Day +8: Bohicon

I woke up to pouring rain which lasted about5 hours. Therefore we missed the bus, could not get a motortaxi venturing out through the rain and mud. Large parts of the bumpy earthen street were under water. But for the first time since I was here, the air in Cotonou was fresh and clean, and one could actually see the horizon.

Some pictures of Cotonou:

This is where I live in Cotonou (the open door), a house in the Campus.

my workspace

Students hacked a hole in the wall round the university campus. It was erected in 2000 following some protests and strike, mostly for a more reliable management of scholarship payments. The wall had foreseen only two entrances to the campus; students opened them at several places. The holes were closed by the administration, then opened again by the students, until the administration gave up. This one has become one of the main roads through the campus.

Christian is learning to swim. He already moves through the water quickly, but breathing still poses a problem.

Later on we took a taxi to Bohicon, some 150 km north. Those taxidrivers don't regard the taxis as full if there are not two persons on every seet. This time I sat on the buckle of the seat belt. Ouch. I slept as much as I could during this trip in order to survive.

Bohicon is a lively place with a very agreeable atmosphere. It is the second economic center of Benin. In its immediate neighbourhood there is Abomey, ancient city of kings. The royal palace is on the list of UNICEF world heritage sites. It was also the place where the famous amazones were stationed, who made it round the world and even to Vienna as part of ethnographic exhibitions in the 19th century. No time to visit it this time, otherwise I would put some photos. Look here: http://images.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lesanneauxdelamemoire.com/SiteAlliance/Images/PalaisRoyalAbomey.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.lesanneauxdelamemoire.com/SiteAlliance/Afrique/PresentationBenin.html&usg=__fet2zBJt_KN7nVB_JN9ZfFeubAw=&h=218&w=534&sz=79&hl=fr&start=7&sig2=o6QIkPKjsAOeGD5XC4DvRQ&um=1&tbnid=gYl736_fqtv-UM:&tbnh=54&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dabomey%2Bpalais%2Bdu%2Broi%26hl%3Dfr%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4ADBR_frBJ315BJ316%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=t5YySpiqB9GNsAaa9JDHCQ. Another place not to be missed is the subterranean villaga (probably under water right now), world heritage site as well, referring to the main war tactic of the army of Abomey: They would dig holes into the earth where they would hide while the enemy was approaching. As they had stocked up on food and water they could remain there hidden during several weeks. When the enemy had invaded far enough, they would attack from behind. Again, no photos. I see what I can do.

Pictures of Bohicon will follow. Patience, dear visitors.