Stepping outside of Ouagadougou

Greetings!

Yesterday, we finally ventured outside of Ouagadougou to the small village of Ziniarè. Ziniarè is the home of Burkina's president, Blaise Compaoré. (Votez Blaise! L'assurance du progress continu!) This visit quickly shook my assumptions about life in Burkina to their foundations. Life out there in the country is very different from here in Ouagadougou. If Ouagadougou lacks some of the creature comforts to which we are accustomed in America, rural Burkina lacks them all. Electricity and plumbing are rare commodities. This was the Africa I had envisioned, with children tending cattle, people gathered around the village well, and women buying their foodstuffs from the open air market.

Market near Ziniarè

Fishmonger

 We went to Ziniarè to visit the wildlife preserve/zoo that President Compaoré has established. Here's a few pictures.

Colonel Sanders beware!

Giraffe

We were informed that the giraffe population in Burkina Faso, which once thrived, is now depleted due to habitat loss.

Behemoth

Staring into the maw

 Hippos are Africa's most dangerous creature, killing hundreds every year. You can see from their size and those nasty tusks that they are indeed formidable.

Cape buffalo

Although it appears docile, the Cape buffalo is one of the most aggressive and dangerous of Africa's fauna.

That's all for now.