THE CHEAP, THE EXPENSIVE AND THE MORE EXPENSIVE

According to an article from the French Libération, Libreville occupies a respectable 13th position on the list of the most expensive cities in the world (which evaluates the cost of life for expatriates). It is worth noting, that it is also the second most pricey ville in Africa, with only the notorious Luanda surpassing it, classified on position number 3. Believe it or not, this means that Libreville is more expensive than Paris, Helsinki or London. Today I will give you an idea of what it means.

Eat up!
Every week we spend more or less 100 000 CFA (around 150 euro) on... food. And no, we don't usually have caviar for starters and lobster for main course. Here is more or less what we buy:

• yoghurts: I must admit I go a bit over the line here; I insist on getting real brand European yoghurts, as I find the local ones inedible; price: 4000 CFA (6 euro) for a pack of four;
• meat: two steaks cost around 5000 CFA (7,5 euro);
• wine: usually a couple of bottles, a bit under 6000 CFA (9 euro) each;
• Spanish ham (oh yes, you can find your jamón serrano - if you know where to look!): 15000 CFA (22,5 euro) per kilo, we tend to buy 300 grams every week;
• cheese: there is a wide selection of French cheese available in two of the three supermarkets, and we might spend 5000 - 6000 CFA (7,5 - 9 euro) on our luxury fromage;
• bread: we buy three loaves a week and freeze them (note: very difficult to find bread made of anything more that air...); price: 1500 CFA ( per 2,25 euro) per loaf;
• fruit and vegetables: we buy from our favourite fruit stands and we generally spend around 12000 CFA (18 euro) a week;
• biscuits and other things to nibble: maybe around 4000 CFA (6 euro);

Not to mention what you don't buy every week: jam, nutella, pasta, rice, olive oil, juice, etc. On the other hand, we drink tap water, which makes things slightly cheaper for us.

Stay fit!
Detached as we are from our cultures and previous lives, we must be very careful to stay fit, both in our heads and physically - although I strongly believe that the two are related. To drive away mood swings and sullen thoughts, you do sports, lots of sports (are you appreciating who this is coming from? The girl who would always skip her P.E. classes?), which also helps you keep malaria and other nasty stuff at bay. The cheapest way to stay fit is to go running at the beach, which is always full of happy joggers, Gabonese and whites (the former tend to wear raincoats - hood included - in order to sweat better!). Unfortunately, due to my asthma I can't really jog: after a few minutes I'm out of breath (even though I'm in really good shape) and that always results in a small asthma crisis. Instead, I take classes. Step, tae bo, bosu and other funny words have come to structure my week. However, to enjoy all these fabulous activities, I have no choice but to pay a monthly fee of... 50000 CFA, which amounts to no less than 75 euro (swimming pool not included and costing 20000 CFA or 30 euro). And this is the cheapest gym in town.

Voyage, voyage...
Yes, being in Africa makes you want to travel the whole time. There is always somebody recommending a new amazing place to go, and no matter how much you travel, you constantly feel that you're missing out. As I have already told you, visiting places in Gabon is anything but cheap and simple. Most of our trips cost between 200000 and 300000 CFA (300 to 450 euro) per person for 3 to 5 days, of which you usually spend two in a plane/train/boat. Luckily, the boat trip to Pointe Denis on the other side of the Estuary is only 10000 CFA (15 euro), which is a decent European price.

Cheaper
Luckily, not everything is extremely expensive in Gabon. Here's a quick list of my favourite cheap pleasures:

• having clothes made to measure: fabric for three shirts costs 4000 CFA (6 euros) and a shirt is 5000 CFA (7,5 euro);
  
• a coconut bought at the beach: 300 CFA (0,45 euro);
• Gabonese lunch at a local restaurant: 2500 CFA (3,75 euro) per person, including drinks;
• basic fare for a taxi ride: 100 CFA (0,15 euro);
• tickets to CCF: if it's not free, you might pay between 2000 and 4000 CFA (3 to 4,5 euro) for a concert/film/spectacle;

And then the cheapest and most rewarding thing of all: the closeness of nature, the possibility to spend the day hiking in the jungle or swimming in the ocean, the picnics and deserted beaches, the sounds of the forest... An amazing, relaxing package, available all year long, and free.

The picture comes from here.