Transort

So transport is hard here. I guess thats really a lot like everything in Burkina. Things just take longer than they would in the U.S. Not sure I have really explained that though so I want to share about my day yesterday to give an example. I had a meeting at 10 am this morning in Ouaga and had planned to leave village early and catch a car to make it in time even though 1) I've never actually made it to Ouaga by 10 am and 2) its rainy season so nothing ever goes as planned. Thankfully I decided not to risk it and came yesterday instead and made it to Ouaga about 4:30 pm. I would have only been 6.5 hours late!

So back to a day in the life of Kirstin trying to travel about 150 km or 90 miles during rainy season in Burkina Faso.

5:30 am - Got up, brushed teeth, washed, got dressed.

6:00 - Ready to leave, oh no big huge storm clouds rolling in. Do I risk it and leave now even though I have a 20 minute bike ride on a good day to where I can catch a car and then have to wait on the roadside somewhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours until a car shows up? Or do I wait it out since a car may not even come if its raining? Decide to wait.

6:15 - Wind picks up. Dust and garbage blowing everywhere. Probably going to be a big storm. Sky is dark. Better use the latrine now so don't have to get wet later. Let Puppy in the house so he stays dry.

6:30 - Downpour begins. The water landing on my tin roof sounds like an explosion. So loud I can't hear myself think. Puppy is scared and hides under the bed, tangled up in my mosquito net.

7:30 - Still raining hard so decide to take a nap since I'm bored and its dark in my house with the windows closed so rain doesn't come in

9:00 - Rain has let up a little but its still coming down and everything is flooded and muddy. Decide to wait another hour to see if will stop and let some water wash away before trying to bike.

9:30 - Just sprinkling now though it sounds like its really coming down inside my house from the amplification off the tin roof. Start to get ready to go again. Have to drag Puppy out from under bed. Doesn't want to go outside and get wet. Once he's out decides its time to play. Try to catch him and end up sliding in the mud. Dirty already and haven't left the house

10:00 - Take clothes hanging on wall down so they don't get moldy. Cover bed with tarp since rain comes in sometimes. Strap backpack onto bike. Lock up house. Call Puppy and head out.

10:15 - Have to drop off Puppy at Dabre's house, the opposite direction from where I catch a car. Normal path is completly flooded so take long way around. Puppy runs around crazy chasing my bike. Cross two streams of water, Puppy doesn't want to cross so have to get off bike, catch Puppy, and carry him across. Lots of mud several inches thick. Speed up to try to make it through. In one spot, loose traction and bike starts to fall. Backpack weight helps pull my bike over once I lose balance. Fall in deep mud and pants and feet are covered. Try to push bike out and get even more dirty. Finally make it to Dabre's and Puppy takes off without saying good-bye to play with his brothers.

10:30 - Head out to the main road where I can catch a car. Usually think its a pretty easy ride, flat without many bumps. Have to pedal twice as hard to move forward in the mud today.

11:00 - Exhausted by the time I get to the road where I wait for a car. There is another guy waiting that says he's been there since 9 am and no cars have gone by. Pull out a magazine and lean against bike to wait since ground is covered in mud. Still drizzling out so am soaked through with sweat and rain by this point.

12:00 - Car arrives! Hour wait isn't bad on a normal day so very excited.

12:15 - Arrive at the next town over and pile more people in.

12:45 - Wait awhile for no obvious reason. My bush taxi is usually a large van with seats for 21 plus driver. This day (like most days) we had more than 30 inside plus at least one on the roof along with bikes, motos, and baggage stacked as tall as the van is. Also one person hanging on the back.

2:15 - Finally hit paved road after lots of bumping and swerving to miss pot holes and puddles.

3:45 - Make it to Ouaga. Drive to gare where all the bush taxis from my region park and wait for customers. Wait for bike and backpack to be unloaded from roof.

4:00 - Find a taxi. Won't negotiate price. Find another taxi. Same story since I'm white. Finally give up and settle for higher price than normal with third taxi since I'm tired and wet and just want to be done traveling.

4:30 - Arrive in Transit House only ten and a half hours after when I tried to leave. Take a hot shower and enjoy the luxuries of city life like cold beer and pizza!

I normally think getting to Ouaga is easier than getting home when I have to wait several hours at the dirty, noisy gare where I'm constantly being harassed but this was an exceptionally hard trip.