Well friends, we’ve been at home in Guidan Roumdji getting settled and making friends. It’s been quite a first few weeks in our new town. I think that the people are finally beginning to get used to us and enjoying our presence.
But on to the more interesting stories…we recently had our first adventure out to visit one of the surrounding Fulani villages. Not only was it our first trip out to the bush since our arrival out here but it was also our first moto trip other than our practices in the capital. And what an adventure it was…
We met a man who knew where the village was so that he could lead us there. He ended up driving Melissa’s moto with her on the back and I followed on mine. I was more than a little nervous about having to drive through the bush but I determined that I would make it and so off we went. I had no idea what was waiting for me along the way!!
It’s difficult to describe the feeling of driving a moto through the sand. You are driving along, feeling good about how far you come when suddenly, you hit a patch of deep sand and lose control. Most of the time you just wobble around and put your feet down to steady yourself again. Then, you give it some gas and try to walk your way through to more solid ground (that is, when you can find solid ground – a difficult task in the desert). But occasionally, you don’t get your foot down in enough time and you find yourself lying on the ground, half under the moto, sand everywhere. That’s what happened to me…twice! LOL…praise the Father that I didn’t receive anything more than some bruises and a few scrapes on my legs. It could have been a lot worse.
The first time I fell, it happened right outside a village. The people were Hausa and so I could not communicate with them. There were some children and one woman who saw the whole thing. So I suppose you could say that my pride was injured as well. Once I got my moto upright again, I realized that it would not start. Frustration was beginning to overwhelm me when my friends came back for me. Our guide could not get my moto going again either and so it was decided that he would go ahead and take Melissa on to the village and then come back for me. So, we pulled my moto under a small tree for some shade and I watched as they drove out of sight. The initial fear of being left by myself was soon gone as the children began to gather around. I was glad for the company. Before I knew it, I had quite a crowd surrounding me and inspecting my moto. The bad thing was that they all spoke Hausa. Eventually, our guide did come back with a friend. I was able to ride with the friend on his moto and our guide drove mine. Finally, a few bruises and cuts later, I made it to the village!
Our time in the village was really good. We got a lot of language practice and we were able to make some new friends. We ate with them and laughed with them. We stayed until the afternoon and then began to make our way back home. Once again, I was driving – but this time, our guide assured me that he was taking a new road, a better road.
But I soon found out that “better” is a relative term! Once again, I wobbled around in the sand. I was still quite exhausted from our trip there and so that only made matters worse. Then, when our guide and Melissa had gotten far ahead of me, I again had the unique experience of feeling the moto come down on top of me. My second fall. This fall just added to my previous bruises and scrapes but more than that, my frustration was at its limit! The tears came as I looked around me and saw nothing but sand and bushes. I thought for sure that I was going to be lost in the desert forever. Okay…maybe I have a dramatic side. LOL Then I saw two women, who had apparently seen the entire episode, come running toward me. Of course, they spoke only Hausa which only added to my frustration. But, through the Father’s grace, I once again heard Melissa’s moto coming back for me.
The rest of the trip was a series of wobbling and stopping and our guide switching motos. But, finally, only by the Father, we made it home! And that was our grand first adventure out into the bush. And I have to say, we are more than ready to turn over our moto keys and trade them in for a donkey and cart!!
