Hello Dear Reader. Thank you for taking this journey back to Africa with me…dispersed in short installments. I have been detailing my experience from day to day but realized that, it may be easier to post smaller updates. You can expect a picture, a song, and a recap for all posts moving forward. This is the 3rd part of Day 4. Jay’s.
Jay’s has strong drinks and some of the best food that Abidjan has to offer. This is one of Alain’s spots so, when he offered to head here for a late drink and a bite to eat, we didn’t think twice. YES! #FMF. After settling on a time, Alain came to pick us up and off we went. The potent scent of bug spray and cologne followed me out of the Sofitel lobby and into the waiting car.
In the 20-ish minute ride to Jay’s, Alain gave us some additional information about Côte d’Ivoire. From the political unrest and bombings that occurred nearly two decades ago, to the Ex-President Gbagbo, who just returned home from a 10 year exile.
https://apnews.com/article/africa-ivory-coast-europe-65e31e6d5a7dffceb219d2c99eef6d0e
https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ivory-coast/
Alain was a wealth of information about Adidjan and Côte d’Ivoire. We talked about his upbringing and the path that led him to the US, a story I had never heard.
Upon arriving at Jay’s, located in downtown Abidjan, we choose one of the outdoor seating areas and ordered our drinks. The owner (Jay) is a friend of Alains so, he stopped over to talk to us briefly, gave us complimentary drinks and made us feel very very welcome. One of the things that I noticed, is upon hearing we are African-Americans, “Welcome Home” was a saying many of our African brothers and sisters greeted us with. I still smile at the thought, “Home”.
My food was (you guessed it) Seafood. 😍🤤 There is something about the mix/usage of spices there…hard to explain but, the word Amazing will be used alot in my posts. Since I ate earlier the drink and appetizer shrimp…or “Lambas” was all I had. Alain had the Steak and Tawanna the burger. Ever have food so good that no one talks and all you hear are the sounds of food being devoured? Yup…our food was 10/10. Another #FMFRecommendation.
We sat, ate, reminisced and discussed Africa and her future. One of the more interesting aspects of the conversation centered around the currency (CFA) used in all of the African countries which were colonized by the French. This deserves its own post and I will do so soon.
Travel Tip: Speaking of money, we tipped 15-20%everywhere we went. Apparently, from some of the conversations that I’ve had, Africans love Black Americans because we tip, and tip well. This is one stereotype that I not only subscribe to, but encourage. #ItIsWhatItIs.
https://www.tipping-in.com/tipping-in-abidjan/https://www.tipping-in.com/tipping-in-abidjan/
After dinner, we thanked Jay for the amazing hospitality, and Alain took us home via the scenic route. We drove by his childhood home and school. Slowly passed the French Embassy where, if you looked close, even at night, the black soot marks and tell tale signs of conflict was present. This may sound a bit melodramatic but, I was a little chocked up in the front seat as Alain told us of the history, conflict and struggle of a people STILL fighting for freedom. There was also a sense of pride in knowing that no matter the struggle, we FIGHT. We were never docile or passive in our captivity and the method/means to control and subjugate are just as dastardly now as they every were….albeit in a different fashion. Trust me dear reader, I have ALOT to say. If you are patient with me, you will learn a thing or two about a thing or three.
Until the next post… “Izza Birthday!” be safe and well. ~Raomel
Raomel's Observations - Rabservations 