It is already dark when we arrive at the Malinké village of Diamona on the track between Kankan and Sabadou-Baranama in Upper Guinea. We ask the village chief for permission to spend the night in his village. Of course he will not refuse. I do not think that the Guinean hospitality can provide another answer!
We are quickly the attraction of the village, especially for the children who come to agglutinate around Gandalf. Their main objective is to touch a "toubabou", to shake his hand.
As it is late we settle for the night. The children return home soon.
The next morning they are there again, before sunrise. They wait for something to happen, such as a window or door opening. It is the first who will see the toubabou!
It's the explosion when I lift a little the awning of the kitchen window and I tip my nose.
But that's nothing compared to what happens when I open the door and appear at the top of the step. I feel like one of the Beatles coming to Liverpool. Like a rock star !
Later, Christine takes over. More serious she gives them a little lesson in French.
We will have a hard time getting back on the road as the goodbyes will be long. Photoshooting mandatory!
One thing particularly and pleasantly surprised us: the presence among the children of a young albino. We had read and seen a lot of reports in magazines and on TV about the unenviable fate of black albinos in Africa generally rejected by the community. The young albino of this village seems completely accepted by the community and his comrades. Fully integrated. On the other hand, no special precautions seem to be taken by the parents to protect him from the dangerous effects of the sun on its skin without pigment.
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| Thierry and the chief of the village. |
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