Have you ever imagined an entire city built on stilts, in the middle of a lake, with canoes as the main means of transport? Today, we're taking you to Benin, in West Africa, where Ganvié is located, one of the largest and most impressive lake cities in the world!
Benin is a country with a rich and diverse history, with powerful kingdoms that left their legacy in cities like Abomey, where we can still see the ancient palaces.
But our journey doesn't stop there! In addition to Ganvié and Abomey, there is Pendjari National Park, with its impressive wildlife, Ouidah with its Fort of São João Batista de Ajudá and Porto Novo, the capital with an incredible mix of African, Brazilian and European colonial traditions.
Before packing your bags, it's important to remember that the local currency is the CFA franc and the official language is French. As for visas, we Brazilians do need one to enter the country, so make sure you arrange this before your trip!
Regarding the socioeconomic and political situation, Benin is one of the most stable countries in West Africa. Although it faces challenges related to infrastructure and the economy, the country has shown considerable progress in areas such as health and education.
Now, let's get to our title: did you know that Ganvié, the "Venice of Africa", was created as a form of protection? In the 17th century, the natives built the city on the lake to protect themselves from the kingdoms in the region who, due to their religious beliefs, could not attack from the sea. Thus, an entire city emerged and persists to this day!
We drove around 170km in the country, crossing the entire coastal part of this small African country, and we saw a lot of poverty and difficult life, but friendly and welcoming people.
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