A Walk on the Bridge--a special post for Erika

My little sister, Erika, has bridgeaphobia. Bridgeaphobia: (n) scientific term meaning the fear of bridges, overpasses, or any other tall object that can be driven or walked upon. I'm not entirely sure when this case was first developed in my dear sister. Perhaps it was when she walked on the long swinging rope path that extended from tree to tree, (aka, Canopy Walk) in the rainforest in Ghana. Regardless, it is a known fact that Erika suffers bridgeaphobia. Andrew has often tried to cure her of this syndrome through unethical techniques, but all to no avail. One thing that Niamey has that Ouagadougou does not is a river. To get from where we live to downtown we must cross the river on a bridge. The bridge is usually overly crowded. I often think of Erika and what she would do if she were stuck in traffic at the top of the bridge. Well, the other day, Dad and I made a little excursion to downtown Niamey and we decided to walk, so we could enjoy the bridge and all of the sights, sounds, and smells that go along with it. Here's some of what we saw.

Men threshing rice.

A shipment of pumpkins were in and were being unloaded. The process of unloading: pick one up, chuck it to a guy 6 inches away, chuck it to another guy a little farther away, and then chuck it in the water and let it float to the bank where another retrieves it. Makes sense, right? It's fascinating to watch. The pirogue was huge and had beautiful designs on the side.

Here are a few aerial shots:

I love how Rooney is watching on, overseeing the job! Do you see him there in the background? No, well then here's a closeup!

Here are some more sights from the river.

No need to count quarters for this laundry mat!

See all of those laundry carts all in a row?

While we were walking on the bridge we came across a recently deceased cow. A man with a cart had two choices: try to drive over the cow and continue on the sidewalk, or risk life and merge into the heavy busy traffic. He chose the former and I watched in horror as he tried over and over again to get his cart over the body of the cow. Doh, I thought of you immediately.

Overall, it was a beautiful and exciting walk across the bridge. Erika, be ready to face your fears if you come to le Niger!