To the village

November 1^st

After 2 days in the city of Bobo the 3 of us we were looking forward to going to Sharyn’s village.  Getting to Ouarkoye was an adventure!   First we missed the morning bus because we misunderstood the departure time on the signboard.  (They had made a schedule change for one day only!) 

We spent the day at the guesthouse and at 3 o’clock we piled our stuff into a green taxi, and then sat there as the driver tried valiantly to get the transmission into gear.  A linkage problem, according to Ken. 

Smoke started pouring from under our feet and Jillian was afraid we would go up in flames.  So we got out and tried another taxi.  We arrived at the bus depot for the 4 pm TSR bus, and joined all the people lounging around and waiting. 

 

Finally about 5:30 pm we were on our way, just as it was starting to get dark! 

Travelling on the big highway bus was a little nerve-wracking – careening down the highway in the dark at 100+ kms, honking constantly at the animals and carts on the road. 

Inside the bus, the music was blaring at high decibels for the entire 2 ½ hours of the trip.  Not so easy to snooze. 

All along the way the bus was picking up and dropping off people, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.  As the bus stopped we would see the flicker of small fires near to a local dwelling.  We got anxious that we might miss our stop and end up in Dedougou.  .  So after 2 hours we were asking “Ouarkoye?” every time the bus slowed down.  Finally, the people around us called out “OUARKOYE!”  In the dark we tried to grab all of our items – can’t leave that black computer case behind in a dark corner! 

We had arrived!  Sharyn and her sister Marianne were there in the dark, ready to collect us!   Our village adventure was about to begin!