Things to Do in Ouagadougou in May

May shows Sahelian architecture. Brief rains settle dust. Grande Mosquée walls glow reddish. Koulouba compounds photogenic. Low humidity stabilizes earth. Midday heat demands guided tour with air-con breaks.

As the sun dips and the temperature becomes bearable, the neighborhood of Boulmiougou transforms. The sound of sizzling oil and the smoky, irresistible scent of grilled meat (brochettes) draw everyone outside. This is the time to eat like a local: perched on plastic stools, you'll taste grilled capitaine fish with a fiery piment sauce, bowls of riz gras (oily rice with meat and vegetables), and chilled local bissap juice. The atmosphere is convivial and safe, with families and friends mingling under strings of bare bulbs.

The air-conditioned halls of the Musée National du Burkina Faso offer an important midday respite from the heat. A real cool escape, its collections of ritual masks, Mossi royal regalia, and archaeological finds provide essential context. Afterwards, wander the adjacent Crafts Village (Village Artisanal) while the sun is still high. You'll hear the tap-tap-tap of bronze casters and smell the tang of freshly dyed bogolan fabric drying in shaded courtyards - artisans are more likely to be at work now than during the heavier rains.

For a panoramic sense of Ouagadougou's large, low-rise geography, head to this modernist monument in the late afternoon. As the fierce sun softens, climb to the upper platforms. You'll feel the day's heat rising from the concrete, hear the distant hum of the city below, and watch the light turn the ubiquitous rust-colored roofs into a sea of copper. To the west, you can sometimes see the dark anvil clouds of a building rainstorm over the suburbs, a dramatic backdrop. It's free, it's well-known, and it's well timed for May's evenings.