We met Domi and Lio from our “travel family” as well as Ian and Catherine in both Togo and Benin. Always wonderful!

What both countries have in common is that they could be crossed from west to east almost comfortably in one day. In both countries, the north is not safe due to conflicts caused by Boko Haram, among others. Togo is probably more present militarily and takes tougher action against opponents of the regime than Benin. Unfortunately, in Benin, for example, a national park in the north no longer seems to exist.

Benin is the land of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey and we spent a few days in Abomey. We learned a lot about the 12 kings and one queen and heard many stories about lies and deceit, fratricide, abandoned royal children and more. The stories are similar to those in the Old Testament, those in Europe and elsewhere. Here, too, military campaigns, the subjugation of other peoples and the financing of the kingdoms through selling people from the conquered areas as slaves if they were not useful to the king in any way. As in Cape Coast, it is clear that the slave trade was not an invention of the European colonial era, but that the Europeans took advantage of it.

And we dealt with Vodoo for the first and only time, as it is part of the country's history and present. Visiting a fetish market was borderline visually and olfactorily, visiting a voodoo priest was lazy magic.

In Grand Popo we also met a German woman who we knew from the Eppendorf weekly market and we did enjoy the afternoon chat with her.

Finally, in Cotonou we were busy preparing for the onward journey to Nigeria. Visiting a garage with our car because of a problem with a shock absorber – and we definitely need it to be in good condition. Once again collecting cash so that we can exchange enough money when we enter Nigeria. There seems to be a problem with cash and the Naira is losing value drastically every day. Last but not least, getting supplies and doing laundry.