Benin Travel Blogs

Happy Holidays
Dec 23, 2004

... funny...very interested in all that new agey stuff that you have the States. He reads books on astrology and such. A rarity in Benin, he is! Or maybe he isn't! Julie found a new bookstore that just opened up in Parakou that is exactly like a new ...

Back to School and Girl's Camp
Jan 18, 2004

... Girl's Camp we are going to have this summer. There are Camp GLOWs all around the world, organized by Peace Corps Volunteers. Benin has never had a Camp GLOW before that I know of, though three volunteers did have a girl's camp in Natitingou last year. ...

Elephants, Oro, and school strikes: a packed entry
Feb 1, 2005

... still take the vacations if I desire. My mom always comments that I seem to be on vacation here. Well, the truth is: in Benin, like in France, school vacations abound! We are on vacation a lot. This does not mean that we do not work, however. ...

A LONG, detailed account of tro-tros and more
Jan 2, 2004 (2 photos)

... that night and that we could stay in his rooms for free the next few days when Jon's family went over to Benin. Such incredible Christmas spirit! Such generosity! This on top of the Takoradi experience brought us to tears that Christmas morning. We ...

Backtrack: Voodoo
Sep 27, 2003

... how to play Spades, and now we play it all the time. Some people already knew how; it is actually a popular game in Benin. Who knew? School was supposed to start on October 2 (with people really showing up on Oct 6), but it has been pushed back due ...

Hodge-podge
Apr 17, 2005

The other day I came home from school, walked into my house, and found a chicken bawk-bawking about! It had come in, I assume, through the kitty hole in my back screen door. It certainly made me jump out of my skin when I first discovered it! I shooed ...

Saying Goodbye
Jul 24, 2005 (3 photos)

... up over my last couple of weeks in Benin, but if you will be patient and will still be interested in reading about my life in Benin and looking at photos (and maybe some video), I will do my best to fill it out a bit after I get back...keep Benin alive ...

Random Photos
Oct 26, 2003 (2 photos)

Success! I finally managed to scan and upload some photos for your enjoyment. Some of them, though, I couldn't quite figure out where to put, so I am adding them here. Go back and look at the previous entries again to see the other photos. School ...

Harmitan, Ramadan, a folk tale and School
Nov 30, 2003 (2 photos)

... to school early, before the classes begin, to sweep the dirt grounds and the classrooms. Sweeping dirt is actually quite important in Benin. Everyone sweeps the dirt in front of their houses every morning at dawn. In fact, I often wake up to the sounds ...

Swearing in Soon
Aug 11, 2003 (1 photos)

... Sacred Forests, and the Temple of the Pythons. I have met and had a question/answer session with the chief of all Voodoo in Benin. My mama took me "au village" near Grand Popo to see a Zangbeto ceremony/dance. I also got my first taste of sodabi that ...

Another quick note
Jun 19, 2003 (2 photos)

... road with no problems! We pulled into the parking lot of Paul VI and felt like celebrities (a common theme here in Benin). Current Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs)lined the driveway and clapped, whooped and hollered for us as though we were cyclists in ...

Camp GLOW and more
Aug 30, 2004 (1 photos)

... exhausted because of the camp. The week that my dad was there was packed full of activities. We had a whirlwind tour of Benin! They visited Parakou, N'Dali, Abomey, Lokossa, Ouidah, Ganvié, and Cotonou. In N'Dali, I watched my parents try to pound yams ...

Ganni, Career Day, and More
May 21, 2004 (10 photos)

... some Beninese) and waited for the procession to begin. The horses came racing in bearing Kings and Princes from throughout Benin (and even some from Nigeria). Just in front of the palace, musicians banged gigantic drums reserved for special occasions; ...

More Photos
Mar 19, 2004 (9 photos)

Hello Everyone, I have added some more pictures to the entry about the Peuhl marriage, but it is taking forever to upload them. I wondered if it might be shorter if I uploaded them to a different entry, one that doesn't have any pictures yet. These ...

Ganvie, the Venice of West Africa, and more
Jul 19, 2003 (2 photos)

... would run over to the bank to wave, show us their kung-fu moves (kung-fu and action movies are VERY popular in Benin), and practice their singing skills: "yovo, yovo, bonsoir! ca va bien? Merci!" This chanty song announces the arrival of white people ...

scorpion story as promised
Oct 17, 2003

Excerpt (slightly modified) from my journal on October 02, 2003 I saw a really scary thing last night. I was almost asleep in bed when I heard Victoire banging on my door and calling, "Suzanne! Suzanne!" I answered the door, and she asked me for ...

The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love
Mar 6, 2004 (1 photos)

... have a computer camp for professors and teachers this summer! We will see. It is in the VERY early stages, and getting things done in Benin is far from being an easy task. In fact, today, a trip to the bank was the straw that broke the camel's back...it ...

check out photos
Oct 17, 2003

... is just north of N'Dali. Some of the photos she has on this site are probably very similar to ones I have taken (ex. trip to Ouidah). Anyway, the site is http://www.mbaypreps.com/charline/benin.htm . Go check them out and tell me about them. Enjoy!

Staging, Cotonou, and Lokossa
Jun 17, 2003 (3 photos)

I have about ten minutes to give a quick rundown. Of course, I didn't follow my plan to write this out before coming to the internet place, so lower your expectations a little bit. This entry will be far from poetic. So much has happened in the ...

Girls Club, Theatre and Ghana
Dec 18, 2003

Okay, I just saw a goat and her baby stroll right past the door of the internet cafe, with cars roaring past on the paved road nearby. Will I ever get used to these things? I hope not. If I did, I might not have as many easy laughs. Anyway, the ...

Volunteer in N'Dali at last (new address included)
Sep 16, 2003 (2 photos)

... I go to bed a little earlier than usual because of the lack of electricity. The pace here in Benin is much slower. _______________________________________________________ Hello again! I actually wrote the above letter last week and intended on ...

New contact info , Wish List, and more
Nov 9, 2003

... I have decided to use my N'Dali address instead. Do not send anything else to Cotonou. It is: Suzanne Kratzig B.P. 30 N'Dali Benin West Africa As for my ongoing wish list, here it is: letters! photos! magazines decent pens (all the ones ...

Ganni once again
May 1, 2005 (10 photos)

... called them, by refusing to be converted and finally fleeing Saudi Arabia to go to parts of what is now Nigeria and Benin. Gaani is actually the name of the entire month which begins right around Mohomed's birthday, for that is when Mohomed decided not ...

Brace Yourselves, It's a biggie
Feb 19, 2004 (8 photos)

... , I experienced something that made me hold back my tears as we continued the journey. (Crying is not culturally acceptable in Benin, except under very specific circumstances.) When I sat down in the taxi and squished next to the woman and baby next to ...

Cheese, Women's Day, Soccer
Mar 15, 2004 (3 photos)

... following address (there is one small change from the address I gave you before): Suzanne Kratzig B.P. 30 N'Dali République du Bénin Afrique de l'Ouest Thanks to all who have written and sent packages, anyway. I will imagine what you might have ...

School Strikes
Nov 22, 2004

... by the money that the students must pay to go to school (even though school is supposed to be free to all children in Benin). The vacataires have taught classes this year. However, as of last week, the vacataires of N'Dali decided to go on strike as ...

Alive in Africa
Jan 15, 2005

... all in this together, this stuffy, stinky voyage from N'Dali to Parakou. We were all alive journeying in Benin, West Africa, somewhere between N'Dali and Parakou, and tuning out of that particular journey was pretty difficult. Now that I ...

Backtrack to Ouidah and dancing haystacks
Aug 14, 2003 (4 photos)

... . Et voila! I have enough time to email! I have decided to backtrack a bit and talk about some more touristy things in Benin. Ouidah (WEEDUH)is a small city on the Beninese coast. It is famous because it is the sight of departure for many African ...

On Safari in Parc Pendjari
Apr 23, 2004 (9 photos)

... . Also, I am trying to wade through over 150 essays written by girls who hope to attend our first Camp G.L.O.W. in Benin. G.L.O.W. stands for Girls Leading Our World. It is a camp that first started with Peace Corps volunteers in Romania. Now, we ...

A quick note
Oct 8, 2003

Something that made me smile and laugh out loud today: I was on a zemidjan riding through the streets in Cotonou when a very distinguished looking, white goat passed me. He had a very nice goatee and two long horns that curled back like little buns on ...