Jan 29/04
Ecept for itching arms not a bad nights rest.  Luanna & Carmela left at 7 to go shopping with Lillian & her mother.  They were back shortly before 10 & Luanna, Carmela & I left baggage at the guest house around the corner from La Pacha and started walking uptown.  We caught a passing taxi uptown to the market area.  Changed some US dollars to francs.  They don't take the "new" US money.  Aparently their money reader doesn't work on that money.  I gave them a $100 bill & the machine didn't accept that but she never said anything.  Matches with what Paul said the other day.  You couldn't count on what they would do.  Went shopping in the market.  You got pestered all the time while walking and Carmela finally told 2 guys we didn't want a crowd while walking around & they left.  The aisles between the different boothes or stores were very narrow.  You could meet anything from goats to carts along the way.  If you as much as looked at anything or expressed an interest in something someone was right there at your side trying to sell it to you.  Once you arrived at the point where you found something you wanted you started negoiationg on the price.  Carmela took care of that for us.  It was interesting to watch because that's all I could do.  The dealing was all done in French.  When we were done shopping we took a taxi back to the guest house to pick up our luggage & walked to the bus depot.  Bad news.  After some running around we found that the first tickets we could get were for seats on the 6 o'clock bus.  After sitting around and watching them load suit cases motor cycles & 6 goats on the roof of a bus ready to leave we bought our tickets.  We left our shopping in the luggage room and went back to the motel where we spent the night but the restaruant was closed.  We bought some water & sat around.  Luanna & Carmela played cards & I listened to BBC on shortwave & worked on my diary.  Sounds like we'll try to find a restaurant.  Still 3 1/2 hrs to bus time.  Should be almost enough time even in Burkina to find food.  We did find food.  Last night we spent almost 50.00 cdn & today we ate for $1.25 cdn.  I had a plate of plain rice & Luanna & Carmela had rice with peanut sauce.  Sat around after our meal for about 45 min & bought some sesame cakes for desert.  About 15 cents.  Walked a block to the bus depot about 5 and waited there.  Our bus got in shortly before six & started loading.  Moto's, bikes, luggage & about 4 goats, all on the roof.  We got into the bus in the middle of the pack and ended up sitting close together but on separate seats.  After all the seats are filled they fill the aisle with people sitting on fold down seats.  Definetly a full load.  I thought that it would not be to hot because it was evening.  I was wrong, as soon as the bus reached highway speed everone closed the windows.  It seemed everyone was cold.  At Orodara we hired a boy with a cart to push our luggage to the guest house.  Got there about 15 min before Paul & Lois got back.  The other half of the team left last night for Paris.  Sure seems empty at the guest house.  Lois and Luanna got some food ready for a late supper.  Sounds like our local barking dog is ready to serenade us.  Maybe he missed us.  Definetly 1 way feelings.