Mel's Air Adventure: March 2007

Tuesday, 20 March 2007

Red cars drive faster

There is only one word to describe driving in
this part of the world.... CRAZY!

Bumper cars is a national sport that even our crew kombi seems to participate in.

The taxicabs (which don't look road worthy) in Abidjan are colour coded. Outside the city you will find yellow taxis. In certain areas you will see green ones and in the city only the red taxis are allowed to drive (which naturally makes them more expensive) . Therefore the myth that red cars drive faster has been busted!

The pollution index.... Abidjan's air is unhealthy primarily due all the taxicabs and buses using very low-grade fuel. Also there are little stands along the road where people burn charcoal and the general method of dealing with the piles of rubbish is fire. There is a lot of environmentally irresponsible behaviour here... sadly the West African pollution doesn't even make a spectacular sunset!

Feasting on Fish

Les and Sean outside the fish 'shop'........
I don't know if i would have had the courage to buy fish from the side of the road but fortunately Sean used to own a restaurant in Cape Town so he knows a fresh fish when he sees one.

After getting a fish show.... we bought a Dorade for 4000CFA (about R56)
Isn't he a pretty fish? I'm sure he will taste delicious.

BEFORE

IN BETWEEN

Our chef: Ernest
AFTER

Bon appetit!
The yellow foodstuff on my plate is plantain... its a cooked banana which almost tastes like sweet potato in a funny way. I can't explain it so you will have to come and have some!

Saturday, 17 March 2007

Marche artisanal... local is lekker

Thursday, 15 March 2007

Let me introduce you to the gang

Sean, Natalie, Mladen, Shane, Les, Mannie, Jaco and me around the dinner table.

Absent : Oliver, Yan, Eugene, Stan and Mohammed

Bassam, Ivory Coast

Now why would I want to buy that revolting snake skin?

Meet the Crew...

Me !

Our Captain Sean O'Conner

Sean and Gerhard de Klerk

Sibu, the dude

Andrew Dunbar

Andrew, Frans and Quintin baking on the apron

My Abidjan home

Welcome to the crew house.... Our lovely kitchen... My room with great aircon.

My room is the one left of the window covered by the palm tree ---^
View from my room.
The street the crew house is in.

14th March 2007

Today's mission.... finding goggles. Sean and I went into the big city in search of goggles. We have been a so isolated on our 'Island' that i didn't realise that there is a full on city across the bridge! According to our driver between 4 and 5 million people live in the city. Abidjan city center is so grim that it makes Hillbrow look like heaven. The traffic is bumper to bumper, its really crazy. (Imagine Eastrand mall R21 intersection on a Saturday and times that by 100). If you drive around long enough you will see a bumper bashing. We saw two today.
The driver took us to some kind of hardware store (a 3rd world GAME is the best way to describe it). We walked through the lamp section... I wish Mark could have seen them. They must be an interior decorators worst nightmare. I can officially say... they are the most hideous lamps I've ever seen. Some of them are so bright I'm sure they can glow in the dark. Guess that's one way of saving electricity.

The goggles they had there were kiddies ones so off we went to the next place... which was a fishing store which obviously wouldnt' have. I guess the only hope is the sports shop but they are sold out and will only get more next week. The gym also sells goggles but at R500 that's not an option.
So mission unaccomplished. Sorry Sean you'll have to swim with your eyes closed!
The driver dropped us at the supermarket. I got some chicken for dinner ( i checked the sell by date... its within limits). Sean and i then walked to the veggie market on the side of the road not too far from where we stay. On the way we walked past a bakery. We bought ourselves a french loaf which was freshly baked. Yum.
The people along the road love greeting me. Sean says i must be a super hero. He says he's noticed how the women stare. We concluded it must be my hair. Its so hot that its all sweaty and stuck to my scalp. It must look terrible. But the local women have a thing for hair. I think West Africa is the 'Fake hair capital of the world'. Nowhere on the planet will you see such an abundance of wigs and fake hair.
On route from the super market to the veggie market ... I'm sure the chicken we bought was starting to cook. You also don't want to breath too deeply as some of the smells can knock you unconscious. We bought some veggies with which we'll make a stirfry tonight.

I enjoyed our little outing but its good to be back in the clean, airconditioned crew house!

I don't know when we will fly again... please pray that one of the other planes needs some maintenance so that we get a chance to fly again.

Keep well,
Love
Mel.

Mel's Air Adventure

Tuesday, 20 March 2007

Red cars drive faster

Fruity People

Feasting on Fish

Saturday, 17 March 2007

Braai on 16 March