We entered our eighth African country
today with the easiest border crossing yet. Neil didn't need a visa
here either and mine was issued very efficiently.
After the
crossing we only had 20 kilometres to drive along the coast to get
to Grand Popo. Joe, who is Canadian, and I only have 48 hour
transit visas which we don't want to pay to extend, so our stay in
Benin will be brief.
Auberge Grand Popo was a beautiful spot on the sea with a lovely
pool and we decided to stay here for the night. This gave us the
afternoon to relax and cool off in the water, which was a lovely
treat before the harder slog which is looming closer on the
horizon.
We had another easy drive north to
Abomey, which will be our last stop before the Nigerian border. We
said goodbye to the sea again with mixed feelings. The sea is
beautiful and the breezes refreshing, but the humidity is
oppressive and the salty air makes everything perpetually sticky.
Not to mention the alarming effect all this has on my hair…
Abomey was certainly less humid. We tried to find some fresh
supplies in the market but there was nothing besides tomatoes, red
onions, chillies and dried fish. I am already missing the abundant
markets of Mali and Burkina Faso. At this rate we may have to begin
delving deeper into our packet foods. Neil is already a shadow of
his former self and I need to make sure that I don't lose him
completely!
We all decided to treat ourselves to lovely, clean, cheap rooms
at the Auberge in town and a meal at a local restaurant. We need to
leave very early tomorrow to tackle the border so not having to put
tents down will certainly be a bonus.