• Africa the Return
    Stilt dancing. Great performance but not as athletic as if it had been dry.
    More stilt dancing. Some of the dancers had huge stilts, 3m or so.Angela and Death sitting on a wall having a breather. His was the shortest stilts.Mural on the Voodoo temple. The text means something like 'Voodoo is the way to God'.Out of the lions mouth. The view from the Voodoo Temple door.The door that shall not be passed.The Chameleon temple. It's called that because ...The interior of the Chameleon Temple. No problem going in but shoes off please.Salt workers huts. It will be in the YouTube video.The Gate of No Return. Commemorates the millions of people shipped out into slavery.The Mask Dance band warming up with a few ladies getting into it.Touristy pic with the 'masks'. See the video.Prawns?Mask Dance excerpt.

    Abomey Voodoo

    September 16 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After the heavy rain last night postponed our last event for the day turns out it's dry enough to go ahead this morning. Stilt dancing is dangerous on wet ground.
    Great performance. Half the village turned out for the fun. The performance is often related to the voudun (voodoo) religion but they have non religious performances they put on for fun. We got one of those.
    Came away half deaf from the drumming and brass. Great fun.
    The off the a local Voodoo temple for a look at the outside and an beginner's guide to Voodoo. It's nothing like Hollywood, just a big religion with millions of followers. Not allowed in the temple, not followers. Even our tour leader would not go in. He is in the religion but a different 'parish'.
    Next door was the Chameleon Temple. This is mixed use with Christian, Muslim and Voodoo services in the same building.
    Then a sad part of the day. A bit of a look at why this is called the Slave Coast. Benin is the source of many of the African slaves that were shipped out to other countries. Two memorials and a talk from a specialist guide.
    Not finished yet. Then off to another dance. This time a Mask Dance, The masks are like mini haystacks that move and dance. Then they open them up to show there is nobody inside. Again the village came out for the fun and really got into it. A lot of women dancing and the band going for it big time. Got a Voodoo blessing because this is a Voodoo thing.
    Then off to our hotel back on the coast, tired and ready for dinner. Sorry for the long entry, it's been a long day.    Read more