Maradi je glavno mesto regije z istim imenom v Republiki Niger, ki zavzema majhen del južne meje z Nigerijo, neposredno severno od mest Kano in Katsina. Mesto ("Maradi-ville", kot včasih pravijo prebivalci Nigerja) je veliko - drugo ali tretje največje v državi, odvisno od tega, čigavo število uporabljate. Leta 2012 je v njem živelo približno 267.000 ljudi. Je tudi eno najbolj ekonomsko uspešnih mest v Nigru.
Razumeti
Regija Maradi uživa zelo rodovitno zemljo, regija pa je znana po svojih arašidih, arašidih in živini ter po nigerijskih rezah prosa in sirka. Mesto ima tudi koristi od tovarn, ki proizvajajo jedilno olje, plastične vrečke in vzmetnice, ter strateško lokacijo ob glavni avtocesti države vzhod-zahod in ob glavni cesti južno do Nigerije. Kot rezultat, ima Maradi nenavadno močno gospodarstvo za eno najrevnejših držav na svetu, obiskovalci pa se lahko počutijo kot nekakšen "boom town", ko se premikajo po razprostranjeni tržni četrti mesta, obkrožajo tovornjake s pol ducata zahodne Afriške države in poskakovanje, da bi se izognili roju prehitrih motornih koles. Če Maradi ni nigerovski New York, je to zagotovo nigraški Houston.
Zaradi njegove komercialne in industrijske identitete je večina turistov nekoliko manj privlačna, in čeprav je v mestu in regiji veliko lokalnih znamenitosti, za katere bi bil popotnik poučen, je verjetno malo tistih, ki bi te atrakcije ocenili kot "vredne" potovanje '(8-10 ur z avtobusom po grobih cestah iz Niameya). Medtem ko so mednarodne razvojne agencije v Maradiju vidne tako kot v celotnem Nigru, je število tujih humanitarnih delavcev s sedežem v mestu veliko manjše kot v Niameyu ali Zinderju, prisotnost pa je veliko manj zaznavna. Posledično bodo tujci mesto veliko težje obiskati kot kraji, kot so Niamey, Agadez ali Zinder. To ni zato, ker so prebivalci neprijazni - na splošno veselo pozdravljajo ljudi, ki z veseljem klepetajo z "nassaru" (svetlopolti ljudje, besedo, ki jo boste pogosto obiskali tukaj). Težava je bolj v tem, da ima mesto manj turistične infrastrukture kot druga mesta - v Maradiju ne boste našli "vodnikov", ki bi prodajali njihove storitve, in veliko bolj verjetno je, da boste naleteli na ponudnike storitev (zlasti v restavracijah in taksiji), ki ne ne govorim francosko. Vendar pa bodo neustrašni popotniki (ali celo tisti, ki preprosto ostanejo v mestu za noč) našli Maradi živahno in povsem prijetno mesto za obisk.
Vstopi
Maradi je na nacionalni cesti 1, glavni avtocesti med Niameyjem in celotnim jugovzhodom države (vključno z mesti Birnin Konni, Zinder in Diffa, ki poteka skozi vse upravne regije države, razen Agadeza). Je tudi prometno vozlišče za regijo. Zaradi tega je Maradi tako enostavno in enostavno potovati kot katero koli mesto v Nigru.
Z letalom
Maradi ima delujoče letališče, vendar nacionalna letalska družba države ne deluje več. Večina prometa na letališču je vladnega ali vojaškega (med skupnimi nigerijsko-ameriškimi vojaškimi vajami je letališče res postalo precej živahno). Če imate stike, ZN in nekatere druge razvojne organizacije upravljajo letala, ki občasno pokličejo v Maradi; ti lahko včasih kupite sedež na enem od teh letal, čeprav se to razlikuje od organizacije do organizacije in celo od managerja do managerja, da ne omenjamo načrtovanega tovora leta, zato ne računajte na to. Če ga boste lahko zanihali, boste imeli zavidljivo izkušnjo potovanja na najhitrejši in najbolj udoben način.
Z vlakom
Do Maradija ni dostopa z vlakom. Najbližja tirnica je morda v mestu Kano v Nigeriji (približno 180 km južno).
Z avtom
Maradi sedi na križišču National Route 1, glavne južne avtoceste Nigera, in National Route 9, ki poteka južno od mesta skozi mesto Madaroundfa in proti Nigeriji, ki vodi proti Kanu. Na nacionalni poti 1 se lahko z dobro vzdrževanim avtomobilom od Niameya nahaja približno 8 ur (odvisno od številnih dejavnikov, vključno z letnim časom, vremenom in stanjem velikega projekta vzdrževanja avtoceste, ki se je počasi regiji Tahoua in Dosso) in 2½ ure od Zindera. N.R. 1 obkroža mesto na severu; odcep je jasno označen v obe smeri (vendar je zelo slabo reguliran; počasi se spustite navzdol in bodite pozorni na tovornjake, motorje, kolesa in oselne vozičke, ki prihajajo iz vseh smeri). Ta izklop vas bo pripeljal do glavne ulice, ki vodi do središča mesta. Državna pot 9 je bolj preprosta; v mesto boste prispeli z juga in se znašli prav na glavni ulici.
Najem avtomobila je možen samo v Niameyu. To je drago. Avtomobile lahko s svojimi vozniki najamete v večini večjih mest, vključno z Niameyjem in Maradijem; najemnina za avto je nekoliko cenejša, čeprav vas še vedno čaka bencin, pa tudi vozniška dnevnica in preživnina. Praviloma se bo kakovost avtomobila, ki ga dobite, zmanjševala dlje od prestolnice, ki jo dobite. Močno priporočamo, da vseeno najamete voznika z avtomobilom - v Nigru so vzorci prometa različni (kot v kateri koli tuji državi), mrežo policijskih in davčnih kontrolnih točk je lahko zelo težko razumeti. Poleg tega v nesreči resnično ne želite biti za volanom. Nigerijski policisti so ponavadi razumevajoči, a zelo birokratski, zato lahko računate na njih, da bodo zagotovili, da bo vsak „t“ prečrtan in vsak „i“ v poročilih, ne glede na to, kako dolgo traja. Poleg tega vas bo oseba, s katero ste imeli težave, prepoznala kot tujca z denarjem in lahko pričakujete, da vam v pravnem postopku ne bo usmilil, ne glede na to, kako očitno je bila njihova krivda.
Z avtobusom
Vse glavne avtobusne linije v Nigru služijo Maradiju z enim ali dvema odhodoma in enim ali dvema prihodoma na dan. Cena vstopnice je približno 20 USD Niamey. Ti avtobusi so razmeroma hitri, zanesljivi in točni (vsaj v odhodih od izhodišča). So manj neprijetni in vaša vozovnica vam bo kupila en sam sedež, tako da boste lahko potovali s proračunom. Kljub temu je malo od teh avtobusov mogoče govoriti o kakršnih koli storitvah; zaradi togih sedežev, vročine, pomanjkanja vzmetenja in drugih ponižanj je potovanje še vedno lahko surovo in iz slabega dne se lahko iz avtobusa spustite dehidrirani, izčrpani in fizično boleči. Hrano (in dostop do nekaterih globoko zaskrbljujočih kopalnic) lahko kupite na pol ducata glavnih postaj, ki so nekoliko redno razporejene vzdolž ceste; odvisno od vremenskih razmer in sezone lahko potovanje v Niamey traja 8-11 ur. Do iste mreže avtobusov lahko pridete neposredno Dosso, Konni, in Zinder, med številnimi manjšimi mesti in z enodnevnim postankom lahko pridete do Tahoua, Agadez, Gaya, in Diffa. Mnoga podjetja ponujajo tudi mednarodne storitve do destinacij, vključno Benin, Iti, in Burkina Faso. Sedeži imajo vstopnice in so prvi, ki jih prejmejo; ne stavite, da lahko pridete na postajo tik pred odhodom avtobusa in si priskrbite vozovnico. Vaša vozovnica vključuje tudi prtljago; podjetje vas lahko prosi za plačilo odvečne prtljage, vendar to običajno presega obseg, ki ga bo imel potnik. Ne pričakujte, da se bo s pospravljeno prtljago ravnalo nežno.
Avtobusne linije, ki vozijo do Maradija, vključujejo SNTV (nacionalno prevozniško podjetje), Aïr Transport (to je "ay-yeer", ime za severno puščavo, ne "zrak" kot nebo), Azawad, EHGM, RTV (alias "Rimbo" Prevoz ") in Sonitrav. Avtobusna podjetja pogosto prihajajo in odhajajo, zato preverite, kdaj pridete tja. Različnih podjetij ni mogoče ločiti veliko; njihove cene in urniki so v bistvu enaki. Rimbo (RTV) je z vlado prišel v težave zaradi slabe varnostne evidence, čeprav ima vsako podjetje občasno nesreče (dobra novica za potnike je obratno, da je avtobus verjetno največja stvar na cesti; v večini nigerijskih avtobusnih nesreč vam je bolje na avtobusu kot na njem). SNTV ima nekaj sodobnejših avtobusov s klimatsko napravo, boljšim vzmetenjem in video predvajalniki (čeprav se ti predvajalniki pogosto uporabljajo za predvajanje 20-letnih filmov o kung fuju in nekaterih res grozljivih glasbenih video posnetkov, pa naj bo to blagoslov ali o prekletstvu je mogoče razpravljati). Zato ste popolnoma pametni pri izbiri svojega avtobusa glede na udobje postaje. V Maradiju so avtobusi napeti po glavni ulici; EHGM je bolj severno, SNTV in Azawad sta osrednja, blizu tržnice, RTV, Sonitrav in Aïr pa bolj južno.
Z bush taksijem
Bush taksiji so osrednje prevozno sredstvo za večino Nigerja, Maradi pa grmičevje taksijev v regiji. Če potujete znotraj regije Maradi ali iz Nigerije, je to pogosto vaša edina možnost; bush taksiji prispejo in zapustijo več lokacij znotraj mesta za preostali del regije, stroški pa se gibljejo od 200 do 1500 FCFA znotraj regije.
Če potujete iz drugih regij Nigerja, so avtobusi cenejši in imajo obrobne prednosti, saj so hitrejši, udobnejši, zanesljivejši in varnejši. Če nameravate svoje izkušnje s potovanjem v Nigru spremeniti v knjigo in želite čim bolj grozljive zgodbe, se vsekakor potrudite za ta izlet z grmovjem s taksijem. Od Niameya lahko traja do 24 ur in se govori, da vas stane od 30 do 60 ameriških dolarjev, z dolgimi postanki na več lokacijah na poti, in stari vodnik je morda najbolje rekel, ko so postopek opisali kot zahteven raven potrpežljivosti, enaka Mohandasu Gandhiju. Če imate na pol poti spodobne prijatelje, vam bodo zagotovo prihranili sedež v baru, kadar koli pridete tja.
Če prihajate iz Kano ali Katsine, boste verjetno morali vzeti grm taksi; nobeno nigerijsko avtobusno podjetje vsaj ne servisira Kano ali katerega koli drugega mesta v Nigeriji. Pričakujte, da bo trajalo 8 ali 10 ur, štetje mejnega prehoda (državljani držav ECOWAS za prehod meje ne potrebujejo dokumentov, zahodnjaki pa bodo; ne računajte, da bo vaša vožnja pripravljena čakati, da opravite formalnosti , zato se prepričajte, da se z voznikom dogovorite, ali prinesite torbe s seboj). Stroški in nevarnosti niso znani; med drugim je bila meja zaprta spontano in brez opozorila vsaj nekajkrat, po noči pa je vedno zaprta.
Moj čoln
Sezonska reka izvira konec maja ali v začetku junija na jugu mesta in teče vse do oktobra, ponekod pa lahko najdete tudi kanuje, ki se uporabljajo kot trajekti. Zdi se, da ob reki na tak način ni rednih prevozov ali voženj s kanuji, ki se tržijo turistom. Vsekakor to ni realna metoda za potovanje v mesto.
Obiti
Maradi je enostavno mesto za obiskovanje. Središče mesta je zelo sprehodljivo, če bi si želeli, da bi se uprli vročini in vijugasti mokri neimenovanih ulic. Poimenovanih je nekaj ulic in tudi takrat, ko so, jih nihče ne pozna (in zagotovo ne hišne številke na njih). Ko se vozite s taksijem ali sprašujete po navodilih, je pravilo, da imenujete mejnik v bližini kraja, kamor se odpravljate. Vsak voznikov seznam znamenitosti je nekoliko drugačen in kraj, kamor se odpravljate, lahko imenuje drugače (ali v drugem jeziku), kot to mislite vi ali vaš vodnik. Večina jih pozna imena kulturnih znamenitosti, glavnih državnih uradov, hotelov, trgov in večjih trgovin, avtobusnih postaj, priljubljenih barov in restavracij itd. Če se vnaprej dogovarjate za srečanje z nekom, boste morda želeli vprašati svojo stran, kaj bodo rekli taksiju, da pride tja. Če veste, kam greste, in dobro komunicirate, lahko tudi podrobno usmerite navodila (kot lahko, ko pridete do najbližje točke); zavedajte se, da je to odlična vrzel pri presenetljivem povečanju cene vozovnice (morda pošteni), saj voznik vnaprej ni vedel, kam gre.
S taksijem
Taksiji podnevi redko križarijo po ulicah; po sončnem zahodu lahko postanejo redki, tudi med glavnimi urami nočnega življenja. Taksi prevoznika ni in povsem sprejemljivo je, da prosite taksista za njegovo številko mobilnega telefona, tako da lahko pokličete za prevzem ali se dogovorite za čas prevzema, če ste na oddaljeni lokaciji ali pozno zunaj. Voznik lahko za to zahteva majhno plačilo, mnogi pa tega ne storijo, še posebej, če vas ima skupina.
Kot povsod v Nigru so tudi v Maradiju taksiji skupni; zakonito lahko voznik prevaža do štiri potnike, ki imajo lahko toliko različnih ciljev. Možno je, da jih boste pobrali kar pet ali šest, še posebej, če so nekateri otroci, če pa vam to resnično povzroča težave in vas ne moti, da vas o tem mislijo kot o "upravičeni belki , 'lahko spregovorite. Če želite pozdraviti taksi, stojte ob cesti in iztegnite roko; večina Nigerijcev ga bo držala pokonci s tlemi, pustila, da jim roka visi na zapestju in naredila vabljiv gib. Običajno deluje tudi toča v kabini v ameriškem slogu. Voznik bo upočasnil; povej mu kam greš in ne vstopi, dokler ne reče, da je v redu. Morda ima druge potnike in vaš cilj morda ne bo v smeri, kamor greste; to se zgodi in ni nič osebnega. Vožnja s taksijem v Nigru se izračuna glede na "tečaje" - tj. En tečaj, dva tečaja itd. Vsak tečaj stane 200 FCFA. V Maradiju boste morali iti z enega konca mesta na drugega ali pa ga popolnoma zapustiti, da počistite "en smer". Kot v večini mest, če vam bo voznik zaračunal več, je bonton tak, da vam pove, ko vas pobere. Če vam ga pokaže, ko je vožnja končana, imate pravico do protesta. Prav tako bi morala biti njegova vozovnica v funkciji 200; ob tem pa boste pogosto tu našli 300-FCFA pristojbino, ki je z vami navedena kot kompromis; v celoti se strinjam s tem.
Taksisti so bolj prijazni, bolj pošteni in manj verjetno vas bodo skušali izkoristiti v Maradiju kot v Niameyu. V nasprotju z Niameyem lahko utemeljeno domnevate, da vam večina voznikov daje pošteno ceno, razen če veste bolje.
Z motornimi taksiji
Če v življenju potrebujete malo več vznemirjenja (ali pa želite prihraniti 10 centov), se lahko odpeljete z motornim taksijem (imenovanim kabu-kabu). To je lahko zabavno, lahko pa enako enostavno narašča za lase. Številni kabu-kabusi v Maradiju so 50-kubični kitajski skuterji z le enim sedežem, na katerem se obupno držite v tesnem stiku z voznikom, ko šibate po prometu. Profesionalni vozniki kabujev imajo dejanska motorna kolesa z dejanskim prostorom za potnike, vendar za razliko od krajev, kot je Zinder, dovoljenja v Maradiju niso natančno nadzorovana, zato dobite veliko amaterjev; še huje, strokovnjaki niso uniformirani kot v Zinderju, zato ne morete vedno ugotoviti razlike. Na zgornji strani ste edini potnik, zato se vsakič odpravite naravnost do cilja. Še bolje, na vsakem vogalu ulice lahko najdete skupino dolgočasnih voznikov kabu-kabuja, ki jo boste skoraj zagotovo našli tudi ob nenavadnih urah noči, ko taksijev ne bo več. Vožnja s kabu-kabujem se začne pri 150 FCFA; če se odpravite na kakršno koli razdaljo, se bodo stroški povečali hitreje in postopneje kot taksi, zato sta na vmesnih razdaljah skoraj enaka in če greš daleč, je taksi cenejši. Voznik verjetno nima čelade in je zagotovo ne bo imel za vas.
Glej
- 1 Grand Marché. Grand Marché (velika tržnica) zavzema dvonadstropno območje v središču mesta; gre za obzidje, posejano z vrati, zato ga morda ne boste prepoznali z ulice. Za razliko od večine trgov je tu življenje vsak dan v tednu, toda, če želite resnično videti orkestrirani kaos, ko se trgovina razliva v okolico v vsem svojem sijaju, morate iti med tržnimi dnevi, v ponedeljek in petek. Glavna atrakcija trga je verjetno spektakel stvari; to je kraj, kjer domačini hodijo nakupovati, zato ne boste videli veliko, kar bi želeli kupiti (čeprav boste naleteli na veliko ljudi, ki bi vam to z veseljem prodali). Dobra izjema je kotiček z nekaj trgovci, ki prodajajo tradicionalne čare in čarobna zdravila (prosite koga magani ali tradicionalno zdravilo); od njih lahko dobite več vrst čarobnih čarov in tradicionalni nakit, da o kilometrih in kilometrih kroglic sploh ne govorimo. Ti so ponavadi izredno poceni in so odlična priložnost, da izkoristite svoje pogajalske spretnosti, ne da bi prišli do tone denarja, čeprav mnogi trgovci ne govorijo francosko. Medtem ko ste tam, si vzemite trenutek in si oglejte zbirke tradicionalnih zdravil in zdravil. Če načrtujete pripravo čarovništva, lahko med kupčki zelišč in rastlin najdete stvari, kot so ježki peresniki, kameleonski repi in celo posušene opičje glave. Lahko naredijo fantastična darila, vendar jih je treba opozoriti, da so dražja, kot bi uganili, in da skoraj ničesar zakonito ne morete vrniti nazaj v ZDA ali večino evropskih držav.
- 2 Sultanova palača. Tradicionalni poglavar mesta Maradi živi v impresivni palači na velikem trgu na zahodni strani mesta. Palača je od zunaj vizualno presenetljiva. Poglavarjeva palača je pravzaprav zasebni dom njegove družine in kraj, kjer ima sodišče, zato ni izrecno odprt za turiste. Vendar se govori, da se rad srečuje s tujci, zato boste morda lahko očarani, ko boste gledali, kako drži sodišče, ali za ogled ali zasebno občinstvo. Darilo (denar ali bolj tradicionalno darilo, kot so oreščki kola) bi lahko namazalo kolesa. Tudi če vstopite, pričakujte, da vas bodo odpeljali do udobnega stola in čakali nekaj časa (to je verjetno tudi, če se dogovorite za sestanek); resno bi morali razmisliti, da bi našli nekoga, ki bi vam dal uvodnik o bontonu za srečanje s havskim tradicionalnim poglavarjem, preden poskusite iti.
- 3 Center obrtnikov. Center obrtnikov je na severu mesta in je delovno mesto za prijazno zbirko večinoma tuareških kovačev, draguljarjev in usnjarjev, pa tudi trgovino, ki prodaja njihove izdelke. Izbira v trgovini je manj raznolika od tiste, ki jo najdemo drugje, morda zato, ker Maradi ni niti mesto Tuaregov niti kraj, ki ga obiskujejo turisti, vendar so cene bolj sprejemljive (čeprav je dogovor, da se izdelki vseh obrtnikov prodajajo v isti trgovini, cene, o katerih se veliko manj pogaja, kot bi se kje drugje). Cene so zagotovo bolj sprejemljive kot v Gostišču, edinem drugem kraju v Maradiju, kjer lahko zanesljivo kupite kose svetovno znanega nakita Tuareg iz srebra. Če boste šli, pa ne kupujte stvari. Vzemite si čas, da se sprehodite in opazujete obrtnike; veliko njihovega dela je zanimivo gledati in so zelo prijazni, zgovorni. Če ste povabljeni na čaj, vas prosimo, da sprejmete ali zavrnete; če sprejmete, se zavedajte, da se boste prijavili za enega najmočnejših kofeinskih udarcev, ki ga lahko dobite, in da je nesramno oditi, preden ste popili tri skodelice. Medtem ko ste tam, se sprehodite po ulici in si oglejte mošejo Grande; to ni isti spektakel kot Niameyev ali celo Tibirijev (glej spodaj), vendar ga je vredno obiskati.
Ali
- Trgajte se na trgu. Pogajanje skozi zahodnoafriški trg je lahko fantastično zabaven način preživljanja popoldneva, in če iščete priložnost, da se malo zanesete, preden naletite na tržnice in turistične trgovine v Niameyu ali Zinderju (kjer imate več stvari, ki bi jih dejansko želeli kupiti, nasprotno pa vas prav tako poskušajo zajebati), nato pa pojdite na suho vožnjo, da kupite mango, vijak tkanine ali kos manjšega nakita na trgu Maradi ali v eni od specializiranih trgovin na obrobju trga. Cene tukaj bodo nižje in tudi pribitek, ki ga dobite za tujca, bo manjši. Bodite prijazni; barantanje je družabna dejavnost in za začetek boste želeli vprašati po trgovčevem zdravju in družini, tako kot vsak drug vljuden pogovor. Vprašajte za ceno, kaj želite; pogosto boste morali izbrati vse, kar želite, preden dobite končno ponudbo (več kot kupite, manj boste plačali za izdelek). Za hrano lahko na splošno podate ponudbo v višini približno 2/3 ponudbe; za stvari, kot je tekstil, lahko celo poskusite 1/2. Včasih bo to prineslo popolno zavrnitev; v tem primeru lahko v Nigru spremenite svojo ponudbo; izmenično lahko dobite nasprotno ponudbo trgovca in postopek se bo nadaljeval. Če poskušate dobiti zadnji popust, razmislite o laskanju ("Ker ste dober prijatelj!") Ali besedni zvezi saboda gobe, havški izraz, ki pomeni, da bi morali dobiti dobro ceno, ker se boste vrnili jutri ali trgovca priporočili prijateljem; že samo uporaba te besedne zveze bo razveselila številne trgovce. Za razliko od mnogih azijskih ali bližnjevzhodnih kultur bi moralo barantanje v Nigru z vsemi, razen najbolj nesramnimi turističnimi pastmi, ostati prijazen postopek; ne žali trgovca ali njegovih izdelkov (razen če je izdelek upravičeno napačen; če ga vseeno želiš, to upravičuje popust) in če začutiš, da se trgovec legitimno jezi nate, potem voziš preveč težko. Ne pozabite, da so ti ljudje po vseh standardih, na katere se nanašate, zelo revni; če ti da deset dodatnih centov, je res tako velika stvar?
- Club Privé. Skočite v bazen (glavna atrakcija kluba; veliko izseljencev preprosto imenuje kraj 'bazen') ali igrajte nekaj sklopov tenisa (morda boste potrebovali svojo opremo) na igrišču ali dvignite uteži v telovadnici. Za vstop bi morali biti plačljiv član, vendar je lastnik Mainassara zelo prijeten fant, ki vodi podjetje in običajno ga lahko prepričate, da vas spusti noter, še posebej, če kupujete hrano ali vam prodajo dnevno vozovnico . Zelo verjetno boste srečali tako bogate nigerijske družine kot številne humanitarne delavce in izseljence, ki živijo v Maradiju, in to je idealen kraj za ohladitev v eni izmed najbolj vročih držav na Zemlji. Jedilnik je drag, vendar je namenjen tujcem, dobite lahko tudi hladne in alkoholne pijače. V nekaterih dneh, v sezoni, vam bo ponudil celo prodajo pomelosa s sadnega drevesa zadaj. Klub je po stranski cesti in mimo meja mesta; bodisi se dogovorite za klic taksija ali bodite pripravljeni prehoditi približno kilometer navzgor, preden pridete do točke, kjer jo boste našli. Mimogrede, "vodni škorpijoni", ki jih boste verjetno našli v skupnem bazenu, so resnično vznemirljivi, vendar so ne škorpijoni in so neškodljivi. Če še vedno ne morete zdržati z njim v vodi in nimate živca, da bi se ga dotaknili, vam ga bo osebje lovilo; to je vsakdanje dogajanje.
- Zabava v neredu. To je bila nekoč jedilnica za vojaško oporišče, od tod tudi ime. Zdaj je to eden izmed najbolj znanih plesnih klubov Maradi, tako z afrobeat kot mednarodnimi pop in hip-hop izbori ter z razmeroma raznoliko množico domačinov in izseljencev. Za nočni izlet v Maradiju je malo draga stran, a je ena izmed stvari, najbližjih nočnemu klubu v zahodnem slogu v zelo konzervativnem muslimanskem mestu. Je skoraj neposredno nasproti kluba Privé in s seboj nosi veliko istih prevoznih težav. Še več, verjetno boste zapuščali Mess v gluhi noči na neosvetljeni cesti skozi prosona polja, v katerih živijo nevarnosti za živali, za katere še niste slišali, in verjetno v sandalih. Premislite zdaj, ko ste trezni.
- Festivali. Pred obiskom preverite koledar ali se pozanimajte. Niger ima vrsto glavnih festivalov, večina pa temelji na muslimanskem luninem koledarju, zato se njihovi datumi spreminjajo. Ramadan, mesec posta, lahko Maradiju prinese splošno upočasnitev in nekaj počasnosti, toda če boste imeli srečo, da boste tam ob bajramu konec meseca, se morate s taksijem popolnoma odpeljati do Tibirija, 20 minut stran. Tibiri je dom Sarkija, enega najmočnejših mož v tradicionalni hauski kulturi, in trg pred njegovo palačo postane prizorišče ekstravagantnega festivala v času bajrama, kamor ljudje prihajajo s sto kilometrov naokrog, da bi gledali tradicionalne glasbenike in parada palače in straže na konjih v spomin na kraljevo zmago nad sovražniki in praznovanje konca ramazana. V mestu je tudi najbolj impresivna mošeja v regiji, kjer bodo molitve potekale zjutraj. Prav tako se enkrat letno na severu Dakoro v tej regiji zgodi festival cuir salee (soljeno ali suho usnje), tradicionalni festival Fulani; na festivalu med drugim nastopajo tradicionalna tekmovanja v rokoborbi in lepoti. Če greste, ste lahko prepričani, da ste priča nečemu, česar je videla le peščica zahodnih oči.
- Klepet z nikomer in z vsemi, ki jih srečate. Hausas in Nigerijci nasploh so neverjetno zgovorni in zelo prijazni. Radi govorijo o sebi in z veseljem bodo izvedeli vse o vas. Če si vzamete čas za posedanje in pogovor z nekaterimi ljudmi, ki jih srečate, boste imeli priložnost izvedeti vse, kar ste kdaj želeli vedeti o življenju v Maradiju in v Nigru (da ne omenjam vremena v tej sezoni, dedek je slavil in je zdaj znan po njem in vsak član družine vašega spremljevalca, vključno z enim primernim otrokom, s katerim bi se resnično moral poročiti). Če ste izjemno prijazni, tvegate, da vas povabijo k spremljevalcu na razkošno večerjo in priložnost, da pijete čaj in se pogovarjate v poznih nočnih urah ter pridete ven in si ogledate njegovo njivo ali njegovo čredo v jutro. Zavrnitev takšne ponudbe je težko, ne da bi ustvarili prizadete občutke, in iskreno povedano, vzpostavitev takšne zveze je verjetno najboljši način za nasvet ob obisku, pa tudi za ustvarjanje trajnega prijateljstva.
- Tavaj. Vsakodnevno življenje v mestu, kot je Maradi, ni nič drugega, kot ste verjetno že videli, in čeprav boste zagotovo opaženi, ne boste pritegnili množice, kot bi jo morda v nekaterih drugih mestih ali na podeželju. Je tudi zelo varen; Zahodnjaki v konceptu ne razumejo "slabih sosesk", zato verjetno ne boste ogroženi, če boste zapustili pretepljeno pot. Še posebej se sprehodite po starejših četrtih okoli Poglavarjeve palače na severozahodni strani mesta; dobili boste pravi občutek za staro afriško mesto, skupaj z nekaterimi hišami iz kolonialne dobe in nekaj zelo impresivnih blatnih hiš, vključno z dvonadstropnimi z neverjetno dodanimi funkcijami, kot so balkoni in steklena okna.
- Sledite nomadom. Če ste na območju, ko se zaključuje deževna sezona (oktobra), vprašajte, ali nomadi trenutno potujejo na jug. Če so, razmislite o sprehodu do glavne avtoceste, da jih vidite. Številni pastirji Fulani in Tuaregi se odpravijo na jug skozi Maradi navzdol do Nigerije in vodijo po poti severno in zahodno od mesta. V zenitu te selitve ste lahko priča neverjetnemu spektaklu, ko se družina za družino s tisoči koz, ovac, goveda in kamel peljejo tja, ena za drugo, bolj ali manj natančno tako kot že stoletja.
Nauči se
- Hausa. To ni le zanimiv jezik, za katerega boste morda radi naučili nekaj ključnih besednih zvez; resnično vam bo olajšal obisk Maradija, če boste našli koga, ki vas bo to naučil. Učenje besednega zaklada za denar in trgovino je v pomoč, prav tako pa tudi učenje nekaterih tipičnih pozdravov. Tako kot v večini zahodne Afrike je tudi v Nigru nevljudno, da se lotite posla, ne da bi se najprej na dolgo spraševali o zdravju in počutju svojega spremljevalca in njegove / njene ožje družine, njihovem delu, kako poteka letina itd. ; če boste to lahko storili v havsi, boste zelo navdušeni nad ljudmi, ki jih srečate, in to se vam bo zdelo čarobno. Cene se bodo znižale, poskusi goljufanja se bodo zmanjšali, koristnost se bo povečala in krogi pijač bodo nenadoma izginili zavihek. Ni podcenjevati trditve, da bo učenje nekega osnovnega havsa bistveno spremenilo vaš odnos z mestom in to na povsem pozitiven način.
Delo
Maradi je mesto z modrimi ovratniki v eni izmed najmanj razvitih držav na Zemlji, zato verjetno ne boste našli veliko dela, ki bi vam bilo vredno, razen če ste nekakšen Discovery Channel, ki bi rad demonstriral svetu. Kot večina svetovnih držav lahko tudi tu najdete ogromen trg za ljudi, ki se želijo naučiti angleščine; dostojno zanimanje lahko najdete tudi v kitajščini in arabščini. Znesek, ki bi ga za storitev lahko plačal kateri koli, razen absolutno najbogatejši, pa je zelo majhen. Če resnično potrebujete dohodek, je najbolje, da se obrnete na nevladne organizacije v Maradiju, še posebej, če imate kakršne koli mednarodne razvojne izkušnje ali lahko pokažete tehnično znanje. Govorice, da je težko dobiti zaposlitve v nevladnih organizacijah, so resnične, vendar držijo predvsem, če vas zaposlijo kot tujca. Številne nevladne organizacije bi bile zelo vesele, če bi se zahodnjak na njihovem mestu sprehodil in prosil za delo po konkurenčni lokalni plači, saj je že prišel tja na svoje stroške. Tudi ta taktika pa se vam bo bolj verjetno izkazala v Niameyu ali Zinderju, zato je najboljše priporočilo, da ne potujete v Maradi, kjer iščete delo, če ste zahodnjak.
Nakup
- Tradicionalna tuareška obrt v obrtnem centru. Tuaregi (in tudi Fulani) so mednarodno znani po kakovosti svojega srebra in usnjenih izdelkov; v trgovini Center je dostojna izbira zelo prepoznavnih srebrnih ali nikljevih obročev, zapestnic, ogrlic in uhanov za moške in ženske. Vprašajte o križih Tuaregov; so pogost motiv in zgodba za njimi je privlačna. Usnjene aktovke in sandali so presenetljivo trpežni, čeprav redko tako udobni ali tako praktični, kot bi upali. Če želite nekaj zares specifičnega (in imate v prtljagi prostor), razmislite o kameljem sedlu, meču ali denarnici Tuareg to so vse stvari, ki jih lahko opazite Tuarege okoli sebe, ki jih dejansko nosijo in uporabljajo v svojem vsakdanjem življenju, ponavadi pa ponazarjajo spretnost in estetiko usnjarstva in kovinarstva.
- Kola oreh. Če želite vzorčiti najbolj prepoznaven primerek Nigra, kupite oreh kola. Ta slasten drevesni sadež s kofeinom je bil ena od zgodnjih sestavin Coca-Cole in je osupljivo grenak, vendar ima udarec, zaradi katerega ne boste nikoli več spoštovali jutranje kave. Kola oreški se običajno povsem naravno razdelijo na nageljnove žbice in mnogi Nigerijci, ki družbeno žvečijo goro, kot je znano, običajno kupite samo enega in delite. Upate si jesti celo samo zgodaj zjutraj ali pred svojim čezatlantskim letom. Za razliko od ulične hrane se oreščki kola ne perejo; vzemite ga s seboj in ga previdno operite (najbolje z malo belila v vodi) ali pa ga vsaj olupite (ne tako varno), preden ga pojeste. Meso ima zanimivo težnjo, da ob izpostavitvi zraku postane oranžno. Kolaški oreški so zelo tradicionalno darilo za povabljene na porokah in krstih.
- Malta in pest. 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.
Jej
Proračun
- Ulična hrana - 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.
Srednji razred
- 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
- Gostišče, ☏ 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.
Pijte
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.
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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.
Povežite se
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.
Ostani varen
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.
Spopadite se
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.
Pojdi naprej
You can stop over in Maradi for a short visit (or just a good night's rest) en route to or from Zinder ali Diffa, or use Maradi as a jumping-off point to cross the border into Nigeria on your way to Katsina ali 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.