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Benin 1986 - 1995

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The birthplace of voodoo and a pivotal platform of the slave trade for nearly three centuries, Benin is steeped in a rich and complex history still very much in evidence today.

A visit to this small, club-shaped nation could therefore not be complete without learning about spirits and fetishes and the Afro-Brazilian heritage of Ouidah, Abomey and Porto Novo,

But Benin will also wow visitors with its palm-fringed beach idyll of the Atlantic coast, the rugged scenery of the north and the Parc National de la Pendjari, one of the best wildlife parks in West Africa. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and hundreds of other species thrive here.

In fact, Benin is wonderfully tourist friendly. There are good roads, a wide range of accommodation options and ecotourism initiatives that offer the chance to delve into Beninese life. Now is an ideal time to go: the country sits on the cusp of discovery.

The Route of the Slaves includes the slave auction plaza, the Tree of Forgetfulness (where slaves were branded with their owners' symbols and, to make them forget where they came from, forced to walk around the tree in circles) and the Tree of Return, another tree the slaves often circled with the belief that their souls would return home after death. There is a poignant memorial on the beach, Gate of No Return, with a bas-relief depicting slaves in chains.

It's such a beautiful spot that it's hard to fathom that 12 million people were deported from this very shore. The end of the road features a small museum with images and illustrations about the African diaspora and the slave trade in general.

Benin is awash in magic, has kings sitting on thrones every which way you look and gods and ghosts turning up left, right and centre. When you venture to a city whose walls are said to be coated in human blood and where the king still has a throne made from the skulls of men then you know you’re going to be in for some unusual experiences. Abomey, once known as Dahomey, was once one of the most powerful, and brutal, kingdoms in West Africa and its vast royal complex still dominates the town as the home of the most important royal family in Benin.

Ganvié, on Lake Nakoué, literally floats on stilts out in the middle of the lake waters. In the 18th century the rulers of Dahomey developed the annoying habit of capturing and enslaving all the members of smaller kingdoms. In order to prevent such a fate befalling his people, King Abodohoué turned himself into an egret and flew about the countryside until he found a suitably remote area to re-establish his kingdom. That place was the centre of Lake Nakoué and in order to build the village out in the water King Abodohoué turned himself from a bird into a crocodile and then persuaded the lakes other crocodiles to help him rebuild his village.

Ouidah is the spiritual centre of Benin (and a former slave trading port) and has numerous Voodoo and royalty related sights. King Kpassé of the Xweda people wasn’t too keen on having his head removed from his body by the Dahomey so he ran away and transformed himself into a tree. Today the tree/king still stands and pilgrims come to have a chat with him. In the Sacred forest of Kpassé it’s possible to shake leaves with a king.

The town of Allada was established by the son of a princess who slept with a leopard and, perhaps not surprisingly with a background like this, it is a major Voodoo centre and the home of one of the most important kings in Benin. It’s often possible to arrange an audience with the current king; you must dress smartly, kiss the ground in-front of the throne and expect the unexpected – after all this king has the magical ability to turn into anything he chooses.

From Lonely Planet
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woodowl

Thanks Cooper (*-*)

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