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This is the Abidjan skyline (well, if you strain your eyes you can see it). I lived here for 5 1/2 months. Abidjan is the most developed city in West Africa and one of the most developed in all of Africa (Johannesburg is number one). Abidjan is surrounded by a lagoon. I know when you look at a map, you may think its on the ocean, but unfortunately, we are surrounded by this horrible smelly lagoon that is extremely polluted. It looks nice from far away though. This photo was taken from a bateau-bus trip around the lagoon. We visited the Port d'Abidjan (Abidjan Port) and Ile Boulay, a little island not far from Abidjan. |
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This is me in front of the Cathedral in Abidjan. The architecture is quite modern, but I still feel that it fits into Africa much better than the huge basilica in Yamoussoukro (further down the page). In front of the building is something leaning forward that looks at first glance like a "modern" cross. Luckily, we did ask about it and learned that it is supposed to be a person with outstretched arms to symbolize "Akwaba" which means Welcome in Baoule (Baoule is one of the 60 or so ethnic groups in Cote d'Ivoire, it just happens to be the ethnie of President Bedie and former President Houphouet Boigny as well. (oh pardon me, as any Ivoirian would tell you "Mr. President His excellence Henri Konan Bedie", try to say that with the former presidents name: Felix Houphouet Boigny fast 5 times, its quite a mouthful!) |
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I took this photo on a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon. Lindsay and I had been invited for lunch at Ousmane's (the guy on the right). We ended up spending the entire day with everyone. Lunch was a big bowl of tchep (tomato flavored rice with some vegetables and a big chunk of either fish or meat on top) that was prepared by Ousmane's cousin. After lunch, we also had our first tea experience, but I will explain that process later with the tea pictures I took in Mali. After sitting around the house until about 4 pm or something, we headed up onto a roof where we spent the last 2 hours of sunlight (not to mention the mosque called Ousmane and Yaya away at sundown) playing music and singing (ok, so I just listened, but it was fun). On the left, is the owner of the little shop on top of the roof (cant remember his name) he was singing for the most part, in the middle is Yaya who is playing the djembe, and on the right is Ousmane, playing the balafon which unfortunately didn't make it into the photo. |
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This is the beach at Grand Bassam. Grand Bassam was the first capital of Cote d'Ivoire during the colonial period. Now, the town has a slightly eery feeling with all the deserted and delapidated colonial style buildings. However, tourists continue to come here, if not for the buildings and history, to enjoy the beach and the wonderful marche artisanal (arts and craft market). It is also the closest beach to Abidjan, only a 45 minute ride in a bush taxi (not counting the time it takes to fill up the bush taxi). The three heads you can see in the ocean are the other 3 Canadians (Jeff, Thierry and Lindsay) trying out their body boards. |
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If you are looking for any kind of art or craft, Grand Bassam, or just Bassam as locals will call it, is the place to be. You can relax (ok, so it isn't always so relaxing) on a private beach with a fence where artists walk by all day long displaying their crafts. Yes, they will hassle you like crazy to buy something, but they are not technically allowed in until you invite them. This photo is of three artists. The one on the far left is teaching me to play awale, a game played all over West Africa (and yes, I did eventually give in and buy the game. How could I not? He let me win:) The guy in the middle makes and sells statues and animals out of wood (Lindsay ended up buying the statue he is holding) and the guy on the right makes and sells beautiful Tuareg swords. |
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I was lucky to have had the opportunity to attend a festival at Bassam. It was the street arts festival (festival des arts dans la rue). However, unfortunately I didn't actually get to see too much as almost all events in africa, it was about 4 hours late getting under way. It wasn't a waste of time however. I saw the horse races and watched a "trivia pursuit" and got to make friends with these adorable children. For about two hours they seemed to adopt Marie Jose and I. They slowly came closer to touch us and then made themselves comfortable leaning against us for a long time. Eventually a sister came along and apologized to us, but we didn't mind, our only problem was that we didn't speak dioula to speak to them! |
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During this festival, I finally had a chance to witness a "mapouka contest". I had heard much of this infamous dance the "mapouka" but had not as yet seen it in performance, or at least I hadn't recognized that that was what it was when I saw it on tv. The mapouka is now a very popular dance in Cote d'Ivoire. You will see it in the music videos on tv, you will see it on the streets, in the "boites" (nightclubs), on the beach at festivals like these, anywhere. At first glance, it looks that it may not be that hard. Basically, you need to bend over a bit, stick out your bum and shake. However, if you are ever witness to one of these competitions you will see that it can actualyl take quite a bit more skill. However good you are at it, I am sure you will have fun trying though, as we had tried many a day in our living room. |
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