Farewell Snapshots I

[ Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire ]

Here we go again. The bike is ready, and I’m on the road either tomorrow or the day after. The real plan is for tomorrow, but that’s Sunday again, and I enjoy my Sunday routine. So perhaps I should linger, one last time?

Cross your fingers for me, whatever I decide.

During each day’s set of pre-departure tasks, I’ve tried to bring the camera along–hoping to get at least one snapshot of a local who has been a regular part of My Abidjan Story. I’ve only taken a few so far, but plan to capture more so I can share a Part II.

Let’s hope for (my) continued good spirits–and excellent weather,
—jim

My favorite barber and his son, in his shop. He was very happy in this photo because II let him shave off my beard.
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Between the barber and the tailor, this guy sits in front of a small wooden case, under an umbrella, providing phone services as needed. You can use one of his phones to make calls by the minute, or he can put money into your SIM card account. He can also introduce you to his barber friend, or his tailor friends. Not that they happened to me, or, uhhhh...well yeah. That's how I ended up here.
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My favorite medical professional, Miriam. She was primary doctor at the neighborhood clinic. Charming, funny, and very patient with my horrific French. She's also one of those people who is always smiling and laughing until precisely one microsecond before you push the shutter button. She then resumes one microsecond after you release the same. Oh well. She's beautiful all the same.
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Miriam's hand...because I wanted to take some sort of "work" image. Like I said, she was very patient with Yours Truly
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And then there's this woman, she runs the lab inside that same medical clinic, and is always the one drawing my blood and running the tests.. You know you've been in one place for quite a while when medical personnel randomly flag you down in the street for a chat. Also: she does NOT have the Can't Smile On Camera gene!
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These two ladies run the booth where I get breakfast most every morning. They set up a table with piles of fresh baguettes and numerous bowls of fixin's, then make custom sandwiches for scores of people. Some items are always there, but others are seasonal, or depend on whether they got around to it that day. The way it's done is to go item by item and say the amount's worth you'd like her to give you:. You point at a baguette and say "100", then at the red beans and say "50" - some lentils? "50" also - boiled potato & sauteed onion "50" - hard-boiled eggs are always "100". Etc. She'll assemble it as you go through your list, then wrap it up in plastic and send you on your way. Everything's fresh and tasty, and you'd have to work REALLY hard to spend a dollar.
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The same woman, being sassy (her default mode...she's fantastic). You can't really tell, but the boy is trying to disrupt my photo, and his mom's pose, by gargling a mouthful of water like a motorboat. Most of it ended up on his face and shirt, and he didn't get the desired effect.
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One of the evening security guards in front of the local King Cash. (For some reason, there are numerous supermarket chains in West Africa that use "Cash" in the name like that. It's just a normal grocery store, though.) Another good guy: always has to greet me with a smile and a solid handshake.
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The quiet side-street as viewed from my balcony. It's a perfect example of a residential street here in Sable--line with booths of all sorts. Twice a day it gets a lot busier, though: when the kids are on their way to school in the mornings, then after work in the evenings. I really appreciate that I've been staying in a neighborhood like this--it's authentic local life.
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You may recognize this face from a photo months ago. These two are sitting in front of our family complex, manning the small store.
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This is the man I usually go see to add minutes to my phone. He sits on the main drag in front of a huge electronics store, another of the many mobile communication-centric entrepreneurs dotting every market in West Africa. (And yes--under an umbrella, in front of a small wooden chest, just like all the rest!)
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Some of his friends, just wanting to vogue a bit for the camera.
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This guy is one of the few I can speak English with. He has branched out and--in addition to phone services--sells cigarettes and cheap local booze. Also lollipops. Behind the Marlboro sign is where the night market and open-air dining sets up every evening. Empty during the days, at night there are at least 8-10 separate groups of women preparing different combinations of fish or pork or chicken, various sauces (mostly "gumbo"), rice and couscous. Fish is definitely the biggest offering--grilled-on-demand, smoked, deep-fried, you name it. Great food, super cheap.
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I only include pic to show off the carrots. I don't know the girl, but once carrots came into season, they started showing up on big trays at the main intersection. Usually they are enormous, and completely fresh. Before they give them to you, they take off the skin with a potato peeler and rinse them for you. For a few weeks, I think I lived on nothing but raw carrots; I just love 'em...
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The Transglobalist
Photographer, cyclist, paraglider pilot, backpacker, skydiver, writer, explorer, musician, hitchhiker, digital nomad, and American dissident.

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