So I haven't blogged during the last week (although I've been taking many photos) because I've been busy settling in to Abengourou, the capital of the Moyen-Comoé region located about 200km north east of Abidjan. I arrived last Monday to replace a colleague who left yesterday and these first few days have been pretty hectic. I've helping her pack up her house (which I'm taking over), doing the office handover and getting to know the new colleagues (and nearly getting poisoned by a fumigation team that showed up without warning), shopping at the market and at the Ghanaian border (about 20km away) for pillows, bedsheets and a bunch of other random house things I needed, being introduced to every single expat in the area (all ten of them), making an appointment to meet the local king, and trying to get used to being one of two white people in the city.

The sizable Lebanese community meets every evening at the sports club to play a daily volleyball match, and of course they've been trying to convince me to join me, but I feel more inclined to tennis - if I had brought my tennis racket, that is. Who would have thought there were tennis courts in Abengourou? Actually, there's even a pool and an Alliance Française branch with a well-assorted library and outdoor restaurant. Oh, but my favorite attraction so far has been the Obama maquis, which is a popular local type of outdoor bar with local food.

As you can see, life is very hard in Abengourou. I even have decently fast internet at home!

My new home, surrounded by mango trees.