Ivory Coast: Yamoussoukro – Crocodile Pool
Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who governed Ivory Coast for 33 years, chose the very middle of the country for his showpiece capital – Yamoussoukro. A lavish presidential palace was built and surrounded with a sparkling pool that was populated with crocodiles, supposedly sacred. In 1994, the President was buried inside the palace grounds, guarded by the lake and the city’s sacred crocs. The palace is not open for visitors, but you can roam around the lake and check out the crocodiles, some of them truly humongous, sunning themselves on the banks with wide open jaws.
