Above, my new friend Ellen, in front of her house. She also helps teach english at "Les élite", the elementary school where I teach and which was created by her husband. Below: on the road with Leo, the vet. We stopped to drink/eat some fresh coconuts. Below that is our lunch that day - fried fish with rice and sauce - faily typical for roadside or basic restaurant food.
Below is a vendor at her stand. She's selling atta (small fried balls of dough made from bean flour) and djété or patate douce (sweet potatoes). Ellen bought me some on our way to a "buvette" (bar) near her place. While those items have been cooked well in oil, I'm pretty sure that just about everything I eat here would not pass a Food-Safe test at home. Luckily just because something is not "food-safe" doesn't mean it's not safe to eat, it's just that there is more of a chance it might not be. It's just a fact of life though, because most people, food vendors included, simply can't afford to have a fridge, and even washed dishes can cause problems because they havent been washed in hot water and/or rinced in water that is totally clean.
The following four pictures are from a trip to Cotonou to drop off Christelle and Evangeline, the two daughters in the family, who had to return to the city for university after the holidays. The first is Mr. d'Almeida by the entrance to a hotel we had to stop at when we got a flat tire. The next is the repair shop on the way back when we got our second flat tire! Fortunately, the first location, the hotel on the way there, was not a bad place for a pit stop, as you can see from the lake-side view and the picture of Antonio relaxing in a beach chair while his sisters pose for the picture. (Sorry I am still working on how to rotate the pictures!)
Finally, this is me with my host mom, Solange, in traditional African dress. Normal for her, but a very new and colourful experience for me!
2 comments:
When I was being toured around Indian streets and shown eating things to buy; my host family would always tell the vendor something in Hindi and my things would be cooked an extra long time. It was probably along the lines of "he's English, cremate the food so his delicate stomach survives."
Hope you enjoyed the tasty street treats! (Oooh, that rhyme left me all excited)
Hi - I really enjoyed your blog. My daughter is heading to Benin and will stay with the DAlmeidas and I'd love to hear how you liked Lakossa..is there a way to correspond with you?
Many thanks
Keiko B
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