Easter Weekend, 2014

Not far from busy, bustling Cotonou is Bab's Dock. We were able to reserve a two night's stay in the bungalow and settle in for a relaxing weekend. After an uneventful (no police stop) drive along the Rue de Peche for about 15 km, we parked the car in the secure car park and boarded the boat for a short ride across the lagoon.

 

Traveling through the mangroves to the lagoon.

We soon settled in at our accommodations, a two-room bungalow nestled on the shore of the lagoon.  Our room consisted of a mosquito-net covered bed, a nicely finished shower room, and a composting toilet! The room was adequately furnished with a ceiling fan (no AC, though). We didn't plan to spend a lot of time in the room but rather in our idyllic surroundings. An added benefit is that all of the visitors left - the last ones took the 7pm boat out. We were the only ones on the property (besides a couple of workers) until the next morning at 11 when the first boat carrying visitors docked. Those hours were very peaceful.

Our home for the weekend, we stayed in the room on the left side.

Relaxing on the deck with our fiends and colleagues, Craig and Debbie. (Craig)

We awoke Easter morning to the sounds of drums and singing. The local people in the village next to Bab's Dock was having a sunrise Easter service! We recognized the tune for "Thine is the Glory" immediately, however it was sung in the local dialect. The song lasted for 15 minutes, morphing into an Alleluia chorus with multiple intermingling songs. What a way to wake up!

Because we were the only people on site, besides the early arriving workers, we were able to get the pick of the lounging spots - the hammocks! During the day we all took turns lounging and reading in them.

Yes, I am relaxed! (Craig)

Donn's turn!

We also took advantage of enjoying the water. The lagoon is brackish, salty but not like the ocean. We soon discovered that it wasn't very deep, so we could easily walk across it to the mangroves across from the boat dock. We swam, kayaked, and took sailing lessons!

Serafin was a great teacher, considering I haven't been in a Butterfly in over 35 years! He didn't speak any English, but just carried on with instructions as if I understood him. (Craig)

Donn told Serafin he liked to go fast, so Donn got to try it solo. (Craig)

Oops! Donn did a great job of entertaining the crowd on the dock with this. (Craig)

Some local guys swimming the butterfly had a race with us!

The lagoon we're on runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean and stretches from just west of Cotonou further west to Lome', in Togo. So we could kayak to Togo, if we want to, about 60 miles away further west.

We often saw people walking across the lagoon, either going to or coming from the Beach Road. (Craig)

The locals also got from place to place via a pirogue, a dug-out canoe. Men also fished from these canoes, throwing a net into the water. (Craig)

The afternoons got busy, with many expats finding their way to Bab's Dock. Here the international volleyball game of Lebanese and Indian men had to finish quickly before a storm rolled in from the east.

One night we sat at the end of the dock, gazing up a stars and hoping to see part of a meteor shower.

Our weekend at Bab's Dock was just what we needed! It provided us with some time to unwind after a grueling stretch of preparing and teaching since Winter Break. We'll go back again sometime. And many thanks to Craig for providing some of the photos!

Bab's Dock

Wow! It's been quite awhile since I've posted. Sorry about that. Work has been very demanding, and we haven't taken time to explore very much on the weekends. Our spring break is soon, mid-April, which is not soon enough!

We did visit a place close by, on Rue des Peches, the beach road. Donn and I, along with two Hash friends, Matt and Nina, scouted out a possible course one Saturday. The course was in the villages and fields beyond Bab's Dock, an idyllic getaway on a large lagoon that parallels the Atlantic Ocean.

Bab's Dock (google it if you like, it doesn't have a website, but there are a few reviews about it, in French) is a weekend hot-spot for expats and others. It has nice amenities, including a restaurant and bar. Patrons can lounge in the shade or go for rides in the small sailboat or paddle the kayaks. It is only open on the weekends; the wait staff consists of local high school students who are the labor force.

We did our preliminary scouting for the course one Saturday, with some advice from Thierry, the manager, and Angelo, one of the locals. We walked through coconut groves loaded with weaver bird nests, another coconut grove "guarded" by a machete-wielding man and his young children, a cashew grove (all the nuts had been harvested), a salt-making site, and many small villages. What was missing this time for a Hash run, other than the groves we walked through, was shade. It was HOT! But that's the way it is, 6 degrees north of the equator.

Waiting to be picked up by the boat to take us to Bab's Dock.

This is Agama agama, rainbow lizard. He checked us out while we were waiting. They are very common here. His tail is almost as orange has his head.

The 10-minute boat trip took us through mangroves. At times, it was if we were in a tunnel, they were so overgrown.

 

 

Here's a view from the bar, looking toward the lagoon.

We walked by a crop of watermelon. Under the little awning-like area, parsley was growing.

Weaver bird nests. When we came back the next week for the actual run, one of these trees had blown over, so we got a closer look at the nests.

Houses and leftover coconuts in one of the villages we walked through.

Cattle are herded freely throughout the rural areas. Fences are rare. This is truly a free range!

On the day of the run, Donn and Matt had arranged for us to have coconut water, from freshly cut and hacked-open coconut, by the machete wielding man. His wives and children helped out!

Here's the "dock". A group of people are getting set to leave. The sailboat looks very inviting, doesn't it?

Donn caught a few winks while we waited for the boat ride back to the car park. He had run/walked the course twice on Hash day.

Sunset on the lagoon. If you look closely, in the distance to the very left, you can see two women walking across the lagoon with baskets on their heads. The lagoon is only about 4 feet deep!

We plan on going back to Bab's Dock during Spring Break. There is a bungalow to rent for the night. Word has it that mornings there are quite tranquil, with birds to watch and a calm lagoon to explore. Time to go make reservations!