My biggest hope for this part of the journey is to push that crap out of my mind and replace it with something more like reality. Shabby but pleasant streets with a strong French look, due to the roundabouts, Mansard roofs and palm-lined boulevards. Part of the French legacy seems to be superb restaurants, which is surprising considering the apparently general level of poverty. Street crime is petty but pervasive, and numbers of our students have already been relieved of cash and portables. Apparently the boom of a few years ago stalled out, investors pulled out, the new skyline remains an empty promise, and here they are now just coping.
People are gentle, polite and very friendly.
All in all, it seems a reasonable idea for all concerned. But I'm uneasy here, and I can't put my finger on it. For me, the city is full of ghosts, too many ghosts. I admit I'm spooked by the old helicopters and tanks displayed in front of public buildings. And poverty aside, there's a sleazy feel to the city, only partly due to the ceaseless hustling and street crime.