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Benin Travel Blogs

Background: Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.




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By Erika
September 22nd 2007
Bike Ride Africa » Benin
These pictures are also from a while ago... The HIV/AIDS awareness bike trip was in April 2007, and covered the enitre Mono/Coufo region and followed the old train tracks. It was a wonderful trip. See www.peacecorps.gov/volunteerjournals to read more about the trip. [View Full Entry]

Erika - Erika Kraus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
46 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 22nd 2007 | 88 Views | [diary=204465]

Bike Line
Are those... Socks?
Flamboyant

By Erika
September 22nd 2007
Dassa and Basketball Africa » Benin
I visited another friend of mine in the Collines region, or in English, the Hills region. It's beautiful up there, and a drier climate much like the north. These people fleeed the Fon by living in the hills during the time of slavery because the Fon would take prisoners to trade with the Yovos. The pictures show a little of the life in the hills. The basketball pictures are there because I like them a lot- the first one is the boys' and girls' teams, the second is of the basketball court on the day of the regional school tournament, looking [View Full Entry]

Erika - Erika Kraus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
103 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 22nd 2007 | 104 Views | [diary=204470]

Lots of Green
From Far Away
Making Gravel

By Erika
September 22nd 2007
Life in General Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
These pictures are more of running around Benin, as I know it. A mixture of everything. [View Full Entry]

Erika - Erika Kraus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
16 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 15 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 22nd 2007 | 130 Views | [diary=204474]

Camp GLOW
On the Bird Lake
Black Crake

By Erika
September 21st 2007
Kate and Tina Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
This is late, but these are photos of Kate and Tina's visit in June. [View Full Entry]

Erika - Erika Kraus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
14 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 14 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 21st 2007 | 101 Views | [diary=204223]

M&Ms
Surfing/Standing
Home Again

By Erika
August 28th 2007
More Pictures Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
Oh- this site is so neglected! Pardonnez-moi beaucoup! Here are some pictures, maybe that will help... [View Full Entry]

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16 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 10 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: August 28th 2007 | 115 Views | [diary=196793]

Mathurin Sits
The Lake Side
Downstream

By amphillips
July 5th 2007
map Africa » Benin » South » Ganvie
here's a link to a map of our trip http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_4f0.html [View Full Entry]

amphillips - Andrew Phillips | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
17 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 5th 2007 | 42 Views | [diary=177755]


At the border of Benin it is possible to get a 48 hour transit visa, thus saving a lot of time and money messing about at embassies. It isn’t as much of a race through the country as you might think because fortunately, the country is only 100km across and its two principal attractions lie quite close together. Ganvie is a town built on stilts in the centre of a large, shallow lake. The 27000 Tofinu people that live in the town, are descendents of a large group that escaped the Dahomey slave traders in the 17th century. It took half [View Full Entry]

Donny - David Walker | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
332 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 4th 2007 | 131 Views | [diary=198906]

An Old Tofinu Man Sailing Home
Stilt Village of Ganvie
Stilt Village of Ganvie

By Erika
April 30th 2007
On With Life Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
This is an entry I have posted on the Peace Corps website, but I am publishing here because I want to add pictures. The pictures with this entry actually have no relation with the writing. Following entries might or might not have the same pictures/writing relationship. I have kept a journal for along time; since third grade, with only a few months missing here and there. Usually writing, especially journal writing, flows easily from my brain to my pen-controlling hand, as easily as one foot follows the other while running. Lately I have had many false starts- the 18th of [View Full Entry]

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715 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 5 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 30th 2007 | 149 Views | [diary=153809]

A Body Guard
The Fish
A Fish Trapper

By Erika
April 30th 2007
Welcome to the Elements Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
The Weather I was sleeping on the porch, as normal, and was still hot, as normal, though the porch is many many times cooler than any other place in the house. The breeze can always find me there, so that is where I sleep. When I say hot, I mean that candles don’t hold their upright position, and if I were to sleep inside, I would sweat so much that I would wake up often to drink water and still not have to urinate in the morning. And that’s at night. I had gone out for a drink in the [View Full Entry]

Erika - Erika Kraus | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1275 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 30th 2007 | 181 Views | [diary=153808]

Neighbor Girls
Style Evasion

By Erika
February 24th 2007
What You Have Not Seen Africa » Benin » South » Athiémé
Because I have some time on my hands... [View Full Entry]

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8 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 14 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 24th 2007 | 227 Views | [diary=132418]

Long Live Ecotourism
Books are Beautiful
Even the Mayor was Pleased