.04.05

Another day another country!
The countryside was getting greener as we approached the border.
Crossed the border from Mali to Burkina Faso with 2 Frenchmen who were driving a van laden with humanitarian aid items. We walked into each office behind them and the border officials assumed we were travelling together and it made it easier!
Having read that BF is one of the poorest countries in Africa we weren't sure what to expect. One of the first things we found was that they have proper signposts here which makes it a whole lot easier to navigate!!
We turned off the main tarmac road onto a dirt road. Every bend was signed and every village named. The countryside is very green and heavily cultivated.
We drove through miles of mango orchards. It is mango harvest time and we have been eating them every day since Sengal but this is mango land. The trees are laden and so are the people with buckets and basins full of them. Every so often we saw a lorry loading up full of boxes of mangoes. There are so many that the animals are left to eat them after the lorry has gone. They cost next to nothing to buy and we slurp our way through several a day!

Mango tree

Mangoes

Donkeys enjoying
the mango harvest

We spotted some tomatoes for sale by the side of the road. Piled up neatly they were 25 cfa a pile. I splashed out on a whole pile of six and later realised I had paid 2.5 pence!

On entering the village of Sindou we saw a sign for Medicin Sans Frontieres and, as they are mentioned on the website, thought we would drive along to see what they were doing here.

medicine sans frontieres

We met Natalie who explained that with a group of local people, they are running health prevention programmes including an AIDS awareness programme. They were about to set out to one of the local villages to put on a drama about AIDS and she invited us along and then to stay in the compound for the night.

Natalie with one
of the staff

They set off in front in their landcruiser with a local driver and we started to follow. However they drove rather faster than we like to drive through villages so we stayed behind. It was interesting to hear about the work they are doing with a large staff of local people. Preventative work is a departure from the normal Medicin Sans Frontieres work. They also have a project treating people with AIDS in the hospital in Ougadougo.

Day 91 10.04.05

A short drive today along roads shaded by large trees which made a pleasant change.

Shady road

Just outside Sindou are Les Pics which is an escarpment of rock towers from the top of which are some great views. We met Angelique an American peace corps volunteer living in the village. She is doing a project on tourism and was pleased at last to have someone to fill in the English version of her questionnaire!

The eagle has flown

Les pics

Then on to Lake Tengrela to see the hippos. V picturesque.

Lac Tengrela

Hippos

Lake flora

Camped in encampement in village. Cost £1. Showing our photos on the computer in the evening to some of the young men from the village they were excited to recognise Luca and Sameenas truck and said they had taken them out to see the hippos along with their friends in the small truck (by which they meant Martin and Debbies land rover!)

Day 92 11.04.05

Drove to the ruins at Lorepeni which were, as the book said, enigmatic. A huge outer wall built of stones and some ruined buildings in the middle. We followed the 'guides' (2 youths from the village ) around but all they could tell us was there was only one gate in the outer wall.

Exploring the ruins
at Lorepeni

They spoke French with a strong regional accent and communication was patchy! Nothing at all is known of its origins although apparently there are some similar not too far away. The setting in the forest was well off the road so we decided it was as good a place as any to stay the night.

Woodland

We put up the awning with the mossie net which proved very successful at keeping the little flies off and when we were eating with a light on later it stopped the moths dive bombing our plates which is a hazard when eating in the dark!

Escaping the flies

We saw some yellow crowned Gonalakers which refused to show the yellow bit for the photos!

Yellow crowned Gonalaker

There was an amazing thunderstorm that night with almost continual lightning in the distance but not a huge amount of rain. In the morning the 2 lads were back at 6 am to scrutinise our morning routine!! They seemed to like the muesli and coffee! We dressed the tropical ulcer on one lad's ankle at his request. Despite the patchy communication they were a likable couple of lads.

Day 93 12.04.05

Goaua
Found internet café in concrete building with tin roof behind the bank. Good connection and sauna like conditions.

Wandering round the town we met Narsis, a young man who has taught himself English, an official guide who took us to the town museum.

Museum at Gaoua

Outside the museum

This was fascinating with detailed exhibitions on the Lobi people and their way of life. Narsis is Lobi and fiercely proud of the Lobi people and their traditions.

Narsis demonstrates chicken holder

At the end of the day he took us back to his family's quarter on the outskirts of town and we camped next to the houses. We met some of the family and friends who live traditionally. We were provided with a bucket of water and use of their washing area so were able to freshen up after another sticky day. One of the women cooked some bean pancakes for us. They pound the beans into a frothy batter and deep fry them. It was good of them to be so hospitable. The children were very interested in our every move!

With the kids