two foreign countries and their capitals within a week, so I looked for the Easter holidays. With Niger and Burkina Faso in the north to I made it into the Sahel zone. The Sahel is the region between the Sahara and the not really existing rain forest, the region where I now live.
The respective capitals, in which I have only been resting hot Niamey (Niger) and there is clearly no better name for a capital, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) who have both impressed me.
Travel
A bus ride is fun
This time I took the trip almost exclusively with large tour buses that are in a much better condition than the rickety bush taxis. But they always consisted of 5 seats per row and were thus still not as comfortable as usual bus trip from Germany. Benin went on the outward journey, Togo on the way back and watching the streets in Togo have not just the general well-being increased, so that hurt after 24 hours of driving each individual bone. General was conspicuous that Togo's road network is the worst convince, the other countries due to large traffic circles, continuous road markings and mostly pothole-free Streets and the cities of Niamey and Ouagadougou have large, wide roads, the traffic flows quite smoothly, while the Lomé not to say so.
Overall, I had to pass four boundaries during the trip, despite what Entente visa (5 countries visa for Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Togo) is unfortunately not as simple as that within the EU. The procedure itself is always the same, first be sure that the output control happens, the actual border crossing follows the input control in the next country, to a few kilometers of the customs is waiting for you. As with official White
Visa we had to fill out a form with most personal information - now I get my passport code by heart - and adapt ourselves to the mood of the respective officials to get the relevant stamp that was indiscriminately cut somewhere in the passport. there were problems never happen and if everything was completed we could. The "best" line has to be clearly identified Burkina Faso, where the officer in charge even listed only the minimum information to pass through and a friendly, no convulsive inventing any fixed abode domicile in the host country and the name of the Father is also important.
Most Africans are always different across the border, Although a passport should be present, but is instead a visa usually requires some amount of hand, it will be playing something and after a bit of negotiating, it goes on. What exactly are the conditions I do not know, except that the visa button we always were quite alone.
any event, the coach also another experience gained, the continuous sound of oriental music, a two-hour rest by 1 clock at night, where lay down all the passengers for a short nap in the warm sand or stressful road-to-window-action of water or fruit when the bus in a village a short time came to a standstill.
The landscape
could from the bus from watching me well the changes in the landscape, like the more dense, lush green slowly, large impressive rock formations came to light, the area was getting lighter until a strong yellow is the dominant color was. During the last few miles we passed large thorn bush savanna, a dusty, barren land with some dry bushes and only isolated civilization. Now and then lined small round mud houses, the road that were covered with straw and joined by walls to a courtyard. Homes on approximately half a meter high stilts and surrounded by thorn bushes, fences serve as a Pantries and are therefore protected from animals. In the north of Togo and Benin, this courtyard structures mix with the usual for me rectangular corrugated iron houses, thus providing a mix between traditional and "modern" form of living again.
Niger
any statistics by, the Niger, the poorest country in the world. A quarter of the newborn child does not reach their fifth birthday, a woman gets an average of 7.9 children and 40% of them the first 17 years and also polygamy is still quite common. The literacy rate for women is 7%, for men at 21%. a
This information can I give no real opinion, as I looked up on the trips just the capital of Niamey, which clearly stands out from the rural and to me by no means "poor" worked.
Furthermore 90% of the population is Muslim, church and state, however, are clearly separated from each other. For his good, stable, democratic relations of Niger was recently rewarded by the EU, by obviously had to repair the roads. As for government relations, thus the Niger is considered as a model country for comparable countries.
Niamey
My first impression of the 800,000-inhabitant great capital was clean, spacious and quiet, which has to Exit not changed that much, but I have seen mostly just nice neighborhood have.
As in every capital city, it can also be found in Niamey on wide streets major banks, government buildings, military installations, embassies, and of course beautiful markets. The order of the big market was new to me, because markets have been essentially means a great bustle for me. Here, however, the market consisted of a complex of buildings, in which the individual shops and stalls were next to each other properly and we always had plenty of space around him - but then I still have not seen the market in Ouagadougou.
all markets that I've been to, combines a mind of its own and yet they have just in the different regions and differences so that they always make up an attraction in the city. So I was able to find other products, other vegetables, fragrance sticks and stones, hand-woven fabrics, but were clearly the best potatoes, beef, and yogurt!
The largest economic sectors are trading with the coastal countries, like Togo, animal husbandry and the Agriculture, which is limited, however, mainly sorghum, is growing much more now no more time.
Livestock is the country other ways, not just another meat but also dairy products, which I miss in Togo so painful. Yogurt and milk in bags are available in any small shop, so I at the hot temperatures could always enjoy a cool banana milk shake.
The Nigersche trade skill can again be well in Togo found again. Inquire, I showed a few atypical commodity traders, where they come so often that they actually come from Niger.
The sea port is not available, for many, a major obstacle, but that does not mean that there is no water. The Niger River flows, coming from Mali, across the southwest of the country and on to Nigeria and Africa as a whole third-longest river. Shipping is on it not possible, but the banks are infinitely wide, beautifully laid out fields where lettuce, herbs, fruits and vegetables are grown. The river itself is used in addition to fish and also as a leisure destination in Niamey, since it is also suitable for swimming. Just outside it will also give even crocodiles and hippos, but I have not met.
purpose, a giraffe-very successful trip, which I finally got the first big animals of Africa, except for a stray elephant in Ghana, got to face. With a simple 4-wheel-drive we heated this across the dusty savannah and thus got more time to see animals like they were looking at the tall acacia trees, food and shade. Apart from a few meters, we were able to approach the small groups carefully, usually went about in small families of 2 to 8 members. Impressive was the complete silence that surrounded us in the savannah, no sound, no wind, not an insect nor a bird could be heard and the giraffes themselves move forward almost completely silent. They trot this most elegant and the long body amazingly well coordinated, and even startled, they quickly come from lying on their feet. In the giraffe is the total past 200 animals in all of West Africa, still live freely and there are now protected. This sorry picture is true for almost all large animals in this region, also has driven many a man, cut off and destroyed the natural habitats.
But back to Niamey and the people there whose lives also gives me some new impressions. Outside of the house in the city, it is always to wear long trousers or long dresses and robes. Furthermore, many women wear Headscarves, but very chic and stylish, with variations, as they were completely new to me, the same applies to their clothes. From the north of Niger is the people of the Tuareg, a very proud people, which attracts attention by a lighter skin, and the traditional turban.
long clothing is also not disadvantageous, since it gets so hot during the day, with temperatures over 45 ° to almost 50 ° C, the sweat evaporates directly and you always have a dry skin, as opposed to Togo, where I at far lower temperatures much more sweating. In addition I had with my very white skin from the sun in eight take what on by long, light clothes best possible and will at last have always made sure that the water balance in the body is not neglected.
water, fortunately, is available everywhere and in Niamey, it can even be easily drunk straight from the tap, which is discouraged in other cities earlier.
awaken each morning with a clock at 5 am the mullahs with their prayers and ringing in the day. Going to the people pray five times a day, but this is also observed different degrees of severity. However, it seems so often that all roads are closed for a short time, as is prayed together in the group. Was eaten, where I lived always together in a large bowl, in which all arrived with her right hand as possible in order to eat millet, rice or French fries. Drunk like green tea, to a total of three infusions very strong and drunk from shot glass with lots of sugar. This caffeine-bombs shake an always wide awake and give strength for whatever may come.
Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou
Of all the cities I saw so far is one of the most beautiful Ouaga. The now located a bit south of Niamey city is directly a lot of "modern" and more European, as the capital of Niger. Places are something larger, the streets and sometimes even wider, I felt really do not pretend to be the world again in one of the poorest countries.
particular the market here stands forth as often. Actually, I had the market not really noticed, but it visited only two weeks before its reopening. In 2003, burned down the old market and was subsequently rebuilt with modern architecture to the traditional action to allow further. The market building, or rather the market complex, consists entirely of concrete, masonry and steel. He has created two floors, covered with a large roof and the stands are made of small garage shed, in long rows invested. Marks on the floor disconnect between Fußpassagen and retail space. Each level is carefully numbered and hung on the walls of countless fire extinguishers, should be here as soon burn anything. When we were there, occupied huge plaster columns, the corridors to make the final preparations and to guess some ornate walls were that others also should look like this. Opened just once, he is determined to be one of the most organized, best and most modern markets include West Africa.
found in Ouagadougou we have a distinctive night again, many bars and restaurants were open late into the night. But even mighty "artist" were rather rare in Niger, we met here in a particularly hartnäckigerweise again. Very commendable, however, was the model of a "craft village", which consisted of many small boutiques and which provided for rules of conduct for the seller. These stated that visitors should have as undisturbed and in peace the opportunity to look to anything that I ultimately bought something rather than if you would have praised each object. Culturally Ouaga has to offer, such as the Fespaco ", a film festival, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, or an open-air cinema, which we visited once in the evening.
For the short Time we lived just outside with friends, where the houses were also poorer, again, electricity and water was still there.
was near it a large garbage dump next to a small cemetery, equipped with some poor graves, including painted a dozen concrete blocks with the flag of the country into red, green with yellow star and the data 21 decembre 1949-15 Octobre 1987: Thomas Sankara's grave and his bodyguard (lifetime), former president (1982-1987) of the country. As a revolutionary president, he has decided many socialist reforms and stunning, like a marathon within 15 days of vaccination, in which 60% of all children were vaccinated against yellow fever, meningitis and measles, or reductions in ministerial salaries by 25% and besides, he devoted himself with determination to the fight against corruption. Sun under the name of his only Burkina Faso has been introduced, which roughly means "land of Unkorrupten. He gained a degree of unpopularity, but with the rich and powerful and he was, how could it be otherwise, overthrown by his closest confidant through the help of France and other countries. By the current government, he is portrayed as criminals, while he is an idol for others and is sung in songs. His grave is so humiliating but continuously, from whatever quarter, with fresh colors painted and maintained.
Although it was a shame that I have seen nothing from the land, that I will now turn to rich, developed picture of the countries have one, but the two visited cities were worth the visit all times and I would like to come back, just when I think of the dirty and narrow Lomé, where I could stand it no longer than necessary.
back Many Greetings from Togo,
Robert
a information from the Lonely Planet West Africa ", 2006
