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Benin Republic - Abomey and Grand Popo May 29th - June 1st, 2008
The organisers, Hans and Maaike, planned an excellent programme with such variety that nobody could have been bored. We began with a travel day and all met promptly at 7 am as requested. We arrived in Abomey around 4 pm. The border was a bit tedious and took two hours to clear, with Hans and Maaike taking care of officialdom. Hotel “Chez Monique” provided an excellent atmosphere to end a day on the bus. We had a large garden to wander around filled with masks, statues, tapestries and beer. There were lots of separate beer corners within the garden and we relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. Then when we needed a new beer garden we walked a couple of blocks down the wide boulevard to the local beer garden and had more.
Francis, the enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide, gave us a run down on Benin’s history before we had a 5 carbohydrate dinner served promptly at 8 pm as requested. Before I mention promptness in every sentence, I must say, that everything ran to time (... and not African time) and the group itself was always prompt. That must be worth self-congratulation.
Friday was a day of learning about Abomey. There are plenty of historical sites from this once great kingdom and they are being signposted and restored to a very high standard. Beware of the “protector” of one of the sites - the Marlboro man, or so his hat proclaimed! As we took photos of 18th Century palace walls from the street he decided it was his duty to stop us and demand money. Not unusual, but when we paid a nominal fee, he decided to chase our bus through the streets of Abomey for at least half an hour shaking his fist, motioning us to pull over, cutting us off (in an Okado no less!) and then he followed us to Blacksmith Village where he turned our visit to the local blacksmith into a big scene. Our guide managed to appease him so he didn’t follow us to the museum and voodoo shrine. The shrine was coincidentally in use while we were there so we saw the grisly procedure of chicken sacrifice. This humane event was followed by a stroll through the local market to watch the humane treatment of the local live produce as it is wrangled with and tied up in order to fit on the back of an okado, bicycle, rooftop, etc.
With that happy scene on our mind we headed for lunch and had fresh fish and french yam fries (best ever) at a local restaurant in Abomey. Next stop was a trip to the voodoo village and the witch doctor introduced us to fetishes and spitting upon them. When asked if anybody had problems to cure, nobody did. We are a happy healthy group. Or, more likely, everybody was on the verge of passing out from heat exhaustion in the cramped tiny room in which we were viewing the rituals.
Happily, for the length of this story, the next days were not quite as active but just as enjoyable. On Saturday, a train had been arranged especially for our group to take us from a town near Abomey, called Bohicon, to Pahou near the coast. The 3 hour ride seemed short, because it was so enjoyable. The train carriage is 1922 vintage with beautiful hardwood floors and a big back verandah. We saw plenty of bouncers as we went by. (It is the children who are so excited that they bounce up and down when they wave at you - thanks for the term Wes.) We also saw nothing but back-breaking agricultural work being carried out. Apparently, farming still thrives in Benin. The train was followed by an hour’s ride in the bus to Auberge de Grand Popo for some R&R.
The Auberge has a number of grand buildings facing the beach. I want to say they were Spanish colonial style but I have no experience in these matters and am likely wrong. The sea was a beautiful aqua marine and we enjoyed a walk and a drink before jumping in a boat on the nearby creek system for a cruise up the creeks. We stopped at a fishing village and admired their salt-making cottage industry. We coincidentally ran into a voodoo ceremony. (Are these coincidences or is there just so much of it going on?) This one didn’t involve chickens but comprised of drums and dancing.
Drinks and the last supper followed. The food was fabulous and the company still good. After 3 days together I still can’t seem to get bored with anybody!
Sunday was another travel day starting at 10:30. It took 2.5 hours to the border but before we made it there I had to observe the irony of a group, almost entirely comprised of oil industry people, eating our sandwiches beside the petrol pumps of the Total petrol station. By the way, top marks to Total for an air-conditioned shop, and a clean toilet.
The border crossing was a hot hour and a half of processing and then we convoyed back to Ikoyi with an active Mopol escort pushing us through so that we were back in our flats by 5 pm. What a fun-filled trip!
Sheryl Tank
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Lagos Branch
