Ca va? Ca va.
That's the standard greeting in French speaking West Africa. I appreciate its sincerity and simplicity. I appreciate the way the question is delivered with a hint of fatigue and replied to with a touch of relief.
Ca va. Today we went to Adjame market, a bustling, chaotic place where vendors and shoppers jam the boulevard, competing with trucks and carts for road space. Everything is sold in Adjame; housewares, fabric, jaguar teeth, colanders, lacy underpants and even the elusive tiger nut (like a mix between a peanut and a fig). We climbed up to open sided building and watched the colorful parade of humanity below.
After the market, we set off for Youpugon, another Abidjan neighborhood. Nico and Marco wanted to visit a football academy there, to do some interviews and take some photos for their project. Jen assisted in rounding up students and getting them ready for photos, and Nico got some great shots of kids.
We came home to Blokosso. Back at the apartment, we met a man crouching in the lobby, burning the hair off a fresh white rabbit. By the time we came down for dinner, he had begun roasting it over a small fire.
That night we ate at Alocodrome, a thrumming outdoor food market place. Ben, Reine (Marco and Jen's old sort-of-housemates)and their daughter Grace joined us for dinner. We sat across the street from the courtyard complex at a set of tables and chairs amidst a hundred other tables and chairs and kids selling kleenex and screwdriver sets. Several women approached our table and encouraged us to visit their personal stalls inside the Alocodrome. Eventually, we made our way into the complex to order.
The place was booming. The concrete food stalls, or blocks, all had grills manned by glossy lassies. There were dozens! They were grilling up all manner of things and shouting out their grilled offerings. We chose a fine fat fish and a few chickens over the roar of the Coupé Décalé music, an Ivorian style of dance hall.
Shortly thereafter, we retreated to our slightly less hectic seats and toasted to the sweet Abidjan night. Amazing!
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