Nuits Atypique a Koudougou (NAK)

Back in the pick-up with Tongay, Natasha and their friend Roman, we got dropped in town for a few drinks and something to eat before going to the festival. The title of the festival (Nuits Atypique a Koudougou) translates a bit funnily, but means 'Unusual nights in Koudougou'. We sat down outside Bache Bleu, ironically, as it seemed a dodgy place before we got picked up to go to the volunteer house, and had a few drinks and brochettes with the guys and a group of French nurses. It was really strange being in such a big group of white people after seeing hardly any in the past few months.

Tongay had been working in Kou for about 11 months in the past four years, for a pharmacy firm, and so knew the place well, and a lot of contacts - this was how we came to have the pick up transport for that night. Natasha was Canadian, but had been living in France for a year or so, and met up with Tongay and Roman to do a trip across Ghana and Burkina. They were all so nice to let us into the group, bought us a round of brochettes and wouldn't accept any drinks as thanks for finding us accommodation. Such nice guys.

The group of nurses were all in Kou, waiting for Govt approval to work in a village a few kilometres out, and also found the volunteer house via Tongay et al. They were all 21 and seemed like it was the first time they had been to a place like Africa before - they were all very cautious about the water and food, and most of them were ill for the duration that we stayed there. Poor guys, but they did have the biggest bag of drugs I have ever seen a backpacked with. Everything under the sun!

We got a lift to the stadium in the truck and walked the last 200m, through a bustling crowd and past loads of food stalls. We only stood still for a few minutes, but we all had crowds of youngsters and children around us. Naughty hands reached into our pockets and Barney stopped some kid trying to get into Kerry's bag. We quickly moved into the stadium, which was half an amphitheatre, open to the night sky, with huge concrete slabs for steps, and chairs, so not particularly comfortable! It was only about half full for the whole time that the festival was on, with 250 people max inside. Bit of a shame as there was about that again in Burkinabes outside asking to have tickets bought for them.

As we arrived inside the amphitheatre, a local band were playing called Zougna Zogamda, and had a lot of people on stage playing a variety of African instruments, including two midgets who were just 'playing' the maracas in a kind of Bez/Happy Mondays set up. The next act was from India, called Kalakar Trust. They opened with a weird dance between a man with a giant puppet's head and some men on stilts. They then changed, and began playing some traditional music with a woman dancing on stage in front of them carrying a few pots on her head. As the songs changed, she had more than ten on her head, before standing on some glasses. All very nice and all, but we have seen far more impressive from African ladies at the side of the road, running to keep up with moving buses, and carrying far more.

The final two acts were Burkinabe (from Burkina) - Wendy, a plump singer, and Flobby, a band that seemed to get everyone onto their feet. To be honest, it wasn't that memorable. A drunk Imbrahim drove us back to the volunteer house in the early hours, and we hit the hay after another long, but good, day.