Reading their Journals, by Grandpa

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2 September 2006
KCI to Atlanta on time

3 September 2006 Arrived Cotonou
Went thru customs and Erika was there. Also baggage ok. Went to Ayihoué hotel. Air conditioning and shower. No hot water. Good beds. In AM early-extra luggage to Peace Corps and bus to the north, Natitingou.

Monday:
Bus owner (Benin Routes) was from Niger- went to Chicago- Bachelors’ degree in business. Came to Benin and started his company.
The trip to Natitingou with arrival about 5pm included a blowout on the way. We each took a zemidjan to the hotel. Had a beer at a bar and then supper at the hotel. PS: there were several stops on the trip but no official restrooms.

Tuesday:
Up early- good breakfast at the hotel. Bread, egg, coffee, and local pineapple. Met several Peace Corps members going to meeting. Met and talked most of the morning with David and Karen Gaige visiting their Peace Corps daughter. Greta and I went to a local museum with the Gaiges with a chauffeur employed by the corps in a corps auto. It was a small musée and in French. Was fun to figure things with musée guide. Greta, Erika, and I went with the Gaiges in the Peace Corps car to a very small, darkly lighted café that served yam pile (pounded yam) with chicken or Erika’s favorite cheese and sauce (wagasi cheese).

Wednesday:
Layed around and read in am: taxi with the girls and two youngsters belonging to Yves an employee of the Peace Corps. To lunch and then on to see waterfalls on the border of the Pendjari reserve. A one and a half hour ride over paved and then gravel road. Climbed some rocks with the help of some local boys and then purchased some items at the souvenir stand. Fun. After return journey: To café (outside) with girls (walked) had beer and the supper. At the hotel we had coffee and talked (silly stuff). The country up north is more bush like. Lots of bigger corn fields. Large cattle herds and very hilly as we approached the waterfalls. Very scenic. Mostly thatch roofed round huts. Lots of people walking the road carrying goods on their heads. Riding bicycles and mopeds. Washing clothes in streams.
Natitingou sits in a very nice area. Is not very large. At the hotel it is very quiet. Birds and many exotic plants and trees. The weather is beautiful in the morning- gets a bit sticky during the day. Thunderstorm on Tuesday. Hardly any mosquitoes.

Thursday:
Rested up at the motel. Ate supper at the Tata Somba restaurant on a hill overlooking the town. Erika had a stiff French verbal encounter with the taxi driver that hurried us. Erika won!

Friday:
Early to the bus station on foot. Left Natitingou at 7:30 for Cotonou. Arrived 3:30 and were picked up by Erika’s friends from Athiémé. Drove us to Peace Corps office to pick up our baggage and then to bank for money. Traffic made it difficult to maneuver. Hectic! The friends took us to Erika’s house by way of the friends’ bar and restaurant. The friend is a teacher returned to Benin from 30 years in France with a French wife. Met her as well. Erika fixed supper. Talked with USA.

Saturday:
Greta and Erika went to Athiémé marché for groceries while I chilled at the house. All went to soccer game. Athiémé Hippos won 2-0. Hippos belong to Mathurin- the other team to José, the two men that picked us up in Cotonou. Both teams were second division farm teams. I wore a yellow shirt, same color as hippos. Walked to the telephone booth represented by a cell phone company individual. Called Betsy to ask her to call later. Walked to the Mono River that was high and fast. Took a picture across the other side to Togo. We met many people that Erika talked with and introduced us to. Even the priest. Walked home and ate curry by Erika.

Sunday:
Greta and I fixed pancakes. Laying around listening to cds and writing, and sudoku puzzles. Guillaume came by and I gave him the harmonica. Guillaume came by to take just me to the river. He had on his good clothes. There was a crowd at the river and they tried to speak English with me. One told me he was a communist. We walked to Mathurin’s house for dinner. José and his French wife were there along with some others. Enjoyed rice, rabbit, okra, pate, veggies, French fries, etc. Also beer and hard drinks. It was a fun party.

Monday:
I’m off my feet. Too much party?
We had a car this day and drove to Aplahoué to see Erika’s Maman and Papa. Had dinner and then all but the kids went to see Papa’s papa and family- lots of young kids. Papa's building is a new house, otherwise very poor area. Back to Maman and Papa’s, when we left Maman said in English, “Come back.” On the way home we stopped at the Lokossa marché and an apparel store. I bought material for Adele and me. Mathurin sent a tailor by and I got measured for my suit. Erika will talk to the other tailor for Grandma. I went to bed early and slept thru a rainstorm that lasted most of the night.

Tuesday:
Greta got her hair done by two girls on the veranda. It took almost three hours. The neighbor from next door, Maman Imelda, brought dinner over. It was a feast of potatoes, veggie mix, eggs, pate, and chicken. Our kitchen stove ran out of gas. Still trying to find a place to fill the bottle. Invited to beer garden by a local representative friend of Erika’s. Mathurin came by and he had to order a round (so we could keep talking). He invited me with my yellow shirt to the soccer game tomorrow. Stopped by the mayors’ house on our walk home, and talked with him some. He said the Benin railroad had used telegraph (course he said…)
Wednesday:
Left by taxi 8:30 am for Abomey. Breakfast at Lokossa. Part of tour group thru the old palace of two of the most recent and also the two palaces left standing. At the consolidation of surrounding ethnicities, Danhomey became Benin. This was to help support country unity. After the tour we went thru the souvenir section and purchased some gift items. On the way home we stopped at Erika’s garden and met two of her working friends. The garden was a typical nursery in progress with teak, caïlcidrat, acacia, papaya, jasmine and many other flower plants. Palm, banana, mango, somba (the tree that gives Athiémé its name) etc. Trees and plants in the country include: Biggest tree baobab and iroko, fromagier, kapokier, nîme (tooth stick), mango, coconut, palm, banana, papaya, orange, lemon, grapefruit, cola nut, terminalia, catalpa, ebony, coffee, cacao. Fields- corn, peanuts, millet, sorghum, beans, manioc, yams, onions, tomatoes, peppers. Ginger root, garlic sesame, anise, rice, also harvested locally, salt, black pepper. Made locally: bread and beer.
We ate lunch with Erika’s garden friends at their hut-food provided by them- soft drink, pate, rabbit, I was invited to live a long time so I could come back someday. Came home. Walked with Erika to stadium but game just over. Hippos lost 3-0 on muddy field. At home we visited with Mathurin and some of Erika’s friends on veranda.

Thursday:
Layed around, ate, went to convent to meet with nuns. Very nice building designed for cool. Walked around town some, met the mayor and deputy at the bar. We fixed spaghetti and ate at home with Mathurin. Said goodbye to Mathurin. He had surprised us with bombahs for Greta, me, and grandma.

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Photos

Grandpas
This was the coolest part of the trip- my real grandpa meets my Beninese grandpa. Then Maman and Papa tell me that Grandpa ASSE is 108 years old or so.

Chauffeur
This is the best taxi man in Athieme: Francois, a.k.a. Chauffeur. He posed for this picture while driving through construction. See? Talented.

Waterfalls
I only had to save his butt once! What else is a granddaughter good for? That and making coffee, I guess.