Although Yamoussoukro is not very high up on most peoples' list of places to visit in their lifetime, it is a truly unique city with two faces and a huge amount to be enjoyed by the tourist. The reason that it is so unique is because Felix Houphouet Boignee, the first president of Ivory Coast after it gained its independence from France in 1960, was born and bred there. It is only the third largest city in the country, but president Houphouet ensured him immortality by leaving behind some truly amazing wqorks of architectural genius, and by making Yamoussoukro the official capital city of Ivory Coast. As a result, Ivory Coast is both a model of typical rural African life and a city that contains buildings that rival anything found in the largest cities in Europe.
I grew up in Ivory Coast, and spent most of my time there at school in Yamoussoukro. When I left in 1998, the town, along with the country as a whole, was the same as it had always been- a peaceful, uneventful place. At the time it was held up as a model of what could be achieved politically and economically in Africa, and with the possible exception of South Africa, was the most prosperous country on the continent.
In recent years, however, the climate has changed. A series of coups eventually led to the country sliding into all out war, with rebels taking over the north half of the country, and the government retaing control of the southern region. At the minute, French troops dividing the two sides are forcing a stalemate, which leaves Ivory Coast in at least some sort of normality. It is now much safer than it was several months ago, and western people that I knew when I lived there are still in the city. However, you would still be hard pressed to find a travel agent that would recommend a holiday there, as the situation could potentially become volatile again at any time. This is a absolute shame, because it has a huge amount to offer.
Places to see
Unlike what you would find several hours north of Yamoussoukro, the houses in the city are fairly modern, and they all have the basics like running water and a somewhat reliable supply of electricity. What is really impressive, though, is the array of architectural delights that president Houphouet left behind as he tried to make Yamoussoukro the most important city in the country.
"La Basilique Notre Dame de la Paix" is by far the most impressive of these. It is the second largest church in the world, relegated to second only by the Vatican. It is THE defining monument in Yamoussoukro, and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. What you can see of it from a distance is simply a massive white dome, but up close it is absolutely fantastic. It is hard to do it justice in writing, as it is something that must be seen to be believed. The story behind it is apparantly that when Houphouet was a child, he was saved from drowning by a catholic missionary. In order to show his devotion to the Catholic faith he constructed a church as big as possible. Rumour has it that the plan was actually to make it bigger than the Vatican, but the papal heirarchy dissaproved so it had to be second best.
"Hotel Le President" is another one of Yamoussoukro's defining landmarks. In the 1970's, with a new found independence from the west, president Houphouet's plan was to keep close ties with France in order to boost the country's income from tourism. Le President was one of the tools that he used to do this. With a distictive 1970's design, it is a luxurious 13 story hotel that combines 4 star luxury with traditional design. The hotel has a wide range of services that you can enjoy wether you are staying there or not- a fantastic swimming pool, a restaurant on the 13th floor with a panoramic view of the city, an all you can eat breakfast on Sunday morning with a live jazz band, an airconditioned cinema, and the only western style nightclub in the city. This hotel is the centre of entertainment for tourists in the city.
In the same area as the Hotel, there are also the government buildings, which enjoyed better times when the PDCI, Houphouet's political party, was the main party in the country. They are still worth visiting though, as the buildings and the grounds surrounding them, are quite scenic. The golf club is also in the same area, and it has its own hotel. I'm not actually a golfing person, but apparantly the course is world class, and the likes of Jimmy Carter have enjoyed a round there. The pool at the golf club is smaller than the one at Hotel President, but nice because it overlooks the golf course.
In the centre of the town is the presidential palace. Unlike the rest of the buildings, you cannot actually go inside, so you can't actually tell what they are like. A massive wall around them prevents you from seeing much inside. Just in front of the palace, the presidents' lakes are an impressive sight, though- particularly because they are full of crocodiles. There is a fence that surrounds them, so no one is actually in any immediate danger, but rumour has it that several more careless tourists have lost arms and legs here. You can actually go there and watch them be fed every day at 5.00 pm, when they throw a live chicken into the lake.
Apart from the major tourist attractions, there is also a lot of more typical African activity that would be an absolute shame to miss if you were to visit Yamoussoukro. The market is an absolute must-see. If you were to visit the market area in Yamoussoukro, you would never see shopping in the same way again. It consists of stalls rather than actual shops, and this is where the locals buy everything. You can get anything from clothes to food to household products. A word of warning, though- if you seem even slightly interested in anything that is on sale, you will be expected to argue over the price until you eventually buy it. The smell in the market is highly offensive as well- there are puddles of green stuff everywhere, and its anyone's guess as to what is actually in them.
Another thing that is a must in Yamoussoukro is to play football with the locals. If you happen to come across a football match, they will be more than happy to let you have a go. The Ivorians are more into their football than anything that I have seen here- It is an experience in itself watching a football match with a crowd of locals. They don't actually watch it in pubs, it is more like a family event than anything. When their beloved national football team, les elephants, are playing, everything comes to a standstill. They gather into groups of 20 - 30 in front of televisions outdoors, and when the elephants actually score, there is a roar that echoes over the entire city. The last time that the Elephants won the African cup of nations, a national holiday of 3 days was announced.
Things to avoid
Like any city, Yamoussoukro has plenty of things that are best left alone, not least of these the lettuce. Apparantly the majority of lettuce there is grown in close proximity to raw sewage, and eating it can leave you with ameoba or worse.
There are also some creepy crawlies that you need to watch out for. Leave food out for more than 5 minutes, and you will attract a variety of ants. Watch out when you're leaning against a tree, some of them are covered in red ants, and they can be nasty sometimes. Not all of the bugs will sting you, but as a general rule, if it moves, don't touch it.
I remember being told about witchdoctors in he marketplace who can make parts of your anatomy dissappear simply by looking at you. I've never seen anything that proves or even supports this claim, but my advice would be to try not to piss anyone off. Scoff if you like, but if you go there, annoy someone, and your johnson falls off, don't say I didn't warn you.
The food
There is a huge variety of restaurants in Yamoussoukro, most of them at very affordable prices. If you go to the gare d'Abidjan at night, there is what we fondly referred to as street meat. This is where many of the locals eat out, and basically you go up to something that could be described very loosely as a BBQ, pick your chunk of beef, and they will cook it for you. You can get traditional meat, or if you are feeling more adventurous, you can opt for tongue or heart. This is strictly for people with very strong stomachs. The powder they put on the meat, cancancan, is reputedly an aphrodisiac. Another word of warning- if you do opt for this food, DO NOT get piment on it- these peppers are hotter than anything that you have ever eaten before. Take vindaloo and multiply it by about 5 and you have an idea of what its like. As well as meat, there is a plethora of other local dishes on offer, including aloco (fried bananas- sounds disgusting but is actually gorgeous), atieke, and enyam.
If you don't fancy a bit of cultural variety, there are plenty of middle of the road restaurants that you can try that do mostly western food. The best of these are the Bonheure 2 and La Brise. The food in these restaurants typically ranges from Ł2 to Ł6 for a meal. Many of these restaurants are outdoors, and it is advisable to bring mosquito repellent so that you don't end up with malaria, especially during the rainy season.
There is also the more elite restaurant at the top of the Hotel President, which I have already mentioned. The food there is what you would expect in a fancy restaurant here, and you would pay anything from Ł7 - Ł20.
Transportation
The main form of transportation in Yamoussoukro, if you are keen to do it the cultural way, is by taxi. Many of the cars that are used as taxis seem pre-war, and you can actually see the ground whizzing past below you in some of them. The prices are extremely cheap- you could expect to pay about Ł1 to go from one side of the city to the other.
Language
The main language that is used in Ivory Coast is French, although you will hear dozens of tribal languages being used in Yamoussoukro alone. This is probably the main thing that keeps English speaking tourists away- French tourists still visit the country in droves. Unless you are able to communicate in French or are lucky enough to find someone from Ghana or Liberia, you would have a difficult time getting around in Ivory Coast.
The Money
The currency that is used in Ivory Coast is CFA (Central African Franc) and the exchange rate is roughly Ł1 to 1000cfa. Some of the large hotels accept major credit cards, but for most of the stay you would need cash.
The flight would be by far the most expensive part of a visit to Ivory Coast. A return flight with most airlines costs about Ł500 - Ł600. The daily cost of living once you are actually in the country is fractional compared to living in the UK. A half decent room in one of the nicer hotels in Yamoussoukro would cost you about Ł10.
Despite the current political climate in Ivory Coast, it is still a country with much to offer that cannot be ssen anywhere else. If things become peaceful again, I will definitely be heading back- this time with my fiancee and daughter to show them where I grew up.
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