Cotonou

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Got up today at 6:30, late for this part of the world, and spent our first full day in the chaotic city of Cotonou and I can safely say that I love it.
We arrived yesterday and were dropped by our Peugeot 505 taxi along with the 8 other passengers in the ultimate nightmare location with a backpack. Stood on a traffic island with roads on three sides it all bulging with battered cars and a million 'zemi-johns' (motorcycle taxis). We walked one way, tried to cross then gave up and repeated this farce with the other three roads all the while being constantly harrassed for a taxi, zemi-john or to change dollars or niara. We managed to keep it together (which I'm sure we wouldn't at the start of the trip) and escaped the madness using a mercifully quiet side street we eventually found.
Today we spend almost 4 hours getting lost in the grande marché here and it was a lot of fun, as well as the usual plastic pots, cowpats, old plastic bottles, chillis, onions, bunches of chickens (live), knickers, crabs, goats, shoes, fake hair, car bonnets, charcoal there are also voodoo fetishes - think Indiana Jones. Monkey's skulls, animal skins, dried hands, monkey's balls - general dead things. We didn't buy anything except a towel - rather tame, but will return later in our time here.
So despite the throats burning pollution and the never-ending noise and sweat - not helped at night by the regular powercuts and associated fan-death - we are having a good time here and are well and truly back on the Africa bandwagon.
C + A, greasyest faces north of the equator. x

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Comments

[Hazel]

Hi Chris and Alice, lovely to hear from you again. Glad you are still enjoying your adventures. I am following your route on a map of the world that I keep by the computer. Everyone sends their love. Take care of yourselves and keep on blogging! xxx

[Sarah M]

Hello!
Good to hear from you Chris, really enjoy the blogs. We are gearing up here for Emma's departure - yes your 'buddy' is leaving us for hopefully a job a little nearer to home. We are all off out on Nov 30th for a few gentle beverages. So where next then for you guys? Can't wait for the next installment Take care Sarahx

[anna]

hard core travelling
hey sweaty people - i have to say guys you two are so much more hard core than the travelling worms in vietnam! i am totally impressed. saying that though i can't wait for you to come home - ali, drinks and gossip very high up on the agenda!!! love you both - stay safe from the worm thats been left in the uk!

[anonymous]

is it me or does bennin look just a tiny bit like a penis... No just me then. God I hate the fact that im in an office and your not