Yes, Benin is not just cities, even if because of my previous posts might well expect: I was "the land" so far only from hearsay.
high time to change that!
To this end we have on Friday with Marc (development workers from Cotonou), Alexa (from C. Entwicklungsstipendiantin), Lola (Marc's dog) and a Mercedes 290GD (old white SUV) made in order to drive out to the countryside. Since the above was due to a gearbox problem on Friday until quite late in Porto-Novo, we have the exit unceremoniously moved to Saturday after breakfast. Never mind, yes, it is planned yet anyway.
throw after breakfast then just three things in a backpack, look again briefly at the map and there you go north. We do Porto
behind us until we determine that we have forgotten to fill up, which, given the diesel engine of the Mercedes, unfortunately, only in the rare phenomenon of "filling station" is possible. So back to Porto, there are rumors because there would be something. A
Half an hour later and 15,000 francs poorer (equivalent to 30 liters of diesel), then goes really wrong. We drive, at first on the tarred road, then on the big door, often on slopes and which are just as wide as the car. We drive through villages, small towns and no man's land, have fun. You eat what you find on the street: Smoked shrimp that you eat with tanks, Baignées (something similar to a donut), Süßkartoffelbrei.
Again and again the procedure is also sometimes familiar to locals because, sometimes because people do not trust them, because sometimes you read the map wrong, sometimes because the map is wrong (swimming Mercedes can not live ...).
does not matter though, thanks to all-wheel-site translation and reverse Marc's driving skills, we all come back out and can take a different path.
the end we parked the Mercedes in a small strip of "beach" (a mixture of sand and mud) near Sagon on Oueme River. Although we drove all day, we are actually "only" 150 kilometers from Porto away. just everything takes longer here ...
We build the tent and the mosquito-Dome (an igloo-tent with mosquito net fabric) on, try us on a fire and determine shocked that we have to eat out a few bars peanut nothing to it. Do we somehow have forgotten.
Fortune sends us two hunters on the way, are for 2000 francs actually willing to sell us the daily prey: a wild pigeon and a squirrel. We decide to arrive there on a test do, it is already dark, and what else we do not get more anyway.
After the hunters we thankfully still have hair, feathers and all non-edible organs are removed, put the two animals on a stick and held over the fire.
above or what is left of it, because it will not burn easily. Although you get it again and again briefly in response, but all would promise the fire a little more sustainability, denied the cooperation. One should sacrifice not just forget the spirit of the fire ...
Despite the struggle with the fire of the two animals are ready to eat at some point, somewhere between fried and smoked. Since my stomach growl, I'll throw my principles overboard again and be pleasantly surprised: fried squirrel liver is really delicious! Should you have occasion to test strongly available in Reutlingen in the city park which.
spend the rest of the evening so we rumzudoktern on fire, with much enthusiasm but unfortunately still with limited success, to drink Sodabi-Cola to talk and to watch the stars that we spoil this night really. Although we are supported by millions literally torn to pieces by mosquitoes, but we're also your own fault if we go directly to the water.
give about ten or half eleven we become final on the fire and rescue us from the mosquitoes in the mosquito-Dome, where we stay a little bit of sitting and then finally go to sleep. Marc Alexa, and in the tent, Raph and I in the Dome, Lola under the car. Virtually to a guard dog with you, then you can at least sleep in peace, even if the ground is still very hard. Since a thin straw mat helps honestly do not. A look at the stars and the incredible background noise to sleep more than adequately compensate for slight back pain.
result of the uncomfortable sleeping position guard I already the next morning at just after six on - and only get you a little fright to the mosquito-Dome stand in a semicircle six fishermen sit and watch us while sleeping and probably wondering what we were doing. After a bit of palaver and a bottle Sodabi for men but yet they go about their work, pushing the boats into the water and disappeared one by one.
After the residue has also woken up, we pack our things together and make our way back. At the next cafeteria breakfast first: omelet with tomatoes and onions, and instant coffee to make a fit for the things that may come.
In our case, the training, with Marc. We had on the way a large, empty Erdplatz found off the road and just the way it is now used for initial experiments with the SUV. I can drive though, yes, but a car is almost a meter high breaking edge runterzulenken is also quite new to me. So much fun for Raphael, who has traveled in his life before. is a first time, it just always.
After that I may then also the next take over 50 km road to the home, what causes immense fun, but also real concentration requires: everywhere potholes or gutters which one must give way, the road is narrow and constantly caresses motorcycles. In the first test the brakes skin me sort things equal times in the direction of the bushes. It all depends if you are not one hundred percent holding the steering wheel straight.
to make things that the Mercedes has a kind of bitchy gear. The first course seems somehow to have made from the dust, so I always have to start in the second. Because of this, I gee in Pobé again to Marc. city traffic without knowing the course - no thanks. From
Pobé we take the paved road and arrive an hour later without difficulty in Porto. First of showers, then a little shopping and then end your day with the other Weltwärts learning can be.
beautiful Over and over.
0 comments:
Post a Comment