Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire - 28 Mar 08 to 5 Apr 08

My arrival in Abidjan marked a turning point in my visit to West Africa. The first half of the trip was focused primarily on musical study in Guinea and Mali and related travel to better understand the cultures where the music comes from. From Abidjan across to Lagos, I followed a coastal trail through the most densely populated urban region of Africa, taking a quick survey of all the countries and their big coastal cities along the way, which lasted about 5 weeks.

I spent about 10 days in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast). My original plan was to visit the family of my step-mom's brother's wife, who is from the country. A couple days before I was to travel, I telephoned to confirm my arrival and heard that the entire family had gone at the last minute to a remote village far removed from Abidjan. Their grandmother had also passed away, less than 3 weeks after mine. Being unable to visit them and knowing noone in the country, I decided to just take it easy and see what I could see.

Cote d'Ivoire is still struggling to free itself from the aftermath of a destructive civil conflict that started in 2002. Although there is no more active fighting going on, many unresolved issues remain. Many of the outlying areas of the country, particularly the north and west, are still controlled by rebel groups. The economy, once renowned as one of the strongest in Africa, is now a shadow of its former self. But the people on the streets are still open and friendly, as people are almost everywhere. I decided to contain my visit to the capital city only, as things upcountry are still questionable at this point and I had no Ivoirian contacts to accompany me. So I spent my days relaxing, doing lots of catching up on the internet, getting visas for onward travel and most of all walking everywhere I could, all over the massive city of Abidjan, getting glimpses into life in some of the various neighborhoods. The pictures that follow were collected in my various pedestrian wanderings across the city.

The Abidjan city skyline at night, on my first evening in the country. The city of Abidjan wraps itself around a large semi-coastal lagoon and the central tongue of land known as Le Plateau is the heart of the city, home to all its highrises. Here is a view of Le Plateau from across the water in Blockhaus, the small neighborhood I stayed in for the first several days. Blockhaus is part of the larger Cocody suburb (remember the song Cocody Rock by Alpha Blondy?)

My room in Blockhaus. Aren't those puppy-dog sheets so cute?

Some graffiti around Blockhaus, threatening to beat (frapper!!) anyone caught urinating on this wall. These painted warnings are very common across West Africa, although they usually have a posted value that one must pay as a fine if caught urinating.

The sign reads: "Village Community of Cocody Village. Sacred Site. Entry Prohibited."

My first full day I took a walk from Cocody all the way around the lagoon into Le Plateau. This billboard promises hope for building a peaceful future in Cote d'Ivoire.

One of the fancier houses in Abidjan I saw, this mansion overlooks the lagoon.

A view across the lagoon with Cocody on the left and Le Plateau on the right. The tower on the left is the Hotel Ivoire.

St. Paul's Cathedral, designed by an Italian architect. Abidjan is proud of its architecture, with many unique buildings being found here. The tall figure on the left that serves as the portal to the church is an abstract representation of Paul, and the sweeping robes that follow him are the body of the church.

A stained-glass mural inside the church, depicting the first arrival of European missionaries to Africa, coming to spread their religion and culture in a new land.

On my way into town, I passed a wedding in full swing on the rented outdoor patio of the library. The security guards invited me in to enjoy the festivities with everyone. Here wedding guests are dancing to the DJ's selection.

More architecture in downtown Abidjan. This famous building is called Le Pyramid. It is now unfortunately run-down and in need of renovation, which is supposed to happen sometime soon. Once home to many shops, everything inside the windows I could see was demolished and nothing looked open.

Abidjan's central mosque.

A view of downtown.

Bats circling overhead just before nightfall.

Another day I went to walk around the grounds of the once-majestic Hotel Ivoire, formerly West Africa's top hotel. Things are quieter these days, although the hotel is still open.

The now-empty pool of the Hotel Ivoire.

Anyone for a swim?

I shot this photo looking through a lamp at the evening sun.

This smaller pool on the other side of the Hotel Ivoire complex is still functional.

A view from the Hotel Ivoire grounds of the bridge from Le Plateau across to Treichville.

Another day I walked from Cocody north to Les Deux Plateaux, a retail district that is also home to many embassies. On the way I passed this outdoor barbeque place, once the spot to eat out with friends but now looking pretty empty with only a few stalls open. Notice the Maggi advertising painted all over its walls. Advertising for Maggi and their competition Jumbo are omnipresent in West Africa. Maggi makes cooking stock that is chock-full of MSG, and people put it in everything from soups to sauces to chicken glaze to salad dressing. Their slogan is "Me and Maggi, the secret to goodness".

A more low-rent district of Abidjan, found in a low-spot inbetween the Cocody and Les Deux Plateaux areas.

Another day I went to visit Cote d'Ivoire's National Museum. There were many cultural artifacts from the country's various ethnic groups on display, and a guide gave further explanation as to their significance.

In addition to the displays on traditional life in Cote d'Ivoire, there were a few modern pieces by the renowned 20th-century Ivoirian artist Christian Lattier. This piece is entitled "The Ram".

On my way back home from the museum, I passed through some densely populated central neighborhoods and then crossed over the major freeway back to Cocody.


On the way I bought some street food, which is normally wrapped up in old newspaper. The lady I bought these snacks from, however, used these large leaves.

Freeway-Land, Abidjan.

The last few days I spent in Abidjan I moved across the water to the district of Treichville, on the south side of the lagoon. One day I walked past the outskirts of the neighborhood down toward the port, and got a glimpse of Industrial Abidjan.

Trucks waiting to ship goods all over the region.

Moss growing on a factory gate.

My hotel in Treichville, "Le Success".

A shot from the balcony outside my room.

The internal square of the big market in Treichville. A cool place to hang out. Right outside and across the street are some of the best outdoor food-stalls around. My last night in town I treated myself to a jumbo shrimp-and-turkey sandwich, constructed with freshly grilled ingredients bought from the local vendors.

After Abidjan, I caught a series of taxis to the border with Ghana, my next stop on the Abidjan-Lagos route. Ghana will be the subject of the next posting coming up soon.

Guinea Part 3 - 21 Mar 08 to 28 Mar 08

I made my way from Dakar back to Conakry for one final week of study there. It was a great final opportunity to be involved in Guinea's rich musical tradition and complete my program of study that I started back in December.

The day after I arrived Sekou took me with him to play for a wedding on the outskirts of Conakry. Here we are playing for dancers.

More playing for dancers at the wedding. The tray on the ground is where they put tips after they have danced their solo.

We videotaped all of my lessons on the last day. Here is the set.

These kids were hanging out while we were videoing, going through the trash looking for anything useful.

The crew.

My lessons in the afternoon were generally held at the outdoor spot pictured above. However, in the morning we usually played at the Gbessia Youth Center, home to a couple of ballets, including Ballet Saamato, and numerous local groups practicing everything from acrobatics shows to breakdancing. Below are a few shots of the Gbessia Youth Center and the murals adorning its walls.

Sekou and friend hanging out.

Some drummers getting ready for ballet practice at the youth center.

Here is a picture of an old-school clothes iron that uses charcoal instead of being plugged in.

Around the Gbessia Youth Center.

Fara's Mom.

That's it for this trip to Guinea. Please check out my earlier posts for more on my time in the country. After my last week there was over, I continued on to Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Dakar - 17 Mar 08 to 20 Mar 08

I arrived in Dakar, Senegal at about 5:30 in the morning on the 17th of March. I waited for the sun to rise then set about the task of arranging an onward flight to Conakry, Guinea and another one from Conakry to Abidjan. After that, I went and looked up my friend Cheik Wagne, who I'd met on my last evening in Dakar before leaving for the States. He and his family welcomed me into their home and I spent the next 3 days hanging out with him in Dakar.

I only got a small taste of what Senegal is about, but this included a visit to the isle of Goree, which proved an invaluable learning experience regarding the history of slavery. It marked the beginning of several opportunities to see the remains of this gruesome trade and learn more about both its history and modern effects which are still with us today; more installments on this theme are to follow in my future blog posts on Ghana and Benin.

The first afternoon Cheik and I went walking around downtown. This tree was painted in the design of the Senegalese flag.

I asked to take this woman's picture along with her wares to show the juices she is selling in the little bags. These juices are found virtually everywhere all over West Africa. The red kind is made from a flower called Bissap. The brown ones are really strong ginger juice that I drank everytime I felt my immune system getting worn down; because of them I never got a cold. I forget what the bright red ones are.

Water in West Africa is also sold in little bags. You simply bite off the corner of the bag, suck out the contents and then throw the bag away (usually right on the ground wherever you are as most places don't have trash collection).

These cats scored big time.

I thought this building looked cool. It is a big bank, I think.

My friend Stacey from the United States has many close friends in Senegal. On my last night in Colorado she loaded me up with presents and I arrived with my bag stuffed full of earrings, dresses, knick-knacks and such. I spent most of the next day getting in touch with her friends there, hanging out and handing over the stuff. Below is a picture of the Blaise Senghor Cultural Center in Dakar, the one place I went that day.

On my last day in Dakar Cheik took me to see the Isle of Goree, a small island about a km off the coast of Dakar. Here we are walking down toward the harbor. The huge billboard shows the president of Senegal. I didn't understand Cheik's translation exactly, but it reads something like "count on the Old Man".

The ferry ride out to Goree. As it is a World Heritage site, the island is often visited and the ferry is brand new and really nice.

Arrival on Goree. The whole island is like a living museum, with all period buildings. In addition to studying history, there are many vendors selling paintings and crafts and the sounds of traditional drumming can be heard as people come here to study drumming and dance.

Vendors with their wares for sale.

A view over the island.

The old cannons on top of the fort. When the French left, they cut notches in the end of the cannon barrels so that they could no longer be fired.

The most important site on Goree. This place is the old "House of Slaves", where uncounted millions of souls were held captive for many months before being purchased and sent across the Atlantic to start new lives of toil in the fields of the United States, the Carribean and South America. Slaves from all over West Africa were transported here and sold into captivity. Goree is the northernmost of a series of former major slave-ports stretching down the coast of West Africa to Nigeria and beyond, down into Central Africa as far as Angola.

This tiny room was crammed far beyond capacity with people waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. They were not allowed to leave, even to bathe or go to the bathroom. Thus they were made to stay in their own filth. The slaves were often kept in these conditions for many months.

This tiny room underneath the stairwell is where the "bad" (i.e. rebellious) slaves were put as punishment. The tourguides said that when Nelson Mandela came to visit Goree, he went inside this cell and stayed for several minutes.

The "Door of No Return".

Looking out across the Atlantic through the Door of No Return.

Upstairs in the Maison des Esclaves is a museum with informational displays on the economic history of slavery, characterizations of the lives of slaves in the New World, and many artifacts of the time. Below are shackles used to restrain slaves and a rifle. Manufactured goods such as this rifle were used to purchase slaves and formed one part of the "Triangular Trade". This trade route saw goods coming from Europe to West Africa to purchase slaves, then the same boats would load the slaves and take them to the New World. After unloading their human cargos, the boats would then load the agricultural fruits of the slaves' labors from the New World and return with these riches back to Europe, and the Triangular Trade would continue.

Those of us living in Europe and America can reflect on the incredible wealth available to us in our societies and how much of it came from the ill-gotten gains of slavery.

A view from the entryway of the Maison des Esclaves.

A statue outside the Maison des Esclaves celebrating emancipation from slavery.

A view of the Dakar skyline in the distance across the water.

My friend Cheik Wagne checking out the work of a local sculptor.

The soccer field on Goree. Although it is a historical site, people live on the island and of course soccer is very popular. A game was in session when we passed.

Sunset over the island as we were leaving back to the mainland.

The next day I got up early, before dawn, to get a taxi to the airport. Many people were already out and about preparing for a huge celebration: it was the birthday of the Prophet Muhammed. I would have liked to have stayed to see how people in Senegal celebrate the occaison, but it was not to be. My next stop was Conakry, with a mission to finish my study of doundoun music that had started way back in December. Look for a short posting on my last stop in Guinea coming sometime in the near future.