Any attempt to encapsulate a city into a quick post/pic would be disrespectful. It’s like posting a picture of the Liberty Bell with a post named “Philly” and the description as “Bell with Crack, Cool!” Nah, this season has been one of change, and writing, for me, is very therapeutic. What It means for you, dear reader is a lengthy post with some pics/stories/insights into our recent two-week trip to Africa. There were two legs to the trip: Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. This is (Part 1) of our arrival in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). Enjoy.
Africa. Home.
Years ago, I told my wife that it was on my bucket list of places I HAD to visit. And after each successful trip (Italy, France, Thailand, Canada), when the “where do you want to go next?” question was raised, there was always one answer.
Africa. Home. The cradle of civilization. The womb from which millions of my ancestors were ripped. An unknown number were murdered before landing on the shores of their final destination. Those who did “make” it were exposed to murder, rape, torture, slavery, and trauma. “The economy of violence established by the Atlantic slave-trade spared no space in the African Hinterland”
As a Black American, it wasn’t until I did my research on the continent that I discovered how rich, proud, and beautiful she was/is. From the Egyptians birthing the foundational pillars of current day Religion, Mathematics, and Medicine, to the countless natural wonders of the world and resources found here, Africa is beautiful. And her blood, the people, even more so. Had I left it to the textbooks and tv, I would have stayed in the “Africans live in huts, are dumb, and all have distended bellies” narrative that was pushed. Colonizers are a fucking trip, aren’t they? And to think RIGHT NOW, Africa is STILL being raped…the shackles nowadays have gauze where they touch her skin…make no mistake, she is still chained.
I digress…the trip…right?
My wife is a brilliant woman. Of her many accomplishments/skills, one of her greatest strengths is that she is a planner. She planned our wedding, and for any of you who attended, you already know how she does things. Go hard or go home. Yes, this wasn’t HER wedding but, it was KISHA’s wedding…one of her aces. I don’t know if she was asked to be or not but, Tawanna was going to be a part of the coordination efforts. Periodt. So, I knew that she would be busy, stay out of her way as she worked and be of whatever assistance you can be to ensure that the weddingS were as flawless as they could be. Did I mention that I was also asked to DJ the 2nd (American) half of the reception? Yea, this was going to be fun…but 1st, we had to plan.
In addition to the usual shots and medications (Yellow Fever, Malaria, and Anti-Diarrhea meds), we also had to bring bug spray, bug lotion. I also sprayed every article of outerwear that she would have on with a solution designed to keep the mosquitos away. Mosquitos in Africa can carry a plethora of diseases so, better to be safe than sorry. I promise, 10lbs of our luggage was dedicated to bug spray of some kind…lol.
The morning of, we drove to New York, parked in an extended stay parking lot, and were dropped off at the airport well before our flight departure time. There were two flights actually, NY to Paris and then Paris to Abidjan. Total time in the air was close to 14 or 15 hours. Both flights were pretty uneventful. I made the mistake of carrying on more than two sandwich bags worth of toiletries in my carry-on so, I lost some lotion, bug spray, and a few other things that I was going to use. Pissed? Yes but, the assumption that everyone uses the US as the standard for all flight travel was a wrong move on my part. Live and learn. Again, both flights were uneventful…the food was surprisingly tasty, and there was only one baby that cried most of the flight to Abidjan. Thank god for in-flight movies, headphones, and my laptop.
We landed in Abidjan and headed to the luggage claim. A couple of travelers from the wedding party that we bumped into and chatted with while we waited for our luggage. Did I mention that there were close to 50 people who traveled to Africa for this wedding? If there was ever a testament to Kisha’s impact on family/friends over the years, 50 people coming to Africa to witness her wedding says it all. As one of my wife’s best friends of 30 years, I have had the pleasure of knowing my sister for close to a decade now. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Our luggage took 20-30 minutes to appear. As we waited, I took stock… except for a couple of French passengers on the plane, EVERYONE was black. I started to look at all of the advertisements; everyone was black. I posted on a FB post about how that impacts you psychologically. Despite the language barrier, I was immediately at ease. Well, as at ease as one can be. Trust is hard to come by, and “Rich Americans” can be a quick come-up for someone in a desperate position.
Once our luggage arrived, we proceeded through customs, complete with long lines, rude passengers and virtual fingerprints. After presenting our negative covid tests and passports, we made our way through the airport to the Taxi Area, where Kisha and Guy were waiting for us. It was a warm/muggy evening. The air was thick, muggy and it smelled like Diesel exhaust. That was a common smell which existed almost everywhere but the remote areas. I’m CERTAIN that 75% of the cars on the road wouldn’t pass an emissions inspection. The taxi area was bustling…there were many many people talking some in French, some in a native dialect…all talking fast and moving with urgency. Then came the rain…it was as if the sky was tired of holding all the humidity and flipped the bucket…because it was raining sheets of water, not just drops. In addition to that, Guy, who came over to help with the bags amidst rushed introductions due to the rain, indicated that the cars were across the street…appx 20 yards away. Fun. We are gonna be soaked. But my initial vibe from him was, “this is a good dude”. I trust my instincts. I also trusted that we couldn’t get to the Sofitel soon enough. I was drenched. Plot Twist – We weren’t going to the Sofitel.
As my wife explained, we were the advance team and would be staying in an AirBNB with Guy/Kisha as well as Kisha’s Father and his wife (The couple we spoke to in baggage claim). 1. I need to pay better attention to the plans when wifey makes them and 2. I did mention she was a planner right? No worries…to AirBNB we go.
It’s said that rain means a special person has arrived so, I’m wondering if it was Tawanna or me. My ego says, “both.” 😉
The 25-30 minute drive to our AirBNB was uneventful. It was the evening (9 pm GMT / 5 pm EST) so, there was no sun, and the moon was in a losing battle trying to get its shine through the heavy downpour. I saw a Pharmacy “Philadelphia” ( How ironic), of which I managed to get a pic of the following evening. Besides that, and the seemingly reckless abandon in which our driver was moving in the rain, I remember thinking, “I’m in AFRICA!” with a child-like sense of awe. The vision of getting off the plane, grabbing some dirt, and being overwhelmed with emotion didn’t materialize. Neither did a group of beautiful Zamunda half-naked women come to greet me like in my dreams either. Thx Eddie Murphy. We didn’t land in some rat trap 1960’s twin-propeller plane on the Savannah with elephants, lions, and antelopes running roughshod around the dusty aircraft either. The stereotypes fed to me as a child about Africa and were all dispelled during this trip. Every. Single. One. This city could have been any major city in America…God, we have been fed so many lies about this place! Well, there WERE cows in a truck so, that’s different.
https://www.aperianglobal.com/debunking-common-myths-stereotypes-africa/
Philly Pharmacie 
Cinderblock Construction 
Everything Black 
Emoji 
Cows?
We arrived at the AirBNB we would stay in for the next couple of days. Appx 20-25 mins away from the Sofitel we would eventually transfer to; the place was cute: 3 floors, three bedrooms, decorated with some fantastic art. Even better, we walked in, and someone was cooking. Yup. This trip is starting, juuuuust right! 🤤 #FMF Fried fish, fresh fruit, water, and a myriad of delectable delights were prepared by Guy and his sister, who left shortly after we arrived to pick up her children. Convo, clean up, unpack, shower and sleep. It was a long flight with a layover to get here. Now all I wanted to do was sleep.
As I would learn, there were three weddings. Yes, three. Close your mouth. One at the African Equivalent of the Justice of the Peace. Another traditional African Ceremony and a Traditional American Ceremony. As part of the “Advance Team” we were asked to go to some of the places that the rest of the wedding contingent would visit once they arrived in 48-36 hours. That meant going to some restaurants, museums, etc. Don’t threaten me with a good time!
Part 2 – “Sights, Sounds, Smells and Fat Man Fred” – coming soon…
Raomel's Observations - Rabservations 