Kiki’s culture shock in Ivory Coast

The globe is a menu and well, I just love to eat. New flavors, spices, surprises, and dishes you would never come up with yourself. ‘Waiter, for the appetizer I would like one plane ticket. And can you recommend Ivory Coast as the main course? Yes? That's where my girlfriend Roos lives and I miss her.’ Okay, let’s do it. We’ll see about dessert later.

So there I am, at the airport in Abidjan at six in the morning – also known by some as ‘the Manhattan of Africa‘ -, slightly awkward looking around due to the culture shock, in the small room where my fingerprints are being scanned and my visa and yellow vaccination booklet are being checked. Suddenly, Daan, my travel partner, flies in. A gigantic cockroach that clearly did breakdance in its previous life darts across the room. ’Welcome to Côte d’Ivoire,‘ I chuckle at him. A country I had never been to before.

I had – apart from Egypt, years ago – never been to Africa at all. On day one, I washed my hands twelve times. Just to be sure. On day two, I saw three women urinating on the street. On day three, I still thought everyone was looking at me angrily. From day four, I suddenly wore four times as much jewelry as I ever did. On day five, I tasted my first Ivorian dish – with a somewhat skeptical face. On day six, I bit the inside of my cheek when I saw a man in a wheelchair begging by the roadside from the car. My girlfriend rolled down the window, waved at him, and handed him a note. I felt like a huge coward. I looked away.

On day seven, I noticed a kind of turnaround. I felt more at peace. I felt that my love for colorful clothing had grown even more. On day eight, after a short domestic flight, I sat like a scared idiot on a horse in San Pedro that actually galloped once. On day nine, I bought two chickens at the chicken market to rescue and release in Roos’ backyard. We named them Bonnie and Clyde. On day ten, we visited a village and drank gin with the chief, danced with our guide, and sang songs. We fed the monkeys bananas in the mangrove and I suddenly felt überhappy. On day eleven, I was served a penis shot with whipped cream in a hysterically crazy cocktail bar. On day twelve, I could have cried that we were going home.

Experiencing a culture shock is and remains weird. In the first few days, you notice that you are still dealing with some kind of prejudices in the back of your mind (because hey, that’s ‘weird’ to do, that smells ‘strange’, that’s ‘sad’, you never did that at home, etc.). You have to get used to the new world you suddenly find yourself in, the humid heat, but also to the people around you and their different way of life. Everything is different, the environment, but also something as simple as food or the language spoken. You feel a bit overwhelmed. And then suddenly you turn around. You start to see the beauty in things. I felt myself blending more and more with Ivory Coast every day. The culture, the people, the country, the fashion, the food, everything.

So yes, Ivory Coast, you have conquered a place in my heart. Miles of sandy beaches, super friendly locals, shopping at the colorful markets of Abidjan… Roos, during all those video calls the vibe didn’t come across, but now I finally understand you. Côte d’Ivoire is beautiful. If you also love adventure and are still looking for a surprising holiday destination, you can always send me a message at @kikiduren.

And remember: if you don’t go, you’ll never know…