.....Actually, it's on the street where they live. Missie and Isaak and family. and where I am staying right now. it is an older home within the city limits, close to shops and restaurants, many within walking distance. I recently ventured into traffic on a wheeled vehicle (I rode missie's bike to the wine store) for the very first time the other day and did NOT get hit! if you saw the way they drive here, it would be easy to understand why i say that!! there use to be a t-shirt at the airport gift-shop in boston with a tire-track going up the middle of it and the caption - "i survived driving in Boston traffic!" this place NEEDS that t-shirt!
At any rate, on the street where they live there are many homes like missie & isaaks - homes where people live who may be associated with the government or non-government agencies. the street is lined with trees and flowering vines. it is quite lush, actually, something i did not expect. the only pavement left is right down the middle of the street. on either side, the rest is dirt. i think their street is so pretty!
This is looking down the street from Missie and Isaak's gate. At the end of this view is downtown. Or maybe uptown. A commercial district with banks, stores, street vendors, etc. All along the way, though, there are vendors scattered along the street. About two or three blocks from Missie and Isaak's house is a vendor who sells hand-made bags, purses, totes, and these water-bottle carriers. He hangs them in a tree for display. He is handicapped and makes everything he sells and is actually mentoring another person and teaching him how to sew. Two blocks from their house is a corner cafe where you can purchase something to eat. There are many of these throughout the city and a lot of them are called "Nescafe." like the coffee. I don't know what they make (besides chicken) because I haven't been brave enough to try it. I don't know what sanitation measures they take in preparing, cooking and serving the food so I haven't tried any street-food yet. Probably won't!
All homes are either connected to each other one way or another or they are surrounded by a wall. this is their wall and their gate. This was their welcome sign they made for me on their gate!
One of the low-growing flowers that grow in their yard.
This tree is called a flambouyant tree, It has just a few blossoms on it in this picture, when I first arrived. Now it is completely covered in bright, orange flowers. I took another picture of it today but i haven't uploaded it yet.
This is also on the street where they live. This man drives his donkey and his cart and picks up trash. People pay him to do it. This is one of three ways people dispose of trash in this city. Another way people dispose of their trash is to have a company come by in their truck and pick it up, like what we see in the U.S., and it is expensive. The other way people get rid of their trash is to burn it - every night. In the street. You can ALWAYS smell the smell of burning trash. This is the most common way of disposing of trash because it is free. But it really never totally gets rid of all of it. What you see behind the cart, next to the wall, is debris that needs to be removed or burned.
Ahhh, yes - the gutter. Open aired. This is a clean one. Usually the are not. They run along most streets in the capital and towns. Sometimes they have removable cement covers on them but often, they are open just like this. And bigger. People throw everything in them, use them as a toilet (occasionally), might be a dead crocodile in there, or any number of things. The first thing you learn in Ouagadougou is you DON"T fall in! There was a rooster stuck in one recently - he couldn't get out. maybe his wings were clipped. i don't know but i didn't help him. roosters are mean! and i didn't feel bad for leaving him in there! someone found him, i'm sure. and served him up in one of their street-side cafes.!
A pretty gate along her street. The pink flowers cascading over the wall look very much like crape myrtles only the leaves and flowers are larger.
This is along their back-wall inside their yard. the house in the back ground has maybe 2 or 3 feet b/t it and the wall. very close. the metal window coverings on typical.
There's that tree again! Missie and Isaak have a trash company pick up their trash. Notice the can next to their wall. HOWEVER - after you put your trash out, people go through it and remove anything they think they can use. Not just Missie & Isaak's trash - everybody's trash.
This is a view of the side street next to their house. Just past the trash can. No street signs on most of the streets. You get to where you're going by landmarks (Southeners - you should be able to relate). "you go to the house with the black gate and the pink wall. turn left. go to the place where the goats are kept and turn right." well, better hope the goats aren't gone that day or you're going to just drive right on by!!
A close-up of those pretty pink flowers that I think are crape myrtle trees. this one is mostly for David!
A very close close-up of those flowers. Southern folk, what do you think? Crape myrtle or not????
Some kind of green something growing all over that wall. I really like it. Reminds me of ivy but it isn't. I don't think. Maybe it's African ivy. Palm tree and satellite dish complete the scene.
the flowers on the flambouyant tree.
I don't know why this picture is so small. like only part of it uploaded. sigh...........
All flowers growing along the street. Bougainvillea is one of them; maybe the ones i think are the crape myrtles!
The palm trees just add to the beauty and that sense of lushness. thinking they were probably brought in and are not indigenous. But i don't know because i haven't asked and i haven't looked it up.
Their pool. Marvelly walking balancing towels on her head like the women in ouagadougou.
Sydaleigh loves the whale! And she loves to swim.
I like these spindly trees growing up along the wall inside their yard.
this is what the pool looks like when the pump stops working!!
this is the giant screen porch that runs along the entire front of their house.
The back yard and pool area to the right.
Missie has to back that jeep out that lo-o-o-n-g driveway every day. HAHAHAHA! the drivers side door has had a close-up view of many of those bushes!
Entry into their home. That huge flambouyant tree provides tons of shade to this courtyard area.
The trunk of the flambouyant tree. it is huge!
The trunks and branches are all gnarly and twisted.
Reminds me of a camelia; smells good too.
mangos. responsible for waking me up every night.
And more mangos. the trees are loaded with them. the bats love 'em!
A lovely little walk leading from the pool to the side entrance of the screen porch.
This is a giant bird's nest. the bird itself is called a hammercock and has a very large wingspan. It builds these nests for one season and moves on. steals from everywhere to build it. Marvelly has a pair of goggles up there. The nest is strong enough for a grown man to stand or sit in it. When they had to have work done trimming the trees, the workers sat in it! This picture is after the nest had started to fall apart and it is STILL huge!!
Another view of the giant nest in the bottom right corner.
Just a bird. Kind of reminds me of a mockingbird only bigger. and just as noisy!
Somewhere up there are bats. Big, ugly beige colored ones.
Sydaleigh and Marvelly washing the driveway. Always a good way to cool off!
Sydaleigh and i had a jump-off. I won. But she can jump rope very well. There is lots of room to practice in that porch!! so really, when I complain of being the only person who goes to visit Africa who actually GAINS weight (although i'm told i'm not the ONLY one), you can see i have no excuse!!
When you step outside, the first thing you hear is the pitter-patter of little feet scuttling across the yard. lizard feet. Across the grass. Over the cement. Under the leaves. Up the walls. They are everywhere. Hundreds of them. As common here as cockroaches are in the south. Mostly outside, but there are some that come inside, too, and the cat generally gets those. They kill a multitude of bugs which may help to explain why I don't see very many of THEM! Now, when the wet season comes, the insect population picks up, I'm told. But at the moment, you would never know that insects could possibly be a nuisance here. I have seen so few. 1 spider the whole time - that's right - ONE! ants and flies are the next two most common insects i have seen. one beetle. several mosquitoes. but the lizards - lots of them and they are FAT!
They talk, too - this clucking sound in their throats. At night they'll be talking to their other lizard friends, the bats will be pinging, the frogs will be making their bull-frog sounds, motos zooming by on the streets, jets flying by over head every couple of hours, and not to forget the shotgun-sound-of falling mangos at the most unpredictable times of the night - gets noisy out there!!
This is for sure one of the most fascinating places I have ever been and likely ever will be. While there are many reasons and attractions to lead me back to the states (David being at the top of the list!), there are many things that I will miss about Burkina Faso. Driving will be one of them!
This intersection is at the end of her street. And someone is driving cattle in the middle of the city. No matter where i drive after here, it will never be the same!!! The flowers in the background are plastic. The bags in the background are woven out of plastic and very durable. The Burkinabe are quite resourceful.
You never quite know what you are going to wake up to outside your gate on any given morning!
No place on earth quite like Burkina Faso! I never get tired of looking at her.
The mosques are plentiful and beautiful. Even though this picture leaves something to be desired. Middle Eastern influence is evident throughout the city. This mosque is a landmark for me - tells me where to turn to get to the girls' school. Even though i don't drive, I figure it's still good for me to know!
