Abomey
We were heading on our way to Abomey crunched together for over 2 hours of sweaty sticky vinyl and cloth seats, nine people in a little car they call a taxi. Weaving in and out of traffic like a Nascar driver released on the highway, but this was just a two lane with potholes. And sometimes we had to take dirty non-paved roads to avoid road blocks in which we would have to bribe the police.
After arriving we met with a local Christian pastor (as that is rare in this town) who talked with us about political and home struggles with the Voodoo that runs most of its inhabitants.
Later we went to a museum that told of all the kings and the palaces that used to reign in that area…We were also shown buildings specifically built to burn human and animal sacrifices. We were told that the bricks were made with human blood in them and that is why they had the color they did (kind of a dry, rusty, dark brownish red). There were also instructions to pay respects, take your shoes off, take head coverings off, and bow down before entering certain areas (to voodoo gods) and we refused to even enter these areas but the history was interesting and it gave a better sense of what was at work here in Benin.
It was said that when the king died all his wives committed suicide by poison to die with him and be buried with him. There are many other things that I could write about but do not wish to, some things are better left alone. Abomey is steeped in voodoo as is a lot of Benin. I avoided buying anything as souvenirs at this place for most of them were voodoo relics, masks, or some kind of paraphenelia.
We also dropped in on some Mercy Ship Segue students that were doing their outreach up there, working in the orphanages, praying, etc…It was nice to see they were adapting good in the heat with limited electricity and rationed water. Made us appreciate the haven of the ship.
It was a very interesting Saturday to say the least. Type in Abomey in your google search and read a few articles of history of this small town in Benin.
