Ouidah

15 FEBRUARY 2023

Staying in a lovely hotel is such a treat. This morning I indulged in wonderful food at the inclusive breakfast – a feast spread out over a buffet table with endless cups of tea. I loved the African option which include rice, lentil stew and steamed vegetables.

It’s in these kind of hotels that you meet another section of society and a different range of people to converse with. Breakfast took a long time this morning as a result….

Back on the road again and I took a shared taxi to Ouidah, a small town to the west of Cotonou known for its Voodoo traditions, trading port and Brazilian heritage. I checked into the aptly named Auberge Le Jardin Secret – belonging to a Frenchman called Pascal, a beautiful peaceful retreat with simple rooms (13000CFA including breakfast) and a fabulous garden full of wooden sculptures and areas to relax.

In the centre of town I headed to the Zinsou Foundation, a gallery celebrating young artists’ works from across West Africa. There are some amazing exhibits in this renovated colonial building which provides a cool, serene environment. Next door is a beautifully designed café, capturing an African-Brazilian ambience in its design.

When I visited there were a number of exhibits that stood out:

Benin Photographer, Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou’s Egungun project
South African artist, Lyndi Sales’ Broderie et pierres sur toilr de lin
Tanzanian artist, George Lilanga’s Makonde art inspired pieces

Unfortunately, the guides are more intent on getting a donation from you that informing you about the exhibits, however its worth persisting as they really do know a lot. After school hours, the foundation provides free art workshops for the local children. I was lucky to be there when one of the employers started a workshop for a group who had congregated. The group mainly consisted of boys; I hope the girls get opportunities too.

I then visited the Python temple where these snakes are sacred. The guides are welcoming and informative explaining more about the voodoo practices and introducing you to the temple interior where the snakes languish.

Ouidah was the site of the main trading centre for exports to Europe and the Americas including enslaved Africans. This whole area was under development including the well regarded museum. I did visit a small museum with some artifacts from the period but I could see that in the future the town would be a must see for the slave trading period in the future.

Walking back to the guest house, I found the amazing John Smith cultural centre which was hosting an exhibition focussing on women and slavery. In the garden it was showcasing some brilliant new artists' sculptures. This centre provides extra-curricular activities for children from the town; drama workshops, film showings and art sessions.