old tiger's Blog

wooh..this traject..was rough travelling..I recall...getting towards
Agadez on top of a truck..together with local Africans..first day..
after Niamey..only reached Tahoua by taxi brousse..
traffic towards Agadez..was difficult in the these days..
Tahoua..was nothing special..just a stopover place..
next day got a truck ride towards Agadez..
one has to pay the driver..it was a truck full of sacks of grain..
we sat on top..it was a dusty,bumpy and difficult ride..
in the middle of nowhere..suddenly this truck stops..
everybody down...and..guess what..namaaz time..
devote Muslims do their prayers..I couldn't blame them..
everybody turned their face to Mecca..I still don't know..
how they find that direction??that's Africa,you know..
the local African people who travelled with me..
on top of this bloody truck..were Fulanis(tribe)
great folks...they smile all the time..I did not..
it was hard travelling..I suppose they are used too..
I recall..I hated this ride..it was dusty..hot..bumpy..
once back at home...one values..the hardship of travelling..
so..these Fulani's(Peuls)are folks who got lots of herds..
they have a very funny festival called Gerewol..
it's held at In Gall..place I crossed between Tahoua-Agadez..
the local Wodaab? tribe(Fulani)the men..put make up..
and dance around like crazy..to find a local girl as a bride..
I've not seen this..but I know..I've missed something there..
everybody is in a trance during this festival..if local drugs..
are involved..I can't tell..could be??who knows??
http://www.nomadgal.com/festivals.html
so..after this funny ride..I reached Agadez..a desert like town..
I will relate in a special posting about this place..
crazy Tiger

As mentionned in my last journal entry...
Tuaregs are a very interesting tribe..
I'm gonna find some more links..
to give you all an idea about Tuareg..
I really admired these people while I met them..
here is a link on some art jewelry..
their woman wear lots of ornaments..mostly silver..
http://www.africantradebeads.com/Product_Index/Tuareg-Silver/tuareg-silver.html
click more on right bottom corner of this link.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuareg

a good link on Tuareg art..necklaces,bracelets etc..
http://en.kouzo.com/

and finally..a link to photographs from West Africa..
http://veenag.maparent.ca/Pictures/west_africa/index.html
Tiger

I recall the trip into Niger as very rough travell..
Fada Ngourma-Kantchari..then border crossing..
some more control then in Ivory Coast..
but my visa was allright...made it in Paris(France)
Niger was one of the poorest countries on earth..
it was in the Sahel belt...this means desert,arid climate,drought..
I saw some Tuaregs in Agadez..this city..is worthwhile..
Agadez is a desert city..it replaced Timbuctu for me...ahah..
tuaregs are nomads..they are called blue men..
because of the clothpiece(tagelmoust)covering their mouth..
it protects them against desert winds on their camel trips..
Tuareg art is extremeley nice..specially their silverware..
I met some Tuaregs around Tahoua and also in Agadez..
great wanderers..their women enjoy a very free status..
but..let me tell you about Niamey...capital of Niger..
Niamey is on the Niger river..like Bamako..
again a Grand March?(marketplace)like in most African capitals..
I went for information about going towards Agadez..
it's mostly on top of a truck..I remember that ride very well..
Niger is a Muslim place..big mosque in Niamey...
eating..no problem here..cheap street stalls with rice/chicken..
I stocked up quite a bit of food for my trip towards Agadez..
a local supermarket in Africa..usually had some stuff from France..
sardines...tinned food..always very usefull..
in the Grand March? great artwork from the Tuareg and Hausa tribes..
as said above..Tuareg silver jewellery is worthwhile..
Hausa made nice leather stuff..I did not buy anything..
prices were not for my purse anyway...
I'll try to find some link about Niger...
http://www.africatravelling.net/niger/niamey/niamey_culture.htm
next place is Agadez..I loved that place..
it was very desert like..
Tiger

so...I left Bobo..aww..I loved this place..
between Bobo and Ouaga came Koudougou...
don't remember much from this trip towards Ouaga..
Ouaga is the capital of Upper Volta..I guess..this country..
was never stable political..military coups??corruption...
http://burkinaembassy-usa.org/travel.html
the people..now called Burkinab?s..were nice though..
I recall the climate as very hot..Ouaga was O.K...
the usual Grand March?(market)dominates the town...
it was a town with parallel running streets..
I stayed 1 night in a hotel..but I forgot the name..
lots of eateries as well..choice enough...
I took some cheap African rice/chicken dish(yassa)
I was gonna go towards Fada Ngourma-Kantchari..
and then into Niger..towards the capital Niamey...
Niger was a place..I recall..as rough travelling..
Tiger

so..Bouak?..taxi brousse to Katiola..just a provincial town..
typical African..reached Bobo again..went back to stay..
at the French missionary..it was free..and safe as well..
these missionaries in Africa..I really admire their guts..
it was not so easy to win souls for God...
Africans stay always bit animistic deep inside their souls....
and I don't blame them for that fact..they are Africans...
no Western will ever understand their true nature..
same in India..but..oh..that was my next trip...wooh...
so Bobo again..a very African town..I would recommend this place..
if you ever get from behind your computers??and go to Africa??
so..after Bobo..it was gonna be direction Ouaga..
capital of Upper Volta..I was on my way back home..oh yes..
the Sahara desert...well..I was slighty scared of it..
but..it turned out..a big and positive experience..
will tell you busy peeps later on...brrr...
adventure,did you say???
crazy Tiger