Benin
Day 119 01/05
Auberge du Grand Popo, Grand Popo
miles
We managed to leave Togo without a problem but then hit a snag entering Benin. As it was a Sunday the customs office was closed which meant no stamp for our Carnet, we were assured that we could get our stamp at the customs office in Come 20km down the road. So off we went and found the office only to find another problem - the guy didn't have a stamp, we'd have to come back tomorrow. We saw we were getting nowhere so decided to carry on to Ouidah and come back. Ouidah was one of the main slave exporting ports in Africa so we went to see the monuments there and then camped on the beach.
Up early the next morning to do the usual shopping, internet, etc. and then back to Come for our Carnet stamp. At the customs office they were not quite sure what to do with us - this was obviously highly irregular. Eventually we managerd to talk a guy into signing the carnet for us and went to find Grand Popo.
The Auberge was great and had a beautiful setting so we decided to stay a couple of nights. The next morning we went on a river tour of the local villages. We had a very good, knowledgable guide who explained all the fishing practices and crab traps the local people used. We then went to a voodoo village - there were little voodoo shrines and statues allover the village, each for a different thing. Most were pretty innoccuous but one had skulls hanging all over the place and really stank. Next we went to a salt producing village. The people collect the river silt and was it through with fresh water. They then boil up the salty water and collect the salt residues. All this is done using traditional methods and a lot of hard work. I feel sorry for the women tending the fires as it is a huge earth stove inside a hut and is absolutely sweltering.
Day 122 04/05
Hotel La Princesse, Parakou
miles
Our Benin visas expire today so we have to leave. We decided to take a northern route through Nigeria and stay a far away from Lagos and the Delta area as possible so we've spent the last couple of days driving north through Benin. It was a pity we didn't have more time as it looked like there were some beautiful areas to explore. So today it's a case of stocking up on supplies, using up our CFA's and heading for Nikki and the Nigerian border.