We're here in Ouagadougou for the rest of our mini vacation. There's been no more African mud baths and our accommodations are far better here than at the game park, but it still strikes me as funny that this is where we come for vacation. Ouagadougou, or “Ouaga” as everyone calls it, is a city of 1 million and the capital of Burkina Faso. Someone told me that Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. We were talking today about how any Westerner would come to Ouaga and talk about the poverty and the dirtiness of the city. And yet, here we are, coming here because it is so much “nicer” than the village we live in. They actually have paved roads, traffic lights, real supermarkets & restaurants!
Most of what we've done has been eating and shopping... and it's been wonderful! Yesterday's lunch was pizza and today we went to the restaurant at the American Embassy – hamburgers, fries and milkshakes! This is no big deal until you haven't eaten food like this in 2 months. :) Last night we went to a Lebanese restaurant and had pita bread, hummus and amazing fresh vegetables. There aren't that many fresh vegetables in Nalerigu so it was definitely a treat! We had chocolate croissants for breakfast and went to a French restaurant for dinner. The shopping was fun, especially since the Nalerigu market only has fabric and food, but it was quite the experience. Imagine trying to bargain in French (I know like 5 phrases and kept trying to speak Portuguese to them!) and calculating the prices in my head (It's 440 CFA for 1 dollar). But it's definitely been nice to be in a city for a few days and to have a break from the hospital.
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