Portugal: The Return

Several months later we came back. Late in the night of 15 of December.

The blog is gonna be reborn :)

Togo: Superman and the coconut

We had tried the African coconuts in Oudiah, Benin. The coconut water tasted great and the white part, still semi soft, was even better. Back then, Sweet Potato commented that we should get our own coconuts since there were so many coconut trees around, to which I replied that the coconut trees were way too high. The episode got lost in the memories… till our first day in Togo!

Driving in a desert beach full of coconuts trees and without breakfast, we started dreaming about eating the green fruits hanging up there. I decided to try with a rope and a water bottle!

Desert beach in Togo 

Trying over and over again, I finally was able to get the rope over a coconut! More, moving the rope from one side to the other, I was able to get it down!! To open the coconut, I just used the monkey technique i.e. cracking it with against a stone.


Half an hour after started trying, we were finally able to eat it. Superman would be proud of me :)

Trying to open it with a knife...

... but a stone was more effective

Cheers!

Benin: Ganvié, the African Venice

Ganvié is a photogenic village close to Cotonou that deserves a visit! More than 20,000 people live, literally, over the waters! It’s said it developed in response to slave raiders, as those didn’t attack through the water. I don’t know that, but even nowadays it takes one hour in a pirogue to get there (and it costs 4050 CFA per person, round trip)! 

Burkina Faso: Just a thought

We arrived at the border post knowing that they would ask for a lot of money to enter Burkina Faso. More, we knew that and we wanted to bargain! Our first expectation was right: a lot of money! He was asking 47,000 CFA per person. However, the second was not: no bargain was possible. Our only option was to get a transit visa, valid for 3 days and costing 24,000 CFA.

A French guy had arrived meanwhile and told us: “Guys, today is the 10th and the exit will be due on the 13th. Well, a 10 is easy to change to a 16 and 13 to a 18. Just a thought!” We were surprised with the hint and kept thinking about that. At the end, we decided to leave on time, without changing the number and without a lot of stories to tell from Burkina Faso.

However, we think it would have been possible. Like the French guy, “just a thought”!

Burkina Faso: More than 1000 km in three days

The high cost of the visa made us rush through Burkina Faso. Not a lot of stories to share, with the exception of the roasted monkey on the way to Gaoua and, even that…, it doesn’t have a lot of story. Some people were roasting a monkey…that was about it.

Benin: Tata-Somba, the mud fortress

If slave raiders are coming you should hide. People in Northern Benin developed a unique way to do it.

Lost in between amazing mountains the Tammari people created the impressive Tatas-Somba, fortresses made out of mud to protect them from slave raiders. A must see!!

The fortress itself

The entrance

The stable

Hunting trophies

Big room (without physical barrier from the stable)

Kitchen

Entrance to a smaller room

Cereal storage

Mali: In a pirogue without a lifejacket

Driving in Africa during the raining season is a challenge. We tried to go to Djenné shortly after the end of it and experienced it! The River Niger was still very high and we couldn’t reach the place from where the usual ferry departs. The solution: a small pirogue… for the three of us (and some more people)!!

Good that Tear Drop is not afraid of the water! In any case they didn’t have lifejackets motorbike size!!

About Djenné, it is a spectacular place, with all the houses and an impressive mosque made out of mud. Definitely, it’s worth a visit!