Bobo-Dioulasso to Ouagadougou - Day 253

Date: April 28th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Magic Bus - The Who

So, I took a bus today. More cheating, but it just made more sense. Otherwise I was going to get into Ouagadougou on Friday. All of the embassies would be closed. Taking a bus would get me in with plenty of time to get my Ghana visa and possibly a visa for Benin. Plus, the ticket cost me less than one night at a hotel. Or about what my food costs would be if I was biking.

I did forget how fun taking a bus can be. There seem to be two types of countries here in West Africa, bus countries and bush taxi countries. The bus countries are easy to travel through. You don't need a bike to travel Africa. A backpack and a bus ticket is all you need. I think there are cheaper buses, but the one I got on had air conditioning and everything. They did assign me a seat in the very back though, which I found an amusing turn about.

The terrain did get much flatter as we traveled. I don't think I missed much along the way. More little villages, sahel and highway.

When I got into town I went and found the embassy for Ghana. They were closed though, I would have to come back the next day. I also called James, another guy I had me through couch surfing. He offered me a place to stay, so I headed over his apartment.

He wasn't home though. So I stopped by one of his co-workers, Krista. We had a great time sitting around chatting. She is also ex-peace corps, so she had some good advice about the country. Also, she said she has a place I might be able to stay at in Fada. Great stuff.

Later on James showed up. I ended up going out to dinner with him and, Jesse and Stephanie. They are two Rotary Scholars who were in town for a conference. Jesse is living in Benin and had some good advice about what should be my next country. Everyone seemed impressed with my bike trip. After meeting a few other people on bikes I don't think it is that impressive. Still, it makes for a bunch of good stories.

After dinner we headed into town to go to a jazz concert. I guess they are having a big jazz festival right now. It probably wouldn't have been something I would have done on my own, but I really did have a great time.

-Dravis