Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, was the most modern and least desperate city we visited in West Africa. The first day we were there most everything was closed for inauguration of the new president. There were good restaurants, though a power failure hit as we arrived at one of them, and we had to eat on the street instead. We went back the next night and had interesting sauces on interesting starches, and one of the best grilled fish we'd ever had. As it was the last few days in Africa, we bought all the souvenirs we'd been putting off buying before.

Hotel du Lac, where we stayed.

A little Belgian bar near the artisan complex. You guessed. Actually, the bar was called the Costa Rica, but everything else about it, the beer selection especially, was distinctly Belgian. And of course, the manikin.

Two hoteliers liked Dave's beard.

Some mysterious packages. Don't take them on a plane. We had a similar-looking mysterious package in Abomey, and all I can really tell you about what was inside was that it was brown, salty, and pretty good. I don't know if these were the same or not.

A beach slum near our hotel.

On to Ganvié