And so it starts...

And so it starts… my arrival to Burkina was greeted by warm air, the morning sun and a tired but welcoming face of Robin (Regional Director) who had been waiting for us at the airport. Our flight from France had an unscheduled landing in Algeria to refuel, probably due to the excess luggage and over weight that it was carrying, so we arrived 3 hours late. Once landed we were squeezed into a mass of people trying to pass customs. Squished together we filled in our landing forms all the time making sure to listen to what was happening ahead of us and why some people were having problems passing. We flipped through our travel guide to find an address, postal code and phone number as that was the main dilemma with the customs officials. Once through we found Robin waiting outside.
Our first day in Ouagadougou we spent initially sleeping, then off for lunch in a little café for some “riz gras” (fried rice and liver) and some “bissap” (a drink made from a flower that tastes a little like black current). I spend the afternoon wandering around with Louis (Regional Director of Overseas Projects), discovering the city and getting an idea of the city layout. Ouga is busy, motorbikes, bicycles, the occasional donkey cart or brand new 4x4 SUV (for a little contrast) constantly wising by; people with goods to sell at every step; women with the most incredible balance selling fruit, peanuts, bread…from bowls on their head; and open street restaurants on every corner.
The earth here is a deep red brown and a fine dust seems to settle over most things. The women are dressed in the most beautiful patterns and colours. The people are very friendly always greeting with a big smile. Greeting people is a very important and complicated process, much different from the quick hello back home. Here when greeting you have to ask how someone is doing, how their health is, how the family is…. I’m still trying to remember the few words of Mooré that I have been taught, but they seem to slip out of my head the moment I need to use them. If all else fails I remember to say “Lafi” which means “good/ça va” and people always smile and laugh.
For dinner we ate with a two other volunteers from EWB at a Senegalese Restaurant. We shared a plate of “riz Yassa” and they attempted to show us how to eat properly African style. First you wash your hands, beside the table there is a bucket with a pot of water, then you pick up the rice and sauce with only your right hand (left hand is for other uses not meant to be mixed with eating!), you squish the rice together then using your thumb you help push the food into your mouth, making sure to keep your hand like an inverted spoon so your figures are facing up and the food facing down.
The following day we were woken up by beautiful singing. We are staying at the Catholic Hostel and as it was the 15th of August and a Catholic Holiday the Cathedral was full of ceremony. It also meant that it was a public holiday. So we continued our training with Robin then spent the afternoon wandering around. We had dinner at a corner stand with a friend and co-volunteer, Florian. We ate cassava couscous with a salty fish sauce. We then went out to listen to xylophone music before heading back.
No matter where you walk in Ouaga, there are always people “men” on the street that try to salicite you for money. Most of the time they leave you be after you say “ça va, merci” a couple of times. When I am alone they will approache me but they are generally nice and not too pushy, but when I am with Boris they will only approach him. So in a sense my life is made easy! When they talk to Boris they also have a different tone, much more forceful and aggressive. They don’t leave him as easily as they leave me alone. People here call these solicitors “rastas” and they are persistent. Poor Boris is force to do all the negotiations and discussions and he is finding it a little tiring. But all in all the arrival in Burkina has been good. I’m learning and absorbing lots.

Three continents in just over a week is a bit much though!