Cotonou, BENIN

25 – 29 APRIL 2011
COTONOU, cottonyou

Wild fabrics

 Another easy trip, only 80kms to Cotonou and get dropped in town to engage a zem to take me to the Hotel Le Crillon – no its not the Hotel Mary of Saints and no, its not the Hotel Amities – third time lucky the zem driver finds the Hotel Le Crillon. Usual discussions follow regarding costs re time and distance travelled.. Hotel Le Crillion is an odd sort of a place with a lot of blokes hanging about but the room is good for the price and I discover it has a great location right in the heart of town. Nothing much open today cause Easter Monday is a public holiday here, but there is a big rain storm this afternoon, definitely cooling things down for a few hours. I find a Lebanese Boucharie a few doors down that is doing huge trade in great shawarmas which are the best I’ve had here in Africa; pepper sauce, a few chips, a minced beef kebab and salad all wrapped up in flat bread and toasted. Mmm But I’m having trouble finding an alternative to the ‘nightclubs’ in this part of town to buy a beer. Rather odd really, but determination and traipsing win out and I discover a trove of them

Religious themed fabrics

hidden in back streets. Get a quote for a flight from Lagos to Namibia – the equivalent of US$900 aarrgghh to be paid in CFA cash because credit cards are not popular here, but I don’t think I have too much choice. Lagos is certainly the busiest airport around abouts and no one flies direct to Namibia. I do the sums and compare the next 5 country’s visa costs along with accompanied difficulties and I think it may worth skipping them to take to the skies heading towards Southern Africa. Another time perhaps when Angola, Congo et al are more friendly..

Even though I could have exited by visa expiry date, Nigeria Girl Guides suggested visiting 3 May onwards – a full week after the last elections. Thankfully all seems to have gone reasonably well there with their elections with only 10 deaths. So I apply for a visa extension and it eventually takes me four days to get it – I think my passport spent a lot of time sitting about on a desk due to its Visa D’Pays. Friday I pick up my passport and then telephone Eno James

Fabulous VLISCO

to confirm my Lagos arrival date as 3 May.
Visiting Cotonou’s sprawling Dantokpa market, I find the moneychangers to buy Nigerian Naira – it has been a long time since I’ve dealt with moneychangers on the street and the Nigerians’ reputations precede them but I’m more comfortable counting my notes with them in the open during the day here than in Lagos until I get the find my feet there. Either they were very smooth or I didn’t get ripped off – yah!
I had initially met up with Rama Adjoni, Benin’s Girl Guide Youth Advisor and she arranged a meeting with Benin Guides coordinator, Rita Laceye on Friday evening at Rita’s home. After a crazy zem ride through Cotonou’s peak hour traffic, we arrive and Rita seems a little reserved. They are circumspect about their Association and I understand that they have an upcoming AGM that may sort some problems out. I present my ‘petite cadeau’ along with my WAGGGS card for its souvenir stamp and this seems to soften the mood, along with taking some photos for Facebook! On talking to Rama she tells me she has a full weekend of Guiding coming up; providing training on Saturday and a recruitment promotion on Sunday.
FACT: A ZEM is shortened slang for zemi-john, scooter taxis that are the fastest and most convenient way of getting about here in Benin. Unfortunately they are also the most dangerous, as a lot of drivers ride like crazy men and helmets are usually unheard off, along with the pillion passenger (me) sans protective clothing of any kind. However they do seem very organised with various coloured vests in different towns, all with a registered number on the back.