by phil | Sep 15, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Stories
While waiting for a customs agent to come to an agreement with a man that had many jerry cans of palm oil on our minibus, we stood in the road and listened to Chéché Dramé on my girlfriend’s cellphone. Trucks and busses tore past, slaloming around potholes,...
by phil | Aug 30, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire
Outside of a trip to Bassam, I have been in Abidjan for most of August. The city — one of the more energetic and nocturnal places I’ve ever spent time in — has felt a bit deflated. Ramadan, cool August weather, a proliferation of police checkpoints...
by phil | Aug 15, 2012 | Biz, Cote D'Ivoire
6:30 AM – Starting the work day at the Toits Rouges Allocodrome We started this lunch delivery/catering business in January. We had no employees, just the three partners – me and my two former couchsurfing hosts, Faty and David – and Faty’s...
by phil | Jun 19, 2012 | Biz, Cote D'Ivoire
Restaurant and catering biz? If you want to get caught up, see these posts: 1. What it’s like to Start a Restaurant and Catering Business in Abidjan 2. Early Successes and Failures of Running a Business in Abidjan 3. Our Fight for Power and a Look at the Informal...
by phil | May 24, 2012 | Biz, Cote D'Ivoire
If you come to our restaurant in the Allocodrome of the Toits Rouges quarter in the Yopougon neighborhood of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, you can order this dish. Best wait a couple of weeks, though, as kedjenou is an evening dish and right now we are strictly a...
by phil | May 14, 2012 | Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Stories
In Bambara, Sama = Elephant I have spent approximately 110 hours of my life on the road between Bamako and Abidjan. I first took the trip in October of 2010. At that time, the northern half of Cote d’Ivoire was controlled by the Forces Nouvelles and it was the...
