offerendum

Marches des fetishes is really awful, glad I didn´t visit this place.

DanielW

Love the people shots, Matthew! Looks like a great trip through West Africa so far. Was the driver from Lome to Cotonou easy to organize?

hauteboy

We just got a share taxi when we went, 20k CFA for the whole car but we paid 15k + took another passenger. We got out in Ouidah but had to pay the full rate to Cotonou. Then another 12? 20? (I forget) just from Ouidah to Cotonou, but that was private taxi and he dropped us at our hotel.

DanielW

Cool, I guess the ubiquitous Sept-place is the way to go in French Africa.

fivevsone

Awesome report and pictures. Looking forward to more. Thx. T

hauteboy

Yep, but definitely need to know French, numbers at least. I had to be the translator on that trip.

blueferrari

Fetish Market is big nope!

I'm interested of how your Myanmar part went out. Planning to spend a whole week there next year, hopefully.

ironmanjt

Glad you got super lucky! The one time I needed it to be late...it was...but they had already rebooked me and refused to put me back on it. I think they might put the ACC flight in T3 solely because it's such a hot mess!

ironmanjt

I found it rather fascinating personally...but agree the second time I went back with FlyIgglesFly the sanitized English tour wasn't nearly as good...and it's become much more commercialized/touristy over the years.

This trip report is making me miss Africa already...thanks!

flying_blue_white_red

I could just imagine upon returning the stare of the customs officer when one brings back one of the monkey or dog skulls...

Solid report with top quality pics especially at night!

looking forward to the Congolese and Rwandan parts

rivlinm

Hello all! Thanks for the great comments and sorry for the massive lag on this report. I'll blame flickr, but I seem to have it in order and posts should come regularly starting now. Got to get this one finished up before my next month-long adventure in September.

This was such a fun one to plan.

If I ever get around to finishing it

When will it conclude should be the question!

Back safely, thanks.

Updates should be regular now!

That trip was Disney World compared to this one.

I can't agree...

Next time. I imagine I'll need a few days of R&R after a trip around the horn of Africa next year.

I'm glad we went, but once was enough as I decided in Benin.

We just stuck with our driver from the Ghana/Togo border from the day before. He wound up pawning us off on his 'brother' but it was a safe drive. I do have a few business cards of drivers I can dig up from all of these destinations if anyone wants to plan in advance. Just ask.

Sounds like a good price! We thought we heard 15k from LOM to COO and once it dawned on us 15 sounds like 50 it was too late to negotiate. I would imagine you could get a private car with AC for 40k

Surprisingly we had some quality cars for most of our drives.

Thanks!

Besides a few numbers and basic greetings our French was about as good as none. Thankfully Google Translate has come a LONG way and worked wonders on reading menus (from a live camera translation) to communicating with locals who looked on in amazement as we typed in English and they read in French (or arabic/burmese as the trip progressed)

Glad we went, but was a big disappointment for what I imagined the country was best known for.

Myanmar would end up being a fantastic experience.

I never realized what a mess this specific flight was. Both times I took it I was connecting to/from MIA so I got to stay in T3 and all worked out well. Plus my check for >$650 in EU compensation arrived the other day on my ~$1000 J rt fare! If I lived in ACC or LHR I would book that flight as an award daily and rack up the compensation from BA!

It was certainly interesting, but the touristy aspect of its presentation was a major turn off.

I was just in Miami last weekend and thought the same about wanting to be in Africa>current location.

Even with GE I got a few harmless questions, but I wasn't brave (or foolish) enough to bring back a dog head.

It sure was nice to get home and not lug my >20 lb camera bag around!

Congo is coming soon!

dereiziger

Great report. A shame you only spent a day or so in the capital and didn't get further a field.

Looking forwa d to the rest of your adventure. Particularly the DRC. You'll love Myanmar. I spent a month there back in 2013. Amazing place!

rivlinm

Kicked off our first full day in Benin with an average hotel breakfast (not the most fresh looking but plenty filling) before finding a cab to the market at about 10:00 for 5K CFA. This market was considerably more expansive than the Grand Marche in Lomé. Cotonou in general was made up of a throng of motorbikes, but once we got out of the taxi, it was overwhelming in every direction and eventually we just began wandering. The market was segmented much like a department store with produce dominating a particular area and seafood another. We attracted all sorts of looks and when my camera came out, it received mixed reactions. The men and children tended to be very warm and accepting of my photos (not always requested) while women (especially the older) would often shout “No” in unison and cover their face or dip out of sight. I found a removed corner that afforded some great views of the bustling action. The weather was awfully hot and humid and we could only handle about an hour and a half of exploring before we headed off in search of lunch.


Ibis breakfast


Dropped off right in the thick of things


Off to a friendly start


Motor bikes as far as the eye can see


Entering the market


Sticks


Bulls fans


Plate ‘o prawns


Goats for sale


Father and son


We were offered a sample of the cheese


Roaming vendors


In all shapes and sizes


Not a light load


Peek a boo


More peppers


Not everyone wanted a photograph


The most photogenic of the produce women


Onions


Grain art


Presumably making flour


Indecisive whether to pose or not


Nap time


Fish fry


Passing by the few voodoo stalls (keyword: passing)


Heaps of corn husks along the Lagune De Cotonou


Lagune de Cotonou


Relaxing on the water


Recycling center


Scrap metal


Measuring corn


Cheerfully shy

With our Congolese adventures quickly approaching we decided to play it safe on the food front. We discovered the popular (sanitary but local) restaurants to be along the beach, a bit of a walk through town, but not without a few notable sites along the way.


Walking south toward the beach


Finally back on the main road for a game of Frogger


Notre Dame Church of Cotonou


Samsung building


Street food market


Not as welcoming of a beach as Obama Beach


I suppose I felt it was necessary to photograph the Niger Embassy

Lunch was a local but classy affair at Maquis Du Port which overlooked the beach and seemed to be frequented by many locals in suits and ties. A bit too hot for that attire, but we were welcomed in even though we looked like bums. As I guzzled down over a liter of water we ordered a variety of food including Pintade (guinea fowl), eba, a stew called kedjennou du pintade, aloko (plantains) and beef filet with akassa (fermented corn dough) all for about 15K CFA.


Maquis Du Port


Obligatory pre meal nuts


Pintade (guinea fowl) with aloko (plantains)


Kedjennou du pintade


Beef filet with akassa


Eba

Reenergized we begrudgingly left the cool confines and headed back out to explore the streets a bit more. Along the way we found a post office and struggled to purchase some stamps before finding a taxi who wouldn’t budge below 5K CFA. Exhausted, we caved and imbibed in a few 700 CFA beers across the street from our hotel while deciding on dinner plans.


A decorated square just outside the main office for the Benin lottery


Benin Post


No taxis at the ‘train station’ according to Google Maps


One last view down Ave Clozel


Cotonou taxi meter


Our new favorite bar


With a Cotonou staple

Having had a filling African lunch and not discovering many appealing options for dinner we settled on a highly rated Indian establishment. Although not located correctly on the map, our taxi driver was happy to get us to Shamiana for 3K CFA and was willing to stay for 3K CFA more but we decided it was close and safe enough to walk back home. Service and the AC were great! Just a few blocks back and we were off to bed early by 22:30.


Shamiana Indian


Started off with a Castle


Our feast


Coated fennel seeds to wrap up the night

rivlinm

Thanks! I agree that Togo deserved more time. In the beginning it was supposed to be the main attraction but I really wanted to find an Obama Beer so once we paid for the visa, figured it deserved more than one day.

I loved Myanmar.

ironmanjt

I'm loving your travels through West Africa - it looks like you really went off the beaten path in the capitals!