Up early for a refreshing swim and a game of water volleyball, followed by a pig-out breakfast.
Finally, into town, where we parked beside the supermarket.
Lome's fabric market was overwhelming: aisle after aisle and row after row of shops piled ceiling-high with multicoloured cloth. There were odd patches of satiny fabric and ordinary cottons, but most were the vivid African prints, most sporting "made in Holland" stickers. (West African cotton fabric made in Holland refers to Dutch wax prints, known as Wax Hollandais or Ankara, famous for their vibrant colours and unique patterns. Although originally inspired by Indonesian batik and industrially produced by Dutch firms for the African market, they have become integral to West African culture. These double-sided prints are characterised by wax-resist dyeing techniques, creating distinct designs and textures, and are sold globally for clothing and crafts. Thank you AI) There was too much to look at, price and unroll. and with dim light and only a fold of each visible, I saw nothing I had to buy. Wished I'd taken my camera though because there was one stretch lit well enough to appreciate the blaze of colours. Wended my way back to the truck, passing along the tourist alley, piled high with carvings, jewellery and masks, and escaped having bought only a tube of Chinese toothpaste.
Joined the others at the corner restaurant where they were devouring chicken wings and imbibing beer. Bob and Jim described being swindled by a black-market money changer; they ended up getting 325 CFA instead of the quoted 425 CFA per US dollar and could only laugh at being tricked by an expert.
Very easy border crossing into Benin, and although we are back in a country fond of police checks we were allowed to stay on board Stanley each time we stopped. Passed women carrying basins of chickens on their heads
Our afternoon drive took us along the coast, with coconut palms and reed huts either side of the truck, and turquoise ocean to our right, beyond woven matting-fenced compounds. All along the road sat women selling green coconuts; one pair also had two dead ugly otter-like animals in front of them, apparently a form of giant water rat. Crossed a bridge over a wide river dotted with sand islands crowded with back-to-back houses and huts. People were paddling dugout canoes across the river and boats lined its banks. We passed a village where a huge crowd was watching a "session" of drumming and chanting.
Saw another of the churches we've noticed since the southbound drive to Lome – with lattice walls to ensure a constant flow of air. This jungle feels more like Africa than the desert. I wonder how I'll feel after solid weeks of unending greenery.
Camped just off the road in tall grass among coconut palms.
Photos from www.alibaba.com
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