Bight of Benin

From that border, the road was tarred, good for a bit and it got really bad for quite a few kilometers before getting better all the way to Grand Popo. This is a place on the coast and it feels a bit like the east coast of Mauritius. We were heading for the Auberge de Grand Popo where there were camping facilities.

Well, ‘facilities’ is a generous word. They had a space next to the hotel that was reserved for camping and there is a tap there but the ablutions are quite basic and quite a distance away. In Benin, I think R100 per couple per night is rather high a price to pay for just a piece of land to stand on but they said it was guarded and safe and maybe that is what we were paying for. At least the agreement was that we stay 2 nights and Coen will have time to make the necessary additions to the car.

Palm juice chicken

And so they set up camp and she started preparing food with the palm juice she purchased on the side of the road earlier. She knew how to prepare this dish since the Brazzaville times and there it was called Poulet à la Moambe. The wind was blowing and it was quite a job to have a steady flame to cook with but she managed and she was told that the dish was excellent and that if she was making eggs for the men in the morning, she should use the juice from that cooking.

Camp at Grand Popo

It was nice; few biting bugs and cool enough to sleep peacefully. The loud music from next door had stopped and only the moon was shining. When they woke up the next day, she prepared eggs for the men. Stephanus wanted his in butter but she did the other two sets in the palm juice. Now it is called Grand Popo eggs.

Reinforcing springs

The Auberge’s cyber café was not working, much to the frustration of a few in the group. Coen went on to do his car things, she sat and updated my story and enjoyed the sea breeze. For lunch they went to enjoy a garlic salad with local Peul cheese and Elismé started the preparations of a leg of lamb on coal fire for Sunday dinner, complete with roasted potatoes, green beans and pudding.

Benin traffic

Of course there was the great packing to be done the next day. The idea was to go for the Nigerian border. In the meantime, Hans got some news from Oliver, a German medical worker whom they met at the border. He said he would meet them on the road to Cotonou and drive them to his place where a Nigerian person will come and tell them the do’s and don’ts of traveling in Nigeria.

Overloaded vehicle on Benin roads

The road to Cotonou is tarred, not in pristine condition and full of motor bikes and bad drivers the closer you get to a big town, but it was an ok drive. She was driving at this stage. So, Oliver met with us and we followed him to his apartment in the airport area of Cotonou. His hospitality was amazing; he settled them in his apartment and called the Nigerian person. They discussed the trip, he offered some refreshments, toilet and shower facilities – it was very reassuring. He even accompanied them to the bank to change Nigerian money.

Porto Novo scene

It was after noon when he drove them out of town and showed them the way out of Benin. On the road, they decided that it was too late to get into Nigeria and then start looking for some place to sleep. So, Coen suggested the Songhai centre just out of Porto Novo.

She has read about these centres since she had to help with a project in the Congo that had the development of Songhai centres among its many sub projects. When her boss gave her the literature to read, she thought it was too good to be true. He assured her that such centres are operational in West Africa and she thought ‘yeah, yeah, cause toujours’ – remains to be seen. And she, at the time sincerely wanted to see such a project.

mushroom production

Well, that was it, she was now staying in the guest house of such a project! At the first look, this seems exactly as she read about it in the time. She took a paid tour of the centre. It was surprising to her that in the group of 15, there were only 5 foreigners, the others were all locals who wanted to see how this is set up and some even wanted to know how to set up their own operations.

Quails at Songhai restaurant

Indeed it was a very interesting tour. They call it an integrated centre and it is exactly that. This seems to be a rather small centre; there are much   bigger ones in the north of Benin. The project works but she thinks it is also the will of the people to make it work and it seems that the Beninois are that type of people.

Now, Porto Novo is the official capital of Benin but all business is carried out in Cotonou, much of the government operates from there, as does the foreign representations. It is a much smaller town too. Benin seems a bit more up and coming than Togo and despite it many motorbikes, seems to be rather more organised too. Its coast is more appealing than even the Ghanaian coast and there are way more road signs here than in Ghana or Togo.