I spent a month exploring all over the Ivory Coast, driving my own 4x4 [1]. When I give talks about my 3 years driving right around Africa I use Ivory Coast as

I spent a month exploring all over the Ivory Coast, driving my own 4x4 [1]. When I give talks about my 3 years driving right around Africa I use Ivory Coast as the example of road conditions. A road where trucks were stuck for two weeks [2], potholes and broken pavement so bad I was in first gear for days, and then some of the best freeways on the entire continent. All in the same country, sometimes only hours apart. The story of the The Basilica of Yamoussoukro [3] is insane. It's the world's biggest Catholic monument, costing around $600 million USD. The final cost doubled Ivory Coast’s national debt. Seriously. Before the Pope would sanction such a thing, he insisted a hospital also be built to help the citizens of the country. Strangely enough after the Pope visited the Basilica and gave his blessing, the hospital was never finished, and still sits half finished, closed. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUGJLcHUDEg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUGJLcHUDEg [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z740focQL4U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z740focQL4U [3] http://theroadchoseme.com/the-basilica-of-yamoussoukro http://theroadchoseme.com/the-basilica-of-yamoussoukro