If its not a good time, it’s a good story…

Our trip to Ouaga was very successful (although the transportation was a disaster). We met with a bunch of different departments of the Ministry of Health to discuss our project, and learn about how the Burkinabé health care system works. We also took part in a workshop that looked at the organization of the scale up of management of pediatric HIV in Burkina Faso; that was useful because of the presentations on the first day, and the chance to make lots of good contacts. We also got to tour the children’s hospital and talk with the physician who looks after the HIV patients in Ouaga who is really dynamic and knowledgeable.

We sampled a few of the restaurants of Ouaga, which offer considerably more variety than Bobo… Chinese food, amazing lasagna (would you believe I had the same thing for 2 dinners & a lunch), great pizza, all within walking distance of our new hotel. And there’s a home décor store with stuff that “appeals to western tastes” as the guidebook puts it (Dana & I were like kids in a candy shop).

From the get go, our rental car was a disaster; I already described the trip to Ouaga. Monday, Soliman drove us to our meeting, then failed to show up at the end of the day. Tuesday & Wednesday he spent the day getting the car fixed, so wasn’t available to us. We debated firing them, but I argued with the group that it wasn’t his fault that his car broke down, and that he was trying hard, (and his stereo was stolen) so we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Thursday & Friday he was able to drive us around again, although he failed to show up to pick Dustin up from the airport on Friday afternoon. (He came an hour late, saying he was getting more repairs done and it took longer than he thought). He was to pick us up for the trip home at 8am the next morning.

Soliman came at 7:20 with a story about his papers being taken by the police and he had to retrieve them, but he would pick us up at 10am. At 10:45, he phoned and said that he hadn't got them yet, but would have them for sure by 2pm. We threatened to take the bus but he said no, no, no, he would be there. For sure. So we agreed that if he didn't turn up at 2pm, we would find our own way home, and not pay him for the last 3 days. Leah & Dustin took the bus, but Dana & I agreed to give him one more chance. At 1:45 he called and said he was on his way. At 3pm, no sign of Soliman. We decided to stay in a hotel, and take the 7am bus on Sunday... but we foolishly let the guard convince us that his buddy could drive us, and the price was only slightly higher than what we would have paid our driver. So off we headed... 2 hours into the drive, we hit a traffic jam as they retrieved an overturned, squashed bus out of the ditch (the actual accident had been 2 days before), and watched while they righted it, and a group of 15 men started pushing it down the highway; the wheels still turned just fine, even if the top of the bus was squashed. It got dark. We weren't making very good time. And then, about 80km from Bobo (it’s a 400km trip), on a dirt road detour, the lights faded, dimmed, and the car stopped. So, there we were, broken down car, at night, in a tiny village, 80km from home. Long story short, a kind passer by tried to tow us, but the rope kept breaking and eventually we left the car & driver in the village, and the stranger drove us home. We got home at midnight. While we were on the road, Soliman called Suzanne (who'd returned home the previous day) and said that he was ashamed to call me, since his car had broken down again. She got the update from me, and he later called her back and was surprised and dismayed to hear that we'd left without him, as if we hadn't already given him the benefit of the doubt, only to have him not come through, at least 4 times in the previous days. What did he expect!!!

Transport back and forth to Ouaga is a huge problem. The bus is cheap, but very uncomfortable… and we would be the only NGO other than Peace Corps to be using the bus as our method of transport. Flights are available only 3 days / week and of course are really expensive. And our attempt at a rental car was a huge disaster. I was the one who found the contact, so I feel somewhat responsible for that. There are rental agencies that will rent a 4x4 & driver for >$150 / day plus gas but that is too exhorbitant. But we don’t have the contacts here to get something reasonably priced and reliable.