I’ve been here too short a time to have anything meaningful to say, but here are some fleeting impressions.
One shop display included a Christmas crèche with fabulous ruby and diamond rings. This is not a scene that screams “communist country” to the casual visitor.
The street food is marvelous. Favorites so far: sticky rice buns topped in caramel, and small cupcake-shaped rice flour omelettes with shrimp.
Only two unpleasant experiences: the first a mysterious glutenous substance wrapped in a dozen banana leaves, where my best guess is shrimp paste in pork fat (not sure why I put that in my mouth); the second is a rice liquor marinated with snake that I assume is only consumed by moronic tourists and, I am told, Chinese men on their honeymoon.
There are innumerable clothing and houseware and scooter shops. While the literacy rate is 90%, I have yet to see a book store.
For someone who spends most of their time in Africa, it’s very unusual to see Western goods (particularly new clothes) three times cheaper than US prices rather than three times more expensive.
The scooter traffic more or less lives up to reputation. Why don’t we see more scooters in Africa? Probably low incomes and high transport costs and exorbitant import taxes. But I wonder if there’s a multiple equilibrium story here: you need a critical mass of scooters before it’s both affordable and safe.
In comparison to Uganda or Liberia, the agricultural productivity is overwhelming. I have hopes that Liberia can achieve something similar in future, but I am too untutored an agronomist to know whether that is possible.
10 Responses
what about Burkina Faso, they have lots of mopeds in ouaga
You can definitely see that scene in Cotonou. Motos are pretty much the only way to get around there (and Peace Corps volunteers are all issued helmets). Celebrating the Zemidjan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwy7YdfdobM
I was in Saigon in 2005, and it was nearly impossible to walk down the street without bumping into a street vendor hawking books. Lots of bookstores too, in both English and Vietnamese. I saw a lot less of that in Hanoi in 2008. Although how do you know the literacy rate is 90%?
And if you have not tried pho yet, a foolish mistake. If you have, and it not on your favorites list, then your food judgments must be forever counted unreliable.
Though I agree not approaching Vietnam, next time you’re in Cotonou make a comparison. I believe it is the only city in Africa which Peace Corps allows their volunteers to grab a ride (or this was the case a few years ago).
Another problem with large scale motorbike adoption is safety. In a lot of developing countries motorbikes aren’t so popular because a carjacking is that much easier when you can get shoved off your vehicle. In Vietnam the incidence of that type of crime is pretty low.
technically, most of the bikes on your pictures are underbones, not scooters. But I see what you mean.
It is an odd question to ask. After all, why should we see more scooters/underbones in Africa ? And why the reason should be economical and not a matter of taste (since there are, in some countries, plenty of motorbikes) ? They’re not more expensive, are they ?
It’s also an interesting question since I definetly remember seeing more underbones/scooters 10 or 20 years ago.
Oh there are motorbikes, but there is nothing like this : http://bit.ly/hSwb4G
“Why don’t we see more scooters in Africa? Probably low incomes and high transport costs and exorbitant import taxes. But I wonder if there’s a multiple equilibrium story here: you need a critical mass of scooters before it’s both affordable and safe.”
do you mean actual scooters or motorcycles in general ?
because:
http://www.guineeconakry.info/uploads/pics/motos.jpg
http://news.nigeriang.com/files/2010/08/Okada-in-the-heart-of-Lagos.jpg
http://www.journalducameroun.com/images/articles/3/1232110480511.jpg
http://www.journalducameroun.com/images/articles/3/1232110480511.jpg
http://sites.google.com/site/mimetmourtour/_/rsrc/1255033004599/cotonou/Cotonou_zem.jpg?height=315&width=420
My most lasting memory of Vietnam comes from the full day my girlfriend & I spent in Ham Ninh fishing village in Phu Quoc, after missing our boat off the island a year ago. The village is on the east side where all boats depart, while only the west side has been developed for tourists. We walked along the shore south of Ham Ninh for an hour, hoping to reconnect with nature, but all we found was the most depressing amount of garbage, garbage, garbage lining the coast. Back in the village, we stopped by an Internet cafe, and it was packed with rambunctious children playing the most colorful multi-user video games I’d ever seen. So the children may lack a clean beach nearby, but they do have far better video games than I ever had in my youth. I read a few tourists’ lamentations about the government’s long-term plans to develop the island, but the undeveloped area I explored was spoiled by human habitation a long time ago.
These are Saigon impressions, not Vietnam ones.
“Ruou ran” or sake with snake in it is consumed by Vietnamese men as well. It is for, you know, strength.
Looking forward to more meaningful postings after you have been there a while …