Benin (Dec 2001)

Liz and Paul have been in West Africa since 1997, first in the Côte d'Ivoire and now in Benin. It took us over four years to overcome our fear of injections and make the trip!

Christmas under the Sun

Our base for the trip - and for the Christmas festivities - was Liz and Paul's house in Cotonou. Special thanks to Pauline and Etienne for looking after us all for a fortnight, and to Achilles for teaching Mark to swim.

Cotonou

Cotonou, Benin's main town, is a remarkable place, but not for the faint-hearted. Mopeds outnumber cars by 10 to 1, and sometimes drive on the same side of the road!

Grand Popo

We spent two nights in the Auberge at Grand Popo, not far from the border with Togo. If only they had air-conditioning ...

Ouidah and Casa del Papa

For New Year's Eve we travelled to Ouidah (the birth place of Voodoo) to stay at the newly opened Casa del Papa - a rough ride, but worth every bruise!

The "Gate of No Return" commemorates the slaves brought from all over West Africa to Ouidah before sailing for the Americas.

Lac Nokoué and Ganvié

Cotonou lies between the Atlantic Ocean and Lac Nokoué. We took a boat from the Hotel du Lac on the Lagune de Cotonou, and crossed Lac Nokoué. Ganvié, at the northwest of the lake, is described (by some!) as the Venice of Africa - a lake village of some 15,000 people making their living primarily from fishing.

More of Benin

Apart from a trip to Abomey, we didn't have the opportunity to explore far beyond the coastal region, and we didn't see too much wild-life. So, still plenty to do next time!