Journey Impressions: Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou: approx. 1.48 m inhabitants (2009)
Burkina Fasa: approx. 15.2 m inhabitants
Population growth (2008): 3.3%
People per km²: 56
Gross national income per person in 2008 PPP: 1,160 USD


13.02.2011 Ouagadougou: During the drive to the hotel, we quickly realised that we weren't really in the tropics. It was very arid at least. Both sides of the street were lined by a countless number of people selling things. Both men and women were trying to sell their goods there. More small mopeds and bikes were on the road than cars. We repeatedly noticed the attractive women on their mopeds and scooters at the sides of the road. How did they manage to be so well dressed and look so good considering the living conditions and levels of hygiene?

We had a landing beer in the hotel to start with and I started to regret I had lost my mobile phone. But at the end of the day, after dinner, I got an e-mail from our French pilot Reille Pascale from Lomé. She had found my mobile. That was fantastic news. I offered my thanks and asked her to send it to Germany.

14.02.2011 Ouagadougou: We had planned to employ a chauffeur to take us on a tour of the city. Above all, Martin really wanted to visit Christoph Schlingensief's project, Operndorf Afrika. Christoph Schlingensief was a very active German film, theatre and opera director, as well as performance artist and talk master. On 21 August 2010 he died of lung cancer. For now his project will not be continued. But it hasn't been quite abandoned. His idea was to set up an operatic and culture centre with accommodation near Ouagadougou (for more information visit www.schlingensief.com ).

Our chauffeur spoke some English and seemed to have understood where we wanted to go. Martin told him the place was called Laougo.

But first of all we had to fill up with petrol. Unusually, as guests we had to pay the petrol bill. Then we set off. After about 40 km, the driver turned off to the left and we reached a small entrance point. We paid a small admittance fee and the chauffeur asked us to come onto the complex. But this wasn't the Schlingensief project! First of all we were a bit disappointed and accompanied him reluctantly. But once we'd seen about five stone sculptures, our admiration swelled. This was a kind of place of pilgrimage for sculptors working with stone or other materials. We found out that artists from Africa and Europe meet up here at different intervals, usually about every two years. They then spend a month sculpting wonderful figures from the fantastic, hard granite. We saw fascinating figures that had been made out of granite there. In terms of themes, they covered all areas of life. In particular though they dealt with opposition to dictators, the stability and scope of human relationships, the amazing role of women, equality, the fight against evil in people and of course the good future of Africa. We really were fascinated, although we're both not really fans of art exhibitions and interpreting the apparent or actual intentions of works of art.

And then, quite by chance, the guide to the sculpture park mentioned that another building had been started nearby that also had artistic pretensions. And he asked if we had some time left over. OK. We were really looking for the Schlingensief project, Operndorf Afrika, but we thought we'd have enough time.

We were pretty surprised to be on the site of Operndorf Afrika after a mere ten minutes' drive. We were familiar with some of the buildings that had been started from pictures on the Internet. The area is huge and the idea of equal magnitude. Only some of the buildings are half finished. The five Africans present welcomed us and took us around. Rumour has it that this year, despite the death of the originator of the idea and sponsor, the project could continue. But turning his idea into reality appears still to be a long way off. We hope, for the Africans' sake, it is true.

These visits made a massive impression on us. We were delighted by the fascinating discoveries and set off on the 40 km return journey to Ouagadougou. In the town we wanted to visit a market, but it wasn't that attractive. At every stand we were pestered by numerous sellers to buy something. So we left and drove through the town back to the hotel. En route we realised that the driver must have understood something incorrectly. On the way we had looked at the women on the mopeds and agreed with the driver that there were very pretty women in Ouagadougou. Then he asked us whether he should get a few for us. He said he knew a few very attractive ones who we could meet. We laughed and declined and he took us back to the hotel.

Now there was something very important on the agenda. Martin had to have his hair cut and our shoes needed polishing.

From the TV we heard that there had been major demonstrations in Algeria.

On 14 February, the German Foreign Office had issued strong warnings about travelling to the country. We read that in the Saharan area there was huge danger of Al Qaeda terrorist attacks. The text on the Foreign Office's website says: 'Both criminal gangs and Al Qaeda in Maghreb (AQM) are currently seeking out foreigners to kidnap in Algeria, Niger, Mali and Mauretania'. And it continues saying that particularly in the Saharan zones of south Algeria there is also the danger of kidnapping. 'Al Qaeda in Maghreb (AQM) is currently (also around the cities of Tamarasset and Djanet) seeking Germans to kidnap'.

So we now have to psyche ourselves up and prepare ourselves for the next few flights. Tomorrow we're off anyway.