Waves and Reggae!

I'm at the end of one of the most relaxing and wonderful vacations of my life. I just spent six nights relaxing on the beach in Grand Popo, Benin with three of my great girlfriends from Niger. We boarded a bus bright and early in Niamey and 20 hours later we arrived in Grand Popo at a wonderful reggae joint called the lion bar. We didn't set very high expectations for the vacation, thats what happens when you have spend 8 months in Niger, but in turn we were blown away by beauty of the beach. We also unexpectly arrived the night before a three day fete, a homecoming for those who travelled away from Grand Popo as well as some voodo vituals. We had some added entertainment for the next few days as it turned into a bussling town. We spent our mornings slowly waking up, eating omelets and drinking coffee while watching the waves in the distance. Then we made our way down to the beach to bask in the sun, play in the waves, listen to the locals play drums and dance, and stare at the blue ocean. At night we ate delicious meals of fish, prawns and rice and danced the night away to reggae music. It was paradise. Our last night there, they threw us a going away party because we had become so close with the staff. They made us fresh crab, not quite dungeness but still fun, and set up another night of dancing. I danced for hours upon hours and as you all can imagine it was one of the happiest times of my life.

Today we had to say goodbye and hit the road. On our way to Cotonou, we stopped in Ouidah, a historic port on the ocean. It was the largest port for the exportation of slaves to Brazil and the Americas. The city is gorgeous but it definately had an eary feeling to it. We walked down the Route of the Slaves, to the port on the ocean. It is the path that they had to walk to load the ships. Along the way you pass fetishes of ancient Voodo gods and small villages with voodo kings. We didn't have much time to we didn't see everything but it was interesting to see and a good reminder of the past.

It is going to be difficult to return to Niger because Benin is absolutely breathtaking. It is so lush and green, the food is delicious, and life isn't nearly as difficult as Niger. It has definately been a reality check of how poor Niger really is. After living there for so long, things start to become normal and we have become desensitized to the struggles Nigeriens face everday. Part of me wishes that I was posted to Peace Corps Benin so I could live in these beautiful villages, be near water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables everyday and not be so hot! But as difficult as it will be to return, I have to remember that I am having that much of a greater impact by living and working in one of the poorest countries in the world. And as amazing as this trip has been, I am excited to return to my village and see my friends.

Pictures of my trip to come on Shutterfly. I love you and miss you all!