From Wikitravel

Contents 1 Basics 1.1 Cultural atmosphere and local geography 1.2 How to get there and away 1.3 Places to stay 1.4 Post Office 1.5 Internet 2 Shopping 2.1 Marché 2.2 Boutiques 2.3 Tailors 3 Food 3.1 Restaurants 3.2 Street food and snacks 4 Recreation 4.1 Bars 4.2 Recreational activities 4.3 Tourism 4.4 Additional information

Basics

Cultural atmosphere and local geography

Fada N’Gourma is mainly inhabited by the people, along with a smattering of and. Although the Gulmance account for only 4.5% of the national population, they have a strong culture with much history surrounding it. The founder of Fada is said to have ridden a horse up a baobab tree and disappeared, but the horse’s hoof prints remain in the tree. Red is considered a problematic color for the Gulmance (they prefer black and white) and there is a sacred mountain in the area that a person cannot go up if he or she is wearing a red shirt. Also, the crocodiles in the barrage are considered sacred, and they may not be killed. In general, the Gulmance are thought of as a minority and looked down upon by other cultures. They are said to find their answers in the sand, because of the importance they place on traditional beliefs so maybe they should look in the sand to try to find out why Peace Corps doesn’t send more Volunteers out here.

How to get there and away

General Distance Information: Fada-Ouaga: 220K; Fada-Bilanga: 76K; Fada-Kompienga: 137K; Fada-Matiakoali: 94K; Fada-Kantchari: 150K; Fada-Niger: 172K; Fada-Benin: 150K

• STMB: 40.77.06.94 (Fada) 50.31.13.63 (Ouaga)

Fada to Ouaga: one-way 2000 CFA, round-trip 3000 CFA; 7:30, 12:00, 18:00, 6:00 (Fridays only), 10:00 (every day but Friday) Ouaga to Fada: one-way 2500 CFA, round-trip 3000 CFA; 7:30, 10:00, 13:30, 14:00, 18:00 daily Fada to Kantchari: one-way 2000 CFA; 14:00 daily

• ZST: 50.34.41.69 (Ouaga)

Fada to Ouaga: one-way 2000 CFA, round-trip 3000 CFA; 7:00, 9:30, 13:00, 18:00 daily Ouaga to Fada: one-way 2500 CFA, round-trip 3000 CFA; 7:00, 9:00, 13:00, 18:00 daily Ouaga to Kompienga: one-way 4000 CFA, round-trip 7000 CFA; 9:00 daily Kompienga to Ouaga: one-way 4000 CFA, round-trip 7000 CFA; 7:00 daily

• Bush taxi (far away gare; minimum twice per day):

Fada to Bilanga: one-way 1500 CFA Fada to Gayeri: one-way 1500 CFA Fada to Piela: one-way 1750 CFA

• Bush taxi (central gare; minimum twice per day):

Fada to Pama: one-way 1500 CFA Fada to Kompienga: one-way 2000 CFA

Places to stay

• Drew’s House (free): There is no electricity or running water, but there is a nice indoor shower space as well as a guest room complete with a bed, mattress, sheets, a pillow, and its own entrance. If you want to do something to pay his family back for their kindness, they really appreciate gifts of fish. Also, you can buy Miel du Gourma from his mom’s stand.
• TP (4000 CFA with fan, 6000 CFA with A/C): This is your typical Burkinabè hotel space: it’s not too dirty or too clean, and the toilet in your room might not always work, but hey, it’s got a bathroom with a mirror and running water, and it’s more or less conveniently located.

• Auberge La Belle Etoile [1](c.5000 CFA a double): Located on the road to Ouaga, 5 rooms with a fan, a paillotte in the courtyard and common shower/toilet. Quite clean. If the owner, a "young and dynamic Burkinabé" (ako Guide du Routard) is there, he can give you very good advice on what to do in Fada.

• Mariam Dwali Catholic Mission (not expensive): This place is relatively far from the more happening parts of town, but it is supposed to be nice. There are gardens there and in the case of the EAP, this is where we meet.
• Hotel Panache (the most expensive we know of in Fada): It is the rare PCV who stays at Panache, but it is supposed to be pretty nice, and they have begun work on a swimming pool, specifically, they are digging a hole in the ground by hand, but who knows? Maybe one day Fada will have a pool.

Post Office

Open M-F 7:30 – 12 and 15:00 – 17:00

Internet

Highly recommended is Le Cyber Jeunes. It’s air-conditioned, the help is nice, and it’s inside a buvette. Hours: 9:00-13:00, 16:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 10:00-20:00 Saturday. 500 CFA for 15 minutes, plus 250 CFA for each additional 15 minutes.

Shopping

Marché

Marché day is every Sunday, and the Fada marché seems to offer just about the same stuff as other marches in relatively big villes

Boutiques

There are a couple of pretty good alimentations where you can find things like tuna in water. In general, you can support the east by buying things like Miel du Gourma (not to be confused with imitation products like Miel Naturel du Gourma), Biala drinking water, and Lait du Gourma milk and yogurt (it’s delicious).

Tailors

Check with Drew or the marché.

Food

Restaurants

• Restaurant de L’Est – moderately expensive. Like most Burkinabè restaurants, they don’t always have everything on their menu, but it’s one of the classier, more overpriced restaurants in Fada, and they have a pretty chewy pepper steak.
• Les Caraibes – moderately priced. Although they’ve recently switched chefs, Les Caraibes continues to offer some of the best fries in Fada, as well as good grilled fish, but be prepared to wait a long time for your food.
• Ben Nevis– moderately priced. This place stole the chef from Les Caraibes, so food is good, and there is dancing next door

Street food and snacks

Drew seems to think that the best bissap in Fada comes from the lady right outside the STMB gare. Sometimes you can find a frozen lemonade-type drink sold in sachets called citron. It’s delicious, and the lady with the pretty big, saggy boobs has some of the best. The meat guy outside the internet café is good and the Lait du Gourma yogurt is always nice.

Recreation

Bars

There are plenty of buvettes, but one of the nicest would have to be La Plage, not because their drinks are cold but because they’re located at the beach.

Recreational activities

You can find prostitutes at Melrose Place, and there is an abandoned movie theater.

Tourism

There is a pastor who lives near a tower, and he has three pretty big turtles living under a car in his yard. Drew named them.

Additional information

We often meet each other and go vulture watching at Auberge Liberte. They have very oily, mediocre food, and sometimes the young girls on staff catfight. Any other information on Fada can be found through Drew, and he can be reached most days at Miel du Gourma 40.77.02.12, and he can connect you to some cool local artisans.

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