How many cities have revealed themselves to me in the marches I undertook in the pursuit of books! - Walter Benjamin

10 November 2019, Aboisso to Grand Bassam, 72km
Elephants Nest Auberge 8,000XOF (R200)

So far, eating in Ivory Coast has proved to be a pleasure. We stopped in at L’Alyson Restaurant just outside Bonoua for a late lunch. As we had been unable yet to draw cash, the EcoBank ATM in Aboisso being dysfunctional, we had first to discuss price with our waitress and the owner, and to check how much cash we had on us. We ended sharing a delicious chicken and rice dish, the chicken cooked in a thick and tasty sauce, paying for it up-front to ensure there had been no misunderstanding. The owner clearly decided we were broke, and tried to return our money to us. We refused to take it back, but could not stop her providing us each with a softdrink and a plate of fresh pineapple.
It was our second pineapple of the day, our first being tasty, but a somewhat distressing experience. We stopped at a roadside fruit-n-veg stall, where a woman was prepared to peel us each a fresh pineapple. She did this beautifully, leaving the leafy top as a handle, stripping off the skin and spines, and cutting segments through to the core so that we could eat it almost like an icecream. While she was busy preparing the pines, I took some photos of her small son who was eating a pineapple himself. He was conscious of my attentions, but essentially fully engaged with his fruit. It was when I leaned toward him, thinking to show him his image on my phone, that he looked fully into my face and SCREAMED. He turned and ran and tripped and fell, dropping his pineapple in the dirt. And rose and ran and SCREAMED. Honestly, I’m afraid to look in the mirror! His mom refused thereafter to charge us for the pineapples; “cadeau” (gift), she said. Instead, Charl handed a couple of coins to the boy seeking comfort on her lap.
And tonight, having successfully drawn cash at an ATM in Grand Bassam, we shared a yummy pizza at L’escale Tropicale.
It was a pleasant 65km run from Aboisso under an overcast sky. With giant millipedes to be avoided on the road, many as thick as my thumb and three times the length.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…