SAGA PART 4 – BENIN, AT LAST !

The next day, I took my flight to Cotonou and landed there, exhausted and eager to get some work done.

I went in the office on Friday, only to find out that they were closing at 2! So this left me with a Saturday to rest, and a Sunday to visit the very poetic town of Ganvie :

It was amazing to visit the town on water, and to wave hello to all the children screaming “Yovo! Yovo!” (Apparently, that’s what whiteys are called, here.)

The ride to the town itself took about 40 minutes, on a small canoe hailed with a makeshift sail:

When you get to the village of Ganvie, it’s like an apparition out of a dream:

On and around, we weave in and out of canals. The village of Ganvie was built in the 18^th century by locals that were fleeing the slave trade. Since, the population has grown to a 30,000 inhabitants. Ganvie has a primary school and a small hospital, but of better lack of a welcoming infrastructure, all older kids who wish to pursue an education need to leave. The people of Ganvie live mostly of fishing, but there has been a growth in tourism recently.

On the way back, the sun was setting and I marveled at the poetry of the scenery, as we slowly made our way back to shore:

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !