20250209 Seabourn Sojourn Grand Africa Cruise Day 76/96 - Cotonou, Benin

Grand Africa Cruise Trip Day 76/96 - Cotonou, Benin - Art & Amazons

We arrived bright and early in Cotonou, Republic of Benin (French: République du Bénin) or Benin for short. We found out that the correct pronunciation is beh-NEEN. Benin is a French-speaking Western African country best known as the birthplace of the Voodoo religion. It doesn't have a strong tourism infrastructure but is actively trying to promote tourism. Benin's main industry is agriculture, producing and exporting palm oil and cotton.

So, where, exactly are we?

We're at the small red star - tomorrow, we'll be right next door to the west in Togo, and then in a few days, north and west to The Gambia and Senegal

We were greeted with a rousing performance

One odd thing was local social media photographers and videographers

They were shooting guests coming off the ship

They will use the images and footage to promote Benin tourism online

It was a little weird - like arriving at an awards show

We skipped the tours today and took the shuttle into the art market.

They must be short as neither of us could fit our legs in the seats

As we left the port, we drove past a very long series of amazing murals on the wall along the water.

They were all different and all beautiful. We asked our bus driver if he would divert and pass by Coutonou's famous Amazon statue. He happily agreed, much to the delight of all the guests on the bus.

In true form, this Amazon was absolutely huge

Take a look at the people standing in front of the base and you can get a sense of scale

The statue known as the Benin Amazone stands 30m tall

Benin, originally known as the Kingdom of Dahomey, was defended by warriors known as "Amazones du Dahomey" by the French colonial forces

They were known for their intelligence, strength, and combat skills

We also passed by the Congress Palace

It is a conference center used to hold conferences and meetings of all sorts in Cotonou

We arrived at the Arts Market and started exploring.

The market went on forever - there was a lot of repetition between vendors but we did see the occasional unique item

After an hour or so of meandering, we hopped the next shuttle for the short ride back to the ship.

We did see several armed police around the city

As we arrived back to the ship, the watch officer was dutifully observing

The flag of Benin was flying atop the ship's mast - they fly the local colors in every port by maritime tradition and as a sign of respect for the port they are visiting and the ship's intention to abide by local laws and customs

After lunch, we donned our swimwear and enjoyed time in the pool and hot tub. Of course, we met friends in the pool and had a nice afternoon chatting.

After a shower, we hit the Observation Bar and then The Restaurant with friends for dinner. Tonight's show is the third installment of Cruise Director Nick's show so we skipped it. We made it an early night as we have an early morning tomorrow. 

Arlona called her dad since today, he turned 95 years young. It was definitely the longest-distance call he received today.

We remained in port in Cotonou, Benin until midnight so we could cruise at a good speed through questionable waters to Togo as a security measure. Also, at midnight, the ship will be showing the Superbowl in The Grand Salon, complete with Superbowl snacks. If we had a horse in the race (Detroit Lions), we would likely be there. They are also showing it in the rooms on the special events channel. Regardless, we'll sleep through it and check the score in the morning when we arrive in Togo. We have a Viator city tour early, hence the early bedtime.