Klucz Seryjny Do M&b Free

Feb. 7 - The dwellings 'dad' and Benin






morning we leave the hotel early enough, because in front of us an active day and many miles to go. After 2 hours of driving we reach the village of Kande, where is the exit route laterytową towards the villages of Benin and the people Tamberma. The entire route is 29km laterytowa the Togolese side, and after about 20km to the village to start with the buildings 'dad'. At the beginning of the road is a gate and shed with the words "Ministry of Tourism Togo" and something about the tickets for entry to the valley. We stop before the barrier and immediately obskakuje us a few people. We buy a ticket, which seems reasonable, because it is clearly written out, prices for Togijczyków, students and foreign tourists, but they say that it is our duty to take a guide who will show us where are the villages with houses and show you around. Their effrontery immediately triggered in me a strong reluctance and tell them that no one will be forced to take my guide, because after the first is one way, so the village can be found without a problem, and secondly, we prefer the site to see whether they really need to hire a guide, and if so, we'll do it in a particular village. On the 'guides' raised cries that it does not, every visitor has a duty at that place to hire a guide (it's 15E course) and we will not go away, because they will not let us. I explain to them that if he were required to take a guide, the tourism ministry would tell the tourists, so how about having to buy tickets. This does not appeal to them at all, so in the end we say that we do not want to go to the villages, we go straight to Benin, without stopping on the road. After several more minutes of verbal tug 'guides' give up and sell us the same tickets and open the barrier. This mafia is the bane of independent tourists, and, unfortunately, often you have to go hell to get away from them. We are fortunate to once again succeed. We drove to the valley. The history of these areas is very interesting. In the XVII century., At the height of the slave trade, the people fled from southern Togo to the north, in the less accessible areas and began to build fortified homes, which were supposed to protect them from attack Dahomejów, the largest in these areas hunters and traffickers. To this end, the house floor is for animals and people live, sleep and eat on the roof. They are a second tier, because in addition to open space, the roof is built round granaries and a room to sleep in the rainy season. Transitions are everywhere small, so that attackers were not able to use bows and spears. In this house there is only one family. After parunastu kilometers ride begins buildings. From a distance they look like little castles. We get to one of the villages - Nadoby, where we see a souvenir shop and bar. We stopped because the heat can be strongly felt. Car thermometer shows 47 degrees outside. When the shop sits on the steps of white girl that after watching the exhibition shops ask if one entered the house. And she replied that, yes, but she lives here! We ask in amazement for more details. It appears that came two months ago in the development project of the U.S. Peace Core, which is expected to last two years. Its goal is to help the local community in gaining funds for infrastructure development, agriculture and tourism. Living in the "modern" house - meaning no dad, but there is no running water or electricity. The challenge for two years good. In addition, wages are paid in local currency and can only continue. The advantage of such a trip (save for the experience, knowledge of new cultures, etc.) is, for example, the abolition of tuition fees if they endure to the end of the project. Enjoy it for a Coke at the bar to talk and she tells us a lot of details from the life of local people, the history of the valley, and houses. A very interesting meeting, and of the occasion guide:). After an hour we move on, and her advice - property 'dad' now visit abroad, in Benin, where fewer tourists. Stops us another barrier, this time police checks. The policeman asks whether Kande, where we pulled up that road, we went to the police formalities away from the country. Answer surprised that it did not. Nobody stopped us, said nothing about it. The fact is that during our live interview with the Mafia guides at the entrance to the valley one of them asked me if we were on the police to stamp. I thought that they are talking about a stamp, which supposedly will allow us to enter these areas, so they ignored, and as it turned out it was a exit stamp in the passport. Nice smile at the cop who initially wants to send us back 29km. He goes up and promise to improve the next time we move on. In a moment, another barrier (of course, made of branches, because there are barriers, or the branches or the string), wry inscription on the building suggests that it was the seat of benińskich tax collectors. So we're already in Benin! Customs officers are only interested in the car, say police carried visa, a few miles away. We buy for Montka 'laissez-passer' and we continue to search for the police. As soon manage to track down the police station. Just go during lunch, one officer, but fortunately it is very nice, so do not do this because of any problems. While passing the border you never know what someone will like or not, and can at best hold for hours, or tell us to pay any bribe. For this, we lack an exit stamps from Togo. But the nice policeman sees only the visa stamp sticks and the pain. Wishes you a pleasant stay in Benin and takes the further consumption of lunch. We are in town Boukombe. On this side of the border, people living in households 'dad' is called Somba, but their homes are no different from the Togolese side. We stop at one of them and go out to carry out price negotiations for a visit home. She runs to me at once the whole group of children living in this house and the oldest of them throws 15000CFA amount, which is almost the same 25E see home! Burst into thunderous laughter all around it and it rains the amount of 2000 CFA. That sounds better already. We accept this offer and we explore the house. On the ground floor are 3 rooms. In two of them live goats, chickens and sheep, and the third is a kitchen where they cook only when the rainy season. Everywhere hang amulets and fetishes to protect against evil spirits. From the kitchen you enter a narrow passage to the roof. There are circular granaries in stock and 3 booths - bedrooms. When you get down there is the father of the family who wants to suddenly 3000CFA for visiting his house. Haggling and becomes the 2tys. But add 2 T-shirts and shorts. We go to the car, and the kids running behind us, each shouting that he wants to have any money. The two oldest boys, who showed us the houses are close to tears, he said that his father did not give them money. So we throw the 100CFA for boys and go on. Today we want to ride as much as you can, because on Sunday we would already be in Abomey, the capital of ancient kingdom Dahomejów. After 40km laterytu asphalt begins. And that's pretty good, probably the recently located. After a quick lunch, we drive for several hours without a break, after dark to reach the village Save. Today, we have a great 500km, which is no mean feat, considering how much today we saw and learned. In the Save find a nice hotel and we go around the market something to eat and drink. Track the vendor grilled meat, this time beef and buy a beautiful piece and ugrillowanej muscle. Dinner is how you look.
And now a few words about Benin. Statistically, per capita GDP is almost twice higher than in neighboring Togo and amounts to U.S. $ 709, but on the streets you can not see. In general, these two countries are very similar. For the colonial period there was no border between them, until after independence was divided into two countries: Dahomey and Togo. In 1975, Lieutenant Kerekou, who was then in power, the country changed its name to Benin in order to distance itself from the dark past of the kings of Dahomey, known mainly as a ruthless traffickers niewolnikami oraz wyznaczyć nowy kierunek rozwoju kraju, z marksizmem-leninizmem jako główną ideologią. Po wielu latach rządów porucznika Kerekou i kilku przewrotach, dziś Benin jest jednym z najstabilniejszych politycznie krajów w Afryce Zachodniej. Ekonomia opiera się na rolnictwie, a głównym towarem eksportowym jest bawełna. Obszar kraju to 112tys. km2, a zamieszkuje go prawie 8 mln ludzi.