Beautiful & Fabulous Burkina Faso February 15 – 22, 2012

Burkina Faso? What and where is it? I was totally ignorant about this small landlocked country till I planned my West African trip. I consider Burkina Faso one of the most beautiful and fabulous countries on the continent. I have happy memories of my visits to the Sindou Peaks, Fabedougou Dome, Karfiguela Falls,Lake Tengrela and Bobo-Dioulasso (Bobo) in the west and Ouagadougou (Ouaga), the capital. The scenery and landscape are magnificent and the people are most friendly and beautiful. More tourists should come to this part of the world where the tourism revenue can make a difference to the local people’s life!

Background

Burkina Faso (Burkina) is a landlocked country with an area of 274,200 square kilometres and a population of 13 million.It has been a cultural melting pot with over 60 ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects. The major groups include the Mossi (some 50%); the Fulani (about 8%); the Gourmanche (7%), Bissa and Samo including the Bobo-Oule (about 6%).It is said that the country is 60% Muslim and 40% Christian and 100% animist.

Geography

Sugar cane plantation

There are three climatic zones. The Sudano-Guinean zone covers the southwestern bulge of the country extending to the Ivory coast with an annual rainfall of up to 1,300mm, the Sudano-Sahelian zone between 600 and 1,000mm and the Sahelian zone at the northernmost part as little as 150mm.

History

It is not easy to tell the early history of Burkina as it was largely based on oral tradition. The land had been ruled by local kings and chiefs when the Europeans arrived. Naba Oubri was the first the great Mossi kings and founder of the Ouagadougou dynasty whose history can be traced and verified. Oubri crowned himself the first Moro Naba (‘king of the world’) and his kingdom was known as Oubritenga(‘land of Oubri’). The Mossi Empire was weakened by internal power struggle amongst kingdoms/fiefdoms.

Kraus, a German was the first European to set foot on Oubritenga in 1886 followed by the French explorer, Gustave Binger in 1888. In 1895, Captain Desteneves led an expedition from Mali with the aim of signing protection treaties with the Mossi kingdoms. When Naba Wobgo (1889-97), the 30th Moro Naba refused, the French took the kingdom by force in 1896. In 1897, the French installed Naba Wobgo’s youngest brother as Moro Naba and Naba Wobgo eventually died in Gambaga in 1904.

During the scramble for Africa, the territory of the present-day Burkina Faso was pushed around various systems of colonial administration. In 1904, it was made part of the Colonie du Haut-Senegal-Niger controlled from Dakar. In 1919, it was renamed Haute-Volta (Upper Volta) and was administered by a lieutenant governor from Ouagadougou. In 1932, the territory was dissolved and the land and people were split between Mali, Niger and Ivory Coast.

Demands and movements towards independence began in 1940s. The Mossi who had built up an unprecedented alliance amongst the nabas began to demand creation of Upper Volta. In September 1947, the law creating the Upper Volta colony was passed in the French National Assembly. In 1956, Loi Cadre established that each of the eight French West African colonies should have its own Government Council.

Coulibaly formed Burkina’s first-ever government after Upper Volta’s 1957 elections.It became independent in August 1960 with Maurice Yameogo, leader of RDA became President. Burkina has had a turbulent period especially in the 1980s with six coups and the setting up of three republics (1960-66; 1971-74 and 1978-80). After the coup in August 1983, Captain Thomas Sankara who has often been seen Africa’s Che Guevara, became the head of state. Sankara, a charismatic and self-confessed ideologue who was anti-corruption, was a remarkable figure and an idol for many Africans. He like Che Guevara, was inspiring and gave the country a new identity when he renamed Upper Volta ‘Burkina Faso’– Land of Honourable Men’ and a new motto – “Patriotism or death, we will triumph.” He embarked on social reform and championed for women’s rights. He also tried to circumscribe the feudal powers of the traditional chiefs. His zeal to radicalize ordinary people and make changes proved his undoing and brought him discontent and resentment amongst his close comrades and supporters. On 15 October, 1987, he was killed in a gun battle with soldiers who allegedly acted on behalf of Captain Blaise Compaore, his Minister for Justice and two other revolutionary comrades.

Blaise Compaore took over as President and held a referendum in June 1991 whereby the Constitution of the Fourth Republic was adopted making Burkina ‘a democratic, unitary and secular state’. Compaore has been in power ever since and won the 2010 presidential election. He will be around till 2015! The country though a democratic state, has a strong police force and army. Political and press freedom is much restricted. The death of a schoolboy sparked off an uprising throughout the country from February to April 2011 when there was also an army mutiny. Though the country is relative stable by African standards, the society is aching for change!

Economy

Subsistence farming

Burkina is the third poorest countries in the world with a GDP (nominal) of US$ 8.8billion and a GDP per capita of US$597 (2010 est.). The GDP (PPP) and GDP per capita (PPP) are slightly higher at US$ 20 billion and US$ 1,360 respectively. Some 80% of the population is occupied with agriculture and cotton is the mainstay of the economy. Majority of the people live on subsistence farming and they grow vegetables in small plots of land and gardens.

Day 42 (Wednesday, February 15): Mole National Park -Navrongo, Ghana –Hamale, BurkinaFaso border (200km; 9hrs)

We had a long day travelling on red piste: it is dirt road all the way from the Mole National Park to the border. I crossed into Burkina, the sixth West African country on the trip at around 5pm. Mike and Ant found a good camp site half an hour later and we bush camped. The weather was getting hotter and drier!

Day 43: Drive to Bobo-Dioulasso – Banfora – Sindou (300km; 8 hrs)

Sugar cane plantation

Bridge under construction

We had a brief ATM stop at Bobo-Dioulasso meaning the ‘Home of the Bobo Dioulas’) (Bobo). It is Burkina’s second largest city with a population of half a million. Music and dance is in the soul of Bobo which is charming, laid-back and attractive with tree-lined streets.

Sindou peaks

The scenery from Banfora to Sindou Peaks is most enchanting. The region is green with sugar-cane plantation, palm trees, mango-lined red piste and lots of garden farming! We arrived at an auberge with camp ground run by a NGO called l’ Association Solidarite Djiguiya (www.djiguiya.org) around 3pm. The association set up in 2004 aims at improving education and hygiene for the children. Most of us took a mud hut for the night: we had to pay only CFA 2000 extra.

Nicole and I left the auberge at 4:30pm and visited the famous Sindou Peaks, a series of sculptures made of the aged-old movements of oceans, rain and wind. There were only a handful of French tourists and we had the park to ourselves! Though I have seen more gorgeous sunsets and numerous spectacular and beautiful peaks before, I enjoyed watching spindles of sandstones rising into the air.

We had a lovely dinner prepared by the restaurant. The chickens though small and not meaty were tasty and juicy. The tomato and vegetable sauces made from organic vegetables from their garden were most delicious. A simple meal is often more delicious and memorable than a sumptuous meal at a five-star hotel!The mud hut however is not as romantic as I had thought. It was so hot that I could not sleep! I left the room at 2am and slept on the hammock for a while. Then I returned to my hut with the door wide open. With cool and fresh air coming in, I finally managed to get some sleep.

Day 44: Sindou –Lake Tengrela – Banfora – Dome Fabedougou – Karfiguela Falls (70km; 3 hrs)

The Imam’s morning praying woke me up before sunrise. I took a walk to see the peaks. The sun as usual looks dull and blurred behind the dust-cloud. I walked back to the village where the villagers were busy watering the vegetable plots or carrying water in a big jar on their head, children walking to school, donkey carts or bicycles stirring up the dust on the road.

Beautiful mom and baby Sarah

Then I saw a beautiful young lady with her baby on her back and asked for permission to take a picture of the girl. It happens that both the baby girl and I are called ‘Sarah’! There is some kind of bondage between us and the proud mom showed me her house which is about 150 square feet. It is clean and neat with pots and pans and several bags of maize and other stuff piling up on the floor. The kitchen next door is tidy and clean as well. She started cooking spaghetti and rice and invited me to try some. She is gorgeous and I had a lovely picture of her cooking with Sarah on her back! Her friend with a big jar on her head came up to me asking me to take a photo for me. It’s a God send opportunity for my dreamed photo with a woman carrying a big jar!

We sat off leisurely at 10am for an hour-long pirogue (canoe) ride on Lake Tengrela which is famous for its hippopotami. Each pirogue took five or six passengers and the lake is tranquil and quiet. Two groups of hippos numbering about 50 are found in the lake each occupying its own territory. According to our boatman, the lake is sacred as hippos are regarded as sacred and villagers make sacrifice to the hippos.

Jess with strong arms and legs climbed effortlessly to the top of the rocks. I am clumsy and am satisfied to watch the amazing landscape from the ground. As the temperature rose over 40C and the light was too strong for photography, we stayed only for half an hour and drove to the Karfiguela Falls. We planned to return to watch sunset or sunrise when it’s cooler.

Beautiful mango trees

4 ladies in a pool

The Karfiguela falls is known as Burkina’s most tourist-friendly set of falls. The area is easily accessible and picturesque with fantastic views of the plateau and expansive sugar fields below and a series of natural Jacuzzis. After setting up our tents, we began our short hike to the falls. The first part of the path leads one through a cathedral of mango trees each about 15m-high. Then one finds a path with lots of steps carved into the rock face. The falls are amazing. I particularly enjoyed one of tiny pools which I barely touch the bottom but is big enough to can fit in Barb, Jess, Naomi and Anne-Marie! After a cool dip, I walked further up to see the top of the falls which are bigger water holes for swimming but less picturesque. I had a great day!

Day 45: Karfiguela Falls– Bobo Dioulasso (100km; 3 hrs)

Dome Fabedougou

I set off at 6:30am with a few girls for the Dome Fabedougou. The hike is easy and only takes some 30 minutes. The air was cool and the sky was slightly clearer. But the colours of the sandstones are too dark and dull and cannot be compared with the landscape at the Bungle Bungles.

Jess prepared excellent French toast while I cut pineapples, papayas, a water-melon and avocadoes. We served breakfast at 9am, packed up and arrived in Bobo in the early afternoon.

As it was grilling hot, I only went to the nearby central market with Nicole to get some street food and spent the whole afternoon doing my trip notes in the shade. I joined others and walked to the Provincial Museum of Houet. There are few exhibits and even the photos are poor photocopies. I wish something could be done about this as the region has rich culture.

Hornbill

Happy Birthday, Angelito

It was Angelito’s birthday the following day. The group had dinner together at the restaurant before going out for a drink and musical performance. Bobo has a lively music scene and there are numerous nightclubs and bars. Instead of eating in the restaurant, Ant and I had chicken prepared in a typical local way: the chicken was cut into several pieces, wrapped in a brown paper with plenty of oil and vegetables and cooked on fire-wood. The chicken remains tender and juicy and the brown paper is not burnt at all. Each chicken cost CFA 2200(apparently, the stall sells some 200 chickens a night!)

Our local guide took us to a local club for a drum performance. The entrance fee was only CFA500 and the drum-beats were powerful and lively. I do not know much about music but find the rhythms just heart-throbbing. While most of the group stayed on to dance, I, Mary and Anne-Marie decided to return to the hotel at 10pm.

Day 46: Bobo Dioulasso

We had a good two-hour walking tour from 9 to 11am. The first stop was the old Grand Mosque which is a quintessential example of Sudanese mud-brick architecture. Construction started in 1890s. It now has two minarets and can accommodate 900 followers. The structure is supported by some 40 columns. The place looked atmospheric as the morning rays slipped through the whitewashed columns. We went to the roof and had good views of Kibidwe, the oldest part of Bobo.

The second stop was Kibidwe opposite the mosque. Here one finds typical Bobo houses with smooth mud-brick and tree-trunk ladders. We stopped at a place where sacrifice is performed by the fetish priest, a hut where a lady brewed the millet beer, the house where the elders/leaders meet to discuss and settle disputes, the workshop of blacksmiths, a studio with wood carving and painting and the oldest building whose foundation was laid in 11th century (it is now used as a Maison du Mere).Many women and young girls were busy washing clothes at and near the well and the river. There is however no proper drainage: waste water runs through some of the alleys before draining into the river.

The oldest building

Huge beer bowls

Railway station

As it was getting boiling hot, I took refuge at the hotel terrace preparing my travel notes. At 4pm, the guide took us on Part 2 of the walk. This time, we went to the central market. Most of the stalls were closed as it was a Sunday. Nonetheless, there were still a lot of stalls conducting their business as usual selling vegetables, clothes and cloth and souvenirs. I had been to the market twice but had not seen this part. I enjoyed the tour and realized how big the market is.

I love street food and the chicken I had the night before was so delicious that I brought a pack of chicken intestines cooked in wrapped paper with vegetables for CFA1000 as snack. The food was excellent and the portion was much larger than I thought. It was Angelito’s birthday and the group had a nice meal in a restaurant recommended in the Lonely Planet. As my stomach was full, I just had a beer.

Day 47:Bobo Dioulasso – Ouagadougou (350km; 6 hrs)

I rose before 5am as the room got so stuffy and hot. I managed to skype a distant friend in Australia.

I had a morning walk in the central market which started to get busy. A man running a street café asked me to take his photos. I saw a girl with an exquisite hair-do. She is very pretty and I sought her permission to photograph her hair-style. When she saw her hair on the camera screen, she laughed heartily. I really enjoy my brief encounter with people who are not posing for photos or demand money for pictures.

We set off at 9am and had a brief lunch stop at Boromo. I had rice and red beans, and yogurt mixed with millet. A young boy was staring at my bag of yogurt. I gave half of the bag to him and he came back later with a broad and sweet smile on his face and his eyes were filled with joy, satisfaction and gratitude. I am happy my small offer could give him such a blissful moment!

A part of the road to Ouaga was under repair or construction. We arrived at Hotel OK Inn on the ring road of Ouaga after 4pm. I and Mary shared an air-conditioning room. What a luxury especially after my stay in a cell-like room in Bobo without window and toilet! I had my first swim in a pool since leaving Grand Popo, Benin! I had ox-tongue at the hotel restaurant which is excellent!

Day 48: Ouagadougou

Ouaga the capital with a population of 1.5 million people is known for its vibrant arts, music and restaurant scene. Its biennial Fespaco, Africa’s premier film festival has put the city on the film scene.

Xenophobia?

Nicole, Mary and I took a taxi to the National Museum.We were fortunate to have a good English speaking guide who took us through an interesting temporary exhibition on Africa which runs through a theme of A to Z with each alphabet leading to some soul-searching issues such as Xenophobia confronting Africa as a whole today.

Nicole and I walked from Place of Nation to Place of United Nations, visited the centre for handicraft before heading to the central market and the cathedral. There a modern supermarket which is probably the best in Burkina with a fantastic selection of pate, cheese, sausages, bread and biscuits, chocolates and wine. We walked from the supermarket to the main market which is located in a purpose-built building. But the whole area was filled by street stalls selling vegetables and fruits. The people were aggressive and Nicole brought three mangoes for CFA500.

Cathedral

Place of United Nations

Lovely girl

A most helpful man

There are hundreds of stalls in the market and a man followed us around trying to take us to various stalls. I brought a pant with Burkina pattern and a set made of mud cloth. I passed by a college around 5pm and was surprised to see many students leaving the college on their motor bikes! These kids must come from rich families. We found a taxi but the driver did not know the way. He finally dumped us at a suburb without charging us. It was getting dark and we were a bit worried as most people did not know the hotel. We were lucky and met a nice man who tried to find us a taxi, agree on the price and make sure the driver know where to take us. We reached the hotel at 7pm. What a day!

Day 49: Ouagadougou –Dedougou –Sancre (380kmkm; 10 hrs)

We had a long driving day. The scenery is interesting with many villages, picturesque mud huts and children on bikes . It is nice to find many villages grow their vegetables in enclosed fence next to their hut.

Day 50 (Thursday, February 23): Sancre – Djibasso, Burkina Faso – Djibasso, Mali (50km; 2 hrs)

We set off at 7:30am. Things went smoothly and we were out of Burkina at 9.:45am

Remarks

Our truck has travelled roughly 1000km in Burkina Faso. I love the country because it is different, beautiful, appealing and laid-back and the people are very nice. I have not heard of Thomas Sankara before and like to know more about the life of this revolutionary figure.

The people though poor are amazing and friendly. They seem hard-working and care for the land. They make use of every possible plot of land for gardening and farming! The fields look tidy, green and lovely. I shall always remember the lady in Sindou with baby Sarah, her friend with a big water jug on her head, the guy in Ouaga who accompanied us to find a taxi in the dark and all those who greeted me with lovely broad smiles and let me take their pictures.

Burkina is one of the poorest countries on earth though the people get on with their life and they look happy.I love to go back one day especially to visit the ruins of Loro Peniwhich which is on the World Heritage list. I also hope more tourists and travellers would visit this part of the world bringing the country much needed cash which can make a difference in its development.