Abidjan, Ivory Coast

With a high of 86 F and expected thunderstorms, plus additional warnings regarding theft and personal safety, I wasn't at all interested in even getting off the ship today. There were only 2 ship excursions offered and neither sounded very interesting. One was 7.5 hours and we had no way of knowing if the buses would even be air conditioned. But after thinking about the extra sea days ahead, we decided we should at least take the complimentary shuttle to a local craft market. 

 

pulling into port early this morning

Once again, local officials required that all passengers go through another face to face passport inspection before we were allowed to disembark the ship. A number of armed guards were stationed within easy view of where the ship was docked. 

We joined other passengers who were probably getting off for the same reason we were. We boarded the van and headed toward the market, escorted by a policeman on motorcycle with his lights blinking and siren blaring. I understand why the security was needed, but why the noise that only called attention to our presence? I'll post a few not-so-good moving bus window photos I snapped on the 15 minute ride from ship to market.

 

police escorting us through stop light

early Sunday morning in Abidjan

window shot

 

The driver drove unusually fast, never slowed or stopped and ran right through the lights. It wasn't until we returned to the ship that we realized it was probably done so that we wouldn't have to stop, making our van an easy target for crime. If you read about Abidjan, it sounds as if it has much to offer. It's a shame that crime makes it difficult for visitors to feel safe to explore the city.

The market was outdoors with individual vendors or artists manning their booths. The crafts were about what one would expect -  wood carvings, masks, jewelry, art. The highlight for us was a little boy playing soccer while I feel certain his mom was working nearby. He and Ronnie exchanged fist pumps, but he was a moving target as far as getting the perfect photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

We probably spent less than 30 minutes there before we were ready to head back to the ship. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for the shuttle bus. By the way, if our original itinerary hadn't been changed, we would be in Sardinia, Italy today. Just sayin'....