I am sitting back here in the computer lab on campus, just getting done reading the dozens of emails I missed this week while traveling around in Benin and Togo. I had the most amazing adventures these past ten days, but it just dawned on me, how lucky I am that I have interested people awaiting the details. More and more while traveling to new places, my thoughts have returned home, making me appreciate my life and all it's details so much more. One things for sure, I have fallen in love with Africa. I know many may scoff at that statement, considering I have only been to three out of 51 countries on this continent, but I stand by it. Unfortunately, there is no possible way to recount every detail, every sights, every emotion from this trip, it would simply defy the laws of nature, and one thing I have learned is not to mess with nature. However, like everything else here in Africa, I will adapt and do the best I can.
MAY 16th: Bon Voyage!
I have witnessed more sunrises in Ghana than I have in my whole life, and Friday morning, rising at 4 am was no exception. Natalie, Katie, Elaine and I left the chaos of the University for a week long adventure in Benin and Togo. Luckily the Togolese boarder was only four hours aways from Accra, making the rainy, bumpy trek completely bearable. Crossing the boarder was a bit of an ordeal, but I was so side tracked at first, deliriously excited to use the few French phrases Katie had been teaching me for weeks. Bonjour! Commet ca va? And just a few more. However, I quickly learned two important lessons. A) It took me five years to learn very very basic Spanish, so one week did not make me a fluent French speaker. B) Boarder officials just suck, they are corrupt and make you stoop so low as to flirt with them just so you can get a silly little stamp to get into their country. However, Togo was redeemed once across the boarder, for we took a taxi (paying in CFA for the first time!) to a pastry shop in downtown Lome. I got two I was so excited to see something other than rice!
After our afternoon treat we were off again in another shared taxi, all four of us squished in the back. Our goal was to make it all the way to the capital of Benin, Porto Novo by the end of the day. It sounds crazy when I reflect that we were able to cross the boarder of three countries in one day! Let me tell you it was quite the journey, and in this case, I would like to say that it was not the journey this time, but the destination. Crossing the Beninese boarder was like getting your teeth pulled with none of that numbing stuff. The boarder officials took delight in making us four Americans do the royal run around, making it extra stressful for Katie, the only French speaker among us. Once across the boarder and on our way to Porto Novo, we had to pass through the city of Cotonou, which has been fondly described in our guide book as a chain-smoking crack addict of a city. They are not describing the people, oh no no. They were describing the chaos of the streets, at least five cars and ten motto's, known as zemi-john's in Benin, squeezed in two lanes, all going a hundred miles an hour, with the thickest, blackest, nastiest smog engulfing all those cruising by. Just a half an hour in the city left me feeling like I had stuck my mouth around an exhaust pipe and just inhaled for a day!
Luckily we did not spend to much time in Cotonou, and I had already began dreading the moment we would have to pass through there again. Once into Porto Novo, we felt a much more relaxed and laid back vibe, not what I had expected of the capital after our journey there. Where we stayed was an first time experience in and of itself. We stayed the night in Centre Songhai, a commune! It was so fascinating, everything there was grown communally. It was a introduction to Benin and the wealth of knowledge about this mysterious country I was going to gain by the end of my trip.
Saturday, May 17th: The Venice of Africa
Saturday, May 17th, at about 10 am is a historic moment in time. It is the exact moment I got addicted to zemi-johns, the motorcycles that transport you all over the country. I am sorry Mom and Dad, but I could not help it, I cannot remember the last time I had that much fun. We took them around Porto Novo in the morning, exploring the Grand Marche, the Brazilian cathedral turned massive mosque ending our journey with another stop for pastries.
After explaining for what felt like an hour to the various men trying to help us at the transport station, Katie was finally able to get it across, that yes, we wanted to take the crowded minibus, over chartering a private car. It still cracks me up when people get so confused that we want to take public transportation, I am just as capable sitting three to a seat. And it's dirt cheap! We headed back to Cotonou so that we could catch a connecting car up to Abomey-Calavi. I was dreading going back to Cotonou, but it turned out much less painful then I expected, finding the right car to Abomey-Calavi instantly. Once reaching Abomey-Calavi, we headed down to the Lake Front to catch a boat ride to, drum role please, the largest stilt village in West Africa. Over thirty thousand people lived out in the middle of a lake on stilts, going about their daily life. The village has been around for centuries and is evidence to Benin's very bloody history. The village was constructed as refuge from greedy slave traders and waring tribes of Dahomey (which was what Benin was up until the 1970s). Gerard, the boat driver, took us on our merry way to the stilt village, about an hour out onto the lake. We all got horrible sun burns, although they would not be the last. We passed by many fishermen and women returning with goods from the shores. One such women asked each of us if we would like some FGM, or female genital mutilation. Of course we politely said no thank you and were left on the boat the rest of the way a bit confused.
The stilt village, Ganvie, will forever remain on my list of the top ten coolest places I have ever visited. A whole little world existed ten feet above the water, or on boats traveling throughout the city. People had stores on their boats, and the market place ended up being right in front of our hotel, making for some of the best people watching ever. Yes, yes you heard me clearly, we stayed in the stilt village, and yes yes, our room was on stilts! Later in the afternoon, once the sun was not blazing, Lambert, the hotel man, took us around the town in his boat. We heard a constant stream of children yelling "Yovo!" (white person) from upon the stilts. I could not grasp the possibility that people could survive like this. Life lesson number 782 I suppose!
Staying there that night and enjoying the sound of water below could have made the trip, little did I know that that was merely day two, and I had so much more to explore. Let just say, I cannot wait to show off my photos!
Sunday and Monday May 18th and 19th: Voodoo and Kings and such...
Sunday, I truly believe, can be attributed to none other than good ju-ju. Voodoo is Benin's nationally recognized religion, and I strongly believe that something was at play during our stay in Abomey. Abomey was about three hours north of Abomey-Calavi and the stilt village. Our journey began with my first solo order of a delicious avocado sandwich, in French, and ended all cramped and sore in Abomey in the early afternoon. We found and instantly fell in love with the creepiest and most charming hotel down the dirt streets of Abomey. Hotel La Lutta, run by Da Lutta, was one for the record books. All four of us stayed in a room with mattresses on the floor for less than ten bucks a night, where the shower we latter discovered drained directly into the room. We didn't care, as far as we were concerned, this little hotel with a living room full of voodoo dolls was a five star swanky place in Paris. Everyone was so welcoming, especially Da, who invited us to a Voodoo ceremony, that unfortunately got canceled on account of the rain.
After settling in we took to exploring the city, which I fell in love with, especially considering exploring meant more motto rides for me. We hit up the local museum, which was magically free, the one day out of 365 days, saving us a chunk of money! Again, good ju-ju. The museum housed amazing artifacts from Dahomey's very bloody history, including a Kings thrown mounted on human skulls!
Although I did not dream it to be possible, the next day topped all the rest. Da, and tree other drivers, took us on a motto tour of the city, taking us to various sacred voodoo temples, a village of 500 who for the past centuries has never married outside itself, various monuments, a voodoo market fresh with monkey heads, a French graveyard and many many ancient palaces. At one such palace of King Agongolo (butchered the spelling), we discovered something very interesting about our guide. Throughout the day, people had been greeting Da with such reverence and respect, well, that's because Da is in the line of Kings of Dahomey. You know, "Da" as in "Da-homey." Only in Africa could you stay in a sweet little hotel and stumble upon royalty! Well, the tour made Benin for me. I learned more about Benin in two short days in Abomey then I could in a life time at the greatest library!
AHHHHHH: This is just my rough draft for my minutes are running out in three, so I will list what's coming next. Don't hold your breath because I am heading to the western region of Ghana again until Friday, when I will return to the computer at the crack of dawn to complete my tales! Life is just unreal here, it truly feels like a dream all that I am able to accomplish here...
Tuesday, May 20th: Coast of Benin, the Walk of No Return
Wednesday, May 21st: Heading into Lome, the Capital of Togo and the closest I have every come to France. Time spent exploring the city, people watching, market exploring, food gorging and horse back riding!
Thursday, May 22nd: Headed off to Kpalime, getting stranded away from our spot in the mountains!
Friday, May 23rd: The magical forest high in the Togolese mountains. Time spent at the Hotel de Papion (butterflies) with "The Butterfly man," who took us on a breath taking hike in the mountains to find butterflies, natural paints and waterfalls!
Saturday, May 24th: More adventures in the mountains, including great motto rides, mountains looking into Ghana and waterfall showers, complete with live music and craziness back at the Hotel de Papion.
Sunday, May 25th: Adventures trying to get back into Ghana and successfully returning to reality, well that's questionable...
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