Grand-Bassam

20 photos plus 2 videos (after first 2 photos)

Cote d’lvoire or as it is known now, the Ivory Coast is a diverse country of 30 million people with many ethnicities, living very different lives from very traditional to modern, very poor to very rich (the gap gets wider) but we found everyone to be very friendly and welcoming. The flag is Orange (savannah pastures), White (for the rivers and peace) and green (the forest and agriculture). The symbol for this Country which is often seen in their handiwork (made with ivory) is the elephant but unfortunately the number of elephants has decreased from 5000 to maybe 300 in the last few decades, due to the deforestation there.

Welcome to Akwaaba and ABIDJAN, as we were all greeted. The city became a town in the Ivory Coast in 1903, and now is the largest city and economic capital since 1934. Over 6 million people live here, and they gained Independence from France in 1960 and is still mostly French speaking. It is very much an agriculture-oriented Country. All the embassies are here in Abidjan as well as the political power. It is strategically located on a lagoon and set up for trade after its wharf was expanded in 1951.

We left with a great police escort of “acrobatic” motorcycle police (they were constantly weaving and pushing traffic away - all 6 of the videos in the 3 posts are from the bus and 5 highlight our escort adventures) that managed the traffic in all directions to clear the very crowded road for us in a way that can only be described a “parting of the sea” … but a winding and crowded sea. We traveled from Abidjan and spent the entire day covering the area between the coast and Grand Bassam, the former colonial capital of the Cote d’lvoire in the late 1893 till 1900. We saw many locals as we traveled, mostly selling their goods, and they were all friendly. We heard that sometimes small children are “scared” by white people because it is strange to them but we did not see this happen.

Founded in 1469 by the Portuguese but not inhabited by Europeans until the 17th Century, it was originally the home to Aboriginal Aboure Bassam (royalty), Nzima (from families in neighborhoods of France) and the Ehotile living in harmony. In 1842, the French agreed to a treaty making this piece of land French and in 1893 it became a colony of the Ivory Coast and its Capital. The people of the Ivory Coast are mostly Muslim (42%) although with missionaries coming beginning in 1895, a large Christian presence came and grew (40%) and the rest original Aboriginal or non-affiliated.

Due to a yellow fever epidemic this Capital in Grand Bassam was abandoned in 1896 to move to Abidjan (there is a monument paying tribute to the victims). The city had some very difficult times as can be seen by all the colonial buildings that are now lost or abandoned including government offices, but it still has areas of quaintness as well as modern development making it a UNESCO site in 2012.

We learned a lot about the government which is a Republic with a President. There are many tribes and 60 different ethnic groups here. Dyula is the language spoken since it is considered a trade language in West Africa although there are many other dialects. The people and their customs including the fact that most families have 1-5 wives, and each wife has up to 10 children. After 10 children, they need to give up the children for adoption. Strange. Most marriages are “arranged” so that they can avoid incest (since there are so many siblings that are related in each family). Makes sense!

We drove by the first 1911 Courthouse in the Country, the place where we heard about the famous 1949 militant woman’s freedom march was heard (2000 women marched Abidjan to Bassam, 30 miles, a long way) to protest their husbands arrest for protesting the French colonial rulers and WON. Led by Marie Kore from Treichville this victory is marked by the statue, The Place of Peace. We also went over their Bridge of Victory (1929). We passed the old post office / customs office built in 1894 and now houses the Conservation department. Another stop was the old Bank Central Africa, the first bank from 1900 and the first hospital.

We visited the Palace of Governor built in 1893 was the home of 4 leaders of the Country from 1893-1902 (now the National Costume Museum since 1981) and saw native garb and models of traditional houses from all over the country. Our guide told us stories about tradition, hierarchy and roles that elders held in ancient societies and how home compounds were laid out across the Country.Read more