Week 11, Ivory Coast and the Netherlands

February 09, 2024

January, 3rd:

Rose at 7, packed, breakfasted and on our way to the capital, Yamoussoukro.

A 300 km drive, but on good roads. Lunch at 12.30 with Andy at a nice boulangerie, and arrived here round 16.30, a hostel (with crappy beds, but ok).

For a short while we had wifi. Enough to send a message on FB, that i was well.

Andy and I went for a restaurant nearby (a 1.5 km walk), where we had .... pizza!! That was a long time ago. And a nice pizza it was too!

On the ay back we found a petrol station, that sold wine .... we bought a wrong one ... way too sweet ... only had a small glass.

Reasonable night of sleep (shared a room with Freddie), thanks to a fan.

January, 4th:

Rose at 7.30. Strange breakfast: grapefruit, bread and omelet ... oh well...

In this town a replica of the St. paul has been build by the first president (Felix Houphouet'Boigny). To celebrate that there has not been war for 20 years ....

It is huge!!

We took a look obviously. The tour took more than 2.5 hours ...

An unexpected visitor, when we had a soft-drink after the tour

Round 1.30 we were back, slept a little and now killing the time by updating my blog text.

Wifi is down, but i get used to that.

I think we will go for the same restaurant again... in an hour or so...

And so we did. First a beer at the neighbours, and enjoying the sunset ...

... then it was pizza again. We met Rashjree, Tom and Kim there too.

Back at the hostel at 9.00. Rashjree had bought a bottle of wine (at the local petrol station) that we finished among the three of us ...

Slept good despite a horrible matras....

January, 5th:

Rose early and on our way to Abidjan, my final destination of this trip.

At first the roads were good, and we did 90% of the distance in 3 hours or so..., but then ... through the traffic-jam of Abidjan... took 4 hours

But ... there also was a very cool break in a air-coned mall, at the Burger king (Whoppers!!)).

Arrived at the camp-site at 4.30 or so... luxury: bar, pool, beach, so... two nice last days for me ...

Shared a Guiness with Andy, put up our tents, dip in the sea and the pool, diner, some more beer, and a last bottle of wine (just 0.5 l) in the breeze of the Atlantic.

The night was hot and humid (literally!) ... hardly slept.

January, 6th:

Slow day: sea, pool, showers, beers ... total relax mode. My last full day... and beautiful sunsets, captured by Dave:

The local ladies wanted a picture with me a Alaska Dave in it

January, 7th:

Same day as yesterday, but after diner i played a little goodbye concert ...

... took a cab to the airport and .... the waiting began ... 4 hours before check in, 4 hours before boarding and then 4 hours flight to Casablanca ...

January, 8th:

Arrived in Casablanca airport in time, so... all went smooth ... not!!

Casablanca airport is the most unorganized airport in the world. We were all lead to the connecting flights hall and then ... nobody knew what to do, so... we just waited for more than an hour...

I finally went to this guys and said: i am about to miss my connecting flight, so... what to do?

All of a sudden i could crawl under the fence and rushed through customs and safety, to just in time board my plane to Amsterdam ... and then ... we waited for an other hour. There was a test to be done on the plane ... (i cursed ... sorry) ...

At 5 we arrived at Schiphol...

Of course the brainless people of Casablanca airport had not send my luggage, so... filled out another form (after waiting for an hour at the luggage belt), and now ... on the train to Meppel.

On the road for 24 hours now ... slept a little on the planes, but ok.

Curious how it will feel to get home ...

At 9 pm I arrived in the freezing cold of Meppel (-5) without my winter coat, so ran home, took a shower, opened a bottle and watched television ...

All the luxury of my home....