Maradi Nigeriya bilan janubiy chegaraning ozgina qismini, to'g'ridan-to'g'ri Kano va Katsina shaharlarining shimolida joylashgan Nigeriya Respublikasida xuddi shu nom bilan mintaqaning poytaxti. Shahar ("Maradi-ville", ba'zan Nigeriyada odamlar aytganidek) katta - siz kimning raqamidan foydalanganingizga qarab, mamlakatda ikkinchi yoki uchinchi o'rinda turadi. 2012 yilda bu erda taxminan 267 ming kishi istiqomat qilgan. Shuningdek, u Nigerning iqtisodiy jihatdan gullab-yashnagan shaharlaridan biridir.
Tushuning
Maradi viloyati juda serhosil erlardan bahramand bo'lib, mintaqa yerfıstığı, er yong'oqlari va chorvachiligi, shuningdek, tariq va jo'xori nigeriyalik asosiy oziq-ovqat mahsulotlari bilan mashhur. Shahar shuningdek, pishirish moyi, polietilen paketlar va zambil ishlab chiqaradigan fabrikalardan va mamlakatning sharqdan g'arbiy magistraligacha va Nigeriyaga janubga boradigan asosiy yo'l bo'ylab strategik joylashuvidan ham foyda ko'radi. Natijada, Maradi dunyoning eng qashshoq davlatlaridan biri uchun g'ayritabiiy darajada kuchli iqtisodiyotga ega va mehmonlar shaharning keng bozor hududida yurib, yarim o'nlab G'arbdan yuk mashinalari atrofida yurib, o'zlarini "boom shaharchasi" kabi his qilishlari mumkin. Afrika davlatlari va tez yuradigan mototsikllar to'dasidan qochish uchun sakrab tushmoqdalar. Agar Maradi Nigerning Nyu-Yorki bo'lmasa, u albatta Nigerning Xyustonidir.
Maradining tijorat va sanoat identifikatori aksariyat sayyohlar uchun biroz kamroq bo'ladi va shaharda va mintaqada sayohatchilar obodonlashtiradigan ko'plab mahalliy diqqatga sazovor joylar mavjud bo'lsa-da, bu diqqatga sazovor joylarni "qadrli" deb biladiganlar kam. sayohat '(Niameydan qo'pol yo'llarda avtobusda 8-10 soat). Bundan tashqari, Maradi xalqaro rivojlanish agentliklari butun Nigerda bo'lgani kabi mashhur bo'lsa-da, shaharda joylashgan chet ellik yordamchilar soni Niamey yoki Zindernikiga qaraganda ancha kam va ularning borligi juda kam aniqlangan. Natijada, chet elliklar shaharni ziyorat qilish Niamey, Agadez yoki Zinder kabi joylarga qaraganda ancha qiyinlashishi mumkin. Buning sababi, aholining do'stona munosabati emas - ular, umuman olganda, xushmuomalalik bilan kutib olayotgan odamlar "nassaru" bilan suhbatlashishdan xursandlar (ochiq rangli odamlar, siz bu erda tez-tez tashrif buyurganingizda). Muammo shundaki, shahar boshqa shaharlarga qaraganda kamroq sayyohlik infratuzilmasiga ega - siz Maradida o'z xizmatlarini sotadigan "yo'riqchilarni" topa olmaysiz va xizmat ko'rsatuvchi provayderlarga (ayniqsa, restoran va taksiklarda) duch kelasiz t frantsuzcha gapirish. Biroq, jasur sayohatchilar (yoki hatto bir kecha-kunduz shaharda qolib ketganlar) Maradiga jonli va umuman yoqimli joyni topishadi.
Chiqinglar
Maradi 1-chi milliy marshrutda, Niamey va butun mamlakatning janubi-sharqiy o'rtasidagi magistral yo'l (Birnin Konni, Zinder va Diffa shaharlarini ham o'z ichiga oladi va Agadezdan tashqari, mamlakatning har qanday ma'muriy hududidan o'tadi). Shuningdek, bu mintaqaning transport markazidir. Bu Maradini Nigerning har qanday shahri kabi sayohat qilishni oson va sodda qiladi.
Samolyotda
Maradida ishlaydigan aeroport mavjud, ammo mamlakat milliy aviakompaniyasi endi ishlamaydi. Aeroportga olib boriladigan transport vositalarining katta qismi hukumat yoki harbiy kuchlarga tegishli (Nigeriya-AQSh qo'shma harbiy mashg'ulotlari paytida aeroport haqiqatan ham jonli bo'lib qoldi). Agar sizda aloqalar mavjud bo'lsa, BMT va ba'zi boshqa rivojlanish tashkilotlari Maradida vaqti-vaqti bilan qo'ng'iroq qiladigan samolyotlarni boshqaradilar; Siz .. qila olasiz; siz ... mumkin ba'zan ushbu samolyotlardan birida joy sotib oling, garchi bu har bir tashkilotda va hattoki har bir menejerda farq qilishi mumkin bo'lsa ham, parvozning rejalashtirilgan foydali yukini hisobga olmaganda, shuning uchun unga ishonmang. Agar siz uni silkitib qo'ysangiz, sayohatni eng tezkor, eng qulay tarzda amalga oshirishda siz hasad qilgan tajribaga ega bo'lasiz.
Poyezdda
Maradiga poezdda kirish imkoni yo'q. Eng yaqin temir yo'l Nigeriyaning Kano shahrida bo'lishi mumkin (taxminan 180 km janubda).
Mashinada
Maradi Milliy marshrut 1, Nigerning janubiy magistral magistrali va shaharning janubidan Madaroundfa shahri orqali Nigeriyaga oqib o'tuvchi Kano tomon yo'l olgan Milliy 9-marshrut chorrahasida o'tiradi. 1-milliy marshrutda yaxshi xizmat ko'rsatadigan avtoulov bilan sayohat Niameydan taxminan 8 soat uzoqlikda bo'lishi mumkin (bir qator omillarga, shu jumladan, yil vaqti, ob-havo va asta-sekin yurib boradigan katta avtomobillarni ta'mirlash loyihasi holatiga bog'liq). Tahoua va Dosso mintaqalari) va Zinderdan 2½ soat. N.R. 1 shaharni shimolga etaklaydi; o'chirish har ikki yo'nalishda ham aniq belgilanadi (lekin juda yomon tartibga solingan; sekin harakatlaning va har tomondan kelayotgan yuk mashinalari, mototsikllar, velosipedlar va eshak aravalarini tomosha qiling). Ushbu o'chirish sizni shahar markaziga olib boradigan asosiy ko'chaga olib boradi. 9-milliy marshrut yanada ravshanroq; janubdan shaharga etib borasiz va o'zingizni katta ko'chada topasiz.
Avtomobillarni ijaraga olish faqat Niameyda mumkin. Bu qimmat. Avtoulovlarni haydovchilari bilan aksariyat yirik shaharlarda, shu jumladan Niamey va Maradida yollash mumkin; avtoulov uchun ijara haqi biroz arzonroq, garchi siz hali ham benzin uchun kancada qolsangiz, shuningdek, haydovchining kunlik nafaqasi va parvarishi uchun. Umumiy qoida bo'yicha, siz olishingiz mumkin bo'lgan avtomobilning sifati siz olgan kapitaldan uzoqlashib boradi. Baribir haydovchini mashina bilan yollash tavsiya etiladi - Nigerda yo'l harakati qoidalari alohida (har qanday chet elda bo'lgani kabi), politsiya va soliq punktlari tarmog'ini tushunish juda qiyin bo'lishi mumkin. Qolaversa, siz baxtsiz hodisa yuz berganda, albatta, rulda o'tirishni xohlamaysiz. Nigeriya politsiyachilari odatda tushunarli, ammo juda byurokratikdir, shuning uchun siz qancha vaqt ketmasin, har bir "t" ning kesib o'tilganligi va har bir "i" ning hisobotda ekanligiga ishonch hosil qilishingiz uchun ularga ishonishingiz mumkin. Bundan tashqari, siz bilan muammoga duch kelgan odam sizni pulga ega bo'lgan chet ellik deb tan oladi va siz ularning ishi qanchalik aniq bo'lsa ham, sud jarayonida sizga rahm-shafqat ko'rsatmaydi deb kutishingiz mumkin.
Avtobusda
Nigerning barcha asosiy avtobus yo'nalishlari Maradiga kuniga bir yoki ikkita ketish va bir yoki ikkita kelish bilan xizmat qiladi. Chipta narxi taxminan 20 AQSh dollaridan iborat Niamey. Ushbu avtobuslar juda tezkor, ishonchli va o'z vaqtida (hech bo'lmaganda kelib chiqish joyidan chiqib ketishda). Ular unchalik noqulay emaslar, va sizning chiptangiz sizga bitta o'rindiqni sotib oladi, barchasi o'zingiznikidir, shuning uchun byudjetga sayohat qilishning yo'li. Aytish kerakki, ushbu avtobuslarning bir nechtasida gapirish uchun qulayliklar mavjud; qattiq o'rindiqlar, issiqlik, to'xtatib turishning etishmasligi va boshqa xorliklar bilan sayohat hali ham shafqatsiz bo'lishi mumkin va siz yomon kunlarda suvsizlanib, charchagan va jismonan azob chekayotgan avtobusdan tushishingiz mumkin. Oziq-ovqatlarni yo'l bo'ylab bir oz muntazam ravishda joylashgan yarim o'nlab yirik stantsiyalardan sotib olish mumkin (va ba'zi bir bezovta qiluvchi hammomlarga kirish mumkin). ob-havo va mavsum kabi omillarga qarab, Niameyga sayohat 8-11 soat davom etishi mumkin. Xuddi shu avtobuslar tarmog'i sizni to'g'ridan-to'g'ri olib borishi mumkin Dosso, Konniva Zinder, ko'plab kichik shaharlar orasida va bir kecha-kunduz to'xtash joyi bilan borishingiz mumkin Tahoua, Agadez, Gayava Diffa. Ko'pgina kompaniyalar, shu jumladan, yo'nalishlarga xalqaro xizmatni taklif qilishadi Benin, Bormoqva Burkina-Faso. Kreslolar chiptaga ega bo'lib, ular birinchi kelganlar va birinchi xizmatda; avtobus ketishi oldidan bekatga kelib, chiptangizni olishingizga garov tikmang. Sizning chiptangiz bagajni ham qoplaydi; kompaniya sizdan ortiqcha yuk uchun to'lashingizni so'rashi mumkin, ammo odatda bu sayohatchiga tegishli bo'lgan narsalardan tashqarida. Biron bir joylashtirilgan yukga yumshoq muomala qilishini kutmang.
Maradiga xizmat ko'rsatadigan avtobus liniyalariga SNTV (milliy transport kompaniyasi), Aïr Transport (bu "ay-yeer", shimoliy cho'lning nomi, osmon kabi "havo" emas), Azawad, EHGM, RTV (aka "Rimbo") kiradi. Transport ") va Sonitrav. Avtobus kompaniyalari tez-tez kelib turadi va ketadi, shuning uchun u erga etib borganingizda tekshiring. Turli xil kompaniyalarni ajratish uchun juda ko'p narsa yo'q; ularning narxi va jadvallari asosan bir xil. Rimbo (RTV) yomon xavfsizlik ko'rsatkichi bilan hukumat bilan muammoga duch keldi, ammo har bir kompaniyada vaqti-vaqti bilan baxtsiz hodisalar ro'y beradi (yaxshi xabar, aksincha, sayohatchiga avtobus yo'lda eng katta narsa bo'lishi mumkin; aksariyat Nigeriyalik avtobuslarda siz avtobusda bo'lganingizdan ko'ra yaxshiroq bo'lganingiz yaxshi). SNTV-da konditsioner, to'xtatib turish imkoniyati yaxshiroq bo'lgan va video pleyerlarga ega bo'lgan bir nechta zamonaviy avtobuslar mavjud (garchi bu o'yinchilar ko'pincha 20 yoshli kung-fu filmlarini va ba'zi dahshatli musiqiy videolarni o'ynash uchun foydalanilsa ham, bu baraka bo'ladimi yoki yo'qmi? munozara uchun la'nat ochiq). Shunday qilib, bekatga qulaylik asosida avtobusingizni tanlashda siz to'liq aqlga egasiz. Maradida avtobuslar katta ko'chada yurib ketgan; EHGM shimolda, SNTV va Azawad markazda, bozor yaqinida, RTV, Sonitrav va Ayr janubda.
Bush taksisi bilan
Bush taksilari - Nigerning aksariyat qismi uchun markaziy transport vositasi, Maradi esa mintaqaning buta taksisi hisoblanadi. Agar siz Maradi mintaqasida yoki Nigeriyadan sayohat qilsangiz, bu ko'pincha sizning yagona tanlovingiz; buta taksilari mintaqaning qolgan qismida shahar ichidagi bir nechta joylarga etib boradi va jo'nab ketadi, ularning narxi mintaqa uchun 200-1500 FCFA gacha.
Agar siz Nigerning boshqa mintaqalaridan sayohat qilsangiz, avtobuslar arzonroq va tezroq, qulay, ishonchli va xavfsizroq bo'lishning qo'shimcha afzalliklariga ega. Agar siz Nigerda sayohat qilganingizni kitobga aylantirishni rejalashtirmoqchi bo'lsangiz va bu safarni buta taksisi bilan amalga oshirishga harakat qilgandan ko'ra, eng dahshatli voqealarni xohlasangiz. Niameydan bu 24 soat davom etishi mumkin va mish-mishlarga ko'ra, sizga 30-60 AQSh dollari turadi, yo'l davomida bir nechta joylarda uzoq to'xtashlar va eski yo'riqnoma bu jarayonni talab qilayotgan deb ta'riflaganda yaxshiroq aytgan bo'lishi mumkin. Mohandas Gandi bilan teng darajada sabr-toqat darajasi. Agar sizning o'rtamiyona do'stlaringiz bo'lsa, ular bor joyda siz barda o'tirgan joyingizni saqlab qolishadi.
Agar siz Kano yoki Katsinadan kelgan bo'lsangiz, ehtimol siz buta taksisi bilan yurishingizga to'g'ri keladi; hech qanday Nigeriyalik avtobus kompaniyalari, hech bo'lmaganda, Kano yoki Nigeriyaning boshqa shaharlariga xizmat ko'rsatmaydi. Chegarani kesib o'tishni hisoblab, 8 yoki 10 soat davom etishini kuting (ECOWAS mamlakatlari fuqarolari chegarani kesib o'tishlari uchun hujjatlarga muhtoj emaslar, ammo g'arbliklar kerak bo'ladi; sizning rasmiy sayohatingizdan o'tishingizni kutishga tayyor ekanligingizga ishonmang. , shuning uchun haydovchi bilan tushunishingizga ishonch hosil qiling yoki sumkalaringizni olib keling). Xarajatlar va xavflar noma'lum; boshqa narsalar qatori, chegara o'z-o'zidan yopilgan va hech bo'lmaganda ikki marta ogohlantirilmagan va kechqurun har doim yopiq bo'ladi.
Qayiqda
Mayning oxiri yoki iyun oyining boshlarida shaharning janubida mavsumiy daryo paydo bo'lib, ehtimol oktyabrgacha oqadi va ba'zi olis joylarda parom sifatida ishlatilgan kanopedan kanoatlar topishingiz mumkin. Bu erda daryo bo'yida muntazam xizmat ko'rsatilmaydi yoki sayyohlarga sotiladigan kanoe suzishlari mavjud emas. Qanday bo'lmasin, bu shaharga sayohat qilishning haqiqiy usuli emas.
Atrofga boring
Maradi - sayohat qilish oson shahar. Shahar markazi noma'lum ko'chalarning jaziramasi va notekis holatiga bardosh berishni xohlasangiz, juda yaxshi yurish mumkin. Kam sonli ko'chalar nomlanadi va hatto ular bo'lmagan taqdirda ham, ularni hech kim bilmaydi (va ulardagi uy raqamlari aniq emas). Taksida ketayotganingizda yoki yo'l so'raganingizda, konventsiya siz boradigan joy yaqinidagi diqqatga sazovor joyni nomlashingizdir. Har bir haydovchining diqqatga sazovor joylarni ro'yxatlashi biroz boshqacha bo'lib, u siz boshqaradigan joyni siz yoki sizning yo'riqnomangiz deb ataganidan boshqacha (yoki boshqa tilda) deb atashi mumkin. Ularning aksariyati madaniy joylar, yirik davlat idoralari, mehmonxonalar, bozorlar va yirik do'konlarning nomlari, avtovokzallar, mashhur bar va restoranlarning nomlarini bilishadi. Agar siz kimdir bilan uchrashish uchun oldindan kelishib olsangiz, partiyangizdan taksiga u erga borish uchun nima deyishlarini so'rashni o'ylashingiz mumkin. Agar siz qayerga ketayotganingizni bilsangiz va yaxshi muloqot qilsangiz, siz navbatma-navbat ko'rsatmalar ham berishingiz mumkin (eng yaqin belgiga etib borganingizdek); shuni bilingki, bu haydovchining qayerga borishini oldindan bilmaganligi sababli narxni kutilmagan tarzda ko'tarish uchun katta bo'shliq (ehtimol halol bo'lishi mumkin).
Taksida
Taksilar kun davomida ko'chalarda bir necha marotaba sayr qiladilar; ular quyosh botganidan keyin, hatto tungi hayotning asosiy vaqtida ham kam bo'lib qolishi mumkin. Taksilar yo'q va agar siz uzoqroq joyda bo'lsangiz yoki kechikib kelsangiz, taksi haydovchisidan uyga telefon raqamini so'rashingiz, qabul qilish uchun qo'ng'iroq qilishingiz yoki kutib olish vaqtini belgilashingiz umuman ma'qul. Buning uchun haydovchi ozgina haq talab qilishi mumkin, ammo ko'pchilik buni talab qilmaydi, ayniqsa sizning guruhingiz bo'lsa.
Nigerning hamma joylarida bo'lgani kabi, Maradidagi taksilar ham birgalikda bo'lishadi; qonuniy ravishda, haydovchi turli xil yo'nalishlarga ega bo'lishi mumkin bo'lgan to'rtta yo'lovchini olib ketishi mumkin. Ehtimol siz beshta yoki oltitani olib ketishingiz mumkin, ayniqsa ularning ba'zilari bolalar bo'lsa, lekin bu haqiqatan ham siz uchun muammo tug'dira boshlasa va sizni "huquqli oq odam" deb o'ylashingizga qarshi emassiz. , - gapira olasiz. Taksini haydash uchun yo'lning chetida turing va qo'lingizni ushlang; aksariyat nigeriyaliklar uni er bilan bir tekis ushlab turishadi, qo'llarini bilagidan osib qo'yishadi va imo-ishora qiladilar. Odatda amerika uslubidagi taksi do'li ham ishlaydi. Haydovchi sekinlashadi; unga qayerga ketayotganingizni ayting va u yaxshi demaguncha kirmang. U boshqa yo'lovchilarga ega bo'lishi mumkin va sizning manzilingiz siz boradigan yo'nalishda bo'lmasligi mumkin; bu sodir bo'ladi va bu shaxsiy narsa emas. Nigerdagi taksilar safari "kurslar" bo'yicha hisoblanadi, ya'ni bitta kurs, ikkita kurs va boshqalar. Har bir kurs 200 FCFA turadi. Maradida siz "bitta yo'lni" tozalash uchun shaharning bir chekkasidan u boshiga borishingiz yoki uni butunlay tark etishingiz kerak bo'ladi. Ko'pgina shaharlarda bo'lgani kabi, haydovchi sizdan ko'proq haq oladigan bo'lsa, odob-axloq qoidalari, u sizni olib ketayotganda aytadi. Agar u minib chiqqaningizdan so'ng, u sizning ustingizga bersa, siz norozilik huquqiga egasiz. Uning narxi ham qonuniy ravishda 200 funktsiyasi bo'lishi kerak; aytganda, siz tez-tez bu erda siz bilan murosa sifatida keltirilgan 300-FCFA to'lovini olasiz; bunga rozi bo'lish umuman yaxshi.
Taksi haydovchilari ko'proq samimiy, halolroq va Maradida sizni afzal ko'rishga urinish ehtimoli kamroq, Niameyga qaraganda. Niameydan farqli o'laroq, siz yaxshi bilmasangiz, aksariyat haydovchilar sizga munosib narx berishadi deb o'ylashingiz mumkin.
Mototsikl-taksilar tomonidan
Agar sizga hayotingizda bir oz ko'proq hayajon kerak bo'lsa (yoki 10 sentni tejashga intilayotgan bo'lsangiz), siz mototsikl-taksida (kabu-kabu deb nomlangan) o'tirishingiz mumkin. Bu kulgili bo'lishi mumkin, lekin shunchaki osongina soch turishi mumkin. Maradidagi ko'plab kabu-kabuslar - bu 50 funtlik Xitoy motorli skuterlari, faqat bitta o'rindiqli, siz tirbandlik paytida qamchi urayotganingizda haydovchi bilan yaqin aloqada bo'lishingizga umidsiz qolasiz. Professional kabu haydovchilarida haqiqiy yo'lovchi maydoni bo'lgan haqiqiy mototsikllar mavjud, ammo Zinder kabi joylardan farqli o'laroq, Maradidagi litsenziyalar ehtiyotkorlik bilan nazorat qilinmaydi va shuning uchun siz ko'plab havaskorlarga ega bo'lasiz; bundan ham yomoni, mutaxassislar Zinderdagidek bir xil formada emaslar va shuning uchun hamisha farqni farqlay olmaysiz. Yuqorida siz faqat yo'lovchisiz va shuning uchun har safar to'g'ri manzilingizga borasiz. Yaxshisi, siz ko'chaning har bir burchagida zerikkan kabu-kabu haydovchilarining klasterini topishingiz mumkin va hatto taksilar yo'q bo'lib ketgan tunning toq soatlarida ham topishingiz mumkin. Kabu-kabu safari 150 FCFA dan boshlanadi; agar siz biron bir masofani bosib o'tsangiz, bu narx taksiga qaraganda tezroq va asta-sekin o'sib boradi, shuning uchun ikkalasi o'rta masofalarda deyarli bir xil bo'ladi va agar siz uzoqroq yo'lga borsangiz taksi arzonroq. Haydovchida, ehtimol, dubulg'a yo'q va albatta siz uchun dubulg'a bo'lmaydi.
Qarang
- 1 Grand Marché. Grand Marché (Katta bozor) shahar markazida ikki blokli maydonni egallaydi; Bu eshik bilan o'ralgan devor bilan o'ralgan joy, shuning uchun uni ko'chadan tanimasligingiz mumkin. Ko'pgina bozorlardan farqli o'laroq, bu erda haftaning har kuni hayot mavjud, ammo tijorat butun shon-shuhrat bilan atrofga tarqalib ketayotganida uyushtirilgan tartibsizlikni ko'rish uchun siz dushanba va juma kunlari bozor kunlari borishingiz kerak. Bozorning asosiy diqqatga sazovor joylari, ehtimol bu narsaning tomoshasi; Bu mahalliy aholi xarid qilish uchun boradigan joy, shuning uchun siz sotib olishni xohlagan narsangizni ko'rmaysiz (garchi siz uni sotishdan xursand bo'ladigan ko'plab odamlarga duch kelsangiz). Yaxshi istisnolardan biri bu an'anaviy jozibali va sehrli vositalarni sotadigan bir nechta savdogarlar bilan bir burchakdir (kimdirdan so'rang) magani yoki an'anaviy tibbiyot); siz ulardan bir necha turdagi sehrli joziba va an'anaviy zargarlik buyumlarini olishingiz mumkin, bu millar va millarcha boncuklar haqida emas. Ular odatda juda arzon va bir tonna pulga ega bo'lmasdan savdolashish qobiliyatingizni amalga oshirish uchun ajoyib imkoniyatdir, garchi ko'plab savdogarlar frantsuz tilida gaplashmasalar ham. Siz u erda bo'lganingizda, shuningdek, bir oz vaqt sarflab, an'anaviy dori-darmonlar va davolash vositalarini yig'ib oling. Agar siz sehr-joduingizni tarashni rejalashtirmoqchi bo'lsangiz, uyum va o'simliklar uyumlari orasida kirpi kvilinglari, xameleyon dumlari va hatto quritilgan maymun boshlari kabi narsalarni topishingiz mumkin. Ular hayajonli sovg'alar qilishlari mumkin, ammo ularning taxmin qilinganidan ancha qimmat ekanligi va ularning deyarli hech birini qonuniy ravishda AQSh yoki Evropaning aksariyat mamlakatlariga olib kelishingiz mumkinligi haqida ogohlantiring.
- 2 Sulton saroyi. Maradi shahri uchun an'anaviy boshliq shaharning g'arbiy qismida joylashgan ulkan maydonchadagi ta'sirchan saroyda yashaydi. Saroy tashqi tomondan ingl. Boshliqning saroyi aslida uning oilasining shaxsiy uyi va u sud o'tkazadigan joy, shuning uchun u sayyohlar uchun ochiq emas. Ammo, mish-mishlarga ko'ra, u chet elliklar bilan uchrashishni yaxshi ko'radi, shuning uchun siz uning sud zalida yoki turda yoki shaxsiy auditoriyada bo'lishini tomosha qilishingiz mumkin. Sovg'a (pul yoki kola yong'og'i kabi an'anaviy sovg'a) g'ildiraklarni moylashi mumkin. Hatto kirsangiz ham, qulay stulga ko'rsatilishini kuting va bir oz kutib turing (bu siz tayinlangan taqdirda ham); siz borishga harakat qilishdan oldin Hausa an'anaviy boshlig'i bilan uchrashish uchun sizga odob-axloq qoidalarini beradigan odam topishni jiddiy o'ylashingiz kerak.
- 3 Hunarmandlar markazi. Hunarmandlar markazi shaharning shimolida joylashgan bo'lib, u asosan Tuareg temirchilari, zargarlari va charm ishchilaridan iborat do'stona kollektsiya uchun ish joyi, shuningdek o'z mollarini sotadigan do'kon hisoblanadi. Do'konda tanlov boshqa joylarda mavjud bo'lganlarga qaraganda unchalik xilma-xil emas, chunki Maradi na Tuareg shahri, na sayyohlar tez-tez tashrif buyuradigan joy emas, lekin narxlari ancha maqbul (garchi har bir hunarmandning buyumlari bir xil do'konda sotiladigan bo'lsa ham narxlar boshqa joylarda bo'lishi mumkin bo'lganidan ancha kamroq). Maradidagi dunyoga mashhur Tuareg kumush taqinchoqlarini ishonchli sotib olish mumkin bo'lgan yagona joy - Guest House-da narxlar, albatta, yanada oqilona. Agar siz bormoqchi bo'lsangiz, shunchaki narsalar sotib olish uchun bormang. Vaqtingizni aylanib, hunarmandlarning ishlashini tomosha qiling; ularning ko'pgina ishlarini tomosha qilish maftunkor va ular juda do'stona, suhbatdoshlar guruhidir. Agar sizni choyga taklif qilishsa, qabul qiling yoki rad eting; agar qabul qilsangiz, bilishingiz kerakki, siz qabul qilishingiz mumkin bo'lgan eng kuchli kofein zarbalariga imzo chekasiz va uch stakan ichmasdan chiqib ketish qo'pol deb hisoblanadi. Siz u erda bo'lganingizda, ko'cha bo'ylab sayr qiling va Masjid ulug'oniga nazar soling; u Niamey va hattoki Tibirining tomoshasi bilan bir xil tomosha emas (pastga qarang), lekin tashrif buyurishga arziydi.
Qil
- Bozorda tortishish. G'arbiy Afrika bozori orqali savdolashish, tushdan keyin o'tkazishning hayoliy ko'ngilochar usuli bo'lishi mumkin va agar siz Niamey yoki Zinderdagi bozorlar va sayyohlik do'konlari bilan to'qnashishdan oldin (agar ular qaerda bo'lsa) narsalar o'zgarishiga kirish imkoniyatini qidirsangiz. sotib olishni xohlashingiz mumkin bo'lgan ko'proq narsalarga ega bo'ling, lekin aksincha ular sizni vidalashga urinmoqdalar), keyin Maradi bozorida mango, mato boltasi yoki mayda zargarlik buyumlarini sotib olish uchun quruq yo'lga chiqing yoki bozor atrofidagi maxsus do'konlardan birida. Bu erda narxlar kamroq bo'ladi va chet el fuqarosini olib kelish uchun belgilangan narx ham kamroq bo'ladi. Do'stona munosabatda bo'ling; savdolashish - bu ijtimoiy faoliyat, va siz boshqa har qanday muloyim suhbat singari savdogarning sog'lig'i va oilasini so'rab boshlashni xohlaysiz. O'zingiz xohlagan narsaning narxini so'rang; tez-tez, yakuniy narxni olishdan oldin sizdan xohlagan hamma narsani tanlashingiz so'raladi (qancha ko'p sotib olsangiz, bitta mahsulot uchun kamroq haq olinadi). Oziq-ovqat uchun, odatda, taklifning taxminan 2/3 miqdorida qarshi taklifni berishingiz mumkin; to'qimachilik kabi narsalar uchun siz hatto 1/2 qismini sinab ko'rishingiz mumkin. Ba'zan bu qat'iy rad etishga olib keladi; bu holda Nigerda sizning taklifingizga o'zgartirish kiritish yaxshi bo'ladi; navbat bilan, siz savdogardan qarshi taklifni qabul qilishingiz mumkin va jarayon davom etadi. Agar siz ushbu so'nggi chegirmaga ega bo'lmoqchi bo'lsangiz, xushomadgo'ylikni ("Chunki siz yaxshi do'stsiz!") Yoki bu jumlani ko'rib chiqing saboda gobe, Hausa iborasi, siz yaxshi narx olishingiz kerakligini anglatadi, chunki siz ertaga qaytib kelasiz yoki savdogarni do'stlaringizga tavsiya qilasiz; faqat ushbu iborani ishlatishingiz ko'plab savdogarlarni xursand qiladi. Ko'pgina Osiyo yoki O'rta Sharq madaniyatlaridan farqli o'laroq, Nigerda eng uyatsiz sayyohlik tuzoqlaridan tashqari hamma bilan savdolashish do'stona jarayon bo'lib qolishi kerak; savdogarni yoki uning tovarlarini haqorat qilmang (agar buyum qonuniy ravishda buzilmagan bo'lsa; agar xohlasangiz, bu chegirmani oqlaydi) va agar siz savdogar sizga qonuniy ravishda g'azablanganligini sezsangiz, u holda siz juda qattiq haydab ketasiz. Shuni yodda tutingki, bu odamlar siz bilan bog'liq bo'lgan har qanday standart bo'yicha juda kambag'aldir; agar u sizga o'n tsentni chiqarib yuborsa, haqiqatan ham bu juda katta ishmi?
- Club Privé. Basseynga sakrab o'ting (Klubning diqqatga sazovor joyi; ko'plab ekspatatlar bu joyni "basseyn" deb atashadi) yoki kortda bir nechta tennis to'plamlarini o'ynang (o'zingizning jihozlaringiz kerak bo'lishi mumkin) yoki sport zalida og'irliklarni ko'taring. Siz kirish uchun pul to'laydigan a'zolar bo'lishingiz kerak, ammo Mainassara egasi juda yoqimli yigit, u biznes yuritadi va odatda siz uni ruxsat berishga ko'ndirishingiz mumkin, ayniqsa oziq-ovqat sotib olsangiz yoki bir kunlik yo'lingizni sotsangiz . Siz Nigeriyalik badavlat oilalar bilan ham, Maradida yashovchi ko'plab yordamchilar va ekspatatlar bilan uchrashishingiz mumkin va bu Yerning eng issiq mamlakatlaridan birida salqinlash uchun juda yaxshi joy. Menyu qimmat, ammo u chet elliklarga xizmat qiladi, shuningdek, sovuq ichimliklar va alkogolli ichimliklar olishingiz mumkin. Bir necha kun, mavsumda, u sizga orqadagi mevali daraxtdan pomelos sotishni taklif qiladi. Klub yon yo'lda va shahar chegaralaridan o'tib ketgan; yoki taksini chaqirish uchun kelishuvni amalga oshiring yoki topa oladigan nuqtangizga yetguncha bir milya tepalikka yurishga tayyor bo'ling. Aytgancha, siz bilan suv havzasini baham ko'radigan "suv chayonlari" chindan ham bezovta qiladi, ammo ular emas chayonlar va ular zararsizdir. Agar siz hali ham u bilan suvda bo'lishga toqat qilmasangiz va unga tegishga asabingiz bo'lmasa, xodimlar uni siz uchun baliq qilib berishadi; bu kunlik hodisa.
- Tartibsizlikda ziyofat. Ilgari bu harbiy baza uchun ovqat xonasi bo'lgan, shuning uchun ham shunday nomlangan. Hozir bu Maradining taniqli raqs klublaridan biri, afrobeat va xalqaro pop va xip-xop tanlovlari hamda mahalliy va ekspatatlardan iborat turli xil olomon. Maradida tunash uchun bu juda qimmat tomonda, ammo juda konservativ musulmonlar shaharchasidagi G'arb uslubidagi tungi klubga eng yaqin narsalardan biri. Bu Club Privé-ning deyarli qarama-qarshisida joylashgan va u bilan bir xil transport muammolari mavjud. Bundan tashqari, siz qorong'u kechada siz hayvonot dunyosi xavfi bo'lmagan, va sandal kiygan tariq dalalari orqali yoritilmagan yo'lda Messni tark etishingiz mumkin. Hozir hushyor bo'lib o'ylab ko'ring.
- Bayramlar. Tashrifdan oldin taqvimingizni tekshiring yoki so'rab ko'ring. Nigerda turli xil yirik festivallar mavjud va aksariyati musulmonlarning oy taqvimiga asoslanadi va shuning uchun ularning sanalari o'zgaradi. Ro'za oyi bo'lgan Ramazon Maradiga umuman sekinlashuvni va sustlikni olib kelishi mumkin, ammo agar siz hayit bayramida u erda bo'lish baxtiga muyassar bo'lgan bo'lsangiz, unda siz mutlaqo Tibiriga taksida borishingiz kerak, 20 daqiqalar uzoqlikda. Tibiri - an'anaviy Hausa madaniyatidagi eng qudratli kishilardan biri bo'lgan Sarki uyi va uning saroyi oldidagi plazma hayit paytida ekstravagant festival sahnasiga aylanadi, bu erda odamlar yuzlab chaqirimdan kelib an'anaviy musiqachilar va saroy qorovullari paradi va podshohning dushmanlari ustidan qozongan g'alabasini xotirlash va Ramazon oyi tugashini nishonlash uchun otlar ustida tanlovlar namoyish etish. Shaharda shuningdek, ertalab namoz o'qiladigan mintaqadagi eng ta'sirli masjid mavjud. Xuddi shu tarzda, an'anaviy Fulani festivali - cuir salee (tuzlangan yoki quritilgan charm) festivali bu mintaqada yiliga bir marta Dakoroning shimolida bo'lib o'tadi; festivalda an'anaviy kurash va go'zallik tanlovlari, shu qatorda boshqa narsalar qatori qatnashadi, agar borsangiz, G'arbning bir nechta ko'zlari ko'rgan narsaga guvoh bo'lganingizga amin bo'lishingiz mumkin.
- Chat hamma bilan va siz uchrashadigan hamma bilan. Hausalar va umuman nigeriyaliklar nihoyatda suhbatdosh va juda do'stona. Ular o'zlari haqida gapirishni yaxshi ko'radilar va siz haqingizda hamma narsani bilib olishdan mamnun bo'lishadi. Agar siz biron bir uchrashgan odamlar bilan o'tirib suhbatlashishga vaqt ajratsangiz, Maradi va Niger hayoti to'g'risida bilishni xohlagan barcha narsalarni bilib olish imkoniyatiga ega bo'lasiz (bu mavsumdagi ob-havo haqida, do'stingiz nima bobosi sizning do'stingiz oilasining har bir a'zosi, shu jumladan, uning bitta munosib bolasi bilan turmush qurishingiz kerak bo'lgan va shu bilan mashhur bo'lgan). Agar siz juda do'stona bo'lsangiz, sherikingizning uyiga dabdabali kechki ovqatga chaqirilish xavfi bor va choy ichish va kechaning tunda suhbatlashish, uning dalasini yoki podasini ko'rish uchun chiqish imkoniyati mavjud. ertalab Bunday taklifdan voz kechish xafa bo'lgan his-tuyg'ularni tug'dirmasdan qiyin va ochig'ini aytganda, bunday munosabatlarni o'rnatish, ehtimol sizning tashrifingiz bo'yicha maslahat olishning eng yaxshi usuli, shuningdek, mustahkam do'stlikni yaratishi mumkin.
- Adash. Maradi singari shaharning kundalik hayoti siz ilgari ko'rmagan hech narsaga o'xshamaydi va siz albatta e'tiboringizni jalb qilsangiz ham, siz boshqa shaharlarda yoki qishloqda bo'lganingiz kabi olomonni jalb qilmaysiz. Bundan tashqari, bu juda xavfsiz; G'arbliklarning kontseptsiyani tushunishida "yomon mahallalar" mavjud emas, shuning uchun agar siz kaltaklangan yo'lni tark etsangiz, xavf ostida qolishingiz ehtimoldan yiroq emas. Ayniqsa, shaharning shimoli-g'arbiy qismida joylashgan Boshliqning saroyi atrofida qadimgi kvartallar bo'ylab sayr qiling; mustamlakachilik davridagi ba'zi uylar va juda ajoyib loy uylar, shu jumladan, balkon va shisha derazalar kabi qo'shimcha xususiyatlarga ega bo'lgan ikki qavatli uylar bilan to'ldirilgan qadimgi Afrika shahri uchun haqiqiy tuyg'uga ega bo'lasiz.
- Ko'chmanchilarga ergashing. Agar siz yomg'irli mavsum (oktyabrda) nihoyasiga etadigan joyda bo'lsangiz, ko'chmanchilar hozirgi vaqtda janubga sayohat qiladimi, deb so'rang. Agar ular bo'lsa, ularni ko'rish uchun asosiy magistralga sayohat qilishni o'ylab ko'ring. Ko'pgina Fulani va Tuareg chorvadorlari Maradi orqali janubga, Nigeriyaga, shaharning shimoliy va g'arbiy qismidan o'tib ketishadi. Ushbu ko'chishning avj pallasida siz minglab echkilar, qo'ylar, qoramollar va tuyalar bilan oiladan-oilaga bir-birining ortidan, yuzlab yillar davomida bo'lganidek, ozmi-ko'pmi shu yo'ldan o'tayotganda ajoyib tomoshaning guvohi bo'lishingiz mumkin.
O'rganing
- Hausa. Bu shunchaki qiziqarli til emas, balki siz uchun bir nechta asosiy iboralarni o'rganishdan zavqlanishingiz mumkin; Agar sizga buni o'rgatadigan odam topsangiz, bu haqiqatan ham Maradiga tashrifingizni ancha osonlashtiradi. Lug'at boyligini pul va tijorat uchun o'rganish, ba'zi odatiy tabriklarni o'rganish kabi foydalidir. G'arbiy Afrikaning aksariyat qismida bo'lgani kabi, Nigerda hamrohingiz va uning yaqin oilasining salomatligi va farovonligi, ularning ishi, o'rim-yig'im qanday ketayotgani va hokazolar haqida uzoq vaqt so'ramasdan ishga kirishish odobsizlikdir. ; Hausada buni amalga oshirish siz uchrashgan odamlarga juda yoqadi va siz sehrli effektlarni topasiz: narxlar pasayadi, sizni aldashga urinishlar kamayadi, yordamlar ko'payadi va ichimliklar birdan yo'qoladi yorliq. Xausani o'rganishni o'rganish shahar bilan bo'lgan munosabatingizni tubdan va umuman ijobiy tomonga o'zgartiradi, deb aytish bejiz emas.
Ish
Maradi - bu Yerning eng kam rivojlangan mamlakatlaridan birida joylashgan ko'k rangli shahar, shuning uchun siz dunyoga namoyish qilishni istagan Discovery Channel turiga kirmasangiz, ehtimol siz o'zingiz uchun munosib ish topa olmaysiz. Dunyoning aksariyat davlatlari singari, siz ham ingliz tilini o'rganmoqchi bo'lgan odamlar uchun ulkan bozorni topishingiz mumkin; xitoy va arab tillariga ham munosib qiziqish bilan tanishishingiz mumkin. Ammo mutlaq boylardan boshqa har qanday kishi xizmat uchun to'lashi mumkin bo'lgan mablag 'juda oz. Agar sizga haqiqatan ham daromad kerak bo'lsa, sizning eng yaxshi pul tikishingiz Maradidagi nodavlat tashkilotlar bilan bog'lanish bo'lishi mumkin, ayniqsa sizda xalqaro rivojlanish tajribasi bo'lsa yoki texnik mahoratni namoyish eta olsangiz. NNTlarga ish topish qiyin, degan mish-mishlar haqiqatdir, lekin agar siz chet el fuqarosi sifatida yollansangiz, bu haqiqatdir. Ko'pgina nodavlat notijorat tashkilotlari o'zlarining uylarida o'zlarining eshiklari oldida yurib, raqobatbardosh mahalliy maosh evaziga o'z mablag'lari hisobidan ish topib ish so'rashganidan juda xursand bo'lishadi. Ammo hattoki ushbu taktika ham siz uchun Niameyda yoki Zinderda amalga oshishi ehtimoldan yiroq emas, shuning uchun eng yaxshi maslahat, agar siz g'arbiy bo'lsangiz, Maradiga ish izlab bormang.
Sotib oling
- An'anaviy Tuareg qo'l san'atlari hunarmandchilik markazida. Tuareglar (shuningdek, Fulani) kumush va teriga ishlov berish sifati bilan xalqaro miqyosda tanilgan; Markaz do'konida erkaklar va ayollar uchun juda o'ziga xos kumush yoki nikel uzuklar, bilaguzuklar, marjonlarni va sirg'alarning munosib tanlovi mavjud. Tuareg xochlari haqida so'rang; ular umumiy motiv bo'lib, ularning ortidagi voqea jozibali. Teri portfellari va sandallari ajablanarli darajada mustahkam, ammo kamdan-kam hollarda siz kutganidek qulay yoki amaliy. Agar siz chindan ham aniq bir narsani xohlasangiz (va sizning yukingizda joy bo'lsa), tuya eri, qilich yoki hamyonni ko'ring. Bularning barchasi atrofingizdagi Tuareglarni aslida kiyib yuradigan va kundalik hayotda ishlatadigan narsalarni ko'rishingiz mumkin va ular odatda charm va metall buyumlarning mahorati va estetikasini aks ettiradi.
- Kola yong'og'i. Agar siz Nigerning eng o'ziga xos illatini tanlamoqchi bo'lsangiz, kola yong'og'ini sotib oling. Ushbu kofeinli daraxt mevasi Coca-Cola tarkibidagi dastlabki tarkibiy qismlardan biri edi va u hayratlanarli darajada achchiq, ammo zarbasi sizni ertalabki kofeni hech qachon hurmat qilmasligingizga olib keladi. Kola yong'oqlari odatda tabiiy ravishda chinnigullarga bo'linadi va ko'plab ijtimoiy chaynaydigan nigeriyaliklar goro, ma'lum bo'lganidek, odatda faqat bittasini sotib oling va ulashing. Faqat erta tongda yoki transatlantik parvozingizdan oldin butunlay bitta ovqat eyishga jur'at eting. Ko'cha ovqatidan farqli o'laroq, kola yong'oqlari yuvilmaydi; uni o'zingiz bilan olib boring va ehtiyotkorlik bilan yuving (ideal holda suvda ozgina sayqallash vositasi bilan) yoki hech bo'lmaganda uni yeyishdan oldin tozalang (ahmoqona emas). Tana havoga ta'sir qilganda to'q sariq rangga aylanishning qiziqarli tendentsiyasiga ega. Kola nuts are a very traditional gift for invited guests at weddings and baptisms.
- Mortar and Pestle. Maradi (and particular the town of Guidan Roumdji, just to the northwest) are widely thought by the locals to sell the best-crafted mortars and pestles in Niger. Most of them are quite large, used by women and girls in the country to grind flour by hand and in industrial quantities all day (the deep thump-thump-thump of this activity is a constant ambient noise in villages; try it once and you'll develop an instant sympathy for them), but they sell smaller ones for crushing vegetables to make thick Nigerien sauces. If you can find a small one and you have the space in your bag, they are actually worth getting; they are infinitely smarter in their design than the European-style ones you find in stores, and your experience with making guacamole might be changed forever.
Yemoq
Byudjet
- Street food - Try the street food. All day long - and especially in the morning, and around 15:00-17:00 - you will witness ladies and the occasional gentleman manning grills, coffee shops, and little fire pits with woks full of bubbling oil along the roadside. Popular belief has it that this kind of street food is an absolutely foolproof way to come down with one of a variety of truly wretched illnesses, but this is not entirely true. In fact, if you buy your street food from the person actually making it (not from one of the folks wandering the street selling it off a platter on their head or a bucket on the ground, where the health concern is much fairer), it is likely to be one of the safest things you can eat, having traveled directly from a pot of boiling oil to your hands (so to speak) and eaten hot (mitigate your risk by getting them in a plastic bag instead of a bowl, or bringing your own). Certainly, it isn't as safe as what you'll eat in a tourist or hotel restaurant, but it's a reasonably safe bet, and Nigerien street food is actually quite tasty. In particular, try kossai - deep-fried fritters made from black-eyed peas and typically served with a spicy powder. This is a regional specialty from southeastern Niger. Other deep fried goodies include weyna (also called by its Zarma name, massa), which are cakes of fermented millet, and fanke, donuts served with sugar or a savory sauce. Typically, 200 or 250 FCFA of any of them will be a perfectly adequate light breakfast or snack. You can also try West African coffee - instant coffee made with sweetened, condensed milk for a tasty morning wakeup, and as you wander, you'll spot other treats (slow-roasted chickens, grilled meat skewers coated in peanut resin, and so on) that will make your mouth water. Some neighborhoods are particularly good for street food: try walking the main street from the market to the high school, visit the truck stop and the tax office on the main street on the south side of town, or go where the Peace Corps volunteers go, the block between the Ministry of Youth and Culture and the Regional Hospital.
- Roadside restaurants - Your best option for tasty budget eating in Maradi is to look at the selection of unnamed roadside eateries that are essentially street-food vendors upgraded with a roof and a table or two. There is often a crowd out in the morning, where most serve bread and butter, fried egg sandwiches, coffee, and tea, although you can also get hot West African food such as rice and sauce or rice and beans. In the evening, your pickings get more plentiful; depending on the time of year, you might be surprised at what you can found at about 20:00 or 21:00 on the side of the road. Offerings may include roast chicken and mutton, grilled corn on the cob, french fries, and a dozen other options beyond traditional food such as tuwo (grain paste served in sauce) and rice and beans, which you can wash down with a cold coke or frozen juice drink. In both the morning and evening, look around the traffic circle near the Ministry of Youth and Culture (known locally as the MJC). In the morning, you can find a stall run by a charmingly humorless woman and her legion of employees where you can custom-design a delicious breakfast or early lunch from a dizzying array of bases, meats, and sauces. In the evening, look for the guy with the barbecue grill, or ask for the guy with the "systèmes" - monumentally unhealthy but deeply delicious potato-and-egg scrambles unlike any anywhere, where you can also get some of the best salads and potato salads in the city if you want to take the risk. Another decent option, especially in the morning, is the main street around the market; this will also allow a visit to Maradi's only European-style bakery in the Azawad station. Their croissants are a little doughy, but the sweet pastries are pretty tasty; your guess is as good as anybody's on the health hazard.
O'rta masofa
- Le Jardin - This bar is next to the market and is a local favorite of Nigeriens and Peace Corps Volunteers, among others. It is worth a trip for a quintessentially African experience, a casual hours-long dinner in lounge chairs under the stars. It is also a cheap and hearty meal for the budget traveler. The drink ladies will make sure you get your first drink immediately (try an ice-cold Grand Flag; a variety of other local beers and soft drinks are also available, or get a shot of a cheap liquor if you don't mind the consequences in the morning) and then will forget about you; if you need them back, call "Madame!" as they walk past or do as many Nigeriens do and hiss loudly from across the place. The servers are charmingly unprofessional - one might be amusingly catty while the next will spontaneously break out dancing among the tables. Food comes from a variety of individual street food sellers that have set up shop at the bar's periphery. there's a couple of guys with a barbecue grill where you can get brochettes, skewers of steak or organ meat that go for 100 FCFA (get 4 or 5 at least), or grilled chicken and guinea fowl for 2000 or 2500 FCFA. A small restaurant style place in a building just off the main gate serves a variety of dishes including braised fish or steak (which are delicious) for 1000 FCFA and homemade french fries (made from scratch when you order them, a process which takes every bit as long as you might think and is completely worth the wait) for 600 FCFA. Try getting a 'steak' and a plate of fries, pouring the one onto the other, and having a wonderful meal. A Togolese lady named Ramatou makes salad and potato salad (hors d'oeuvres, to a Nigerien) for 500 FCFA and 600 FCFA respectively at a table near the main entrance; she speaks serviceable English and is absolutely the most delightful person you will meet for several time zones in either direction. You also can get tuwo, a traditional Nigerien grain paste, at a table nearby, if you really want to. It isn't unusual to get pieces of your meal from several places; just remember that you need to pay each individually for what you buy. On your way out, you can peruse a selection of shoes and other consumer goods, shoot a game of pool on the warped pool table (the guys who frequent the place seem to know every bump and bulge by heart, so don't get talked into a bet), or try the video poker.
- Maquis le Resurrection - Occupying a street corner in a quiet part of town behind the Regional Hospital, 'The Ressurection' is a compact and often crowded bar/restaurant with a decent menu and acceptable service. Finding a seat can be a bit of a difficult prospect, especially if there's a soccer game on - the place has satellite TV and so the Barcalona faithful all seem to go there at game time. Like the Jardin, the beverage and foodservice sides are two different operations; sometimes you will get table service with the food, other times you have to hunt it down. The bar's refrigerators seem to have bad gaskets, so the beers are often served almost entirely caked in ice - on a hot day, this is actually a rather pleasant experience. The food selections are decent, with a couple of different French-style pounded steaks that are pretty tasty. The place also offers an American-style combination plate, where you get steak, fries, and peas on one plate for one price; if they're offering that, the value is pretty good and the meal is tasty. The kitchen there has a bad habit of being unexpectedly out of key ingredients.
- The Airport Bar - The Maradi airport may be essentially out of commission, but the airport bar is still a lively place to spend the evening. You can sit inside and listen to the pan-West African music (sometimes blasted at ear-splitting volume; add that to the experience of placing an order in a language that's foreign to both you and your server to find out how well your anger management classes are working), or you can sit outside and watch the goats graze on the runway. To eat, you can get the usual fare - steak and heart brochettes (the heart meat is worth a try, especially if they're out of steak as sometimes happens), fries, and so on. The Airport is a bit off the main drags through town, so this would be one of the places worth securing your return transportation for in advance.
Splurge
- The Guest House, ☏ 227 20 410 754 - The restaurant at Maradi's best hotel has one of the pricier menus, but it is also traveler-friendly with many of your favorites from home served simply but hygienically in a clean, air-conditioned dining room. The pesto sauce and the French-style ham-and-cheese are both pretty good, and the Guest House serves possibly the only pizza in the city. It also may be the only restaurant in the city with a wine list or import beer, brief as the selection may be. The staff are very friendly and speak French fluently; you'll likely enjoy your meal rubbing elbows with NGO workers from around the world.
- L'Auberge - The Auberge is probably the most expensive formal restaurant in town. The Auberge seats in a very agreeable outdoor garden; most of the tables are under well-built shade hangars, which is a plus during rainy season. The exorbitantly priced menu has a very extensive selection of West African and French cooking that is, generally, very well-made and tasty (though be prepared for them to be out of your first and second choice). The service is on the weak side; it takes far longer than even the relaxed African pace of dinner (which you may come to find quite agreeable) to get your meal, and good luck getting that second drink while you're waiting.
- Le Club Privé - The Club, as indicated, is a rec center patronized by foreigners and a few wealthy local families. Sit by the pool or up at the bar in a shady and secluded setting and enjoy Hausaland's best cheeseburger and a grilled ham-and-cheese that is much more familiar to an American palate than the French version, your only alternative, at the Guest House. Try the samosas if you want a pleasant surprise; they are surprisingly tasty and the French MSF workers seem to plow through them, though be prepared to eat yours with ketchup or mayonnaise. You may have one of the most diverse drink menus here as well; normally, restaurants get their drinks from national bottler, where you can get only Coke products, but the Club orders from Nigeria and so you can often get Pepsi and Seven-up, as well as some Nigerian labels, as well. The price tag is as hefty as anywhere you'll find in town, but to a homesick stomach, it is worth every franc.
- Hotel Jangorzo - The Jangorzo is supposed to have a restaurant as well.
Ichish
Maradi is at the heart of a highly conservative, Muslim region of West Africa - so much so that their fellow Hausas across the border in Nigeria have instituted Sharia law in their communities. While the Hausa areas of Niger (as well as their countrymen) have resisted the urge to follow along, it wouldn't be a stretch to claim that you will meet almost nobody who will admit to you that they ever consume alcoholic beverages, and most of them are telling the truth. As a result, beer and wine are difficult to come by. However, the number of foreign nationals (as well as the more moderate bureaucrats and technical workers from the western part of the country) coupled with the Hausa entrepreneurial spirit (as strong as anywhere you'll find) means you can rest assured that when you're ready to relax with that beer, your desire can be fulfilled.
There is one liquor store in the city as of this writing that is run by a couple of agreeable gentlemen who claim to never touch their own product. It is in an unmarked, gray building with a colonnaded front walk opposite the northwest corner of the Grand Marché; facing the building, it's the door farthest to the left. Their hours are variable and unpredictable. A can or bottle of beer might be 600-700 FCFA; a bottle of name-brand spirits costs about what it might in the United States ($12-30). On most days, you will be able to find a couple of types of import beer, some cheap wine, and a few bottles of low-cost, hangover-inducing French spirits (Bony's, who has a line that includes gin, whiskey, and pastis among other things). You can often, but not always, often find a bottle or two of the labels you know; many of the shop's clients are foreigners, so they seem to try to keep inventory. Beefeater gin, Jack Daniel's, and Typhoon rum are common options. Braniger, the national bottler, also does sell beer, but they are the distributor for the country's restaurants: You need an account and must be willing to buy by the flat - one hopes you aren't that desperate.
In the early afternoon, your safest bets for a beer are the restaurant at the Guest House and a slightly more expensive (but highly agreeable) one poolside at the Club Privé. In the evening (read: after sunset prayers), the bars start to open at places like the Jardin (which also sells cheap spirits and liquor) and the Airport, followed by Maradi's clubs around 22:00 or 23:00.
Do not get completely smashed in public in Maradi unless you have your own way home (and, obviously, a driver). Many locals view drunkenness as negatively as they do drink, and there are plenty of anecdotes about taxi drivers who refused to carry somebody who seemed intoxicated. Nigeriens are often more indulgent of foreigners, but don't push your luck too far.
This may not be the normal sense of 'drink' in a guidebook, but as Niger is one of the world's hottest countries, it probably deserves a mention: Drink lots of fluids if you're out wandering. The street is lined with guys with refrigerators to help you meet this goal: you can get water that has historically been safe to drink in sealed and labeled plastic bags for a matter of cents (you take your health into your hands if you accept water or juice in an unmarked, tied-off bag instead; you'll save a few cents but it isn't worth it). You can also find a normal array of Coca-cola products, and a few stores stock Pepsi products and some local sodas that are brought up from Nigeria. Strangely, if your drink came from Nigeria it will be cheaper, and the Nigerian sodas are much cheaper; try a 'Teem', it's like Sprite and quite tasty.
Uyqu
There are only a few hotels in Maradi, and none of what might be truly considered 'budget' hotels. Nigeriens are not avid travelers, as a general rule, and when they do travel, most make arrangements for accommodation with the family member, friend, agency, or co-worker that they are traveling to visit (tourism for the sake of tourism is a concept foreign to most Nigeriens; you are likely to be regarded with a touch of confusion or even interested surprise if you explain that this is what you're doing). For this reason, many of the aid and missionary organizations that work in Maradi have their own accommodations for their people when they are in town; if you happen to have a connection to such an organization, you might do well to inquire, although many of these agencies have fairly strict standards of use.
- 1 The Guesthouse, ☏ 227 20 410 754. Most expensive and also nicest hotel in Maradi.
- 2 Hotel Jangorzo, ☏ 227 20 410 140. Also pricey, but also nice.
Ulanmoq
Internet infrastructure has developed in Maradi to the point where cyber cafes have become a reasonable business option, though the connection is often slow (typically, they have multiple computers using single connections, so even places advertising a high-speed connection have this problem) and very few have generators, so they are at the mercy of Maradi's frequent power failures. Most of the cyber-cafes are around the market: A Boy Scout-style youth group, GARKUWA, runs one a block west of the main gate of the market; there is another one on the market's west edge, and one on the south. The most prominent one is located in the Ecobank building on the market's southeast corner.
Public phones are available throughout the city; typically, they are in shops with white-and-blue "Cabine Telephonique" signs (don't take "cabine" too literally; you're just as likely to find market stalls telephoniques or even coffee tables telephoniques) where an attendant charges you by the minute on a largely reliable land-line telephone. You also can occasionally find people who charge you to make calls on their cellular phones, though this is more common in villages.
Xavfsiz bo'ling
If you need emergency services, they can be called to come to you, but you're far better off going to them if at all possible (summoning help is a slow process; fire trucks and ambulances may need gas before they can be sent out, and nobody knows the phone number for these agencies anyway as there is no 911 or 999 service). Taxi and moto-taxi drivers typically know the police station (which is just west down the street from the main gate of the market), the hospital (a landmark itself, probably 0.5 km southwest from the market) and the fire station (probably 2 km south of the market). If you have serious injuries, most taxi drivers and private drivers are pretty charitable about getting you to help and securing payment after the fact, if at all.
Maradi is a highly safe city inhabited by friendly, helpful people and you can reasonably expect to get through your stay without experiencing anything worse than a scam or a petty theft. In particular, you will find Maradi to be a pleasant break from the tourist-targeting con artists that haunt the hotels and markets in places like Niamey and Agadez. Still, be smart: It is a city, and all kinds of people live there. Being an obvious foreigner (assuming you are) makes you less of a target than you are in several other Nigerien cities, but don't worsen your odds by wandering around alone, drunk, and conspicuously wealthy. Hide the 10,000 FCFA notes (or better, change them for denominations actually used on the street, if you can), keep your money in two or three places on your person, and be respectful of local culture.
Foreigners get flirted with all the time, and on-the-spot marriage proposals are fairly common and probably harmless. You should be polite and friendly (and you may reasonably assume that the proposal is largely humorous or facetious in its intent), but don't do things to encourage it like dressing immodestly (men or women), or giving out your cell phone number or hotel room to people you just met on the street (and they will ask).
A simmering Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country comes and goes; you can travel all through the south of the country and never know it was happening beyond maybe passing a convoy on the road. The rebellion has been connected to a bomb attack in Maradi, Tahoua, and Niamey in 2008, but that incident was a shocking and isolated incident. Similarly, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) continues to be active in western Niger as of 2019. So far, incidents in Niger have almost exclusively occurred in the north and west of the country - there was a failed kidnapping attempt on US embassy workers in Tahoua, and a few tourists, aid workers, and diplomatic staff have been snatched, almost entirely in the Tillaberi region; at least one French hostage was killed. The situation is dynamic, and you should contact your embassy or diplomatic service before arriving to get an update.
The biggest threats to your safety in Maradi are not human in nature. Stings from Maradi scorpions and spiders are not normally lethal, but they are painful, and even in the city center you might find a snake from time to time (Nigeriens hate them and will kill them upon finding one). Many of the streets get turned over to wild and semi-wild dogs late at night. The most dangerous animal in the city, however, is without doubt the mosquito. Your guidebook says that Maradi is an arid or semi-arid climate, but the city (more than most in Niger) is lousy with mosquitoes, and the Falciparium strain of malaria they carry is the most virulant and lethal in the world (not to mention less deadly but equally unpleasant illnesses such as dengue fever). During the rainy season (June–August) in particular, the numbers explode and turn the area into a buzzing, itchy purgatory on earth. Repellent helps, and at the Guest House, at least, your bed should have a mosquito net, but know that malaria is largely responsible for Niger's truly obscene child mortality rate and that several foreign aid workers each year stagger (or are carried) into local hospitals each year, where they die without ever regaining consciousness. If you're going to visit, follow what your guidebook is already telling you and get on a good malaria pill before you arrive.
It is a good idea to carry medical evacuation (medivac) coverage as part of your travel insurance.
Engish
Maradi can really be a full-blown sensory onslaught, and to a casual traveler there isn't much in the way of escape from it. Worse, it's a grueling ten hours to Niamey and several hours including a border crossing to Kano (to a foreign tourist, neither of which are the most relaxing of places themselves), so when you consider the sinking feeling that you're in over your head, you also come to realize how hard it's going to be to get out of Dodge. The best, and truest advice for a traveler to Maradi is that if you are easily overwhelmed or prone to paralyzing culture shock, this is probably not the place to visit.
That said, there is a decently-sized crowd of foreign nationals that calls Maradi home, including missionaries and aid workers from the United States, France, China, Lebanon, New Zealand, Japan, and elsewhere. As a whole, they are exceptionally compassionate, friendly, and welcoming, and some of them have lived full-time in Maradi for 15 or 20 years. If you are in desperate need of help (or just a place to hide from it all for a while), you can often bump in to some of these folks in the nicer grocery stores around the market, at the Guest House, or down by the pool. Many of these folks are extremely kind and gracious and are willing to help travelers in need, even if all you need is to hear your native language spoken for a little while.
Keyingisi
You can stop over in Maradi for a short visit (or just a good night's rest) en route to or from Zinder yoki Diffa, or use Maradi as a jumping-off point to cross the border into Nigeria on your way to Katsina yoki Kano. There is supposed to be a Nigerien consulate in Kano; there is no consulate for Nigeria in Maradi, so you'll need to have any necessary documents before you arrive. It may or may not be possible to transit north towards Agadez from Maradi; if it is possible, the method will be neither straightforward nor pleasant (i.e. a series of bush taxis on desert tracks), so you're better off trying it in Zinder or, better yet, from Konni, where you can take the bus.