by phil | Mar 1, 2011 | Cote D'Ivoire, W. Africa
Libya deserves all the attention it’s getting. Gadhafi is a criminal and there are horrific things happening in that country right now. But news networks can afford a few words and pictures on Cote d’Ivoire. For background on the Ivorian crisis, read this...
by phil | Dec 31, 2010 | Cote D'Ivoire, W. Africa
Let’s be clear about something: there could be a civil war in Cote d’Ivoire in the very near future. If it happens, it’s because the guy who lost the election, Laurent Gbagbo, refuses to step down. He has been in power for over ten years. Twice his...
by phil | Oct 5, 2010 | Camels, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Stories, Tips, W. Africa
What’s cooking in the oven of Bamako? Humans, donkeys, and dust. The uniform color and the 10 million motos remind me of Ouaga, but Ouaga’s got nothing on the Niger River, or Bambara, a language so smooth you’ll feel like you’re on ice skates....
by phil | Oct 3, 2010 | Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Stories, Tips, W. Africa
This is me making doughnut batter in Ghana. I am wearing my favorite shirt. It is lightweight, comfortable, mildly flattering, quick-drying, and somewhat immune to odor. Three years ago, before boarding an overnight bus to Arequipa, I was robbed in the Cusco bus...
by phil | Sep 29, 2010 | Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Stories, W. Africa
1,200 km separate Abidjan and Bamako. Given the nonsense that goes on with overland travel in Africa, this journey was practically interstellar. In the station, veiled Mauritanian women, bearded men reading the Koran, children adorned with beads in their hair. Most...
by phil | Sep 23, 2010 | Cote D'Ivoire, Stories, W. Africa
Sun-scorched, 80-90% humidity, if you are sensitive to heat you might find West Africa to be a giant torture chamber. The rainy season provides a few months of relief, and right now it lives on in Abidjan. Moderate humidity, cloud cover more often than not,...
