Yay, I made it safely to Burkina Faso!! I'm enjoying it and so far am settling in very well. Some of the new things I've eaten in the past few weeks = yams (about 200mm long X 200mm diameter) - these are much nicer than NZ yams; goat - very nice too; okra - a vege with green skin, it's gross & slimy if it's boiled but pretty nice if fried; "custard apple" with bumpy green skin & an off white flesh. It's sweet and soft, lots of pips to spit out but a very tasty way to finish dinner. And finally plantain - it looks like a fat banana but is starchier and not sweet. It's nice fried and goes well with fried eggs.
I'm slowly going to work my way around the rest of the team here, & stay with each of them for a week or so to find out what they do. First up I went to Legmoin to stay with Ana, who is Dutch. It's only about 40km away from where I'm based in Gaoua, so not far. I've learned to ride a motorbike since being here so we took them down which made a nice ride. The road is dirt, & since it's the rainy season the roads can be very muddy but fortunately they were dry. Potholes can be HUGE so I'm glad I didn't have to contend with mud as well.
One n
ight some of the youth from the church came round & made us tea. It's quite a ritual - the whole process can take 2 or 3 hours! The first cup of tea is VERY strong & VERY sweet, and the 2nd cup is strong & very sweet. I was pretty pleased that the cups are small so it wasn't too hard to down it all!
ight some of the youth from the church came round & made us tea. It's quite a ritual - the whole process can take 2 or 3 hours! The first cup of tea is VERY strong & VERY sweet, and the 2nd cup is strong & very sweet. I was pretty pleased that the cups are small so it wasn't too hard to down it all!We also visited a house, which is built in the traditional way. This shot is of the roof, where they sleep in the hot season because it's the coolest place.
I've met lots of friendly people and am coping well with the weather. They all tell me how cold it is but I don't agree! It's in the 20s every day... and every night too. It's pretty humid - 85% or over. So I'm glad I arrived at this time of year & not the hot season! Everybody says that I'm very pale, & nobody can pronounce my surname; something they think is very funny. They've got a great sense of humour, even the kiwi sarcasm is appreciated. My biggest problem is remembering who I've met because to me they look similar!
