Two days in Bobo

October 30 to November 1 

What a great time in Bobo Dioulasso!   We stayed in the Mennonite guesthouse and found good hospitality.  Here a few shots from around town. 

 

Jillian wanted to buy African fabric for a panya – the African wrap skirt that women wear a lot.  That search took us right into the bowels of the Central Market, as we followed a young man who wanted to be our guide.  We would have been hard put to find our way back out without him! 

 

We enjoyed 2 meals at Eau Vive – an elegant café run by the local Carmelite nuns.  Ken enjoyed an order of frog legs and Jillian thought it was gross, but then she dared to take a taste! 

Since we were on our own in this city, we got initiated into travelling by the local green taxi.  No taxi drivers know English, so Jillian was invaluable.  As we struggled to explain our desired destinations we saw an unexpected side of the taxi industry.  The door handles rarely worked, the seats were shredded and one driver had to hotwire the car to get it to start.  Some guys had to push their taxis to get them started! 

Pastor Siaka and his wife Claire served us 2 great meals.  He is a leader of the Mennonite churches and is starting a Bobo house church at his own home.   He knows English well and we had a wonderful visit over breakfast.   They were delighted to meet Jillian because they had known Jillian’s mother, Rose,a here in Bobo over 20 years ago. 

We bought our tickets for going to the village ahead of time.  Our understanding was that the bus departed at 10 a.m.  When we arrived, the bus had left at 8!  So we took refuge at the guesthouse while waiting for the 4 pm bus.