Multimedia Mania/abacus-multimedia-mania.iso/dp/0031/00319.txt

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$Title{Cote d'Ivoire
Part 3}
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$Author{Tourisme Cote d'Ivoire}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Cote d'Ivory, Washington DC}
$Subject{cote
d'ivoire
region
miles
feet
local
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san
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$Date{1990}
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Title:       Cote d'Ivoire
Book:        Cote d'Ivoire Inviting, Mystical, Secure
Author:      Tourisme Cote d'Ivoire
Affiliation: Embassy of Cote d'Ivory, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Part 3

Kong: The Heart of Black Islam

     As the capital of the Malinke Kingdom of Kong, dating back to 1705, it
became one of the great cities of African Islam, and, for more than two
centuries had an influence spreading as far as Bobo Dioulasso. At a major
crossroads, it was a center of a powerful class of wealthy merchants and
prestigious marabous. Unfortunately, it also lay directly in Samory's path,
and on May 15, 1897, the city was razed by the ferocious soldiers of the
Moslem leader.

Recommended Tourist Site:

     The beautiful and very original town mosque, built entirely out of mud,
and patterned after the Sudanese mosque style.

Boundiali

     At the last stage of an itinerary through the hearts and souls of the
Senoufo lies Boundiali, 55 miles west of Korhogo. It is the chief town of a
region devoted to cotton crops, and, even more than Korhogo, it is a typical
Senoufo town.

     The traditional neighborhoods have kept the style of the Senoufo
villages. Even the town's resort village, the Dala, despite its modern
facilities (restaurant, bar, night club, pool) is modeled after the
traditional Senoufo architecture: 24 rooms are housed in individual round
thatched huts.

     The great local tourist attraction is a famous dance-the N'Goron, well
known and admired throughout Cote d'Ivoire. This is an initiation dance,
performed exclusively by young single girls of the same age. Their skillfully
arranged cowrie shell and feather headsets and ornaments, their bare torsos
revealing shapely breasts and ebony skin; their graceful gestures are a
dazzling sight that deserves to be filmed.

     From Boundiali, recommended tours go to Ouazomon, Kolia and Kouto - all
within thirty miles - to discover multi-faceted Senoufo crafts: weaving,
sculpture, pottery, etc.

The East Kingdoms, Ceremonies and Traditions

     This is one of the few regions in Cote d'Ivoire to have known, before
colonization, a centralized political organization - the kingdom. Elsewhere,
and particularly among the forest people of the western and central-western
regions, the basic political unit has always been the chieftainry - usually
no larger than a village (with the exception of the Baoule chieftainries).
After the Agni Indenie and the Abron were forced into exile like the Baoule,
the Ashanti established on the Eastern fringes of the forest powerful
kingdoms, strictly modeled after their structure of origin. They were
characterized by quasi-divine monarchs, devotion to hierarchy, matrilinear
lines, and a cult for gold. These kingdoms are still striking today by their
endurance, their vitality and their adaptability to modern institutions. The
Indenie and Abron kings still receive allegiance from their many feudatories,
while they are also the respected auxiliaries of contemporary political and
administrative leaders.

The Indenie Abengourou (40,000 inhab.)

     Capital of the Indenie Kingdom and chief town of a flourishing
prefecture, Abengourou is a necessary stage in the understanding of African
social structures in pre-colonial times.

     After the hardships of the march into exile, the Agni Indenie found here
a haven of peace, settled it without great difficulties, and devoted
themselves to farmwork. Today, it is one of the key regions for coffee and
cocoa farming; it has given rise to a land-holding upper class with solid
local roots and considerable power in Cote d'Ivoire.

Recommended Tourist Sites:

     The King's Place, built around 1882

     The Regional Tourism Representative
will guide you through it and explain in detail the complex court protocol
and the royal genealogy, customs and traditions. You will be received by King
Bonzou II himself.

     A word of caution: Addressing the King directly is prohibited. This must
be done through the mediation of the official court interpreter.

     You will be able to see the Bia, a solid gold sacred throne which
symbolizes the monarchy. It is used in celebrations every year with
unparalleled ceremonies.

Recommended Tours: Zaranou

     Thirty miles east of Abengourou, Zaranou is the former capital of the
kingdom; it is well worth a visit because of its status as official residence
of the heir apparent, and also because of its museum. At the heir apparent's
court, you will learn about the succession system and the funeral rites at the
king's death. (These topics are taboo at the Abengourou royal court.)

     The museum holds a wealth of artifacts, including weapons used by the
Agni Indenie in their pre-exile struggles. It also features Agni statuettes,
representing mostly women, as a reflection of the matrilinear system and of
the key role played by the Queen Mother in the kingdom. You will also see
measures used to weigh gold, and tools for gold mining and handworking. On
Sundays, you will be invited to attend a dance accompanied by the Attougblan,
the famous sacred drums that regulate and punctuate life in Akan country.
(Agni belong to the Akan ethnic group.)

The Abron

     The Abron are an important branch of the great Akan group; they came from
the east in the XVIIIth century, as did the Agni Indenie, in their fight from
the formidable Ashanti warriors. For the Abron, however, settling the
Bondoukou area was far from easy, for the land was already held by the
Koulango, whose aggressive name (Those Who Do Not Fear Death) bode ill for the
newcomers. Settled here since the second millenium, the Koulango had
successfully driven off their ferocious neighbors, the Lobi, toward the
northern borders, and they had converted to Islam under the influence of the
Malinke from Kong. Nevertheless, the Abron emerged as victors from their clash
with the Koulango, and founded the powerful Bondoukou kingdom and capital
city. But they surprisingly abandoned their animist cult and adopted the
language and religion of the conquered people. Their political structure,
however, remained patterned after that of the Ashanti kingdom.

Bondoukou (30,000 inhab.)

     This is surely one of the oldest towns in Cote d'Ivoire, probably dating
back to the mid-XVth century. Its antiquity is attested to by the famous
Tarikh-Es-Sudan, one of the most reliable Arab sources for African history.
Prior to its occupation by Samory in the XIXth century, this town as a major
central trading point, offering goods from Kong, Timbuctu, Djenne, Kano, etc.
Today a striking feature of Bondoukou is the mark left by Islam and reflected
in numerous mosques (no less than 18 for a total estimated population of
30,000) whose chiseled, many colored minarets loom over the town.

     ATTRACTIONS: The midtown Crafts Center, restored in 1971, the museum,
featuring interesting pieces, and the market, always crowded and richly
stocked.

Recommended Visits: The Sacred Monkeys of Soko

     The nearby village of Soko - less than four miles from Bondoukou -
periodically hosts an event which is probably the only one of its kind in the
world. Entire bands of monkeys come out of the surrounding forests to mingle
with the local people, invade the marketplace, gorge on peanuts and bananas,
and, after their feast, march back to the forest in single file. An
explanation for this unusual phenomenon lies with a XIXth century sorcerer; as
Samory's soldiers were drawing near, he is said to have turned the village
people into monkeys to save them from being massacred. He did this with the
understanding that they would become men again once the troops were gone.
Unfortunately, the sorcerer died before the village people could recover their
initial form. Monkeys have since become totem animals, and killing and eating
them is now prohibited. However, filming this exceptional event is allowed.

The Sapia River

     Another curious sight - 12 miles from Bondoukou - this river was
strangely black waters sheltering a species of eel, the silurus, larger but
less tapered than the common variety. These are sacred fish, and they are fed
daily by the local people.

Herebo: A Royal Village

     If you tour this area in November, you must visit Herebo, the residence
of the Abron King, and attend the annual Yam Festival which commemorates the
Abron's arrival into the region. This is a sumptuous ritual, presided by the
King sitting on a throne, draped in the kente, a kind of toga richly
embroidered with gold, wearing a gold tiara, and holding in his right hand a
solid gold scepter, and sheltered by a vast scarlet canopy. Around him,
numerous lavishly dressed feudatories sit under colorful parasols. This
dazzling display of gold ornaments and vivid costumes is not to be missed, and
deserves being filmed - in color.

The Northeast Land of the Lobi

     In the northeast, reached by plane or, from Bondoukou, by a 110 mile
practicable track, visitors get in touch with deep Africa, and discover a
unique native people, the Lobi, and an unspoiled landscape in Comoe National
Park, the largest natural preserve in Cote d'Ivoire (1,150,000 inhab.).

The Lobi

     The Lobi are surely the most original ethnic group in Cote d'Ivoire. They
have kept their ancestral traditions and absorb very slowly the modern
influences.

     They are formidable archers and handle the bow and arrow (sometimes with
a poisoned tip) with incredible skill.

     The entire Lobi education system (spread over 21 years, divided into
three 7-year periods, as with the Senoufo) is based on mastery of this weapon.
At seven, a Lobi youth must be able to reach a goal 330 feet from him. At
fourteen, he must be able to arm his bow instantly and shoot a young partridge
in flight. At twenty-one, he must be able to hunt big game, and in the
process, to move with catlike ease and disguise himself as a feline.

Soukala

     The Lobi live in strange dwellings with terraced roofs, the Soukala. To
foreign observers, they appear as a kind of troglodyte cave with many internal
labyrinths. In fact, soukala are functional dwellings, splendidly adapted to
their natural environment. At the entrance, they have room for fowl; this spot
is cleared and freshly coated every morning with cow dung; the kitchen
follows, with a chimney to release cooking fumes; next are bedrooms for the
head of household, his wives and children. Soukala are surprisingly cool
inside, in a region with year-round heat; this is due to the walls and roof
material, a mixture of clay, straw and cow dung which is both water- and
heat-resistant. A ladder leads to the terraced roof, where every night the
Lobi keep watch against wild beasts, which are indeed a threat for the cattle
(cows, sheep) kept in a compound surrounding the soukala. In their home land,
the Lobi are skimpily clothed. Women still wear ornamental plates piercing and
locking their lips. These are a proud people, suspicious, extremely cautious,
but well worth knowing.

The Comoe National Park

     This park is a dream for safari aficionados. Here, you can see a whole
tropical fauna roaming free - lions, panthers, buffaloes, bubales, hippos,
etc. The park offers 3,000 miles of practicable tracks.

     You can start your tour on the north side, in Petit Ferke, at the Comoe
Safari Lodge - a splendid resort with forty air-conditioned rooms, bar,
restaurant and pool. It is accessible by a track from Ferkessedougou or Kong.
Another northern starting point is the Ouango-Fitini camp ground. In the
South, you can start from the Comoe-Sogetel in Ganse (twenty-five
air-conditioned rooms, bar, restaurant and pool), or from the Kakpin camp
ground.

The Northwest Border of Black Islam

     The Odienne region, in the far northwestern fringe of Cote d'Ivoire, is
in fact an African Islamic borderland. In the XVth century, the
Malinke - commonly called Dioula - rushed here from Mali, bringing the Islam
religion with them. The ever-present mosques attest to the population's
loyalty to their faith. Despite a levelling of social classes, the caste
system is still alive, and names like Diaby, Toure or Diabate still have
social and religious meaning.

     Since Odienne is much traversed and reaches to the Sudanese area, and
particularly the great merchant and religious cities of Timbuctu, Mopti and
Djenne, the local Dioula have naturally focused on trade as their major
activity. They buy cola nuts and salt from the forest areas in the south, in
exchange for manufactured goods from the Sudanese world.

     Today, the Dioula name means trade, and these people excel at it on a
small or large scale.

Recommended Sites and Tours: Odienne

     The main mosque, the market and craftsmen (especially blacksmiths) are
worth a visit.

Samatiguila

     Some 25 miles north of Odienne, Samatiguila is a great religious center
and includes a superb mosque, probably dating back to the XVIIth century, and
rumored to be a replica of the famous Djenne mosque. Samatiguila also has a
small museum holding a fine weapons collection - swords and especially an
impressive array of guns which supposedly belonged to Samory's soldiers.

Mount Denguele (2,700 feet)

     Less than 10 miles from Odienne, this mountain holds beautiful caves, and
it is almost always a climbing site for athletic visitors. You will need
sturdy shoes, water and food supplies, since the climb is difficult in hot
weather.

Borotou

     About 60 miles south of Odienne, this quiet subprefecture is well known
in Cote d'Ivoire for its folkloric dances, the Koutouba and Kouroubissi,
performed by lavishly adorned women during the last week before Ramadan.

Touba Land of The Mahou

     The Touba region, halfway between the monotonous northern flatlands and
the western mountains, is in many ways a transitional region - first, in its
landscapes, a series of domes sometimes as high as 3,000 feet, heralding the
highlands ahead; second, in its people: The Mahou function as a buffer between
the northern Mande (commonly called Malinke) and the southern population. The
south is a varied region where visitors can admire quiet villages,
particularly the extraordinary Toutie hamlet with its strange grottoes, the
colorful Sunday market in Waninou - alone worth the trip, and the stilt
dancers, famous for their skill. But, the Touba region is first and foremost
Zala.

Zala, Hang Gliding Center

     Built on top of a scenic rock overlooking a sheer 1,600 foot cliff, Zala
has been for the past few years a hang gliding center for Cote d'Ivoire,
Africa and even Europe. Every year, in early January (best time because of
relatively strong harmattan wind currents), hang gliding aficionados from
Europe (esp. France and Germany) congregate on the Zala cliff to practice
their favorite sport. This festival lasts several days, and will be of
interest to all hang gliders.

The Western Region Mountains, Masks and Dances ...

     The western region is the most truly original in Cote d'Ivoire, thanks to
its natural vistas as well as its cultural heritage. This landscape has much
more contrast; hills are more jagged and rise higher. Around Touba, 3,000 feet
high domes overlook plateaux rising 1,300 to 1,600 feet. Then, appear the true
Man mountains, with peaks often higher than 3,000 feet: Tonkoui (4,200 feet),
Mont-Momi (4,300 feet), Dent de Man (2,900 feet) whose bevelled peak, shrouded
in clouds, is still awe-inspiring to the local people. In keeping with these
heights, the climate is more temperate here, particularly in the morning and
at dusk (66 degrees to 68F in January and February).

     The local Guere and Yacouba people have a rich cultural heritage, based
on an extraordinary, lively mask culture. Masks are present everywhere, and
they regulate men's lives from birth to death: entertainer masks for secular
festivals - such as weddings, funerals and excision rites; guardian masks,
representing a family or a clan. Every time any mask is worn, various dances
are also performed.

Recommended Sites and Tours:

     Many tours are available here, and start from the Cascades Hotel, perched
on an acropolis reachable by a winding road. In the craftsmen's district, you
may watch the ivory sculptors at work, and purchase fine pieces, including
mounted elephant tusks.

     Athletic visitors who are fond of mountain-climbing should not miss two
peaks, respectively 4,200 and 2,900 feet high: The Tonkoui and The Dent de
Man. They offer splendid vistas and beautiful waterfalls - particularly on
Man, where a terraced granitic fall is reminiscent, with its frothing steps,
of a staircase built by a benevolent, mythical forest spirit.

     Creeper Bridges are one of the major tourist attractions of the western
region. These unique structures are made by criss-crossing vines. The
completed creeper bridge appears as a huge arc, fastened to the highest tree
tops on each side - a ghostlike silhouette swinging high above the ground.
Mysterious, well-guarded rites surround the construction of these bridges,
said to be achieved overnight by spirits. They are common throughout the
region: but the most impressive is undoubtedly the Lieupleu creeper bridge
over the Cavally river, 12 miles south of Danane (a town 50 miles west of
Man).

     A word of caution: It would be wise to take off your shoes before
crossing one of these bridges.

     Tieny-Siably is a strange village perched on top of a huge rock looming
high above the surroundings valleys. The local people, who claim to have come
from heaven through a mysterious chain, say that it is the strategic position
of their village that allowed them in the past to drive off all their enemies.

     Gouessesso, located about 30 miles west of Man, is a health resort 2,000
feet above the ground. It enjoys mild weather and includes fifty comfortable
cottages. With its country charm, both modern and traditional, it is an ideal
spot for rest and relaxation. Nearby, in Biankouman, you can wander through a
traditional market and watch villagers doing their daily chores.

     The folklore is one of the richest in Cote d'Ivoire, particularly when it
comes to dances, which are present everywhere in the region, from Fakobly to
Biankouma, Bangolo and Danane. The best known of these dances are:

     * The Temate is performed in Fakobly by young girls. The Temate pays
homage to spirits when the rice harvest (the major local staple) is bountiful.
This is dazzlingly staged, and executed with grace and frenzy by the graceful
young dancers. Filming is allowed.

     * The Stilts Dance is the most original dance in the west. This striking
show features dancers perched on gigantic stilts, reaching as high as ten
feet; they perform dance steps with a devilish agility, and sometimes do a
balancing act on one stilt, while the other is folded. The best known of these
dancers are in Gouessesso and Danane. Filming is allowed.

     * The Jugglers show is not for an impressionable audience. Impressively
muscular men, armed with sharp daggers, juggle ten-year-old or younger girls -
their face covered with a white paste, wearing wide grass skirts and headsets
adorned with a crest of cowrie shells. Their faces perfectly still, they
perform pirouettes and somersaults with incredible flexibility and skill,
rivaling those of the best circus acrobats.

     A word of caution: Do not speak to these girls, for they are not allowed
to communicate with others or even between themselves.

     The most moving movement of these juggling shows, preceded by an ominous
drum roll and a dance by the guardian mask to exorcise evil spirits, comes
when the juggler throws a young girl up in the air and catches her while
holding the daggers - without ever touching her. This dance is the most
popular and widespread in the west, and each village features its own version.
Here again, filming is allowed.

     Butterfly collectors will find the west a choice location to pursue their
hobby. Here, probably because of the climate and altitude, you can find an
unparalleled variety of butterflies, including the rarest African species. In
Man, you can buy, at a modest price, collections carefully mounted under glass
and sold in fine wooden chests.

     The southwest has remained to this day a kind of No Man's Land, a
mysterious and attractive far west. Despite the overwhelming impact of
economic change, this untamed wilderness is still a land of adventure. It is a
must-see for visitors who, after the frenzied pace of the cities, yearn for
the bucolic peace of the forests and the unspoiled beauty of the beaches,
while seeking to discover a unique African example of voluntary development.

An Unspoiled Forest

     The southwest is first and foremost a forest. Over sixty percent of Cote
d'Ivoire's forest resources lie here, between the Sassandra and Cavally
rivers. Here, it is still possible to see the primeval forest, green
throughout the year; it is the domain of giant 170 foot trees with their
petrified bases and impressive spurs. In their powerful upward thrust, they
pull with them a whole mass of creeping vines, some straight, some twisted
or spiral-shaped. There is very little, if any, grass on the ground, for the
leafy canopy overhead does not let the sunlight through. This is a world of
peace and silence. Tourists may best enjoy this dense forest in the Tai
National Park, a 870,000 acre forest preserve, surely the finest in Cote
d'Ivoire. The rest of the region has been intensively developed since the port
of San Pedro opened in 1970. The park also shelters some specimens of tropical
fauna-elephants and especially monkeys, swinging from trees in their incessant
aerial ballet.

The New City of San Pedro

     With its never-ending carousel of trucks - laden with logs rushing toward
the harbor depot - its impressive, dizzying array of forklifts unloading four
or five logs at a time - its orderly grid of huge oil palm, rubber and coconut
plantations, San Pedro is a shining example of the rapid change occurring in
the southwest. Yesterday a small fishermen's village,  today the second
largest port in Cote d'Ivoire and a booming regional center with more than
50,000 inhabitants.

     San Pedro is a paramount case of voluntary development. But, it also
illustrates the national determination to control economic and natural
resources. Here, more than anywhere, visitors can assess the progress made
by a country whose development is seen as a miracle by foreign observers.
In 1969, a presidential decree set up the SDA (Southwest Development
Authority) to create a regional center for integrated development, and also
to modernize an underpopulated but resources-rich area.

... The Ivorian Frontier

     Preliminary studies had shown that the mouth of the San Pedro river,
sheltered by the tip of Cape Quiquerez, could be an ideal location for a
freshwater port. The river was subsequently driven to the east by a dike,
and man-made spurs also kept the port from silting up. Work was completed in
1971. The port of San Pedro, with a 900 acre water surface area, a 600,000
square foot log depot, a 900 foot long main pier, was able to receive its
first ship. From 71,000 tons in 1971, traffic has now increased to 162,000
tons. A modern city was built from scratch and linked to the interior by a
pave road. At the same time, the agricultural development of the surrounding
area was initiated.

     Both the region and the city are well worth a visit.

Heavenly Beaches

     From Cape Palmes to Fresco, the western coastline has a jagged pattern
due to stepwise geological faults leading to a series of coves and inlets.
Among these are the marvelous Grand-Bereby beach or the idyllic Monogaga cove,
surely the finest in Cote d'Ivoire and perhaps in Africa. Hundreds of smaller
inlets and capes have gradually formed sheltered beaches with very fine sand,
where swimming is safe. Visitors will be at a loss to choose among these, but
Grand-Bereby and especially Monogaga and Taki Point are a must.

     Thus, the western coast, long ago named by the Portuguese Costa de
Malagens, i.e. Coast of the Evil People, because of the hostility of a local
population, has now turned into a heavenly wilderness on its way to becoming
one of the highlights of the Ivorian resort trade. For a modest price,
connoisseurs may sample in San Pedro and Bereby, delicious crayfish which
are a local specialty.

Sassandra, The City That Will Not Die

     Sixty miles west of San Pedro, on the Sassandra river, is what used to be
a prosperous city and busy port for cargo and passenger ships. Now, all that
is left is the rusty hulk of the wharf, the closed doors of the
harbor-master's office and shipping companies' huge abandoned warehouses.

     The opening of San Pedro proved fatal to Sassandra, which was the major
southwestern outlet for decades. But the city refuses to die, and is about
to exploit to the fullest its touristic appeal. It does have growth potential
in this area. First, its location: an amphitheater leading to the east, toward
the mouth of the river, to a sleek peninsula that was naturally chosen as a
residential area by the colonial administrators.

     Second, to the west, in the scenic Guezego district, houses hang
miraculously on steep slopes. And further on, the Drewin plateau, overlooking
the ocean, is a splendid setting that was almost chosen in 1899 as the new
capital. Below the city, the jagged coastline harbors superb beaches; the best
known are Batelebre and Lateko, lying next to attractive fishermen's villages.

     Twenty-five miles east of Sassandra, Dagbego offers a magnificent lagoon,
Pauli-Plage is sheltered in a creek, and Gnega is taken over every weekend by
a host of Europeans from Abidjan or Sassandra. A visit to the Boubele fishing
center and camp ground is a must.

Tabou, in the Footsteps of the Ocean Nomads

     To the far Southwest, Tabou, formerly a great trading port, today a
sleepy subprefecture, is also a victim of San Pedro's success. But Tabou is
well worth a trip, for it is also the capital of the region and home of the
Krou, the famous Ocean Nomads featured by sociologist A. Schwartz in his well
known film.

     Drawn early on to the ocean, the Krou came to specialize in loading
logging ships. Commonly called "kakatois", they boarded these ships in Tabou
or Sassandra for months-long journeys to Pointe Noire in Congo or even
Capetown in South Africa. This seasonal work brought good income. Today,
converting the Krou to agriculture is quite a challenge; they still recall
with nostalgia their epic past at sea.

Soubre

     Seventy-five miles north of San Pedro, Soubre is a major crossroads and
an attractive tourist spot. Besides a well known local folklore, it offers the
Nawa Falls on the Sassandra river - without doubt the most impressive in Cote
d'Ivoire, and alone worth the trip. From Soubre, a tour to Buyo is a must, to
see the massive hydro-electric dam over the Sassandra river.