So, what have I been up too the past few days. We have actually been quite busy with our ICT. Learning all sorts of neat things. The highlights for me were our visit to a local crocodile reserve. Crocodiles are sacred animals, and it is said that you may tell all troubles to the crocodile while rubbing its paws, all will be resolved. Personally, I feel that if you survive such an adventure, you should be happy to be alive! At the Crocodile Pond of Bazoulé, 5$ gets you in, and 2.50$ gets you a live chicken, tied to a stick, that you can feed to the crocodiles with the guide's help! I filmed the whole thing. If my internet connection holds up, this will be up on YouTube soon! You can hear for yourself, the poor chicken's lament, as it peers into the mouth of its demise! Not for the faint of heart.
We were also invited for Happy Hour at a local restaurant, where all the volunteers from Ouagadougou were invited, including the ones who have been here since September. Most of us made it. Two of us suffered a very different fate. Simon, who is here with his wife Eve and his 3 kids, tore a tendon in his left foot before leaving. VSO Burkina's officials swung into action and before you know he was taken to the hospital. That was 2 days ago. The saga is not over. It is quite complicated to get things done here Africa, and we are not sure what is going to happen, whether he will be repatriated to Canada, or will be able to recover here in Burkina Faso. We are all praying that he will stay here.
So, while Simon was being taken to the hospital, the rest of us piled into the VSO van to go to our function. On our way there, we passed the scene of an accident in downtown Ouagadougou. Well, one of the people involved in the accident was another volunteer from CUSO-VSO. Her little motorbike rammed into a vehicle because it had ran into another car. There was not enough time for her to react. Luckily, she came out of it with no more than a broken finger and a scratched motorbike. There must have been some magic at work.
It was difficult to enjoy the show at "Le jardin de l'amitié", but news came down that everyone was fine, and it was fun nonetheless. It was quite enjoyable to watch the African dancers and singers. And once again, the food, was delicious.
On our way out of "Le jardin de l'amitié", we were accosted by a little boy, who could not have been more than 9 or 10 years old. He told us he was of peuhl origin, one of the 160 ethnic groups present in Burkina Faso. He asked us for a bit of money so he could buy some rice to eat. He was so adorable, it was heartbreaking to see. He told us his parents were dead. Most likely from either malaria or something AIDS related. I wanted to take him home with me, but I can't do that every time I encounter a cute orphan... I would have thousands of them in my room.
Today we visited a center for people living with HIV / AIDS. The staff is probably among some of the most dedicated people I have met. They told us about their work in the community and how Burkina Faso's HIV infection rate is dropping and that there are less babies being born with HIV because of the education efforts put forth by the Government and the International Aide. This seems encouraging, although, there is still a lot of work to do. Condoms are not widely available, and there is a lot of taboo surrounding sexuality and sexual practices.
In 4 days, I will be moving out the hotel Village Nong-Taaba, and going to Bobo-Dialousso. I am starting to get a little bit antsy. I am really anxious to see my house and meet my employer. Bobo is south-west of Ouagadougou. It will take us about 6 hours by bus to get there. I have asked, everyone has a different answer... so Bobo is either 300, 350, 400, 500 or 600 km away! Take your pick. But everyone seems to agree that it will take me 5.5 hours to get there by bus. So... judging by the roads, I am thiking propably somewhere around 400 kms.
Ok peeps. I would love hear your comments. There is a little box bellow to that effect. Also, feel free to ask me any questions!
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