Out and about in Cotonou

What to do in Cotonou on a day off? There is certainly plenty to choose from. Be it going to one of the smaller local markets or the Dantokpa market which is one of the biggest markets in West Africa, swimming in one of the local hotel swimming pool, getting to go out with one of my translator friends or exploring this hectic city that the ship is docked in.

Going to Dantokpa market is quite the cultural experience and not really for the faint hearted. You can buy anything and everything you could possibly ever imagine needing, from cosmetics to underwear and clothing to fruit and vegetables to live goats and chickens to electronic goods like irons and blenders to any medication you could possibly imagine needing all without prescription! The sheer madness and crazyness of the market is hard to describe unless its something you experience yourself, there are thousands of people to contend with and they are all shouting out at you ''yovo yovo! I give you good price!'' The heat and the intense smells that seem to permeate the air within the market is something that is hard to put into words.

The city itself is hectic and busy like any city you might come across, it can be quite the challenge to just cross the road. Dodging a gazillion motorbikes and cars coming at you and no-one obeying road rules (Im not sure if they even know what they are) The trick is to find a local thats crossing the road at the same time and go with them, they seem to have had lots of practice at this!

Getting to go out with one of my translator friends is also a treat, not being able to speak the local language but having a translator on hand makes it so much easier to communicate with people you come across. I truely apprecitate it when I am given a small but often brief glimpse into the realities of life and living here and getting to go out and off ship with them certainly gives me that.