Friday, November 12, 2010
Pictures Galore
After months of not uploading pictures I have finally put a ton up on Picasa. Most of them my friends took or I borrowed a camera since I no longer have a camera. Check out photos from July through October for what I've been up to.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Bike Tour Wrap Up
The bike tour ended a few weeks ago and they announced that they raised 4500 dollars! Thanks so much to everyone who donated and especially to the friends and family I know about who gave.
Thank you Dad, Mom, Suzy, Mary, Peter, and Barb!
Tons of pictures were posted on a picasa page for the tour and since I don't have a camera this the best way to share pics with you all. There are a ton but I participated the first few days so they should be at the beginning of the album. Check them out!
Thank you Dad, Mom, Suzy, Mary, Peter, and Barb!
Tons of pictures were posted on a picasa page for the tour and since I don't have a camera this the best way to share pics with you all. There are a ton but I participated the first few days so they should be at the beginning of the album. Check them out!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Time Flies
I have been in Burkina Faso for two years now and the time has just flown by. I remember how stressed I was about what to pack and how to prepare for leaving the US for two years and now I realize how unimportant all of my concerns were. Yeah I use a lot of the stuff I brought but the reality is I have learned to get by with whatever I have and would be fine without a lot of the junk I did bring. Plus my amazing family and friends have sent me anything I could possibly need.
I have two months left in Burkina Faso and I realize this too is going to pass way too quickly. I’m trying to enjoy the little time I have left but am finding it hard to know what to do. I have been in and out of village so much that the last three weeks that I stayed in village (I think the longest I’ve gone without a night somewhere else since March!), I didn’t know what to do with myself. People are really busy harvesting and I don’t have time to plan any new programs so I just need to hang out and enjoy being with my village friends and family.
I am not sure what is next at this point but promised my dad I would be in Wisconsin for Christmas 2010 before I left the US two years ago.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Random Notes
It seems like I have a lot of little events to share but have not been feeling very motivated to write lately. This blog may seem a little scattered but please bear with me.
A few days after I returned from Niger, Dylan came to village to help put on a computer camp. We had planned to do this earlier in the summer but had to cancel so were trying to squeeze it in before school started. As I think I’ve mentioned, an American company built a computer lab at the school in my village about 3 years ago. It is outfitted with 20 computers in great condition that are run off solar panels. For the first year and a half there was even satellite internet though it was never used so they stopped paying the bill. The computers are rarely used and usually just by the teachers but students have expressed interest in learning more so I wanted to set something up. My friend Jacque who is the pharmacist was particularly interested and helped with some of the arrangements. We held 3 different sessions a day each for an hour and a half. One group for girls, one for boys, and one for community members. The girls were mostly from my club and younger but the boys that came were mostly in high school in another town and much more advanced then the girls so it was good to split them up. The community members included the madarassa (Islamic school) teacher that is in my family and my friend Dabre’s husband. Neither had ever touched a computer and it was interesting to give them this experience. Dylan discussed the parts of the computer and how to turn it on and then did lessons in Microsoft Word and Excel and had them use a typing program to learn the proper finger placements.
School officially began in Burkina on Oct 1 though the first week or so seems to be spent figuring out who is in what class and how they are going to pay school fees. I think they are now just starting to teach classes. In my family we have two kids starting school this year. I’m so excited for Akeem and Assetou and have tried to show the family how important I think school. Barkissa, my 13 year old friend and helper, also is starting middle school this year. She passed the big exam last spring that students have to take at the end of primary school and is one of the lucky ones who gets to go on. I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about how expensive school is and many people are unsure of how they will pay their children’s school fees. In my village, primary school costs about $5 for the year and middle school costs about $40 plus they have to buy notebooks, pencils, and other supplies. This doesn’t seem like much but is a huge chunk of most villagers income especially when you realize they may have 5 kids in school.
It is now harvest time and people are out in the fields bringing in their crops from this year. Right now they are harvesting corn, beans, peanuts, and okra. The millet won’t be ready for several more months but people are hoping for a good harvest this year after several bad years. I was told to go out to the fields one day with my friend Dabre but had no idea what we were doing. We showed up late because had work at the CSPS to do first. Turns out it was a work party in the fields. Dabre had been paid to make dolo for one of her neighbors who asked people to come help him weed his fields in exchange for dolo. The men were all lined up in the field with their dabas (hoes) and weeded in unison to the music from a drummer and maraca. It was almost like they were dancing as they weeded. I have spent a lot of time in the fields but this was my first experience with a social gathering like this revolved around working together and helping your neighbors.
I recently made soap with a group of women. Dabre had asked me to make it with her and some neighbors so I picked up supplies in Ouaga months ago and we finally found time to get together. I was expecting a few women but we ended up with 25 women that showed up for the two days it took. We had a lot of fun and they were very appreciative for the knowledge and to take home a free bottle of liquid soap. Now they are asking me to make hard soap so hope to squeeze that in still.
The minister of foreign affairs for Burkina Faso is my neighbor. Well at least he has a huge house that I can see out my window though he usually lives in Ouaga and only comes back for holidays and special events. His relatives are still there though and I have played with his great nieces and nephews and will sit and “chat” with his older brother. Unfortunately in August his mother passed away. I have seen her many times and she was in very bad health and mostly blind so it didn’t come as a huge surprise. Plus they are saying she was 105 years old so I guess she’s had a good life! Anyways, two weeks ago they held a huge funeral for her. I’m guessing a thousand people descended on my town to partake in the festivities and there were cars all over and tents put up to host the visitors. Even the first lady Chantal Campaore flew in on her helicopter and landed in the field behind my house. That’s the second time in six months! I guess you can tell there is an election coming up next month!
There was another death recently that hit me much harder. This is a hard time of year and many people are falling sick with malaria and other diseases. It seems like practically every day I am hearing about someone else that died. Most of these aren’t people I know though and they don’t really affect me. Recently a child that I knew well and played with frequently passed away though. Marc was just over a year old and such a happy baby. He was very chubby and seemed to be in such good health. Nobody is really sure what happened since he had been fine the days before he died and even seemed to be improving a few hours before his death. Its so hard to not have answers here. Death is just a part of life and people move on. His mom was in mourning for three days and couldn’t leave the house and then things are supposed to be back to normal. But they obviously aren’t. I am so sad about this loss and can’t imagine what his mom is feeling. I just want to hug her when I see her but of course that’s not appropriate here. Its hard to know what to do…
On a happier note, there is a small “mountain” in Garango that I had talked about climbing with Karla and Yoshi and never seemed to get around too. I finally went with Dylan last week though and reached the summit. Even Puppy came with! He ran 20 km while I biked and then climbed the mountain and later ran 20 km home. Its really not very high but the land is so flat here that any change in topography is exciting. We met up in Garango and biked towards the mountain. I tried to show off my Bissa and house nearby and we left our bikes there before beginning to hike. Dylan packed a picnic and we enjoyed several hours overlooking Garango and the nearby bush. On our way down, we found a large rock where water must rush over during rainy season. It was very slick and we enjoyed sliding down it!
One final note, there has been a gas shortage throughout Burkina. I didn’t really think much about it until my gas tank ran out and I had no way to cook dinner. Dylan was here at the time and we had to come up with creative ideas for dinner. Dabre lent me a grill and I got charcoal so cooked over coals for about two weeks before I was able to get a new gas tank. We even made lasagna in my Dutch oven one night. It took forever to cook but tasted amazing! Flexibility is what Peace Corps is all about!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
One More Vacation
A few weeks ago I took a short vacation to Niamey, the capital of Niger, with my PCV friends Audrey & Heather. We all had a few vacation days left and wanted a little girls getaway. I was most interested in seeing the Niger River and going on a boat ride while Heather wanted to see giraffes. Audrey was up for anything. We all were interested in shopping especially for silver jewelry made by Tuaregs, a nomadic ethnic group found in the Sahel and Sahara.
In Niger we spent the first two nights at the Peace Corps transit house so met many PCVs and got lots of recommendations especially on the best places to eat. We definitely ate very well but am sure it was because we were in vacation mode and willing to splurge. After talking to neighboring PCVs and hearing them rave about Ouaga, I realize you definitely see a place different when you're there for vacation rather than trying to get tons of work done over a few days.
We visited the National Museum our first morning which consists of a few small exhibits, a sad zoo, and some artisan stands. Nothing too impressive but we enjoyed seeing hippos, lions, hyenas, and ostriches as well as displays on dinosaur bones found in Niger and traditional dress.
That afternoon while wandering along the river looking for a restaurant with waterfront view, we ran into a guide who could take us to see hippos on the river. He recommended a restaurant and met us there with a motorized pirogue (a large canoe) a few hours later to start our tour. We spent over two hours on the Niger River and only saw one hippo but he was big and completely out of the water. I loved the ride and the hippo was just a bonus! This is the most important river in West Africa and runs through many important places including Bamako and Timbuktu. Amazingly its only a huge river for part of the year. This being the end of rainy season, the river was very wide and had a fast current. We were told in March people are able to walk across it since its so narrow and shallow.
We were impressed with our guide, his prices were lower than we expected to pay and it seemed easy to make arrangements with him so we agreed to have him take us to see giraffes the next day as well as to a few other places. As it so often is in West Africa, he was over an hour late picking us up and our car broke down so were stuck on the side of the road for over two hours. So much for having to get to the area early before the day got too hot. The town of Koure is promoted as having the last population of wild giraffes in West Africa. I'm not sure its true or not since there are several parks and reserves throughout the region though nothing like what is found in Eastern and Southern Africa. We didn't have to drive more than 5 km or so off the main road before I spotted a giraffe through the bushes. We drove a little further and found a whole group together eating acacia bushes. We walked around near the animals but they would start to move whenever we got too close. I counted a total of 11 giraffes in this group but we were told over 200 live in this area. We also saw camels resting within several yards of the giraffes and other domesticated animals like goats and sheep wandering around the area. People were walking by collecting fire wood and other daily tasks so it was obvious they lived there right among the giraffes. Interesting to see but again no where as cool as the parks I visited in Kenya.
That afternoon we visited Bouban Island located on the Niger River. To reach it, we rode in a small pirogue that was paddled and poled across. We heard it was a really cool place to spend a few hours and the sights included a humongous haunted baobab tree. We were not at all impressed. The restaurant had no food and after tromping through tall grasses and prickers we arrived at a tree that was good size but I've seen bigger in my village. Plus nobody could give us any answers about if it was really considered haunted and if so, why.
Our final day was spent shopping at several different markets, an artisan village, a string of small jewelry shops, and a big (for my current standards) grocery store. We all got plenty of souvenirs but I was disappointed at the high prices of jewelry. I guess they were more Western prices than I was used to but hopefully also Western quality.
We ended our trip with getting dressed up for dinner at a great Italian restaurant. It was so good I even ate two entrees! How will I ever adjust to being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want it?
Transport back home was easy on the Niger side but as soon as crossed the border the troubles begin. Every time I, and all my friends, have returned to Burkina, it has take forever to get through immigration, customs, and border patrol. I don't know what they are worried about people sneaking in but boy do they go slow and stop the bus repeatedly. This time it was made worse by three unfortunate bus incidents. As we pulled away after the first stop, the driver didn't have quite enough room and the side of our bus scraped the rearview mirrors of another bus causing a huge window to shatter and glass to fly. Thankfully nobody was hurt beyond a few small cuts. After an hour spent cleaning this up, we were ready to go again only to find the battery had died so we needed a jump from another bus. At another stop a few km down the road, our back tires got stuck in the mud and it took quite a while and quite a few men to push us out. Only a few more hours later and without anymore bus problems, I made it back to Tenkodogo.
Unfortunately I still don't have a camera but I hope to get pictures from my friends to post in the future.
In Niger we spent the first two nights at the Peace Corps transit house so met many PCVs and got lots of recommendations especially on the best places to eat. We definitely ate very well but am sure it was because we were in vacation mode and willing to splurge. After talking to neighboring PCVs and hearing them rave about Ouaga, I realize you definitely see a place different when you're there for vacation rather than trying to get tons of work done over a few days.
We visited the National Museum our first morning which consists of a few small exhibits, a sad zoo, and some artisan stands. Nothing too impressive but we enjoyed seeing hippos, lions, hyenas, and ostriches as well as displays on dinosaur bones found in Niger and traditional dress.
That afternoon while wandering along the river looking for a restaurant with waterfront view, we ran into a guide who could take us to see hippos on the river. He recommended a restaurant and met us there with a motorized pirogue (a large canoe) a few hours later to start our tour. We spent over two hours on the Niger River and only saw one hippo but he was big and completely out of the water. I loved the ride and the hippo was just a bonus! This is the most important river in West Africa and runs through many important places including Bamako and Timbuktu. Amazingly its only a huge river for part of the year. This being the end of rainy season, the river was very wide and had a fast current. We were told in March people are able to walk across it since its so narrow and shallow.
We were impressed with our guide, his prices were lower than we expected to pay and it seemed easy to make arrangements with him so we agreed to have him take us to see giraffes the next day as well as to a few other places. As it so often is in West Africa, he was over an hour late picking us up and our car broke down so were stuck on the side of the road for over two hours. So much for having to get to the area early before the day got too hot. The town of Koure is promoted as having the last population of wild giraffes in West Africa. I'm not sure its true or not since there are several parks and reserves throughout the region though nothing like what is found in Eastern and Southern Africa. We didn't have to drive more than 5 km or so off the main road before I spotted a giraffe through the bushes. We drove a little further and found a whole group together eating acacia bushes. We walked around near the animals but they would start to move whenever we got too close. I counted a total of 11 giraffes in this group but we were told over 200 live in this area. We also saw camels resting within several yards of the giraffes and other domesticated animals like goats and sheep wandering around the area. People were walking by collecting fire wood and other daily tasks so it was obvious they lived there right among the giraffes. Interesting to see but again no where as cool as the parks I visited in Kenya.
That afternoon we visited Bouban Island located on the Niger River. To reach it, we rode in a small pirogue that was paddled and poled across. We heard it was a really cool place to spend a few hours and the sights included a humongous haunted baobab tree. We were not at all impressed. The restaurant had no food and after tromping through tall grasses and prickers we arrived at a tree that was good size but I've seen bigger in my village. Plus nobody could give us any answers about if it was really considered haunted and if so, why.
Our final day was spent shopping at several different markets, an artisan village, a string of small jewelry shops, and a big (for my current standards) grocery store. We all got plenty of souvenirs but I was disappointed at the high prices of jewelry. I guess they were more Western prices than I was used to but hopefully also Western quality.
We ended our trip with getting dressed up for dinner at a great Italian restaurant. It was so good I even ate two entrees! How will I ever adjust to being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want it?
Transport back home was easy on the Niger side but as soon as crossed the border the troubles begin. Every time I, and all my friends, have returned to Burkina, it has take forever to get through immigration, customs, and border patrol. I don't know what they are worried about people sneaking in but boy do they go slow and stop the bus repeatedly. This time it was made worse by three unfortunate bus incidents. As we pulled away after the first stop, the driver didn't have quite enough room and the side of our bus scraped the rearview mirrors of another bus causing a huge window to shatter and glass to fly. Thankfully nobody was hurt beyond a few small cuts. After an hour spent cleaning this up, we were ready to go again only to find the battery had died so we needed a jump from another bus. At another stop a few km down the road, our back tires got stuck in the mud and it took quite a while and quite a few men to push us out. Only a few more hours later and without anymore bus problems, I made it back to Tenkodogo.
Unfortunately I still don't have a camera but I hope to get pictures from my friends to post in the future.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Biking Across Burkina
I'm excited to announce I survived the bike tour! It was an exhilarating four days of biking for a total of 310 kilometers. There are detailed explanations on the bike tour website but I'll share a little of my own experience. I think I was probably one of the least experienced bikers participating in the first days of the tour having done very little biking before arriving in Burkina. Here I frequently bike 5-10 km but usually not much more than that. I decided to participate in this tour months ago even if would be challenged and am so glad I did.
The event started off with an opening ceremony at a high school in Po. There were traditional dancers, lots of local leaders, and several Peace Corps staff along with the gaggle of kids that always appear when there is something going on. Following the speeches, there was some dancing but unfortunately a soccer game and ceremonial bike ride around the city had to be cancelled because it was pouring. The rain didn't stop us from planting trees though. I didn't quite get why this was a part of the program but each of us planted a tree in the mud and rain. We had a big dinner then headed to bed since our 4:30 am wake up was hours away.
The first day of biking we lined up in the center of the city to wait for the high commissioner (a very important regional government leader) to start us off. Surprisingly she rode up on a bike in a brown velour track suit and her bike tour T-shirt. She had us get ready and then dropped her arm as if it was race; I'm sure they were surprised when we didn't speed out of there.
We biked a little over 80 km that day to Guiba, twice as long as the longest ride I've ever done in my life. It was on nicely paved road and the weather was beautiful so actually not too difficult. I also found it easier to bike when I'm not alone and can chat with my companions.
Day two was the route I was most scared of but also most excited to do. We would be biking over 90 km and only the last 20 were paved while the rest is dirt, mud & lots of potholes. This is the main road my village is located 4 km off of so where I have done most of my biking and the route my transport takes. Its a bad road but its my road and I know it. I was pretty sure I couldn't complete the whole ride and would end up in our support vehicle; I just didn't want it to be when we were near my village.
We started out early once again and made it pretty easily to the Nakambe or Volta River about 15 km from my site. My PCV neighbor Krystle met us and we rested before heading off to the intersection to my village. My drinking buddy and best friend Dabre and her husband Christoph were waiting for us with dolo and water satches. One of our nurses and another friend Lene also came out to show their support. I was so happy to be able to share this experience with my friends in village! I also ran into several people along the route and a few said they saw us pass.
This was about the halfway point so still quite a bit to go but we were headed to Tenkodogo and I've biked this section a lot. I was doing well until about the last 10 km and actually started wondering if I'd be able to finish a few km out of the city. I was able to reach our destination though and was thrilled to have biked the whole way!
The next day was a short ride, a little over 40 km to Koupela. I remember when I took my first 40 km ride at Christmas and thought it was impossibly long. Now I'm calling that distance short - crazy! Anyway it was a "short" day but actually the hardest for me because every muscle in my body hurt along with my butt. Next time I'm wearing padded bike shorts! The first days of biking were catching up with me! My friend Audrey met us on the road with cold water satchets and signs cheering us on.
My final day with the tour was about 75 km and took us to Fada, the farthest east I've been in this country. As was the case all week, we ate a ton for lunch and dinner. I ate 3 whole chickens myself three nights in a row, another first. Its incredible how much food my body needed after these rides.
I made it to my final destination and am very proud of accomplishing my goals. I may have had the most flats (2) in the group but I biked the whole way and didn't need to ride in the PC SUV. I know there are probably some great athletes reading this and scoffing at me calling this a challenging ride but it was one of the most intense physical activities I have ever done and I succeeded!
The tour continued on without me the next day as other people will join and leave as the month goes on. The gender and development committee is continuing to collect money until the end of the month so please donate if you're able and haven't already.
Friday was the end of Ramadan so everyone put on their brand new outfits and prayed before celebrating the rest of the day. I was in Fada so didn't participate in any celebrations but enjoyed the people watching as I waited for a bush taxi to take me back towards Audrey's village. I spent the weekend with her and we had a good time hanging out, walking around her village, and catching up. Sunday I did a 60 km ride to get back home though it was broken in three parts. The first stop was a bush taxi ride and the second stop was due to rain. I realized I was going to be caught so went to a restaurant. Unfortunately due to gas shortages they had no food and for other unknown reasons has no soda so I was stuck enjoying a beer in the middle of my ride home. I guess there are worse places to be caught in the rain!
Once again, check out the bike tour blog for daily entries, photos, and to donate money. Unfortunately I don't have any of my own pictures since my camera, cell phone, and ipod fell in a ditch of water. www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com
The event started off with an opening ceremony at a high school in Po. There were traditional dancers, lots of local leaders, and several Peace Corps staff along with the gaggle of kids that always appear when there is something going on. Following the speeches, there was some dancing but unfortunately a soccer game and ceremonial bike ride around the city had to be cancelled because it was pouring. The rain didn't stop us from planting trees though. I didn't quite get why this was a part of the program but each of us planted a tree in the mud and rain. We had a big dinner then headed to bed since our 4:30 am wake up was hours away.
The first day of biking we lined up in the center of the city to wait for the high commissioner (a very important regional government leader) to start us off. Surprisingly she rode up on a bike in a brown velour track suit and her bike tour T-shirt. She had us get ready and then dropped her arm as if it was race; I'm sure they were surprised when we didn't speed out of there.
We biked a little over 80 km that day to Guiba, twice as long as the longest ride I've ever done in my life. It was on nicely paved road and the weather was beautiful so actually not too difficult. I also found it easier to bike when I'm not alone and can chat with my companions.
Day two was the route I was most scared of but also most excited to do. We would be biking over 90 km and only the last 20 were paved while the rest is dirt, mud & lots of potholes. This is the main road my village is located 4 km off of so where I have done most of my biking and the route my transport takes. Its a bad road but its my road and I know it. I was pretty sure I couldn't complete the whole ride and would end up in our support vehicle; I just didn't want it to be when we were near my village.
We started out early once again and made it pretty easily to the Nakambe or Volta River about 15 km from my site. My PCV neighbor Krystle met us and we rested before heading off to the intersection to my village. My drinking buddy and best friend Dabre and her husband Christoph were waiting for us with dolo and water satches. One of our nurses and another friend Lene also came out to show their support. I was so happy to be able to share this experience with my friends in village! I also ran into several people along the route and a few said they saw us pass.
This was about the halfway point so still quite a bit to go but we were headed to Tenkodogo and I've biked this section a lot. I was doing well until about the last 10 km and actually started wondering if I'd be able to finish a few km out of the city. I was able to reach our destination though and was thrilled to have biked the whole way!
The next day was a short ride, a little over 40 km to Koupela. I remember when I took my first 40 km ride at Christmas and thought it was impossibly long. Now I'm calling that distance short - crazy! Anyway it was a "short" day but actually the hardest for me because every muscle in my body hurt along with my butt. Next time I'm wearing padded bike shorts! The first days of biking were catching up with me! My friend Audrey met us on the road with cold water satchets and signs cheering us on.
My final day with the tour was about 75 km and took us to Fada, the farthest east I've been in this country. As was the case all week, we ate a ton for lunch and dinner. I ate 3 whole chickens myself three nights in a row, another first. Its incredible how much food my body needed after these rides.
I made it to my final destination and am very proud of accomplishing my goals. I may have had the most flats (2) in the group but I biked the whole way and didn't need to ride in the PC SUV. I know there are probably some great athletes reading this and scoffing at me calling this a challenging ride but it was one of the most intense physical activities I have ever done and I succeeded!
The tour continued on without me the next day as other people will join and leave as the month goes on. The gender and development committee is continuing to collect money until the end of the month so please donate if you're able and haven't already.
Friday was the end of Ramadan so everyone put on their brand new outfits and prayed before celebrating the rest of the day. I was in Fada so didn't participate in any celebrations but enjoyed the people watching as I waited for a bush taxi to take me back towards Audrey's village. I spent the weekend with her and we had a good time hanging out, walking around her village, and catching up. Sunday I did a 60 km ride to get back home though it was broken in three parts. The first stop was a bush taxi ride and the second stop was due to rain. I realized I was going to be caught so went to a restaurant. Unfortunately due to gas shortages they had no food and for other unknown reasons has no soda so I was stuck enjoying a beer in the middle of my ride home. I guess there are worse places to be caught in the rain!
Once again, check out the bike tour blog for daily entries, photos, and to donate money. Unfortunately I don't have any of my own pictures since my camera, cell phone, and ipod fell in a ditch of water. www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Tour de Faso
Tomorrow I am headed to Po, a regional capital near the border with Ghana, for a kick-off celebration for Peace Corp Burkina Faso's bike tour. Early Monday morning we will start pedaling around the country to promote Peace Corps, celebrate PC's 50th anniversary, and to raise money for gender and development activities.
I will be biking the first four days for a little over 300 km while other volunteers complete other sections of the tour and some bike the whole country.
I have been trying to practice for 90 km of biking a day with shorter rides of 20-40 km when I can fit them in but am still nervous about completing my part of the tour. Today I biked to visit my new PCV neighbor Marina who is now in Karla's former site. Puppy has been joining me on several rides but usually disapppears after 15 km or so and I find him back at home. Today he ran the whole 20 km with me, hung out, and ran home. By the end he was pretty exhausted though! Its much more fun to have a biking companion then to go alone but he really enjoys chasing motos and I worry about him getting hurt.
OK back to the bike tour, if you are able to support this great cause please check out the website at www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com. There were some problems with donations and paypal but these have been fixed so please check back if you encountered problems earlier.
Thanks for all of your support!
I will be biking the first four days for a little over 300 km while other volunteers complete other sections of the tour and some bike the whole country.
I have been trying to practice for 90 km of biking a day with shorter rides of 20-40 km when I can fit them in but am still nervous about completing my part of the tour. Today I biked to visit my new PCV neighbor Marina who is now in Karla's former site. Puppy has been joining me on several rides but usually disapppears after 15 km or so and I find him back at home. Today he ran the whole 20 km with me, hung out, and ran home. By the end he was pretty exhausted though! Its much more fun to have a biking companion then to go alone but he really enjoys chasing motos and I worry about him getting hurt.
OK back to the bike tour, if you are able to support this great cause please check out the website at www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com. There were some problems with donations and paypal but these have been fixed so please check back if you encountered problems earlier.
Thanks for all of your support!
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