Back in the UK

And so the time in Burkina Faso has come to an end and this is being written in the UK which isn't cold or wet but sunny and warm which is good to come back to!
Photos of the ordination weekend (and views) are here. A new account has been set up for photos of the people we met (which will be kept "private"- only available to people we give the link to).

Here then is the account of the last few days of the visit to Burkina.

As was mentioned on Friday, the plan was to go to the Mare des Poissons Sacreés - and this did indeed happen. A guide had been found with moto rider and both came with Jean for the expedition. This wasn't actually too far from the town - though still far enough to be tricky to find - in part because farmers sometimes cultivate over the tracks at this time of year! We left the motorcycles with one of the farmers close to the Mare and continued on foot through fields of maize and millet to rocky ground and cliffs. We were actually above the Mare but it was not visible from the top... To get to it, we had to clamber down the steep, rocky slopes - as we agreed, it can be more tiring going uphill but descending can be more difficult! Eventually, the tree clad cliffs opened out into a glade with small waterfall and a pools fed by it. It was a place that reminded us of similar water-places in the UK that had been held sacred from ancient times and, in many cases, been Christianised - especially by the Celtic Christians. It may be that they were used in a similar way by the pagan peoples - with sacrifices to the gods. It was strange to Kathryn's eyes to see a place of natural beauty "spoiled" (coming from her own background and spirituality) by piles of feathers - entrails - hides of sheep and goats and tell-tales trickles of blood. Sacrifice is a key element in animist beliefs.

Permission was given to go closer to the pool - though this had to be done in bare feet as a mark of respect for the holy ground. The guide thought that we wanted to see a sacrifice ... which hadn't really been the case! What was interesting was that the people seeking to make it were a young couple who, if seen out in the street, would have been seen as "cool" - very fashionably dressed (and interesting how we see others - who would no doubt look at us and make similar contrasts!) The sacrifice was of a chicken and mercifully the actual dispatching of the creature was done out of sight - though not out of earshot. After the cutting of the throat, much interest was shown in the way in which the death agony was played out - how the bird moved - flapped around - and its position when it finally expired - or the nervous system finally "died". Some feathers were plucked and dropped into the water of the top pool - but no fish were visible. Usually the waters are clear but in the rainy season - as this was - they are filled with sand and silt and become murky and so the fish are difficult to see.
It was suggested that we move to the lower pool in hopes that we would see the fish there - the chicken would be gutted and then burned... Entrails were gathered up and we clambered - still barefoot - down to the lower pool. Here, people hung a few of the guts over the waters and some said prayers as the fish came to the surface to eat them. The fish are distinctly ugly - large - flat and with tentacles around their wide mouths which they wave above the surface of the water. However, the people hold them to be sacred and, if one is found dead, it is buried with the rites accorded to a human being.

The climb back wasn't as bad as feared - not too far and Kathryn was interested to note a rock formation overlooking the plain before it that looked like a cross in profile... as a Christian, of course, this is the supreme sacrifice of one who chose to give his life and did not, as in animal sacrifice, have it taken from him... A thought for those interested to ponder!

The afternoon was spent in making a note of what we needed to get in readiness for the return to the UK as Saturday was the day set aside for the shopping ... sigh....

Given the pushiness of the people when Jeanne d'Arc and Kathryn had gone to the Grand Marché before, Anselme asked Jean if he would mind going along this time... It can't have been wildly exciting for him but he was brilliant at negotiating prices and so on... We agreed fair prices which hopefully made a decent income from the bits for the sellers without ripping anyone off! The main things to pick up were fabrics for Wisdom House... this could have been an endless and enjoyable task with so many glorious designs to choose from! The Grand Marché really is a wonderful place for cottons - but also other sumptuous fabrics which we didn't have room for - and concern was being raised about the ultimate weight of things to carry! The other purchases were mainly gifts for a few folk in the UK - always with the note to the merchants that things had to be light... and the attempts at selling continued until it was clear to everyone that the purse was, literally, empty!

There were a couple more bits that Kathryn planned to get from the Point de Vente at the Centre after lunch but then ... it started to rain! One of Anselme's family invited Kathryn to go to sleep at the Grande Maison but she didn't really understand why - it was, after all, only a bit of rain! Five hours later, it had eased off enough for her to make the way back to the Centre! Anselme reported the next day that, during the course of the storm over 6cm rain had fallen... and, realising what was coming, the family had gathered things inside and gone to sleep... hence the invitation to Kathryn! It was, though, interesting to watch the lightning and rain and listen to the thunder - a storm but not as we know it!

On Sunday morning, there was some discussion about where to go to Mass.... Kathryn opting for the French Mass in the old Cathedral (now a chapel) but halfway through began to wonder if she should have gone to the one in More at St Vincent de Paul! In the afternoon, Anselme and Kathryn chose some of the clothes from the many given as gifts from the parish to take out to a couple of families who might welcome them. It was nice to say that "this is a gift from.... " - and the fact that they came all the way from England made them seem even more special - though Kathryn's knowledge of football didn't run to talking more about the Southampton football shirts someone had sent over! (Many people are as mad on football there as here and we had to negotiate several matches being played in the streets during our stay!) It was great to try things against the children and decide which fitted who - and there will be more of this over the coming weeks as Anselme works through the suitcase and bags he decanted the gifts into! It was also lovely - and a great privilege - to think that we were linking people who live far apart but who like the same kinds of things and know what fun it is to choose things to give and for the receivers to enjoy the surprises! More practically, we also looked at a pigsty that is in need of repair so that the owner of the pigs can ensure he makes a good living for his family - at least one of whom is probably HIV+ and another in real need of good medical treatment... as she walked with Kathryn to the main road (and told her how much she likes school - particularly doing writing which, of course, appealed to K!) it was clear from her cold hand that she was far from well... Hopefully part of the monetary gifts can help the family a little.

And then, the preparations to depart on the 7.30a.m. bus back to Ouagadougou... Several of Anselme's cousins were heading back that way and were delegated with getting Kathryn to the airport to sort out the passport and so on. It was with great sadness that Kathryn left the compound and prepared to leave Burkina Faso - even though it was hard to pinpoint what could have made such in an impression in two short weeks! Maybe it was just a combination of lots of things drawn together to create a sense of welcome and warmth.

The cousins were very helpful - and Annie was able to practise some of her English which she studied for her Baccalauréat. They invited her to their home for lunch - but first it was to the immigration counter to sort out the visa.... This turned out to be pretty ironic - as the visa had already been stamped in the passport - but near the front! How three of us managed to look at the passport and not see it goodness knows but we did! However, the fee paid on the first day was repaid and the photos returned - and thoughts of the inconvenience set to one side... with a memo to self to find and mark any future visas before leaving the UK!

After lunch, a neighbour of the cousins who speaks Engish, Seone, took Kathryn out for a tour of the new buildings going up in Ouaga as he was on his way to visit another English-speaking friend, Olivia, who comes from Rwanda and works for an American working on the construction of their embassies in Africa. It was interesting - if harrowing - to listen to the experiences of her family who sought refuge in Uganda in the late 50s until the late 90s when they returned to Rwanda a few years after the genocide there. She described it as a beautiful country with a gentler climate than she had found in Ouaga which is very hot most of the year - and encouraged Kathryn to think about going there!

And finally, to the airport and the journey home. This was delayed as we waited for another heavy storm to pass and the flight to Paris was also quite turbulent... well, just enough to need to keep seatbelts on... happily there was a good selection of films!

There are more photos to come over the next few days - we won't put up all 300+ so it will take a little while to sort out what's what and what should be uploaded! Call back sometime soon and enjoy looking at the photos taken on a journey to a very special country - or, more precisely, to visit very special people.

Hope you've enjoyed this - and maybe one day you'll get to Burkina Faso too!