The Venice of Benin?

"The Venice of…" is a terribly overused phrase I know. Seems like any city with a bit of water in it can be called that these days. But I felt I just had to use it here.

Due to issues regarding my visa, I at one time thought I might have to spend some time in the country, so I actually left Cotonou and went away for the weekend. I went to what my lonely planet describes as "rightly Benin’s most famous tourist attraction" though judging from the number of visitors it got, it ain't that famous. It is a little village called Ganvie, famous because it's built on a lake. Basically a whole lot of huts on bamboo stilts coming out of the water. Of course, it wasn't as completely beautiful as one might picture, as consistent with West African style the number of thatched roofs were outnumbered by rusted corrugated iron ones. But it did have its charms.

Getting around the village is completely by pirogues (long, slender, dugout canoes type things). And actually getting to the village from the mainland through the fishing areas we put up a makeshift sail.

I got the pick of the rooms at the hotel as no-one else stayed there whilst I was there. So for two days I just chilled. Nearby you could see the creatively named "floating market" with a bunch on ladies and their boats congregating whilst villagers paddled up to them and bought their wares. Also nearby was the local water filling station where mostly kids came with boats and empty pots. Incidentally most kids when they say me waved, then said yovo, then put out their hand to ask for something. I don't know how that culture got started.


I got arranged to be guided around on a boat one day, a bit like Venice (but so, so, so much cheaper) with a guy pushing us along with a pole. All I needed was cushioned seat and a girl to put my arm around. I even got lucky, as we stumbled across a kind of ceremony on the water, which turned out to be a burial. Each family group seemed to occupy one boat and most of the bigger boats had loudspeakers for the singers, whilst everyone else was drumming on whatever they could lay their hands on and of course singing and dancing. It was a real party-like atmosphere.



Later that day I also got lucky as it was time for a local soccer match in their stadium (built on a low lying island) between their village and some visitors. Luckily the locals won, as even so it got a bit ugly at the end (people running because of some rowdy fans wielding sticks). I'd hate to have seen what would have happened if they’d lost.

They cringe-worthy factor of tourism was really reaffirmed for me here. Whilst I was silently reflecting at the hotel, a handful of boats would come up occasionally carrying day-tripping sight seers. Normally they would come with cameras glued to their faces, the cameras themselves often bigger than their heads. I hope I never look like them.

Just before I left I got treated again as some Togolese and I think French guests came to the hotel for a meeting about the village development. For hours they (and therefore I) were entertained by dancers, singers and drummers. But all in all it was a relaxing weekend away. In fact, if I'd been with a few friends and added to the mix a few drinks and laughs, it would really have been fantastic.