Off to the Chutes

  Parc de la Pendjari, Benin
Saturday, December 30, 2006

We are up at 6:00 AM again today.  It is dark as we check out of our hotel in the Parc.  We have packed everything in the car and begin our day's journey.  Jen is shivering this morning because it is cold in her opinion, warm and comfortable for us. 

A few feet from the hotel we start to see animals.  There is a sliver of sunrise light shining through the trees as we find elephants throwing dirt on each other.  Everyone must be clean to start the day.  The water hole stop was eventful and quite busy.  Crocodile, birds, deer and hippos were bathing and drinking the cool morning water.   About 11:00 AM we reached the exit to the park.

Next stop, the Tanougou Waterfalls.  Just a short drive from the park exit we find a short

2-The Chutes

drive to the chutes.  The landscape is different here.  Many trees, lots of green grass and the area almost resembles a jungle.  The walkway is rather rocky.  A troop of young boys starts to herd around us and appear to be ready to guide us somewhere.

3- More Chutes

As we reached the rocky area to the first falls, the boys started to point to the rocks we should stand on in order to make it up to the next level.  They continue to point out places to put our hands and places to position our feet.  At the third waterfall there was no way we were going to be able to make the climb.  WRONG!  Suddenly, my hands were being pulled and I was walking up a perpendicular rock.  I couldn't believe I made it.  At this point there is a

4-Ready to Jump

beautiful pool of water.  Steep rocks surround the water.  People are diving from the high rocks into the water.  Now we have to find our way down.  Never fear the boys are there to help.  What a trip!

Jen's plan is to start getting rustic on our African Journey and we will head to an old African village.  We took a family vote and we will find a hotel with a shower, toilet and water (or at least some combination of conveniences) and get a good night's sleep.  Enough of these early morning rise and shines!  (It's time to sleep in..at least until 7:00 AM)

Off to Natti to find lunch and a hotel.  We ate lunch at the Hotel Tata Somba.  We had a nice long lunch by the pool.  Franck knew of a hotel that was clean and provided all the requirements we wanted in a good night's rest.  (Sort of.)  We spent the afternoon at the hotel, resting and visiting. 

Franck took the car to a mechanic and had a few things checked and cleaned.  had the fluids topped off,  got the windshield wipers to work, any red lights the were on are now

1-The Car

off, a pipe or whatever that was wiggling under the car was tightened.  Hope we can make it through the rest of the trip with no major issues. 

Dinner tonight was in a cute restaurant connected with our hotel.  The manager definitely wanted us to stay.  We could order off the menu and not take just from the Today's Special list.  (I think that was a mistake.)  Jen ordered lasagna.  I'm sure they went shopping for everything, brought it back to the hotel and then cooked it.  All of us were finished with our dinner long before she was served.  It was Worth the 1 year, 5 months and 3 weeks since she had last had lasagna.