Monday, August 28, 2006

Strange Waters

Well, the eventful two weeks in village continued after the dog sacrifice. A few days after the event, my friend, Elizabeth, and I decided to travel to an outlying village in order to set up some more savings and loans groups and give another talk on moringa trees. The village is extremely motivated and gives us free food every time we come, however, we are warned against getting too cozy with the place every time we attempt to go there.

The problem with the village is there in a large pond that is apparently impassable during the rainy season. As we are near the height of the season, all bets were that the meeting was going to have to be canceled. As we were leaving Elizabeth's house, her father warned us not to force it and if the water was too high to just turn back. After biking the 15 km we came across the pond. The pond could now officially be called a lake as it was at least 150 yards across. Clearly we could not take the normal route.

As we were about to turn around we ran into a friend of ours who told us that if we went down a little farther, we could wade waist high in the water and "mount some wood" to get across. He went to go get a pirogue (yes LA girls, Heth's pronunciation in the correct one) to ferry our stuff across. We followed his kid to the site of the wood which was actually a sort of homemade bridge. It made the bridge in Indiana Jones look good. The bridge did not go all the way to the bank so we waded waist high, got on the bridge and slowly made our way across. I am just glad I was always good on the balance beam. I am sending the pictures to mom to put up because there is no way really to describe it properly. I will say that half way across I realized the bridge was held together by rusty bike chains.

We made it with only one fall from Elizabeth but now we are both convinced we have flatworms. We will take the test to see in October and I will keep y'all posted. (I am joking here as I really think we probably don't have the worms but we are taking the test just in case. Please no one freak out because it isn't as bad as it sounds).

When I got back to village I told my friends who were impressed but scolded me for crossing the pond. One friend told me the water was "strange." Another told me it "steals" people. These comments alarmed me and I asked for a further explanation. The conversation went as follows:

K: What do you mean the water steals people
N: It kills people. Every year two or the people die.
K: Why?
N: It is strange water.
K: What do you mean it is strange water?
N: There is something in there that kills people.
K: WHAT?
N: Yes
K: What kind of something? An animal?
N: No, not a crocodile. It isn't an animal. It is something mysterious.
K: Is it the flatworms? Are you sure people just don't know how to swim.
N: No it isn't the guinea Worm (note. You cannot get g worm this way). It isn't swimming. It will kill you even in a little bit of water. (At this point he grabbed his ankles). I can't explain it.
K: Is it quick sand?

This conversation continued for about 15 minutes while I was growing increasingly alarmed of the mysterious killer until I realized it was the undertow. So, needless to say, Elizabeth and I have decided to not make another trip to the village until the water recedes.

In other news, I will be in Ouaga for training to help with the new volunteers when they come in. The training is the week of Sept 17-22 so I will be able to email. Also, I know some of you were worried about my procrastination but I am happy to report that I finished my personal statement so now I am just waiting for the letters of recommendation and the transcripts before I send it in.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A Little too Bien Integre

Well, have been back in village now for five days and already felt the need to escape. Actually that isn't true. Village has been going well, but I had a meeting scheduled at the district with the doctor only to be told after biking thirty km in the mud, that the district office is closed today because of Ascention. Having nothing else to do, and procrastinating the whole law school application thing, I decided to update everyone on my very interesting meeting with the traditional healers, i.e. witch doctors.

Before I left for Spain I talked to an association of traditional healers about Moringa trees. They asked me to come back this past Sunday to reinforce some of the information I had given them in July. I arrived that morning and waited for a few hours only to have about ten people show up. Because it is the rainy season, attendance at all meetings is rather low. I was excited to hear that three of the people had been using the leaf podwer PROPERLY for their patients. I guess some of what I said sank in after all.

After my talk, I was told that there was some other business they needed to attend to. Thinking it was their code for, "It is time to drink gin now," I got up to leave. They stopped me before I managed to escape and led me through the brush to an altar surrounded by trees. Around the altar were half buried bottles arranged, apparently, in a particular fashion. On the altar made out of an old wheel spoke, they each placed their fetishes (which are black smooth stones on a chain) on the altar. My friend who was translating for me then explained the backstory as to what was happening.

One traditional healer had accidentally killed one of his patients by giving him the wrong potion. To correct this unfortunate event, all of the healers were participating in a sacrifice to get rid of the bad spirits that would otherwise plague the healer. Now, it was about this time that I realized where the dog who was hog tied and muzzeled at my feet was fitting into the picture. Yes, it was all coming together now and making perfect sense.

I was surprised as everyone tells me that outsiders are not allowed to see sacrifices or go to sacreed places, but I am a little to bien integrated now.

The president of the association, who now apparently considers me a member in my own right, tried to get me to sit next to him during the ceremony. The look of horror on my face, however, spared me and I was allowed to stay near the exit. I watched as the offending healer kneeled before the altar and the president. They conversed for a while and the poured a few rounds, taking care to spill a few drops on the altar for good measure. The president then proceeded to sacrfice a chicken. He cut the chicken on the neck. The chicken flew around in circles for a few seconds then landed. The flight of the bird and subsequent landing of it held some sort of message for the crowd that sort of escaped my knowledge. When the chicken had finally died, they placed the blood of it on the altar. There was another chicken which then met a similar fate.

They then came for the dog. They untied him and sacrificed him as well (I will spare you the details). The dog's blood was drained into a container and on the altar as well. Each of the fetishes was then bathed in the blood of the dog in the container. I didn't really understand how tense the situation was until after we finished. Everyone seemed a lot lighter spiritually (except me of course). I was scared to ask if they ate the meat but I am hoping they did as they placed the dog's body on a fire after the ceremony and my ethnicity is known around Burkina for eating dog meat.

I now have been invited to a fete next Sunday at the president's house. I will keep you posted but am praying for no carniage.

In other news, I got stampeded by a cow yesterday. I guess the proper word is actually charged but I am not splitting hairs here. I was walking near our new dam when I heard a thundering behind me. I hopped quickly onto the dam and much to everyone's surprise I took it in stride. Later I was in the same spot when the same cow charged three girls who did not handle the situation so well, there was a lot of screaming, but all managed to walk away unscathed.

Needless to say, it has been an eventful few days. My theater troupe is preparing a malaria play and are going to sell the mosquito nets we got before I left. Since I have been back it has rained twice, but I got news that it did not rain while I was on vacation. As this is the height of the rainy season, everyone is really worried and constantly working to keep the millet healthy. Please pray, it may be a tough year.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Visiting Kelly

Kelly's mom posting photos of our trip to meet her in the Canary Islands, often thought to be part of the lost continent of Atlantis, and a truly beautiful place.
Our condo was white with a Spanish tile roof and nice balcony. There was a cool breeze off the Atlantic, and the temperature stays around 70-80 degrees all year. Our island, Tenerife, is called the Island of Eternal Spring.








The capital city, Santa Cruz, has a new opera house on the bay, resembling the one in Sydney, Australia.

Canary Island photos

Kelly's mom attaching more photos of our Canary Island trip to visit her.
The volcano on the island is the highest point in Spain, and the Atlantic, as well, over 3700 meters.









Our town was Puerto de la Cruz, with beautiful blue ocean views and mountains in the clouds behind us.

Canary Islands Trip




Kelly's mom posting for her after meeting in the Canary Islands for a week. She said it was one of the prettiest places she had ever been, and I would have to agree. Her friend, Julia Paul, who is a Peace Corps Volunteer from Baltimore came with her, and they were also visiting the south of Spain and Morrocco on their way to/from meeting us. We had a fun week on the island, Tenerife.