Abidjan is not Dakar (Day 1-2 of my trip to Ivory Coast)

 Hi guys!

At the beginning of the year, my line manager told me that I had to take 10 days off before the end of march. I seriously thought about going somewhere in Senegal like Sine Saloum or even Goree island, lay low and just enjoy myself. Then the African Football Cup (AFCON) happened back in January. This year it was hosted by Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire (the official name). And it was one the most beautiful soccer competition I have ever watched, filled with surprises. Senegal who was the champion got defeated by Ivory Coast after the later got saved at the very last minute. It was truly upsetting. But I digress. The whole competition was an event, with people in Ivory Coast celebrating even when they lost. I had fomo watching stories from all the Senegalese and foreign influencers I followed on Instagram. I knew I wanted to visit Ivory Coast. However, I did not want to do it during the Afcon. So as soon as it ended, I booked a ticket. And 10 days later, I arrived in Abidjan the capital city. 

Before booking a ticket I wanted to find a suitable accommodation first. Getting a hotel was out of the question because the prices were way too high. My next option was Airbnb. I searched for hours on the site and found some decent places. However, I had no idea of what the area was. I could not decide. Finally I asked some people on social media I knew went and stayed in Abidjan recently to share their contacts. I tried some of them and finally settled on one in Akouedo Riviera area. 

I booked with Air Côte d’Ivoire which is the national airline. I did not want to book with our own national airline - which was cheaper- because it is known for having major delays and poor customer service. Ironically, Air Senegal the national airline was on time but Air Côte d’Ivoire was delayed the day of my trip. However, we did land at the expected time due to favorable winds. The flight was uneventful. I had a window seat so I could enjoy the view. The plane was a bit old and tired. But the service was nice. I particularly enjoyed the In flight entertainment I could connect to from my own tablet. I watched an old movie I never got the chance to see: Barbershop The next cut. They served us food and drinks but I had no idea what it was. It looked like a terrine of vegetables with potatoes. There were some turbulence but over all it was a pleasant flight. 

Upon arrival at Abdijan Houphouet Boigny Airport, we took a bus to go to immigration. The process was super fast and smooth. But it took 30 minutes for our luggage to come out. I used that time to update my family and check with my Airbnb because there was Wifi at the airport. Once I came out in the hall, I ordered Burger King because I had no idea where else to go for diner, as it was almost 8PM! I also grabbed a local SIM card with internet. Outside, I wanted to get a cab but the price they quoted me was too high compared to what was written on taxi prices boards.  Still I negotiated with a young taxi driver. I called the Airbnb manager for her to explain the location. The drive was very pleasant. 

Traffic jam at 9PM

Abidjan is not Dakar. It is huge. Even the roads were more spacious than then ones in Dakar. We were stuck in traffic a couple of times along the way.  Yet I could enjoy the streets which did not really look different from Senegal except they were more green. There were trees everywhere. I arrived at the Airbnb before 10PM. It is a nice one bedroom apartment with kitchen and bathroom. I will give it a full review later. I settled in, ate dinner, unpacked and went to bed. The following day was going to be my first official day of sightseeing.  And I could not be more excited. 

First diner at the Airbnb while watching Netflix

The first official day of my trip in Abidjan, I woke up quite early. I hang in bed, watching some Netlfix. Then I got up, showered and prepared breakfast. I packed some pastries and instant coffee from Dakar so I did not have to do grocery shopping upon my arrival. After breakfast, I started planning my day. I wanted to visit Plateau and hit the Museum. But first I stopped by the Artisanal Center called CAVA. It is an open air center with many people selling souvenirs such as wooden statues, hand made jewelry, fabrics and such. I arrived there right before noon. It was super hot and humid outside. I scored a few souvenirs for my family and friends. Prices were not that cheap and I had to haggle all the time. However, I spent a pleasant morning looking around and even having a chat with the sellers. Everyone was so friendly. 

Entrance of the Center for Artisans of the City of Abidjan (CAVA)

Buying jewelry

There was a restaurant inside the center so I tried it for lunch. I ordered a plate of fried fish with Attieke (which is fermented granulated cassava that has the same texture as couscous) and Alloko or plantains with Wonjo juice. The food came fast and I could see that it was huge. It was tasty and spicy (they put a huge amount of pepper on the side). I had problems finishing my plate. The entire thing cost me less than 5000 xof ($9 or 8 Euro). 

After eating, I booked another taxi with Yango (similar to Uber) to go to the Museum of Civilizations which was located in Plateau (downtown). During the drive, I had the occasion to see the city with all its skyscrappers and beautiful gardens. The Museum was tiny. I did the tour in 20 minutes. I could see some artifacts, read about the history and the politics of the country. Sadly pictures were not allowed inside.  

However, it is nothing compared to our own museum in Dakar. I was getting tired and hot and needed to use the bathroom (the pepper I tasted was doing a number on me). So I decided to go check the nearest mall called Playce. Upon arrival, I used the toilet, which were clean. However, they do not have any douchette system. I had to use a water bottle to clean myself. (TMI, I know). After releaving myself, I checked the mall. They had many high end stores and some casual I knew about. I bought some things for my boys at GEMO, checked the Woodin store for luxury fabrics made in Ivory Coast. I also bought some groceries such as eggs, butter, pastries and water in Carrefour supermarket. Before leaving I saw a shop called Miniso which reminded me of Daiso in Japan. Needless to say that I went crazy in that shop buying things that were cute but absolutely useless or unnecessary. 

Miniso shop at Playce Marcory Mall

I went back home after that. I did not have diner but ate some snacks before going to bed early. The following day, I was to wake up early for my tour of Yamoussoukro.