Posts Tagged Benin
Dendi [ddn]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria on 2009/10/07
Yoruba [yor]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, United Kingdom, United States on 2009/10/07
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Yoruba: A language of Nigeria in Africa.Also spoken in Benin, United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Togo, and United States |
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Learn more about Yoruba at:     |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Ede-Yoruba, Yariba, Yooba Dialects: Egba, Akono, Awori, Aworo, Bunu, Ekiti, Gbedde, Igbonna, Ijebu, Ijesha, Ikale, Ila, Ilaje, Iworro, Jumu, Ondo, Owe, Oyo, Wo, Yagba Alternate Dialects: Bini |
Gbe, Xwela [xwe]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Western Xwla [xwl]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Ede Nago, Manigri-Kambolé [xkb]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Waama [wwa]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Weme [wem]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Waci [wci]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Kyenga [tye]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Tofin [tfi]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ditammari [tbz]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Saxwe [sxw]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Miyobe [soy]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Yom [pil]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Nateni [ntm]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ede Nago [nqg]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ede Nago, Kura [nqk]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Maxi [mxl]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Mbelime [mql]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Mòoré [mos]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Togo on 2009/10/07
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Mòoré: A language of Burkina Faso in Africa.Also spoken in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Togo |
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Learn more about Mòoré at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Mole, Moose, More, Moshi, Mossi Dialects: Ouagadougou, Saremdé, Taolendé, Yaadré, Yaande, Yana, Zaore Alternate Dialects: Jaan, Joore, Yanga, Timbou, Yaan, Yam, Yan |
Mokole [mkl]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Lama [las]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Ghana, Togo on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Kotafon [kqk]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Tem [kdh]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Ghana, Togo on 2009/10/07
Kabiyé [kbp]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Ghana, Togo on 2009/10/07
Ede Ije [ijj]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ifè [ife]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Ede Idaca [idd]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ede Ica [ica]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Hausa [hau]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Germany, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Togo on 2009/10/07
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Hausa: A language of Nigeria in Africa.Also spoken in Burkina Faso, Benin, Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, Germany, Eritrea, Ghana, Niger, Sudan, Chad, and Togo |
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Learn more about Hausa at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Haoussa, Hawsa, Hausawa, Haussa, Abakwariga, Habe, Kado, Mgbakpa Dialects: Aderawa, Arewa, Damagaram, Dawra, Gaya, Gobirawa, Katsina, Kurfey, Adarawa, Hadejiya, Kano, Katagum, Kebbawa, Sokoto, Zamfarawa |
Gun [guw]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria on 2009/10/07
Gourmanchéma [gux]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo on 2009/10/07
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Gourmanchéma: A language of Burkina Faso in Africa.Also spoken in Benin, Niger, and Togo |
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Learn more about Gourmanchéma at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Goulmacema, Gourma, Gourmantche, Gulimancema, Gulmancema, Gurma, Migulimancema, Goulmancema, Goulimancema Dialects: Central Gourmanchema, Northern Gourmanchema, Southern Gourmanchema |
Ngangam [gng]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Gen [gej]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Gbesi [gbs]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Eastern Xwla [gbx]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Defi [gbh]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Fulfulde, Western Niger [fuh]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger on 2009/10/07
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Fulfulde, Western Niger: A language of Niger in Africa.Also spoken in Burkina Faso and Benin |
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Learn more about Fulfulde, Western Niger at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Fulfulde, Peul, Peulh, Western Niger Fulfulde, Fula, Fulani, Fulbe, Gorgal Fulfulde, Northeastern Burkina Faso Fulfulde Dialects: Barani, Barkoundouba, Bogandé, Fada Ngurma, Gourmantche, Jelgoore, Liptaakoore, Ouhiguyua, Seeba-Yaga, Bitinkoore, Dallol, Tera Alternate Dialects: Barain, Baraniire, Yaaga |
Fulfulde, Borgu [fue]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria, Togo on 2009/10/07
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Fulfulde, Borgu: A language of Benin in Africa.Also spoken in Nigeria and Togo |
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Learn more about Fulfulde, Borgu at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Benin-Togo Fulfulde, Fulbe-Borgu, Peul, Peulh, Fulani Dialects: Bakuure, Djougoure, Korakuure, Tchabankeere, Atakora Fulfulde Alternate Dialects: Caabankeere, Juguure |
Fon [fon]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
![voudou dance. benin](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2865384333_097a5f4065_s.jpg "click on "all sizes" above picture to see larger image.
geledin dance des fons. voudou dance. cove, benin.
west africa, summer '08.
you know how some countries have colors associated with them? like the white and blues of the greek islands or the ochre of Italy ....
well much of southern benin is a palate of the most amazing shades of browns .... all of which lack any red in it. Yesterday in Abomey we walked the small back streets taking pictures of buildings full of different textures and shades of brown. This was also the walk in which we passes a stand selling tomatoes. The lady selling the roma style tomatoes .... most selling of fruit and vegatables in the markets is controlled by women .....was wearing a wrap that left her very old breasts exposed ... not that uncommon in this part of Benin. Well when she saw me she decided to rewrap herself and cover her breasts .... of course she totally exposed herself in doing herself! Luckily I averted my eyes when I initially saw her and happily avoided the full exposure experience.
later in the day we drove through back fields and past houses and farm villages ... all in shades of browns .... to the village of Dan which has a population of about 400 to 500 people. They were going to perform a Gelden Dances des Fons for us. It normally lasts 2 to 3 hours and is a masked dance usually performed before and after planting time. we expected to see the dance while sitting on the floor or perhaps on a bench. Well it didnt work that way .... it was more like Margret Meade was expected. The dancing had started when we arrived. We walked into a small opening in the village with a large shade tree in the middle. The drummers were under the tree ... all men while a group of both men and women were singing in front of the tree aided by a wizen and toothless old man sitting on a chair ringing a bell and blowing a whistle. The rest of the village was gather around and the place was heavy with children. There were some benches but they were not for us. We were lead to a large wooden kitchen table in the center of the surrounding ring facing the singers. And seated on heavy wooden kitchen chairs. The table was covered with a cloth embroidered with stars of david ... just how did they know?
Then for almost three hours the dancing and singing went on with us at the center of it all and the masked dancers paying homage to us! Very uncomfortable feeling initially. The kids were crowding around watching us as were many of the old people .... they loved watching us react to the music and dancing and smiled and nodded their heads when we reacted with enthuasiasim or kept the correct beat tot he music. The dancing was always by a single masked dancer who wore a colorful full head mask while hiding his actual head under his colorful cloth outfit. In effect he danced in the blind. All the masks had moving parts that seemed to move by magic ... but we figured out that they were controlled by hidden ropes inside the dance outfits and the mask itself. One dance was for having a safe travel and there was a car on top of the mask in which the door opened up and the driver moved out of the mask.
Dancer also represented different animals such as a pig and often placed their face on the table in front of us and lade different part of the mask move such as the ears and nose of the pigs or they waved horse hair whisks in our faces or sang to us not to steal their corn. They were a very attractive people with almond shaped eyes ... which were reflected in their mask and many of the children were stunning in appearance and could be fashion models. We took as many pictures of the children as of the dancers and their masks. The kids loved seeing themselves on the camera screen and were very polite. The district chief stopped by to say hello ... in French .... and we were served peeled oranges from which you sucked out the juice as you would from a lemon. When it was time to go there head of the dancers made a long speech thanking us for visiting and for making a contribution to the village then the both of us applauded the villagers and we spent five minutes shaking hands and saying thank you. i showed Helena's picture to many of the villagers and Helena was admired by all.
today we are first visiting ouidah, originally founded by the xweda people in the 15th century. ouidah is infamous for atlantic slave trade but is also the spiritual voudou capital of benin. we will be seeing an enchanted forest, the forts, python snakes and other voudou happenings.
then on to grand popo, popo means fisherman in portuguese. 2 days of beach and r and r.
so far we have taken almost 3000 pix. i,m sure we will discard "a few" when we get home, but...........it is hard not to take pix of everything we see, both to help us remember what we have seen and experienced and also because everything appears to be an " art piece" photo...even the trash in the streets.......of which there is much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jenniferbeinhacker.com
art outside the edge")
![women. voudou ceremony. benin. west africa.](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2855886258_1bf850f696_s.jpg "click on "all sizes" above picture to see larger view
women singing in benin village
west africa. summer '08.
jenniferbeinhacker.com
art outside the edge
you know how some countries have colors associated with them? like the white and blues of the greek islands or the ochre of Italy ....
well much of southern benin is a palate of the most amazing shades of browns .... all of which lack any red in it. Yesterday in Abomey we walked the small back streets taking pictures of buildings full of different textures and shades of brown. This was also the walk in which we passes a stand selling tomatoes. The lady selling the roma style tomatoes .... most selling of fruit and vegatables in the markets is controlled by women .....was wearing a wrap that left her very old breasts exposed ... not that uncommon in this part of Benin. Well when she saw me she decided to rewrap herself and cover her breasts .... of course she totally exposed herself in doing herself! Luckily I averted my eyes when I initially saw her and happily avoided the full exposure experience.
later in the day we drove through back fields and past houses and farm villages ... all in shades of browns .... to the village of Dan which has a population of about 400 to 500 people. They were going to perform a Gelden Dances des Fons for us. It normally lasts 2 to 3 hours and is a masked dance usually performed before and after planting time. we expected to see the dance while sitting on the floor or perhaps on a bench. Well it didnt work that way .... it was more like Margret Meade was expected. The dancing had started when we arrived. We walked into a small opening in the village with a large shade tree in the middle. The drummers were under the tree ... all men while a group of both men and women were singing in front of the tree aided by a wizen and toothless old man sitting on a chair ringing a bell and blowing a whistle. The rest of the village was gather around and the place was heavy with children. There were some benches but they were not for us. We were lead to a large wooden kitchen table in the center of the surrounding ring facing the singers. And seated on heavy wooden kitchen chairs. The table was covered with a cloth embroidered with stars of david ... just how did they know?
Then for almost three hours the dancing and singing went on with us at the center of it all and the masked dancers paying homage to us! Very uncomfortable feeling initially. The kids were crowding around watching us as were many of the old people .... they loved watching us react to the music and dancing and smiled and nodded their heads when we reacted with enthuasiasim or kept the correct beat tot he music. The dancing was always by a single masked dancer who wore a colorful full head mask while hiding his actual head under his colorful cloth outfit. In effect he danced in the blind. All the masks had moving parts that seemed to move by magic ... but we figured out that they were controlled by hidden ropes inside the dance outfits and the mask itself. One dance was for having a safe travel and there was a car on top of the mask in which the door opened up and the driver moved out of the mask.
Dancer also represented different animals such as a pig and often placed their face on the table in front of us and lade different part of the mask move such as the ears and nose of the pigs or they waved horse hair whisks in our faces or sang to us not to steal their corn. They were a very attractive people with almond shaped eyes ... which were reflected in their mask and many of the children were stunning in appearance and could be fashion models. We took as many pictures of the children as of the dancers and their masks. The kids loved seeing themselves on the camera screen and were very polite. The district chief stopped by to say hello ... in French .... and we were served peeled oranges from which you sucked out the juice as you would from a lemon. When it was time to go there head of the dancers made a long speech thanking us for visiting and for making a contribution to the village then the both of us applauded the villagers and we spent five minutes shaking hands and saying thank you. i showed Helena's picture to many of the villagers and Helena was admired by all.
One final note. We noticed that if any raffia fell from a dancers outfit it was immediately picked by a villager. The reason for this was that the villagers believe that if any of the raffia fell into the hands of another village it could be used to cause harm to the village of Dan. Naturally as is half of Benin, the village and it members were anamists.
jenniferbeinhacker.com
art outside the edge")
![extreme travel. benin](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2865987382_e3227ac4c2_s.jpg "click on "all sizes" above picture to see larger view
a mother and child ride a cycle taxi. no helmuts. no one wears helmuts. it's amazing the child didn't lose it's head!
benin. west africa. summer '08
jenniferbeinhacker.com
art outside the edge
We are in Cotonou, the capital of Benin. We are also in a way not in West Africa because we are staying at the best hotel in town and are shuttling between the two worlds. After the weeks in Africa and the hotels from hell we had this need for a safe haven to come home to.
To give you an idea of how long it seems to us that we have been in Africa .... in a descriptive way Africans, especially kids, refer to whites as either tubobs or in Benin as yobos. Well when we see a white person we look at each other and say look a tubob or a yobo ... we have forgotten that we are one also. The more we travel and move in non touristy places or eat street food the less a yobo we feel. Then we return to our hotel to rediscover our yoboness.
When we were eating lunch today in a street cafe, our guide, Mohamed was eating as all locals do with his right hand and eating at lightening speed. I asked him why he eats so fast. His answer tells you lots about Africa. His family ate as do most Africans from a communal plate .... fast eating was a survival skill ... don't eat fast and you are hungry.
Today we went to Abomey the ancient Dahomey kingdom capital where the kings bodyguards were Amazons ... women ... as are Quadafi's today. The guide showed us the many cannons that the kings had ... the kings even added the cannon to their coat of arms as a symbol of their power! The problem was that the French would not accept cowerie shells ... the local currency ... in payment for cannon. So the king set a new price .... 15 slaves for each cannon and the French threw in powder and shot for free.
PS The kings had 7000 wives ... a very busy man indeed.
Driving in Benin is an experience. The roads all have French road signs to include the entering and leaving signs that you would find in any French village! Some roads even have a canopy of trees over them ala France. There ends the sameness. Unlike the other West African countries we have motored in there are many police check points and they actually stop us and check and recheck our papers and look very unhappy when they can not find anything wrong and then demand a small payoff. The last 20 miles of the road into Cotonou is amazing. You go from a fairly reasonable country road to almost a single lane dirt road which in pitted and pocked and often cratered and on which four five or six vehicles ... cars trucks motor cycles and bikes often packed higher than their original height with cargo and people engage in a game that is combination of the Paris to Dakar Road Rally, chicken and bumper cars .... and remember that traffic is moving in both directions and because of the road conditions it is impossible to drive in a straight line. Then threw in a bit if rain and most cars have or use no lights and an adventure it is. Amazingly I have seen no accident or fights or angry woods between drivers. Once in the city itself the situation becomes even more chaotic and there is so much pollution that a days driving probably is equal to smoking a carton or two of unfiltered French cigarettes.
All along the road it is a zone of commerce. Actually spilling into the road among the mud slime and garbarge. The big five enterprises in Benin seem to be selling gasoline .... and it is sold is very attractive large oval blown glass jugs in shades of green brown and yellow ... the jugs look as if they were hand blown in italy and should hold wine or olive oil .... and perhaps they once did! You pour the gas into your car using a piece of cloth ot paper as a filter: THE OTHER FOUR BUSINESSES ARE HAIR CUTTING OR STYLING TIRES AND HUB CAPS AND SELLING FOOD BOTH FRESH AND COOKED.
Driving into Cotonou we passed the University. Tuition, books dorms etc is only about 800 dollars a year but then that is about twice the annual income for most families.
Final comment. We asked our guide which is a richer country .... Mali or Benin .... remembering that they are among the six poorest in the world. He said Mali is richer and based his position on the fact that most people in Mali have cell phone .... which they always seem to be using. In Benin what you see are telephone shacks on the side of the road.
yes, it's a wonderful experience.
2 days ago we arrived in benin at tatinangou. we were suppose to stay there 2 nights then go to bochian and then in 2 days fro, now to cotonau...the capital of benin. long story very short...the government...to save money...cuts the power int the whole country every night. the hitel owner in tatininangou knew this but didn't tell us and was too cheap to buy gasoline for his groupa...his generator. so we awoke in the dark and had no breakfast etc. we cancelled that 2nd night and the hotel in bochian...we saw the hotel on the drive to cotonau...ugh...and no power there either...and come to the hotel marina...where we were suppose to be anyway 3 days from now. ha luxury. they have their own groupa and we are in a hotel with 2 swimming pools, a private beach, dining under the stars, piano playing in the lobby, a casino, night club, sauna, buffet breakfast etc etc etc oh yes...cnn news. we are starved for what is happening stateside. we feel soooooooooooooooo far away. every day we wake up and go outside and we are in africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyway before we left tatinangou we went to visit the tata somba people and i had a private reading from the fetish man..complete with stones, bones, shells, bells, having to eat magic dirt, skulls, dead animals, etc. it was quite wonderful. i had given him my art business card, not sure he could even see it as he is 93 and looked almost blind. and he predicted a very successful career for me with lots of good luck in my art...........better buy those jennifer art pieces now while i am still affordable...ha!
remeber the green slime i wrote about in djenne, mali...well the slime in the streets here is even prettier...a bright lime green! huge expanses of it and right next to it...food stands!
the 5 types of business enterprise that seem most common along the roads are food and outdoor markets, tire and hubcap stands...and considering the condition of the roads this is not surprising, beauty and barber shops...outdoors of course and gasoline stalls...gas is sold from pushcarts. gas is stored in wine bottles and poured into cars using paper spouts!
the cost for a year of university in benin is $800 all inclusive...dorm, books, tuition. that is almost a two years worth of salary for an average person.
before we came on the trip we thought that the hardest part of the whole trip would be the canoe down the niger river to timbuctu with camping along the banks of the river. neal said that he thought after we finished that part the rest of the trip would be easier. well today we both separately came to the conclusion that the canoe part was the easiest part of the trip. i think this is the most exhausting trip we have ever undertaken. we are so pleased that we are here but everyday is a new and different adventure. we hold hands, breath deep and jump in.
i'm enjoying eating street food and so far have not gotten sick at all. neal is a bit more cautious. i've eaten to, which was written in the guide book as tasting like plastacine....since i never ate plastacine i just thought it tasted like cream of wheat cereal in a hard pudding form. street food here is very spicy and i like it. also have eaten goat, smoked fish, sesame crackers, coconut balls and spaghetti.
i,m also enjoying speaking french and my french has improved considerably. neal pretends he speaks french also, but mainly he just smiles a lot.
Cotonou is not the capital of Benin .... even if most people think it is. Cotonou has the Presidential Palace and most government offices .... the international airport is here ... President Bush stayed here on his trip to Africa last month. However the capital is 15 miles away... a sleepy town called Porto Novo. I cant get anyone to explain why Porto Novo is the official capital. Perhaps it is because Contonu translates in Fon to ... mouth of the river of death. Given the pollution and the traffic situation and the fact that there is so much street crime that tourists are advised to not go out on foot on night and the fact that it is also a major shipping point for drugs and a center for money laundering and child trafficing ... all combine to make it an appropriately named city.")
![traffic. cotonau, benin](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2865996186_200e5dea87_s.jpg "click on "all sizes" above picture to see larger view
main road in and out of cotonau, benin. it took us over an hour to go a few kilometers.
west africa. summer '08
We are in Cotonou, the capital of Benin. We are also in a way not in West Africa because we are staying at the best hotel in town and are shuttling between the two worlds. After the weeks in Africa and the hotels from hell we had this need for a safe haven to come home to.
To give you an idea of how long it seems to us that we have been in Africa .... in a descriptive way Africans, especially kids, refer to whites as either tubobs or in Benin as yobos. Well when we see a white person we at each other and say look a tubob or a yobo ... we have forgotten that we are one also. The more we travel and move in non touristy places or eat street food the less a yobo we feel. Then we return to our hotel to rediscover our yoboness.
When we were eating lunch today in a street cafe, our guide, Mohamed was eating as all locals do with his right hand and eating at lightening speed. I asked him why he eats so fast. His answer tells you lots about Africa. His family ate as do most Africans from a communal plate .... fast eating was a survival skill ... don't eat fast and you are hungry.
Today we went to Abomey the ancient Dahomey kingdom capital where the kings bodyguards were Amazons ... women ... as are Quadafi's today. The guide showed us the many cannons that the kings had ... the kings even added the cannon to their coat of arms as a symbol of their power! The problem was that the French would not accept cowerie shells ... the local currency ... in payment for cannon. So the king set a new price .... 15 slaves for each cannon and the French threw in powder and shot for free.
PS The kings had 7000 wives ... a very busy man indeed.
Driving in Benin is an experience. The roads all have French road signs to include the entering and leaving signs that you would find in any French village! Some roads even have a canopy of trees over them ala France. There ends the sameness. Unlike the other West African countries we have motored in there are many police check points and they actually stop us and check and recheck our papers and look very unhappy when they can not find anything wrong and then demand a small payoff. The last 20 miles of the road into Cotonou is amazing. You go from a fairly reasonable country road to almost a single lane dirt road which in pitted and pocked and often cratered and on which four five or six vehicles ... cars trucks motor cycles and bikes often packed higher than their original height with cargo and people engage in a game that is combination of the Paris to Dakar Road Rally, chicken and bumper cars .... and remember that traffic is moving in both directions and because of the road conditions it is impossible to drive in a straight line. Then threw in a bit if rain and most cars have or use no lights and an adventure it is. Amazingly I have seen no accident or fights or angry woods between drivers. Once in the city itself the situation becomes even more chaotic and there is so much pollution that a days driving probably is equal to smoking a carton or two of unfiltered French cigarettes.
All along the road it is a zone of commerce. Actually spilling into the road among the mud slime and garbage. The big five enterprises in Benin seem to be selling gasoline .... and it is sold is very attractive large oval blown glass jugs in shades of green brown and yellow ... the jugs look as if they were hand blown in italy and should hold wine or olive oil .... and perhaps they once did! You pour the gas into your car using a piece of cloth or paper as a filter: THE OTHER FOUR BUSINESSES ARE HAIR CUTTING OR STYLING TIRES AND HUB CAPS AND SELLING FOOD BOTH FRESH AND COOKED.
Driving into Cotonou we passed the University. Tuition, books dorms etc is only about 800 dollars a year but then that is about twice the annual income for most families.
final comment. We asked our guide which is a richer country .... Mali or Benin .... remembering that they are among the six poorest in the world. He said Mali is richer and based his position on the fact that most people in Mali have cell phone .... which they always seem to be using. In Benin what you see are telephone shacks on the side of the road.
yES ITS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
2 days ago we arrived in benin at tatinangou. we were suppose to stay there 2 nights then go to bochian and then in 2 days fro, now to cotonau...the capital of benin. long story very short...the government...to save money...cuts the power int the whole country every night. the hitel owner in tatininangou knew this but didn't tell us and was too cheap to buy gasoline for his groupa...his generator. so we awoke in the dark and had no breakfast etc. we cancelled that 2nd night and the hotel in bochian...we saw the hotel on the drive to cotonau...ugh...and no power there either...and come to the hotel marina...where we were suppose to be anyway 3 days from now. ha luxury. they have their own groupa and we are in a hotel with 2 swimming pools, a private beach, dining under the stars, piano playing in the lobby, a casino, night club, sauna, buffet breakfast etc etc etc oh yes...cnn news. we are starved for what is happening stateside. we feel soooooooooooooooo far away. every day we wake up and go outside and we are in africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyway before we left tatinangou we went to visit the tata somba people and i had a private reading from the fetish man..complete with stones, bones, shells, bells, having to eat magic dirt, skulls, dead animals, etc. it was quite wonderful. i had given him my art business card, not sure he could even see it as he is 93 and looked almost blind. and he predicted a very successful career for me with lots of good luck in my art...........better buy those jennifer art pieces now while i am still affordable...ha!
remeber the green slime i wrote about in djenne, mali...well the slime in the streets here is even prettier...a bright lime green! huge expanses of it and right next to it...food stands!
the 5 types of business enterprise that seem most common along the roads are food and outdoor markets, tire and hubcap stands...and considering the condition of the roads this is not surprising, beauty and barber shops...outdoors of course and gasoline stalls...gas is sold from pushcarts. gas is stored in wine bottles and poured into cars using paper spouts!
the cost for a year of university in benin is $800 all inclusive...dorm, books, tuition. that is almost a two years worth of salary for an average person.
before we came on the trip we thought that the hardest part of the whole trip would be the canoe down the niger river to timbuctu with camping along the banks of the river. neal said that he thought after we finished that part the rest of the trip would be easier. well today we both separately came to the conclusion that the canoe part was the easiest part of the trip. i think this is the most exhausting trip we have ever undertaken. we are so pleased that we are here but everyday is a new and different adventure. we hold hands, breath deep and jump in.
i'm enjoying eating street food and so far have not gotten sick at all. neal is a bit more cautious. i've eaten to, which was written in the guide book as tasting like plastacine....since i never ate plastacine i just thought it tasted like cream of wheat cereal in a hard pudding form. street food here is very spicy and i like it. also have eaten goat, smoked fish, sesame crackers, coconut balls and spaghetti.
i'm also enjoying speaking french and my french has improved considerably. neal pretends he speaks french also, but mainly he just smiles a lot.
Cotonou is not the capital of Benin .... even if most people think it is. Cotonou has the Presidential Palace and most government offices .... the international airport is here ... President Bush stayed here on his trip to Africa last month. However the capital is 15 miles away... a sleepy town called Porto Novo. I cant get anyone to explain why Porto Novo is the official capital. Perhaps it is because Contonu translates in Fon to ... mouth of the river of death. Given the pollution and the traffic situation and the fact that there is so much street crime that tourists are advised to not go out on foot on night and the fact that it is also a major shipping point for drugs and a center for money laundering and child trafficing ... all combine to make it an appropriately named city.
jenniferbeinhacker.com
art outside the edge")
French [fra]
Posted by ethnolinks in Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Haiti, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, New Caledonia, Niger, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, U.S. Virgin Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna on 2009/10/07
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Learn more about French at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Français Dialects: Lorraine, Acadian, Franco-Ontarien, Québécois, Shippagan, Franche-Comtois, Angevin, Berrichon, Bourbonnais, Bourguignon, Franc-Comtois, Gallo, Norman, Poitevin, Santongeais, Standard French, Dgernesiais, Jerriais Alternate Dialects: Acadien, Fribourgois, Jurassien, Normand |
Foodo [fod]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Ghana on 2009/10/07
Lukpa [dop]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
Anufo [cko]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Ghana, Togo on 2009/10/07
Gbe, Ci [cib]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Ede Cabe [cbj]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Tchumbuli [bqa]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Boko [bqc]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Nigeria on 2009/10/07
Notre [bly]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin on 2009/10/07
Anii [blo]
Posted by ethnolinks in Benin, Togo on 2009/10/07
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Anii: A language of Benin in Africa.Also spoken in Togo |
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Learn more about Anii at: |
| Alternate language names include: Alternate Languages: Baseca, Basila, Bassila, Gisida, Ouinji-Ouinji, Winji-Winji, Ounji-Ounji Dialects: Akpe, Balanka, Gikolodjya, Gilempla, Giseda, Ananjubi, Gisème Alternate Dialects: Anandjoobi |
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