Benin
Littoral

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    • Day 37

      Op avontuur in Cotonou

      February 23, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

      Tijd om de uitdaging aan te gaan: op eigen houtje de grootstad Cotonou verkennen! Twee ‘zims’ (brommers) slingeren ons door het hectische verkeer naar de Fondation Zinsou, een klein museum met tijdelijke exposities van hedendaagse Afrikaanse kunstenaars.
      Daarna ‘zimmen’ we naar La grande mosquée. Samuël blijkt niet alleen heel talentvol in het onderhandelen met zimchauffeurs, maar ook in het overtuigen dat hij als moslim wil gaan bidden in de moskee. Een vriendelijke man toont ons het hele reinigingsritueel en daarna mogen we de moskee binnen: elk via een andere ingang (mannen en vrouwen bidden apart).
      We wagen het om vandaar te voet naar de wit- en roodgestreepte kerk Notre-Dame te stappen. We volgen er een stuk van de mis mee en branden een kaarsje,
      Na een laatste rodeo-tocht terug naar de andere kant van de stad komen we veilig in ons hotel aan. Oef!
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    • Day 71

      Cotonou, Benin

      March 25, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

      Benin, a French-speaking West African nation, is a birthplace of the vodun (or “voodoo”) religion. Almost half of population is practicing it.

      Since we went to see voodoo ceremony yesterday, we decided to see a village on stilts. 45,000 people live in this village.
      We got up at 7:00am, had breakfast and by 8:30am were waiting in the lounge to get out tickets and go on the bus for the tour.
      Around 9:00am we were told that there will be five busses going on this tour, but only three came.
      They asked for volunteers to give up the tour. Some people decided not to go. The tour time was moved to 9:45am.
      At 10:00am we were told again that there are only 3 buses. By this time, I think enough people gave up, so we were given tickets and went outside to get on the bus.

      Our first stop was a enormous statue of Amazonian woman. Then another huge statue of warrior (can not give any details, the tour guide did not have a microphone 🎤).
      We passed big market with locals selling everything, lots of motorcycles with up to5 5 people on one, motorcycle taxis with a drivers in yellow T-shirts,

      In about 45 minutes we arrived at the entrance of the village and boarded a little very old boat.
      The ride through the stilts village was pretty interesting. There are schools, shops, other services…all on the water.
      There are no running water. They have one water station where everyone fills buckets with running water.
      We came back on the ship around 2:30pm, had a late lunch, shower and spent a nice quiet evening.
      Tomorrow is a sea day. Glad to have rest after four hot days of tours.
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    • Day 25

      COTONOU, Benin

      March 25, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

      We are once again on African time! Our tour to the Ganvie Village on Stilts this morning was delayed as 2 busses arrived an hour late. Leaving the port we pasted thru an area with well maintained flowerbeds. Such a contrast from the previous Afican cities. Woman are highly revered in Benin and can even have more than one husband. Stopped at the statue of the Amazonian woman. A 45 minute drive to the lake then a 20 minute boat ride to the village. The village is located in the lagoon of Lake Nokoue. It was created for the Tofinu people to stay safe from slave hunters. The teetering houses, schools and other structures form a ramshackle village. Depending on your tour guide, population of the village is from 30,000 to 45,000 people. Villagers' main lively hood is fishing.Read more

    • Day 70

      Cotonou, Benin - 1 of 2

      March 25, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

      Cotonou is a city in Benin with 2 million people of the Country’s 13 million (and covers 44,000 sq miles) lies to the southeast of the country between Lake Nokoue and the Atlantic Ocean.

      Benin received its Independence in 1960. In addition to being Benin’s largest city, it is the seat of government, although Porto-Novo is the official capital. Cotonou was founded by King Ghezo of Dahomey in 1830 and then through treaties over the next 60 years became part of the French empire.

      The language here is French. The population with over 10 ethnic groups is 48% Christian, 28% Muslim and 12% Voodoo. Although Benin is still a poor Nation, it sadly had grown as a center for the slave trade, and later palm oil and cotton.

      Currently, the President is very interested in investment in art and in building the infrastructure and transportation for trade.

      The first thing we saw in Cotonou was an outdoor museum which has the world record for largest graffiti mural, decorating the wall for the seventh edition of the Graffiti Effect Festival. It was a very large painting along the road that went on for .6 mile long completed by 40 artists that were mostly African. Very impressive.

      Next, we visited a 100 foot, 15 ton Benin Amazon statue. This is a tribute to the female army of Amazons. The plague says: “This Amazon Monument aims to establish a strong identity symbol for Benin and consists of erecting an emblematic work in tribute to the Amazons of Dahomey”. They began as King Wegbaja‘s elephant hunters in the late 1600s, and the women’s corp grew and were key to King Gezo‘s expansion in the 1850s, when the kingdom expanded across most of what is today Nigeria. They existed until 1894 when it became a French colony. Note: the film, the “Woman King” premiered last year at the same time the statue about these strong women was revealed.

      We then proceeded to the capital, Porto-Novo, an hour and a half away. What an adventure. First there were many, many motorcycles, all wearing yellow shirts, and starting and stopping all over in the middle of the road. What is that you ask? Yes, they are TAXIs ... all on motorcycles. Then we saw the road lined in stands selling all different sized bottles filled with "light yellow" liquid. Hmm, you know what this is? GAS ... stolen, borrowed or received at a lower than normal price illegally from Nigeria (just across the border) to be sold to the motorcycles (and others)!

      On the way to Porto-Novo we were right on the border of Nigeria. We learned of the legends and traditions of the Goun and Yoruba people. We visited the 19th Century Palace of King Toffa, which is now the Musée Honmé, to learn about the life of the Kings that lived here. Inside the Ethnographic Museum we explored the objects of this King and learned about how he lived and ruled. Outside there was a Gelede, a ritual mask dance honoring the spiritual role of women in society. An interesting trip and on the way back we stopped at a Mosque and to visit with the local children.

      There are 20 photos followed by 2 videos.
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    • Day 2

      Après-midi à Cotonou

      December 3, 2023 in Benin ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

      Repas de midi dans un petit restaurant local. Au menu poulet bicyclette, riz, couscous de manioc et aloko (bananes plantain frites).

      L'Amazone est une statue érigée en hommage aux Amazones du Dahomey et fabriquée en structure métallique avec une enveloppe en bronze, d'une hauteur de 30 mètres.
      La statue trône près de la plage, au milieu d'une très grande place très animée.
      La plage est elle aussi un joli lieu familial. On peut y boire et manger grâce aux vendeurs ambulants.

      Étonnamment, les gens me demandent pour me prendre en photo ou vidéo avec eux. On dirait que ma blondeur les intrigue.

      Retour à l'hôtel vers 19h dans le bazar de la circulation béninoise.
      Les taxis sont ici des motos (chauffeurs en tee-shirt jaune)
      Il n'est pas rare de voir une famille de plusieurs personnes (même des bébés) sur une moto-taxi
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    • Day 70

      Cotonou, Benin - 2 of 2

      March 25, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

      This is a continuation of the last post (see text description in Contonou, Benin 1 of 2)

      There are 10 photos, followed by 2 videos, and then 10 more photos here.

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Littoral, Литорал, Departemen Littoral, Dipartimento del Litorale, リトラル県, 리토랄 주, Pakrantės departamentas, Departament Littoral, Departamentul Littoral, Литораль, Вилояти Литторал, Littoral Departmanı, لیتورال محکمہ, Q29158, Apá Littoral, 濱海省

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