Finally arrived in Abidjan

Hello everybody,

I am finally arrived in Abidjan, thanks God!

So i left the Hague on Sunday midday and arrived in Paris sunday eve. By the time we finished to take out my TONES of boxes out of the car was already 10pm. Then of course I added more things in my lugguages, went to bed around 2am and my flight to Adijan was the day after at 1.35pm.

So we left the house quite early on monday in order to be in advance at the airport. I arrived there it was packed. When I arrived at the check in desk the lady told me that there was not enough seats for everybody so I was on the waiting list. I tried to explain to her that I could not miss the flight because I was starting a new job ect...She did not want to listen anything a bit like the Dutch when they told you "This is not possible"!!! You know what I mean. Anyways then she asked for my visa I did not have one but I had the letter from the UN saying that they should facilitate my entry in Ivory Coast ect....Once she saw the letter(Diplomatic passport guys Doreen, Bea did you remember EU passeport and others) as a coincidence she told after having paid your fine (Yeah you were right Emily I had too much things!!!! Should not have taken the stiletos you were right Nicole!) because I had too much kilos. I thought everything will be right after that but not really. So I paid ect the time of the flight departure was pretty close. When I passed the second gate they did not want to let me in because I had too much hand lugguage. I really have to learn how to travel light! Anyways so i had an argument with them and the time was just running they finally let me in. I was running up and down in CDG airport in order to go on the plane. I finally got in the plane at the time it was suposed to take off. I was lucky because there were too many hand lugguages in the plane so the Air France personnel had to put them in the truck of the plane. It took almost two hours....

The flight was generally good, nice meal, nice movie PERFECT!

When we arrived in Abidjan it was fine. I could not find the people from the mission to welcome me so I asked the information desk to make an announcement with the microphone. Dramane pick me up, went for dinner and took me to the hotel. And what I did appreciate a lot he had already bought me a sim card. You know how I am with my phone and C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N!!!!!! Unfortunately I have forgotten my charger, today Dramane brought to the market and of course I bought a charger!!! Cannot stay out of reach lol!

Today was my first day so i basically did the check in, running up and down from one office to another. I had lunch with a former colleague from ICC Christian was nice to see a familiar face indeed.

I met my team in the atfernoon, everybody is just as nice as the ICC DRC team! I still do not know where i will be based but I should know in the following hours or days....

The weather is hot and kind of humid, there is no much sun actually. The city seems nice, people are happy, I cannot feel any tension at all!

We will see how it will be in the next days I am generally pretty happy to be here. Of course I miss you guys but for sure we will meet...

Take care, lots of hugs

fatou xxx