Carnaval in Bissora...

One of the groups with his queen

Presenting the group

Dancing

One of the masks made in paper

The mask that win first prize

Many hours of work

And the big day finally arrived! Carnaval was in our town! After three weeks of preparations the 4 different groups present themselves to the crowd and the juri. Everyone with his colors, dances and masks. The music played was from the heart, directly conduced by the veins till the bouncing dust.

On that day i dressed like african... i walked among with the people participating of their party. From the kids till the elders, everyone was in the street. Most of all is a celebration to everybody. In the african way... simple and joyfull!

Holy journey...

Contemplation

After the dificult walk

Arriving in the forest

Poilao

One river - Cacheu

A boat that take us through the canals, the birds that fly after feeling a strange presence, the power of nature that builts its castels and fortifications. Human beings trying to reach the holy trees.

A dificult path in the mud, the feet dancing with the water and the black grass.

Again, journeys of adventure, discovering and blessing...

Cacheu...

The all family and its guests

The pot were the slaves used to eat

The old crhistian church

Marco's house

Sometimes you just need to move around... Put a small bag in your back and get lost in another place with new people. This was my idea for the last weekend of January. The destination: Cacheu. Located in the north of Guinea is the capital of its sector. Waiting for us a european companion on this journeys for Africa.

Marco is economist, has been working many years in Africa, was director of African National Bank, likes to read, listen good music and talk. His curiosity for life is huge and is quitness conquers you at first sight. He lives in a small round house, among one beautiful guinean family. They take care of each other in harmony.

Cacheu is a city, according to the usual ones that i've met here. Althought it has national monuments like the Baluarte, small fortification builted by the portuguese, the pot were the slaves used to eat and the oldest christian church in West Africa.

The weekend was full of new things, long walks in the sand and, curious detail, reading the new book of Saramago.

Sabi!

Discotheque...

General view of the crowd

Ussumani and me

My great friends: Djodji, Ussumani and Félix

Saturday night in any part of the world should be for having fun and go out with the friends!

So, here in lost Africa doesn't have to be different... Of course the environment and the place is the opposite of what i'm used to but still... it has its wonderful side. The night starts after midnight, and till that time we gather in the house by the moonlight talking and drinking Cana (strong wine from sugar cane). Then we go to the discotheque. In Bissora is the only place of that kind. No bars, no pubs, just that. In the inside you can smoke and you can drink. Althought most of the people don't drink. The curious thing is that the beer does end... And then you don't have any other place were you can buy just one more... So you dance, we see the karaoke, dance a little bit more and... go home... African nights are more quiet...

Iracunda...

Salifo explaning how to put the plants

Eating all together

Hard work...

The field before our work

As i write another day here, in the past weeks i've been in the little villages outside Bissora center knowing the vegetable gardens of the women. In one of these visits i get the chance to stay the all day working with them. The women and the chief of them received me very well. The presence of a white person there, really helping in the field is something to be noticed for them. After introductions i grab a hoe and started to work. Our goal was to divide the field in stonemasons were they can put different vegetables. After that the number of rectangles is counted and divided for the women that are part of the group. We worked a few hours all in the same rythim. For me it was hard working at the strong and bright sun of Africa but still joyful.

One of the most beautiful images that i'll take with me is the women diging and singing at the same time, making of the work a poetry beyond imagination.

I observe and smile in the presence of this magic.