Visiting Colette's site!

I'll start by saying that we've been talking about visiting each other since training in July 2009. It is now June 2011, two years later, and it just now happened because we're about to leave Burkina Faso. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get things done, right?!

I'll let the pictures illustrate the couple of days I spent at Colette's site on the other side of the Southwest of Burkina. I played paparazzi, haha. Seriously though, her side of the Southwest of BF reminded me more of the Philippines -- rice fields that seemed to go on for forever, sugar cane plantations, etc. And mangoes everywhere! The dried mangoes were sooo good. Okay, enjoy!

Pancakes for breakfast with jelly. Yum yum!

As many of you know, I'm a planner-person and list-making person...so naturally, we're copying each other's planners to finalize our trip to Paris and Amsterdam after we COS!

Took a bike ride to Colette's high school and got this picture of her and her World Map. Absolutely beautiful!

Burkina Faso, baby!

Sushi time! Anything's possible in this country with a little creativity...and a care package from the US with seaweed paper.

Colette hitting the fields! This picture screams Peace Corps...

With her best friend at site, Balkissa.

At the market/marché.

The mayor of her town gave us a chicken. Such a nice guy!

Yours truly with our beloved chicken...who would soon be cooked and eaten after this photo was taken!

These pictures best illustrate how this chicken wanted to escape...and how Colette won! Haha! First, we overheard the bike fall over. Colette picks it up with the chicken hanging between the handlebars. Then it tries to run away with its legs tied together and at last, we capture it after it hobbles away from Lord knows how long. Oh boy!

Enjoying our chicken and beer. Mmmm!

Colette and another one of her closest friends at site, Irene.

I made Colette take this picture before I left! Fast forward to two years ago in 2009 when Colette, Devin and I were going shopping for things in downtown Ouaga. There's this artisanal store that sells lots of really cool stuff. Colette and I wanted the same "Afrique" wall decoration that you see in the picture...fortunately, there were two! Coincidentally, both of our "Afrique" wall decorations are hanging above our stoves in our own houses. Neat stuff!