Our Blog
Senufo village - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in the Ivory Coast, today we visited the town of Kong, where there are two beautiful Sudanese style mosques.
On the way back, a dirt track that makes its way through the vegetation, we decided to stop to visit two Senoufo villages, and more precisely the Lameca 3 village and the Glanda village.
Why 2 villages? Because each village is different from the others, each has its own particularity and its history, each village is like an extended family and, like all families, each one is different from the others.
Kong Mosque - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in Kong, in the Ivory Coast; this small town has an important past, in fact, it was on the trade route that, from the Atlantic coast, headed towards the Sahara Desert, to then reach the Mediterranean, and vice versa.
One of the unmistakable traces of its glorious past, and of the passage of Arab merchants, is the presence of two Sudanese-style mosques that, despite the invasions and the passing of the centuries, have managed to reach the present day.
On the road! - Photo Credits: Silvano Greco
We are in the Ivory Coast, we are in Korhogo and today we go to visit Kong; this small town holds two architectural jewels: two Sudanese-style mosques.
We have a hearty breakfast, today we do not know if and when we eat lunch, we check out and get into the car.
We cross the town of Korhogo, that we have not had time to visit until now; when we return, in the next few days, we will be able to visit the market, the wood craftsmen and we will see what else it will reserve for us, but now we cannot stop, Kongis waiting for us.
Boloye Dance - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We find ourselves in the Ivory Coast and more precisely at Korhogo, in the land of the Senoufo; we arrived this afternoon after an exciting day, spent between local markets, Baule dances and a journey of about four hours.
As soon as we arrived at Korhogo we checked in at the hotel and, after a little relaxation, we are ready for the last activity of today: we go and see the Boloye Dance or Panther Dance of the Senoufo.
Market - Photo Credits: Silvano Greco
We are in the Ivory Coast and this morning we woke up in our beautiful hotel: Hotel Mon Afrik at Bouake; the main reason why we are here in Bouake is to meet the Baule who live in these lands.
Immediately after breakfast, we check out and leave; shame because we would gladly have spent another night here, in the company of the duiker and the bushbucks living in the garden and at the pool.
First we went for a ride to the market, today is Monday and, after the market with reduced service on Sunday, everyone is here to shop and the stalls are full of goods.
Baulè Dance - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Bouake in the Ivory Coast, this morning we visited the local market, we got lost among the goods and people and it was a lot of fun.
But after the market we get into the car and go to a Baule village; it is not a traditional village, probably there are none, or they are in remote areas difficult to reach; but we did not come here to visit the village.
We park the car and go into the village, they were waiting for us and they let us find some chairs where we can sit.
There is a very specific reason why we came here: to attend the Baule dances.
Bouakè Market - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are at Bouake in the Ivory Coast and today we are excited because we will meet the Baulé, the population who lives in these lands; the Baulé are part of the Akan ethnic group, the main group of the Ivory Coast.
First we take a trip to the local market of Bouake, we adore the markets, especially the African ones, usually they are full of colors, perfumes, smells and confusion and this is not far behind.
Bouakè - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in the Ivory Coast, and more precisely in Bouake, we arrived today by flight from Abidjan; now that we check-in at the Mon Afrik Hotel, it is 3.00pm.
However, we decide to go out for a ride with our guide.
We decide to go and see some craftsmen who carve wood, obviously we are looking for masks and other African objects that we love so much.
In flight to Bouake - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in the Ivory Coast, this morning we were in Abidjan, but then we took a flight to go to Bouake.
We left Abidjan's domestic flights terminal with a propeller plane and headed North, our flight to Bouake is not direct but makes an intermediate stop at Korhogo, that is further North than Bouake; after Bouake we will go right to Korhogo, but by land.
As soon as we leave the city of Abidjan from the window we see only vegetation and some small cluster of houses and some huts; this is the Africa we like.
Abidjan - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We are in Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast, we arrived last night from Milan and we have not yet completely overcome the thermal shock, but being warm during the winter months is definitely a pleasure.
This morning we woke up early, we had breakfast and then at 7.00am we have an appointment with our guide; he will travel with us for the duration of the trip.
We exchange a few words and he gives us a short briefing on the journey, but then every day he will tell us all the things we will visit; now it's better to go.