I think I spoke too soon. I had no sooner penned the words that I thought the Internet connection had improved, when it screeched to a complete halt in the evenings. Fortunately, my friend Fina has quite a store of DVD’s which she loans out, some of which she bought from the outgoing SIL director, Mike Steinborn last year. I must admit that they do come in handy after dinner when it is dark, unless you have a good book to curl up with. I have several ebooks downloaded on my tablet as well, so I am glad that I am prepared for this. Likewise, I’ve noticed that the electricity has started to flicker from time to time, or black out completely, so it’s also good to keep a flashlight handy after dark. . .
Friday, three of us decided to go to FECHIBA (Festival Culturel et Hippique de Barani), the annual horse festival of the Fulani people in Burkina Faso. We headed west in Fina’s car, stopping in Koudougou for lunch. It is located about 50 miles from Ouagadougou, and is the third or fourth largest city in Burkina Faso. Situated along the only railroad line in the country, Koudougou has some small industries, a market, a university, and some local government offices.
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| Pam with Kate in a tiny African restaurant in Koudougou with lovely artwork as a backdrop |
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| We didn't expect the simple food to be so nicely served! |
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| You can trace the route we traveled from Koudougou, on to Dédougou, and finally to Nouna, continuing on to Barani near the Mali border (not shown) |
Along the way, we passed some curious signage. I just want to know that your tax dollar is at work here in Burkina Faso building this road in the "fight against poverty"! As the road wasn't finished until this past year, we appreciated the gesture, as it was a great road until Nouna where we diverged from it.
After lunch, we then passed through the smaller city of Dégougou, on to Nouna. There we spent the night at the auberge Le Touba, about an hour’s drive from our final destination, Barani. Nouna is a good-sized town with the essentials: electricity, running water, land-line phones as well as the omnipresent cellular ones, a high school, bank, post office, mayor’s office, and several hotels. A nice little town, actually. Legend has it that the place was founded by an elder of the Dafin ethnic group who spotted a water source in the wilderness and apparently exclaimed “N’nouna diara!” (I am happy!), hence the name.
Like that Dafin elder, when we spotted our small hotel, Le Touba, in Nouna, we were happy as well!
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| Entry to the hotel |
Le Touba is a guest house started by a German woman who fell in love with the West African countryside in 1975 and settled down in Nouna. The place is a little funky, but at the same time, a little piece of paradise tucked away in this smallish African town.
The following day we headed for Barani, less than an hour’s drive away. The paved road turned to a dirt road, and the architecture changed to a more Malian style.
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| Hotel grounds above |
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| Young Fulani girls |
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| Malian-influenced mosque |
We stopped to take some photographs of the mosque and these three young ladies came by to see us (above).
The FECHIBA festival was a amazing. We were plenty early so we saw the place fill up, and were well positioned to see everything as it unfolded. After the participants and the dignitaries had all arrived, there was much speech-making, as many had come from far to participate in the event, followed by entertainment from local talent. Last year I understand that some 40 plus different Fulani groups (Peul in French) were represented at the festival, 14 of which were in Mali (Barani is close to the Malian border). According to one website, Barani is not just a city, but a principality, and the horse festival is a traditional practice of allegiance to the traditional chief, and an expression of peace and peaceful coexistence among the Fulani living along the border regions of Mali and Burkina Faso. Today it has become more of a cultural event with much music and dancing in the evening following the traditional equestrian festivities.
It was no surprise, then, that the dignitaries included those from Mali, local officials from nearby jurisdictions, the Minister of Animal Resources of Burkina Faso, and for some strange reason, the francophone ambassador of Canada to Burkina Faso, who came dressed in Fulani-like clothing. Prizes were given for various equestrian categories including one for best costume, and three were for dressage. Following this, a break was taken for lunch, after which crowd moved to an impromptu race-course for parades, equestrian acrobatics, and the actual race.
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| children dancing |
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