Welcome to the Fouta! I took my first real foray into the
Fouta Djallon region of Guinea, also known as Middle Guinea. It’s famous for
it’s mountains; some people say that the Fouta is the Switzerland of west
Africa. It is home to the Peuhls who are traditionally cattle herders, evidenced by the cows seen all
over the Fouta and even chilling in the middle of the road in Labe, their
regional capital.
A few other volunteers and I went to a remote valley in the Fouta to go
hiking in what is one of Guinea’s most beautiful areas, Doucki. Many years ago
a Peace Corps volunteer in the area discovered a man named Hassan Bah who lived
in the village at the top of the valley. Hassan hiked around with the volunteer
showing him the area and as word spread of the beautiful waterfalls, rock
formations, and woodlands, tourists started coming to discover the area for
themselves.
We spent a day and a half hiking and I saw some of the most
beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life. We took a 16 km hike down into the
valley and back up through a waterfall on wooden ladders. We were very lucky as
it was rainy season and thus there were waterfalls and streams aplenty yet it
didn’t actually rain during the two days we were there. At one moment we were
hiking down a waterfall practically inside the side of a mountain. I felt
pretty hardcore…until I saw Guinean women hiking up the waterfall. Without
shoes. With babies attached to their back. With buckets on their heads. All the
trails we hiked exist not for tourist purposes, but because they’re routes that
Guinean villagers use every day.
Here are some pictures, though they hardly capture the
beauty:
Dalaba (on the way to Doucki)
Our living arrangements (bunk beds in a hut)
Stunning views
waterfalls...and more waterfalls
Jungle lagoon
Banana groves....and waterfalls
Ladders...up the waterfalls
On top of the world
Wow! Shangri-La!
ReplyDeleteIt was so good for all of us to talk with you last night, and look forward to hearing about whether your ambassador event came about, what you did....
It was also wonderful to have time with your folks and hear about their time with you. And thank yous from all of us for your gifts; we're hanging the ceramic "hand" -- I've already forgotten the name, but will be looking it up. And I LOVE my clothes you had made for me; I can't express to you how special that is. Thank you, thank you, mercy beaucoup!! More soon. Love, Nancy and Mike, and Dan and Ben, and Tauqua (arf!)
Beautiful shots Liz!
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