On the road

Greetings from Bobo Dissolaou,

What began as a rather normal trip to a neighboring village has somehow become a cross country excursion to some pretty interesting spots in Burkina Faso. After finding myself in the capital, I ended up staying with another professor from the school in village, someone I would consider a good friend at this point. Like most state employees, he spends his summer vacation in places a bit more modern than the village, i.e. Ouagadougou. After a few days of hospitality he insisted that we take a trip out to the west, for the main purpose of introducing me to his family. The term family takes on a somewhat different meaning in African terms and usually includes from 30 to over 100 relatives most of whom are called uncles or brothers, as the specific relation is not very important. I first met one of his little sisters who is a health worker in a pleasant little village on the main road. The main attraction of this village is the marsh filled with sacred ancestor crocodilles, which in retrospect I might have become a little too friendly with (pictures to come). But after a night in Sabou, as the village is called, we thanked her and continued. Most of his family is concentrated in a tiny village outside of a less small village called Tcheriba, home to a buddy PCV of mine: Shen. After a night at chez Shen, we ventured into the brush. In this satellite village I met the last surviving matriarch of his clan and I now feel that at this point I can do no wrong in his eyes. He calles me his little brother which sounds good to me. Afterwards, he headed back to the capital to be with his wife and son, leaving me out west, which I had yet to explore. After a few calls and a couple of hours on transport I'm here in Bobo, the second largest city in the country, with 5 other volunteers from my training group. Its been really good to see them, speak english, and eat food that doesn't consist only of grain flour and water. Hell, there is even a real live swimming pool in this town (well all the other pools in this country are alive too, with bacteria and parasites I try to avoid).

I have come to understand that with this kind of lifestyle there are really no plans that you can count on, and you just have to take some risks and hope things work out for the best. I didn't really know I was going on a trip, and I honestly don't know when it will end. Before too long I expect to feel a little guilty about being away from village, I don't want my friends there to think that I have already forgotten them, or even fled the country in exaustion or frustration. But hell, its school break, so why not take advantage.