Cotonou, Benin - 1 of 2

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.

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