Transportation in Benin

It has been a helluva long time since I last posted, but despite the fact that I am pretty sure my parents are the only people still reading it, I thought I would cover some general topics that I have completely forgotten to explain.

I recently just took a video with my camera on the back of a motorcycle taxi in Porto Novo (2nd biggest city in Benin) because this short post will do little to describe the system of transportation I use. Now if only I had an internet connection that could load a video. Ok, moving on. Getting around in Benin can be described as nuts, effin insane, and wild.

Moving from one city to another a PCV has two options: taxi or bus (bus only applies to those who are close to a bus stop). First off, the infrastructure in Benin leaves a little to be desired, therefore one finds potholes riddling the few paved road as if the gods are turning the roads into a cribbage board. This creates a driving system that can only be described as an extremely complicated yet unchoreographed dance resembling leapfrog; cars, buses, and huge semi-trucks zigzagging, weaving, and dodging (right or left side) anything in their way. This is why when I am traveling I mentally check out. I literally become the closest to brain dead a living person can become so as not to become a nervous mess (it is a defense tactic). Furthermore, should I be in an accident my body will be so relaxed I should be able to just bounce off of everything and walk away, right? On a serious note, actually the only time I have ever been afraid or worried for my safety and well-being is when I travel. I will just keep the stories about buses and taxis passing by entering oncoming traffic and then quickly throwing themselves back into the correct lane before a catastrophic accident can occur.

Buses are the only vehicles where you actually get your own seat. If you are in a taxi where one would normally seat 5 people (2 front, 3 back), there are more often then not four in the front and 4-5 in the back, and I am not counting young babies, adolescents, goats, or chickens who sit on the ground, on laps, or on top of the car. The funny thing is that these cars are called cinq place (five place) but they will often place 9 people in there, and the Marche Mamas are not known for their petite stature. They also have neuf place cars, which of course will seat eleven. Since in a bus you get your own seat and they try to prohibit animals (but chickens seem to always get in there) and they are bigger and therefore a bit safer, I try to take them as much as possible. Otherwise one can either go to a taxi station specific to your final destination or go to the side of the paved road (there is one, which splits half way up the country into two paved roads) and wave my hands at passing cars until one decides to stop. If you are not close to the paved road then you travel via the dirt roads. During the dry season, by the time you are done with the voyage on dirt roads you are so covered with orange/red dust you look like an umpalumpa.

Getting from city to city is dependant on taxis or buses but once you get to the city PCVs in Benin are allowed to take motorcycle taxis and yes we are required to wear motorcycle helmets at all times. This is also just as crazy but speeds tend to be slower than on the roads.

The thing to remember is that the rules of the roads are everything is optional. Ohh and the driver must not forget to pay the bribes to the police officers so you don’t get a ticket, since Beninese laws actually do limit the number of people in cars.