Abomey & Dahomeys

21/22 APRIL 2011

ABHOMEY

After my long day travelling yesterday I’m happy to make a quick trip (yes on a boody zem, again) to Abomey for a few days rest up. This was the Dahomey Kingdom’s capital and my word what a bloodthirsty lot they were! These were the Africans that were often depicted as ‘savages’ by colonial powers who often struggled to subdue them. Kings thrones were mounted on skulls, enemies blood used to bind the sand that built their temples and they were very fierce and feared slave traders. Their quest for more power and human sacrifices by conquering neighbouring kingdoms was legendary for over 300 years. Now only many ruins remain of the 12 palaces that each reigning king in turn, built for themselves with several restored by UNESCO. Two house a museum with guides telling tales of female Amazon armies, kings with 200 wives and moats circling Abomhey 42km around and 60m deep. The Dahomey descendants are very proud of their heritage and as such wear distinctive floppy hats in a style reminiscent of a high beret. All in all not a bad place to visit for a couple of days as their history is really so legendary. Through the Lonely Planet forum I catch up with Mark again and get my 15k cfa back but very low on satisfaction as he maintains he cancelled the trip because Joseph was not an accredited guide. Little thought was given to the person he had negotiated the trip with – bugger. hmmm

FACT: Benin embraced a revolution and was declared a Marxist- Leninist state n 13 November 1972, by the President, much to the surprise of the people that day. A seemingly rhetoric revolution, Marxism was ditched in 1989 after many years of economic shambles, widespread unemployment and rising inflation.