XT2AW Burkina Faso

Harald, DF2WO will be active again as XT2AW from Burkina Faso, 8 - 22 September 2024.
He will operate on 80 - 10m Bands, mainly SSB, FT4 and also QO-100 satellite.
Recent DX Spots XT2AW
XT2AW Log searchSearch QSL via M0OXO, OQRS.

Burkina Faso: in pursuit of exoticism

Burkina Faso is a country that fascinates with its national flavor. This small state in the western part of Africa is on the list of the poorest countries on the continent, nevertheless, there is a lot to see here.

The untouched beauty of the African savannah is the main value of the country. There are 3 national parks and about 20 reserves of different scales on the territory of the country, where you can get acquainted with the rich flora and fauna of these places. Travelers from different countries come here to embark on a dangerous and adventurous safari tour.

Burkina Faso's complicated history

Burkina Faso means "land of honest people" in the Mooré language. Until the early 80s, the former colonial name Upper Volta was still retained. Most of the inhabitants are Muslims and Catholics, but ancient religious cults are still alive here. For example, members of the Gurma ethnic group still practice the cult of the land.

Since the first settlements, the fertile land has been the object of dispute for many tribes. In the Middle Ages, the state of Ouagadougou was formed as a result of the unification of several large tribes. Indigenous peoples desperately resisted the European colonizers who came to these lands, but due to internecine wars they could not defend the state. As a result, the tribal lands were occupied by the French for a long time.

Ouagadougou capital

When you arrive in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, you are immediately immersed in the bustling streets with a mix of urban and rural flavor. Everywhere is bustling with life: old green cabs, motorcycles and bicycles, donkeys with carts, porters with loads over their heads, vendors selling bananas, small open-air cafes with loud music, scurrying chickens and goats, colorful hand-painted advertising stands.

The city is divided into two parts by the railroad tracks: in the southern side are concentrated the main tourist attractions and administrative buildings, and in the northern side - residential urban neighborhoods. Here is located the Grand Mosque - the ancient Muslim church in Ouagadougou and the only place where believers gather for Friday prayers.

Cultural life is also developed in the capital: in the "House of People" with architecture in the Burkinabe style you can watch a theatrical performance. In odd-numbered years, the capital of Burkina Faso traditionally hosts the Fespaço Film Festival, which brings together filmmakers from all over the continent. Also worth seeing are the majestic Martyrs' Memorial and the Moro-Naba Palace, which belonged to the rulers of the Mosi tribe.

Burkina Faso. Author - Arnaud Delberghe.

XT2AW Burkina Faso. Information for Radio Amateurs

DXCC Country - XT Burkina Faso.
WAC Continent - Africa.
WAZ Zone - CQ 35.
ITU Zone - 46.
QTH Locator - IK92.

Interesting places to visit

A few kilometers from the capital, among the sand dunes is the most colorful bazaar in West Africa - Gorom-Gorom market. Representatives of various ethnic groups inhabiting the country come here to display unique goods - the result of laborious work - and demonstrate their skills. Representatives of the once warlike Mosi tribe, now successful in farming, offer karite seed oil and thoroughbred horses, while the Sisala sell skillfully woven leather and woven baskets. Fishing gear can be purchased from the ga, while the gurma offer ornate leather belts and finely handcrafted cloths.

One of Burkina Faso's most unusual sights are the Sindou Remains. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Few tourists can get to the semi-desert area with towering peaks and sandstone pillars, as they are in danger of destruction. Visiting the remnants is possible only in the dry season - there is a fascinating hiking route three kilometers long. The valley beckons with unearthly landscapes.

The royal residence of the Kassena people, which is located in the village of Thiebel, deserves special attention. To get here you need the permission of the tribal elders. Houses, which are built from all available improvised means, here are painted with ornaments and patterns, decorated with frescoes with everyday subjects. This is not just decoration, but also protection from rain. The constructions made of earth, cow dung and straw do not have windows - only one small hole through which sunlight penetrates. The surface is covered with a natural varnish made from beans.

In the village of Sabu in Burkina Faso there is an amazing attraction - a pond with "tame" harmless crocodiles. The locals feed them chicken, and they do not mind if tourists sit on their backs or touch their tails.

Features of African cuisine

In restaurants you can taste European and local cuisine. Familiar pizza and pasta are especially popular among tourists, while here you can try more exotic dishes. It can be chicken in peanut batter with bananas, palm wine or meat of all kinds of snakes, hippos, antelope, monkeys. Almost all food is seasoned with pili-pili sauce, pepper gives a piquant hot taste and serves as a disinfectant. The mainstay of the diet is sorghum porridge, which is cooked in a clay pot with a sauce made from baobab leaves.

Local fast food is meat, generously seasoned with pepper, in a French baguette. Burkina Faso people also brew delicious beer right on the street and know about 30 types of coffee preparation. In villages you can try a drink of friendship zom-kom, which is made of honey, sorghum and ginger - it is served when you get acquainted. And for dessert you will be offered airy banana cream with whipped proteins.

Folk crafts

Local craftsmen create unique products from bronze and leather, make unusual things decorated with artistic embroidery. Thanks to the development of gold and silver deposits, jewelry is produced here.

You can bring back exotic souvenirs from your trip, which are sold at craft markets - masks of the Mossi, Bobo and Lobi (ethnic groups living in this country). Masters of the Mossi tribe make original antelope masks, some of them reach a height of 2 meters, for coloring they use red or white colors. Bobo make large masks of butterflies, which attract with their bright coloring - white, red and black stripes. Every two years, the Festima mask festival is held in Dedugu with 40 villages participating. Several days in a row, from night to morning, there are rousing mask dances and spectacular costume shows.

Video Burkina Faso

XT2AW. Where is Burkina Faso located. Map.