Netiva in Burkina Faso, Africa April 2004 the hottest time in the year Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. - R. W. Emerson.

See my pictures from Burkina Faso

I was fortunate to have found Laure, a doctoral student in my institute, to accompany me to her country, Burkina Faso.
We didn't stay long, just a week, but it was memorable..

Laure and I left with Claudie and Jean-Luc and their 4-4. I was welcomed by Laure's wonderful Burkinabe family in Ouagadou. I also left Monday by 5-hour bus trip to Bobo-Dioulasso where I stayed at Rose's and Celestin and their 2 kids. Bobo is gentler than Ouagadougou. It is a bit less hot and has less cars. Ouagadou was much hoter than Porto-Novo. About 40 degrees (110 farnheit?) day and night with hardly any releaf. I had hot air blown at me by the ventilator and had difficulty sleeping at night. However the people were wonderful. The drivers are more polite than in Benin and there is definitely less polution than in Cotonou. In Bobo I visited the museum where I climbed into an old habitat called case. I also visited with the local artisans and saw how bronze sculptures were made. With Rose I visited some balafonists who played and sang for us while we drank some chai and gangi (some fruit alcohol), and even danced.

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Something about language

Today Africa is home to more than 50 countries, some 1000 languages, and a rich mosaic of stories, drumbeats, and landscapes. The English language has borrowed words from many of those languages: trek, aardvark, impala, gnu, okra to name a few.

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Don't give people fish; teach them how to fish

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Last updated 4/27/04