Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Africa

Abidjan is the largest city in and the economic capital of the Ivory Coast with a population of over 6 million, almost a quarter of the population of the Ivory Coast. For this port Oceania offered a choice of two excursions. Both explored Abidjan and highlights therein but one lasting eight hours also toured Grand Bassam including their craft center and a costume museum, the second went to Bingerville and visited an orphanage and botanical gardens lasting only seven hours. I choice the later as did some 280 of my shipmates. We all reported to the Insignia Lounge for our tour bus assignment, passed through security, found and boarded our assigned bus. The buses were all almost brand new with functional A/C's and microphones, comfy if small seats - two on one side of the aisle with three on the other. Obviously not designed with wide-bodied American cruise ship passengers in mind, but much, much better than the buses in some of the other ports.

After our guide, Steve, had determined that all his charges for the day were on board, he instructed our driver to proceed. Thus bus #8 left the pier, drove a few blocks into an extremely congested area, moved somewhat out of traffic and stopped behind bus #7. Most of the people on this cruise ship did not get here by just sitting back and accepting Doris Day's philosophy, "Whatever will be, will be". They are accustomed to saying jump and people jump - immediately! Just prior to a mutiny, Steve explained that we were awaiting the other buses to form a caravan. In actuality it was a motorcade. No less than eight motorcycle police officers whisked us through traffic like we were foreign dignitaries. Or at least they tried. You don't just speed through a city of over 6 million inhabitants and the economic capital of a country with ease. As the day progressed, my guilt level increased exponentially. Traffic, which was worse than I35 thru Waco on OU weekend, was halted so we would not be inconvenienced. These people were trying to make a living, yet they patiently waited, hopping curbs to clear a path for us. I later learned that Abidjan will have only three cruise ships dock here during March, so are pulling out all the stops to encourage more ships to do so. Good for them. There is a motive for their sacrifices.

Anyone see an outbound lane from the traffic circle?

Our first stop was the Cathedral of St Paul. Steve was very proud to tell us that a famous architect from Italy designed the cathedral to not only honor Christian beliefs but to also incorporate the traditional respect for elephants and monkeys. Both monkeys and elephants were important to the indigenous African population. Christianity coming later with the French. After time for photos of the beautiful stained glass inside, Steve then took us outside so that we might observe the elephant influence in the design. Sorry, a bit too abstract for me. Unusual, yes. Elephant? If Steve says so. Were it not so large, I could have captured it in its entirety for you to judge.

Obviously abstract art is not my thing. I see more giraffe than elephant.

The Kings Carriage, four man powered.

From the cathedral, we proceeded to their Museum of Civilization where we were greeted by these elephant tusks atop the green stands. Perhaps a side view would have captured them better. Hind sight! The basket with the umbrella and checkered blanket was for the transport of the king. The basket was about 18 inches wide and maybe five feet long. Our ride certainly surpassed that of their kings! Various masks of one thing or another were scattered throughout the museum as was this statute of fertility. Nine months following a ceremony utilizing this statute, the woman would give birth and was obliged to name the child for this statute. Not my cup of tea, but still better than bathing with the crocodiles as we learned yesterday was a local traditional cure for infertility. Infer what you will here. Just saying what we were told at the crocodile pool.

The fertility statue hopefully of bygone days.

Our motorcade then proceeded through upscale residential areas and on to Bingerville and lunch at Chez Francois. Remember we were a crowd of almost if not 300 people including the guides, staff and police escorts. No worries. Arriving at the restaurant we were directed to a beautiful lawn with white tents, under which tables and chairs covered in white linen and floral arrangements much like a wedding reception awaited us. Our lunch was a lovely buffet of every vegetable imaginable, rice, chicken and fish. For dessert, fruit. Lots and lots of fruit. For drink there was water of course, but also a choice of a canned soda or tonic water. New experiences being the purpose of this trip, I chose the soda. Not speaking French, still don't know what it was other than very good. Two pretty little donkeys grazed at the back of the lawn as we were grazing on the buffet. After a leisurely albeit late lunch it was back on the buses to the botanical garden a short distance away. The gardens were the brainchild of the governor back in his day. He was big on trees. Lots of bamboo and acres and acres of trees of the same species. Steve pointed us in the direction of another guide and said stay with him. "Him" took off at a reasonable speed for a thirty year old who frequented a gym at least five days a week, but not so much for us. After a good 45 minutes of walking well behind "Him" some of us began to wonder whether it would be shorter to continue in the direction of "Him" or backtrack to the bus. Not knowing whether the buses would still be there or moved, whether we were walking in a circle and would soon come upon the buses if we continued following "Him", or to just take a seat on the expansive though unmown lawn until the nearby ambulance took pity on us, most continued in his general direction until we reached a specific tree. This particular tree and many others of its kind acted as a perfect hiding spot for many a would not be slave. The roots of this type tree are huge and often form openings or cavelike crevices around the trunk large enough to hide several people. It seems said tree was the centerpiece of the gardens and "Him's" tour so we then retraced our steps another almost hour back to the bus. To my knowledge, none utilized the ambulance.

People literally disappeared in the roots of these trees. This one had an opening on the other side from which they eventually reappeared.

Then off to the orphanage housed in the former Governor's Mansion. Beautiful if ill kept old French Colonial structure with well manicured spacious lawns all around and numerous other buildings, all housing 219 orphans ranging in age from babies to late teens. After their war of independence, I think in the forties or maybe early fifties, the newly formed government realized that hundreds of orphans were created in that war, therefore they converted the ousted ruler's home into a home for the orphans. It has continued in operation ever since. Steve had told us prior to arrival that money was tight and contributions to the care and feeding of these young people would be appreciated. Sadly, once there, I saw no opportunity nor way to do so. No clever little dances with umbrellas later to be turned upside down and passed around the audience. No offering tray or box. Nothing.

After school activity.

While still in Bingerville, I think, we stopped for a very brief tour of the Charles Combs museum which housed some very interesting African art. Still trying to catch my breath from the long trek through the garden in 90 degree heat and at least 90% humidity, I elected to remain on the bus with the A/C blowing full blast. After seeing some of the pictures of the art within, I regretted that decision. By this time it was after 5:00 pm, traffic was heavier than ever, we were still quite a distance from the ship, had one more appointed stop to make at a craft market and The Insignia had set an All Aboard time of 6:30. Not gonna happen! Sirens blaring, traffic parting like the Red Sea, we proceeded to Cava market only to be summoned back to ship. Back to ship it was. All fourteen tour buses arrived at the gangplank at virtually the same time. Oops, careful what you wish for Captain. Check in took quite some time. After a shower & shampoo, I had a quick dinner of grilled lobster, fettucine Alfredo, and creme brulee. Remember, I had played vegetarian at lunch. Then off to bed to live to explore another day.

Observations of Abidjan and Bingerville: For me it was undeterminable where one stopped and the other started. My best guess was that the massive, modern bridge, complete with toll booths, over a river was the dividing line. The streets and bridges were very well maintained, most having at least eight traffic lanes although few seemed to have definitive dividers between on going and on coming traffic. Were it not for our police escorts, I would have been a bit disconcerted. Ivory Coast is a French speaking country, with predominantly Muselim, tall, thin, extremely polite, welcoming and very attractive inhabitants. Throughout the day I noticed numerous construction cranes atop structures in the downtown areas as well as many, many multifamily units under construction. Along these very busy thoroughfares in the rights-of-way were long stretches of well kept potted plants of all kinds, some flowering, some small trees, shrubs, etc. If they were for sale, I saw no vendor. If not for sale, who maintains them? Pretty, but puzzling. Of course there were also the requisite vendors of everything anyone might possibly need or want from raw filleted fish to upholstered sofas and everything in between. The furniture also presented a conundrum for me. What happens at nightfall? Are they stored somewhere? If so, where???? If not, will they still be there in the am???? Answers to these, I know not.

Both cities were teeming with humanity. People and vehicles filling the streets, sidewalks, medians, any and every tiny little space otherwise not taken. School children dressed in neat clean uniforms and carrying books crowded the streets and sidewalks in all directions at all times of the afternoon. The guys wearing khaki shirts and pants; the girls white blouses and lower calf length navy skirts. Liter was comparatively little. Graffiti, relatively uncommon.

Presumably the leaders responsible for the building of the very essential bridge connecting the two cities.

I really am in Africa, enjoying this absolutely fantastic trip of a lifetime! This is not a dream!

This Is Someday! Embrace It!