Who knew that I’d be chasing down all the “Paris’” of the world and does this mean that I will undoubtedly have to visit Paris, Ohio someday? (to my knowledge no one is calling it the Paris of North America regardless of its given name, so maybe I’m in the clear)
Well, it’s official, Argentina can wipe its tears, Eva may have left but I’m a comin’ Whoo Hoo!
With 48 barrios (different neighborhoods) and over 13 million inhabitants, well, it should make for a great challenge. With a quick plucking of internet information I’m left knowing that going from Ca to BA is one thing, transitioning from Abidjan to BA will be quite another. According to Wiki ‘In a survey by the travel and tourism publication Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2008, travelers voted Buenos Aires the second most desirable city to visit after Florence, Italy.’ (my “to do and see list” is already over a page… :))) Cote d’Ivoire wasn’t on Travel + Leisure’s list – yet it landed seat #8 on the Foreign Policy 2008 Failed State Index Foreign Policy 2008 Failed State Index (Notably beat out by places like Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, among others). However it does seems there may be some special similarities – namely, ‘Buenos Aires was affected for several years by an acute coin shortage that impacted the economy, banking, and transportation. Coins are still rationed by banks, and a thriving black market has been hoarding to sell coins illegally to retailers. Merchants have been rounding prices up or down according to the amount of change a customer actually has, or bartering, and making up the difference with a menial item. (In Cd’I this means I’ve ended up with a rather large match box collection from the grocery store, at least at the produce market I just get some free papayas.)
But not to worry, for those of you who have been dying to come to West Africa, you’ve still got time – though you’ll have to scratch Conakry and Timbuktu off your list for now.. sorry, I know.. maybe next time.
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