Days 59 to 64 – Week 10 (2nd January 2007 to 7th January 2007)
Our next days drive brings us to one of the smallest but poorest countries on our journey – Burkina Faso. The capital of Ougadougou was our base for a couple of days – used by most to rejuvenate the old body clock after the Xmas / NYE celebrations. We found time to visit a local children's orphanage, where we donated bulk staple food stocks and some money to help with schooling fee's. The orphanage has been running for approx 12 years and supports around 45 children between the ages of 5 and 18 years old. It is a self reliant organization that receives no assistance from the government and provides housing, schooling, clothing and 3 meals a day – and also the ever important need of being part of a family structure or group. Most of the children have either lost one or both parents – and may not have relatives who are in a position to look after them. They were gracious enough to offer us a local meal and welcomed us with song, dancing and big smiles.
Burkina Faso had a vibe all of its own. That old saying "Same Same but Different" was definitely the call here. The African music culture that Mali is so famous for, is all open air and on the street in Burkina Faso. Local Bars and cheap street side drinking spots and streetfood spill out everywhere – and even the ever popular African cinema is alive and kicking here. Some of the guys went and enjoyed a night in one of the outdoor cinemas in the city – laughing and giggling at all the little africanisms that these movies have to offer – especially on nights when all they are showing are non western movies. Artisans markets also abound throughout the city – some of the group getting an up close view of Artisans at work carving wood, and forming metal into all different designs and shapes. Luckily we now have some more space on the truck for a few more souvenirs – food stock depletion started off slow but we are now getting through stocks of peanut butter, cocoa, weetbix and other popular stocks that everybody knows will not be replaced once they are gone – its all too expensive out here.
Departing Ouga and heading south towards Ghana – we were all excited with the prospect of seeing wildlife. Our next BC was at the Po National Park where our excitement was not enough to allow us a glimpse of the African elephant population of the park. No wonder really as the national road from the capital out of the country runs smack bang through the middle of the park. Rob managed to see a lonesome Warthog on one of his intrepid wildlife walks – but the sight of the wild and sizeable hog made him think twice to get any closer – especially as it was getting dark. Our bad luck here only meant that our odds were all the more better to see some good stuff further afield in Ghana.
The last couple of weeks has placed us smack bang in the middle of what is known as the Hamattan season. Day skies are all hazy and almost apocalyptic – the sun seems like a tenth of its strength and it almost feels as though its going to piss down any minute !!! Not the Africa weather pattern we were expecting – but its better than the rain we had earlier on in the trip in Spain and Morocco !!The current weather we are experiencing has to do with seasonal winds blowing out of the Sahara Desert and tainting the atmosphere with small sand particles. Nothing we can feel – but it is definitely visible in the air, and not the best weather for our budding photographers on the trip. Imagine Hamattan weather mixed in with a cities smog and pollution – similar to London weather at times only with a humidity factor a lot greater, coupled with a lesser degree of comfort. For the locals out here – this is the cool weather season, and even though we were walking around sweating our everything off in only our shorts and T-shirts, some of the locals would be in their long sleeves and "winter woollies". As cold or cool as it was to the local population – we were egging on the warm weather in anticipation for our extended lazy day sessions overlooking the cool Atlantic Ocean.
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