This was my first journey out of Cameroon for more than 10 days.Though I needed to make this journey to obtain an MVV Visa (long stay visa) for the Netherlands, it was a time for holidays and tourism.
I loved the fine and clear sandy beaches in Benin. I spent most of my time meditating by the ocean. I also enjoyed the fresh coconut water sold in plastic bottles, so refreshing.
This country has very lovely cuisine. I ate fufu and groundnut soup (I am describing it with my Cameroon food brain) with little pieces of cheese, hmmmmmmh it was so delicious. I bought fried cassava by the road, this street food is breath taking. Another street food I enjoyed was fried plantains (it was not done like in Cameroon). It was cut into really fine pieces and fried till it was crispy. Yes! they had 'roasted fish and bobolo'. I can go on and on about food because I am a foodie but I will stop.
I had the opportunity to visit Ouidah, Benin's slave route. This town is a UNESCO heritage center. The village has tried to keep the memories of the route. The tour guide was proud of how the village has made efforts to recover. Another intriguing side of Ouidah is the Python Shrine, most visited tourist site. Well since I program in python, I thought it will be good to take a look. I was scared to dead, but i touched a python snake and it was different from the python code. Visit this shrine to test your courage and hear beautiful stories that made an ethnic group in Benin not to be taken away during the slavery.
It was an amazing time. Beninese are really friendly, warm and welcoming. They are also very respectful even in the markets. I would love to visit again sometime in the future.