Benin. Part IIMap
May Cows can be conveniently transported on the back of a motorcycle. ![]() CotonouMapBenin’s main city. This is where the president lives, but it’s not the capital. The country’s main telecommunications palm tree (see Botswana, Zambia or Mauritius) is also located here. ![]() The traffic lights are diverse. ![]() A car wash. ![]() A driving school. ![]() There are reserved lanes for motorcyclists. ![]() Despite this, the motorcyclists still all drive in the car lanes. ![]() Architecture. ![]() A fire hydrant. ![]() A post box. ![]() Downtown. ![]() A newfangled bus stop. ![]() Pedestrian crossings. ![]() Porto-NovoMapThis is the capital. ![]() The traffic lights are just like the ones in Lyon. ![]() The bustling life of the capital. ![]() A visitor at a maternity hospital. ![]() Urinating on this particular wall is prohibited. ![]() Trucks are prohibited. ![]() The power box has a complex textured surface that makes it impossible to stick flyers on it. ![]() A gorgeous old French art deco post box. ![]() Many of those who were once shipped to Brazil as slaves subsequently returned, bringing back new surnames and building Brazilian-style houses. This is why today many houses have signs by the front gate with the name of the original owner. ![]() AbomeyMapAs soon as a car stops, it’s besieged by fruit-sellers. ![]() Coal and firewood for sale. ![]() The soil everywhere in Benin is red, like a clay pot. ![]() A post office. ![]() Many buildings along the road are marked with an X. These will be torn down when the road gets widened and turned into a highway. ![]() Most of the cars here are old Peugots. ![]() School uniforms are the color of very light coffee with milk. ![]() Abomey is renowned for its royal palaces. Every new king was supposed to build himself a new palace from the local clay. So now there’s an entire city full of palaces. ![]() GanvieMapThis is the Venice of Benin. A village on the water. Women gather on the shore. ![]() Get into their boats with their groceries. ![]() And paddle home, assisted by sails made from colorful sheets. At the first sight of a camera, they immediately cover their faces with their hands or arms. ![]() Meanwhile, the male population is standing neck-deep in the water, setting up fishing nets. ![]() The village consists entirely of stilt houses on the water. The few rare islands are used as cemeteries. ![]() The village market is also located on the water. You swim up on a boat, haggle a bit, buy some bananas for breakfast. ![]() The men have cut down some brushwood. ![]() The brushwood is stuck into the lakebed. Over time, it rots, becoming food for the fish which is then caught. And so life in the village runs its course. ![]() |
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may 2012
Benin. Part II
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