Back to Benin

We arrived safely back in Benin last Sunday evening, got our new one-year visas in Cotonou, and travelled up to Parakou yesterday (Friday). We're now spending the weekend in Parakou to do some shopping and catch up with friends, and we will head home to Pèdè on Monday.

It has been good to arrive during rainy season - not that we've seen much rain yet - as the temperatures have been "mild". The highest we've had so far was 31°C when we arrived in Parakou yesterday.

I celebrated my 40th on Thursday in Cotonou. Our friends Alain and Christiane Soudrain invited us to come and have an evening meal with the short-term French team (of about 15 people) who had just arrived in Benin the day before. It was interesting to meet them, and nice to have birthday cake and be sung to by so many people (in French, Spanish and Fon!).

During our 8 hour wait in Istanbul:

Cotonou with our friends Alain and Christiane: