41st Birthday
Sunday, May 14th, my 41st birthday - Bailo the driver went to get the beekeeping federation (FAPI) staff while Bara and i had breakfast. I asked for coffee w milk and got literally handed a cup of hot milk and a packet of nescafe.
Bailo returned with what looked like a packed car: four women and two men from FAPI. Yet somehow we also fit Bara and i in as well. Most (all?) The FAPI people I've met before but i was particularly excited to see again Khalidou, their main trainer and he was with me on most of my previous Guinea projects.
Then we drove an hour (?) to this village of Timbi-Touni out away from the main road way out in the countryside. There, including the FAPI staff we had about 7 women and 10 men, which is an unusually good proportion. Presented about proper topbar hive construction and common problems with them until 2. At which point everyone we broke for lunch. And because my parents woke up and messaged me at that time i video called them and introduced them to a few of the people around me.
Then everyone did their prayers. Then we headed out to the bees!
We proceeded just a short distance out of the village to where there were a lot of beehives. Got all suited up. Most of the hives were vacant but we found a few occupied ones and harvested some honey. And one of them was strong enough to split which is always a good lesson, especially when increasing the number of hives is a priority interest. And we don't always have a strong enough hive to demonstrate with, but here we were! So we did! Bees were pretty nice, was able to work without gloves.
Then we headed overland to the village of Doumba where i was in 2015. By overland i mean taking basically 4×4 tracks through scattered farms and open grasslands. Generally being a little lost but it was never long until we'd encounter someone else and ask for directions. By and by we came to Doumba.
The village of Sanpiring has a special place in my heart because it was the first village i was based in, but i think i might have to admit with their picturesque beautiful giant huts Doumba village might be prettier. Revisiting it now for the first time since i was there 8 years ago I'm struck by how lucky i was to have been able to spend two weeks in such a beautiful place.
Many of the local men were there to welcome me back. Including the local mayor, who as it happens had been my host when i was there.
Then we all sat down and there was a bit of speech making. They thanked me extensively for my training and as well for coming back to see them. When it came time for me to speak, I'm not much for speechifying at length so i was just conveyed in a few quick sentences how much i enjoyed my time there, and appreciate their hospitality, and their welcome back. Which felt awkwardly short after they'd just talked for many minutes. But then as my translator Bara began translation what I'd said, bless him, he appeared to be conveying some analogy about a plant growing fruits or something, entirely of his own invention ahahaha.
Then we were fed some fonio (a Guinean grain kind of vaguely like a cross between couscous and rice. And some delicious mangoes. Then many pictures were taken, and then we had to go so we wouldn't be driving too much in the dark.
Hour drive back. Dark by the time we got back. Oh I should note that despite the packed car and long hours of driving over bumpy terrain today, everyone was in stitches laughing the whole time. Unfortunately it was all in local language so i didn't have any idea what it was about but they seemed to be having a hilarious time.
Got back to the hotel. Bara and i went in, while Bailo drove the others home.
"Let's just go in the restaurant real quick" Bara suggested, and i like to be obliging so sure. I was slightly surprised when Bara didn't order anything, i was expecting maybe he was after a coffee or something. But i honestly didn't suspect anything, I'm perfectly happy to sit in the restaurant if that's what he wants to do (i was catching up on things on my phone).
Then i looked up and the FAPI staff were coming in again. This was at least half an hour after i thought they left.
"Oh they're back?" I said, still not suspecting a thing, until they gathered around me and placed a big box on the table, which opened to reveal a birthday cake, and began singing "happy birthday."
I'm pretty sure I've never had a birthday surprise before. And compared to my last birthday, my 40th, to celebrate which i ate pancakes alone in my house, this was a great improvement. Just to be here in Africa would have made it better than last year, but after being welcomed like a returning hero to a beautiful village, and then to have these people surprise me with cake.. pretty sure it qualifies as the best birthday ever (:
Bailo returned with what looked like a packed car: four women and two men from FAPI. Yet somehow we also fit Bara and i in as well. Most (all?) The FAPI people I've met before but i was particularly excited to see again Khalidou, their main trainer and he was with me on most of my previous Guinea projects.
Then we drove an hour (?) to this village of Timbi-Touni out away from the main road way out in the countryside. There, including the FAPI staff we had about 7 women and 10 men, which is an unusually good proportion. Presented about proper topbar hive construction and common problems with them until 2. At which point everyone we broke for lunch. And because my parents woke up and messaged me at that time i video called them and introduced them to a few of the people around me.
Then everyone did their prayers. Then we headed out to the bees!
We proceeded just a short distance out of the village to where there were a lot of beehives. Got all suited up. Most of the hives were vacant but we found a few occupied ones and harvested some honey. And one of them was strong enough to split which is always a good lesson, especially when increasing the number of hives is a priority interest. And we don't always have a strong enough hive to demonstrate with, but here we were! So we did! Bees were pretty nice, was able to work without gloves.
Then we headed overland to the village of Doumba where i was in 2015. By overland i mean taking basically 4×4 tracks through scattered farms and open grasslands. Generally being a little lost but it was never long until we'd encounter someone else and ask for directions. By and by we came to Doumba.
The village of Sanpiring has a special place in my heart because it was the first village i was based in, but i think i might have to admit with their picturesque beautiful giant huts Doumba village might be prettier. Revisiting it now for the first time since i was there 8 years ago I'm struck by how lucky i was to have been able to spend two weeks in such a beautiful place.
Many of the local men were there to welcome me back. Including the local mayor, who as it happens had been my host when i was there.
Then we all sat down and there was a bit of speech making. They thanked me extensively for my training and as well for coming back to see them. When it came time for me to speak, I'm not much for speechifying at length so i was just conveyed in a few quick sentences how much i enjoyed my time there, and appreciate their hospitality, and their welcome back. Which felt awkwardly short after they'd just talked for many minutes. But then as my translator Bara began translation what I'd said, bless him, he appeared to be conveying some analogy about a plant growing fruits or something, entirely of his own invention ahahaha.
Then we were fed some fonio (a Guinean grain kind of vaguely like a cross between couscous and rice. And some delicious mangoes. Then many pictures were taken, and then we had to go so we wouldn't be driving too much in the dark.
Hour drive back. Dark by the time we got back. Oh I should note that despite the packed car and long hours of driving over bumpy terrain today, everyone was in stitches laughing the whole time. Unfortunately it was all in local language so i didn't have any idea what it was about but they seemed to be having a hilarious time.
Got back to the hotel. Bara and i went in, while Bailo drove the others home.
"Let's just go in the restaurant real quick" Bara suggested, and i like to be obliging so sure. I was slightly surprised when Bara didn't order anything, i was expecting maybe he was after a coffee or something. But i honestly didn't suspect anything, I'm perfectly happy to sit in the restaurant if that's what he wants to do (i was catching up on things on my phone).
Then i looked up and the FAPI staff were coming in again. This was at least half an hour after i thought they left.
"Oh they're back?" I said, still not suspecting a thing, until they gathered around me and placed a big box on the table, which opened to reveal a birthday cake, and began singing "happy birthday."
I'm pretty sure I've never had a birthday surprise before. And compared to my last birthday, my 40th, to celebrate which i ate pancakes alone in my house, this was a great improvement. Just to be here in Africa would have made it better than last year, but after being welcomed like a returning hero to a beautiful village, and then to have these people surprise me with cake.. pretty sure it qualifies as the best birthday ever (: