Grand Popo (Benin) : beach + coconuts
N 06°16.416' E 001°47.983'
In the nine days we were there, Lome really grew on us, but at least this time we got a photo of the hotel staff (plus a few others who were happened to be in the parking area) before we did the line of handshakes. It took only two hours along the palm-fringed coastline to the border with Benin and crossing it was a cruise. 10 km into Benin we were forced to stop by an impressive black wall of clouds when it discharged its payload. Where we sought shelter we met Christian, who was also waiting for the rain to pass and had our first pleasant and interesting conversation about local agricultural problems, linking it to economics, and their catch-22 situation in this (greedy) money-driven world. Christian then guided us to a place to stay in Grand Popo and became a friend who visited us with his adorable three year old twin daughters. Besides enjoying the deserted beach, watching the fishermen row their wooden canoes through the rough shore-break and following the first matches of the world cup, we did a day-trip to Oudiah. In Oudiah we walked the three kilometres along the Route de Esclaves from the Portuguese fort down to the Point of No Return memorial on the beach, a UNESCO world heritage site to commemorate the forced exodus of thousands of Africans to an unknown destiny (in Cuba, Haiti and Brazil).
In the nine days we were there, Lome really grew on us, but at least this time we got a photo of the hotel staff (plus a few others who were happened to be in the parking area) before we did the line of handshakes. It took only two hours along the palm-fringed coastline to the border with Benin and crossing it was a cruise. 10 km into Benin we were forced to stop by an impressive black wall of clouds when it discharged its payload. Where we sought shelter we met Christian, who was also waiting for the rain to pass and had our first pleasant and interesting conversation about local agricultural problems, linking it to economics, and their catch-22 situation in this (greedy) money-driven world. Christian then guided us to a place to stay in Grand Popo and became a friend who visited us with his adorable three year old twin daughters. Besides enjoying the deserted beach, watching the fishermen row their wooden canoes through the rough shore-break and following the first matches of the world cup, we did a day-trip to Oudiah. In Oudiah we walked the three kilometres along the Route de Esclaves from the Portuguese fort down to the Point of No Return memorial on the beach, a UNESCO world heritage site to commemorate the forced exodus of thousands of Africans to an unknown destiny (in Cuba, Haiti and Brazil).
posted by Retobados at 9:48 AM
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