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On the road! - Photo Credits: Silvano Greco
This morning we were at Odienne in the Ivory Coast, after checking out we left, today we will travel South; in this part of the country fewer cars and trucks pass than in the Eastern part and the population seems poorer, there are certainly more traditional villages, even if the towns and cities are not lacking.
As we move towards the South, vegetation is increasingly present and becomes ever more luxuriant; it is wonderful to see so much green after so much dryness.
Yacuba Village - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we left Odienne, today it was mainly dedicated to the meeting of the Yacuba or Dan; one of the most interesting populations of the Ivory Coast and Liberia.
We are traveling South and, just after the town of Touba, we turn left and take a dirt road.
We drive about 4 km and then turn left again, at a sign indicating the direction to the village of Silakoro.
Dozo warriors - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Odienne in the Ivory Coast, we arrived today at lunch time, just the time to have lunch and rest an hour at the hotel and we leave immediately to visit.
Today we meet the Dozo, a caste of warriors and hunters; they are not an ethnic group but part of the Mande or Malinke and are the descendants of the powerful kingdom of Mali.
In the past they were a real army and took an active part in the civil war that has battered the Ivory Coast in the past years; today they are only a sort of private police that protects villages and people.
N'dapi village - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Boundiali in the Ivory Coast, today we leave and go West to Odienne.
The road we have to travel is not very long, it is about 180 km, but there are several works, in practice they are rebuilding it new and high compared to the ground, with the drainage channels underneath; this is a clear signal that indicates how much it rains in this area during the rainy season.
Basically, for almost the entire trip, we drive the dirt road that is next to the main road and this forces us to travel at a speed between 30 and 50 km / h.
Ngoro Dance - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Today was a busy day, we visited the blacksmiths village of Koni, near Korhogo, we were at the Senoufo village of Niofoin, where we saw the houses of the feticheur, we visited a Fulani village, but our day is not over yet : we go to see the Dance of the Virgins in a Senoufo village, the Ivory Coast is thrilling us!
Fulani people - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we left Korhogo, in the Ivory Coast, we visited the blacksmiths village of Koni and the Senoufo village of Niofoin; our journey then continued to Boundiali, tonight we will sleep here.
First we check in at the hotel and go to lunch at the hotel restaurant; today is a hot day, fortunately it is a dry heat, but it makes itself felt.
Senufo Village - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in the Ivory Coast and this morning we left Korhogo, where we were able to get to know the culture of the Senoufo; we stopped at the village of Koni, where we met a family of blacksmiths who showed us their work.
Once we left the village of the smiths we drove to Boundiali, to the West, where we will sleep tonight.
Along the way we stopped to visit the village of Niofoin; this is also a Senoufo village, but its structure is a bit different from the villages we have seen so far.
Koni: blacksmiths village - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Korhogo in the Ivory Coast; yesterday morning we went to the village of Koni, that is located 15 km North of Korhogo.
The village of Koni is known as the village of the blacksmiths; here in fact the master blacksmith Soro Chukama extracts and processes iron, still following the traditional procedure, that has been handed down over the centuries from father to son.
The process of extraction of iron takes about 24 hours, so we were here in the morning to attend the first part of the procedure and today we have seen the final part.
Korhogo Market - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Ferkessedougou and Korhogo are not far away, only an hour's drive, although it is not one of the best roads in the Ivory Coast to be covered.
Before entering Korhogo we stop at the village of Koni, known as the village of blacksmiths.
We divided the visit to this village in two parts, the first part today, the second part will be tomorrow morning; the reason is very simple: we want to witness the whole process of iron extraction and, as it takes up to 24 hours, we must necessarily come in 2 times.
Ferke - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Ferkessedougou, in the extreme North-East of the Ivory Coast, this small town, that is often struggling to find on maps, is located on the only road that leads to Burkina Faso and Niger, therefore, over the decades , has assumed an important role in the trade between these countries.