El Parc de Bangr Weoogo (El Parc de la bona salut)

Burkina es el país de la bicicleta en Àfrica. Potser si que he trobat el meu país africà!!!

De fet, hi ha tanta gent en bicicleta i moto que hi ha carrils bicis en tots els carrers principals amb semàfors únicament per elles. Us imagineu?

Als matins, de vegades vaig a córrer a un parc que hi ha prop de casa. Es l'antic bosc sagrat de Ouagadougou. Bosc sagrat? Si, de fet en moltes cultures africanes existeix el bosc sagrat, una zona amb bosc on esta prohibit tallar arbres, i on es realitzen els ritus d'iniciació d'homes i dones (mutilacions genitals, entre d'altres). Es també el lloc on es van a buscar les plantes medicinals... on hi ha els esperits dels morts, ect, ect.

Total, que a Ouaga han protegit aquest bosc i ara es un Parc inmens on de fet gairebé et pots perdre. Per acabar de completar la part sicodèlica del Parc, hi ha unes grans llacunes que limiten el parc i que en part entren drintre del recinte on hi ha cocodrils. Aquests, com podeu suposar, també son sagrats i no es poden matar ni menjar!

Doncs, res.. només per dir-vos que quan vaig a córrer al Parc i he de creuar la carretera del davant, gairebé m'és impossible de fer-ho amb tanta bicicleta amunt i avall. De fet, en mitjana he d'esperar uns bons 5 a 10 minuts per poder torbar un foradet entre el tràfic de bicicletes. Veure les dones africanes, algunes de elles amb vel integral (i negre) a sobre de la bici, es realment un espectacle. A veure si m'anime a fer una foto un d'aquest matins i la penje. 

Ebola (4) : The thread is there... the fear seems to be fading ...

I think I have to do an update on Ebola in Burkina. 

Well, do not worry, we still do not have any case, and I do hope it stays like this for long time!  It is true that when I arrived I was a little paranoiac. I imagine it was a mix of several feelings. First, the news did not stop talking about it, cases here and there... Spain, Germany, US, ... And the mathematical models are not that hopeful, either. Expecting an exponential growth of the Ebola cases unless large scale programs stat acting NOW!  Also, sanitation is usually not the same in Africa than in most European settings, and well ... the unknown also played an important role in my mind . Not knowing the place, the people, even my housemates, just made me be more self conscious about every single thing.

After almost three weeks in the country I must say that I am much, much more relaxed now. Even though I think it is quite easy we might get some cases in the country in the next months. But, lets cross our fingers for that not to happen.

In fact, I am happy that Ivory Coast (and also Mali, but mostly Ivory Coast) is in between us and Guine and Liberia. Ivory Coast is one of the most developed countries in the area. They are just so business oriented!!! Any country you go in West Africa, you will always find fruits from Ivory Coast. They market anything that is possible to be sold. In any case, I am happy is a country like Ivory Coast that is next to Guinea and Liberia, otherwise, I would be more afraid... much more afraid. However, it still feels strange that they have not had any case in the country... even though they border two of the three countries with Ebola.

There are tons of stories talking about how strict they are in Ivory Coast and the surveys they do in the border. The son of an Ivorian friend of mine went to the doctor and when the doctor extended the hand to shake it, the kid said, NO. I do not shake hands with people now! Also, a person near by the Liberian border was caught when he was going to cook a big rodent that he had hunted in the wild. He is going to be in jail for the next 5 years... as now it is forbidden to eat any animal from the wild.

In Burkina, is another story. The country does not have a strong medical system... not even to report possible cases (that is the most scary thing). Another story from an Italian Doctor... We had a suspected case of Ebola that arrived to the hospital. The person was quite sick and already vomiting blood. It seems that all the nurses had to treat the patient they abandon the hospital as soon as they saw the men symptoms.  Quite normal, thinking that the equipment in the hospital is very limited. I assumed it was not Ebola, as noone has said so! But in order to confirm an Ebola case, the blood sample has to travel to Lyon (France) and back here! So far, there is no place in the country where you can confirm a case. In fact, you do not have any facility yet, where you could be properly treated. Well, I guess it is not that surprising when even in Europe... in Spain, you do not have so! 

Gheralta, a hidden beauty of rural Ethiopia

Harmony might be the best word to describe Gheralta. You breath harmony by just looking at the peaceful landscape surrounded by amazing sandstone outcrops. Harmony, in the way people loves their land, conserving soil, nutrients and water in every single action they do. Harmony in the way people built their houses, using mostly local materials and taking advantage of soil temperature conditions. Harmony, in the way people live religion.

The wide horizon only broken by reddish sandstone cliffs, dotted with acacia brought me back to the Southwest of the USA. As majestic as the Navajo sandstone in the four corners area, this hidden pearl of Ethiopia has already hosted adventure climbers to conquer some of its beautiful finger rocks. Stunning sandstone cracks, beautiful sandstone towers rise up over several hundred meters ... some of them opening a way towards hidden churches.

You can find hundreds if not thousands of unclimbed cracks, but you can also find beautifully equipped sport climbs. Go to the Korkor Spires post for more info.

The mountains in Gheralta can only be climbed from limited locations. You either climb with a rock, or walk some expose trails. You better do not suffer from vertigo, otherwise better stay behind and stroll among paths of wheat and teff fields. 

Staying at Gheralta lodge will round up your experience. A great advise from Kaleab, from Run in Africa. Possibly the best lodge in the country. Silvio, the Italian owner, not only designed the hotels with an incredible taste on top of a vertex with amazing sunsets, but he also prepares tasty ethiopian-italian food. The friendly atmosphere of this lodge just perfectly fit with the harmony of the environment.

Hiking or running in the Gheralta mountains is also possible. You can either walk along the bottom of the cliffs, from town to town, impregnating yourself of the wonders of this land. Or exploring the cliff-churches following some of the hidden trails up the mountain.

Ebola (3) : A friend from Guinea

One of my colleagues is from Guinea, from Guekedou, the site where the Ebola first started. He has not been home for over a year now, and with the current crisis he cannot go. If he goes there, he is not going to be able to get a visa for any other country to continue with his work.

He was explaining me how all the schools have been closed down in the country. How most of the markets have also been banned. His wife used to sell some traditional produces in the market, now, she is obliged to grown her own food, as there are no markets to go.

His family, besides the Ebola, is a lucky one. They survive thanks to the money my friend sends them every month. But, what happen to the rest of the families where the income comes from their sales in the market? Markets move a huge amount of the African wealth. Without them, people economy just collapses. And signs of this collapse are already showing. It seems under nutrition is already rising in the Ebola areas... 

Ebola (2) : 1st day in the office

It was my first day in the office and I was nervous not only because of this, but also because I had to shake hands with everybody in the building. And if someone has sweat and hot hands again?

Refusing to shake hands in Africa is something unthinkable, at least among the majority of people (except for the fundamentalist Muslims, who does not allow themself to touch any women). I could not introduce myself to people without shaking hands!!

I had to shake hands. So, I entered the office with the resolution of washing my hands as often as I could.

Luckily, when I open my email I had a message from a friend with a link to a short (15 min) Ebola prevention and awareness campaign (french/english). Watching the short presentation did bring me some peacefulness. Washing my hands over and over was, indeed, some of the best way to prevent any sort of contamination.

Entering my office I also had another beautiful sight. On top of each table there was a bottle of hand sanitizer. Now, it is just a matter of people using it!!