The King of Benin lives here

Trip Start Mar 07, 2009
1
26
32
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Benin  ,
Monday, May 25, 2009

A couple of hours were spent on the Lake Nokoue to visit the stilted villages. The people who live here all have stilted houses above the large lake. We were told that the villages all started during the time of the slave trade when some people escaping capture started the villages, making it difficult for the traders to came and capture them.

Abomey is a couple of hours north from the coast of Benin and a place where people visit to take in the ancient civilization that was based here. The kingdom was based here. We hired a guide a a couple of motorbikes between the group and rode around the city having a look at its villages which still practice the ancient religion of voodoo. We were lucky enough to meet a village chief who took us through some ceremony. They still sacrifice things in the name of voodoo, not really sure how that works in the modern world but then again they are hardly living the modern lifestyle. The most fun of the trip was the riding of the motorbike through the narrow dirt roads, trying not to hit the chickens or children as they ran out onto the street. At one stage one of the group went missing. We all thought that they had an accident, as it turns out they ran out of fuel.

Now we are heading to Nigeria.....
Slideshow Print this entry Cotonou hotels