1. Next time I pay a guide a ton of money to show me around some places, I should make sure they can speak English.
2. If I thought coming to Benin would help me escape terribly overdramatic Indian soap operas with seizure inducing production effects, I was wrong. Except now they’re dubbed in French.
3. While visiting Porto Novo this weekend: it is surprisingly easy to stumble upon interesting tourist sites just by walking around and heading towards cool looking stuff in the distance.
4. In Benin, marriage proposals from women are not unheard of. In fact, being a foreigner, 2 and a half weeks in was kinda late to receive my first two.
5. While playing soccer, pretending to take a pee in the tall grass beside your teammate doing the throw-in is an effective strategy to receive a pass without being hassled, at least the first 3 times you do it.
6. The glass bottles that soft drinks come in here are the property of the bar even after you buy them, because they are sold back to the companies to be rebottled.
7. Unlimited monthly internet on my mobile phone for 2500 FCFA is a myth; at least until the MTN network shows me exactly how to get it.
8. In the voodun (there are a million ways to spell it) culture, if a woman has twins, she is treated like a queen by the village and everyone must obey her.
9. The traditional place Beninois buried their dead was within their own homes until cemeteries were introduced by Europeans, but this practice still continues in some places.
10. I’m growing attached, and it’s going to be hard to leave this place.
Lessons learned, until next week!
**Pictures coming soon, I just have to upload onto computer tonight and they will be up for tomorrow!
Jenna yo Gaurav!
looks like quite the experience so far, look forwardd to seeing pics. keep it up man :)
also, love tip 5!! glad to see you are getting a chance to play soccer over there. enjoy!
- Jenna Kara