Benin, Continued

As we drive North it's a relief to find that the air grows drier, and the nights cooler. We bush-camp south of Kandi and for the first time in a month I wake up snuggled under my duvet.

Abomey, 24/03/03

Abomey is famous for being the centre of the great Kingdom of Dahomey, and the scale of the palaces here is quite something - even if they are just made out of mud. Like Oiuida (home of the ouija board), Dahomey is famous for its voodoo connections, and there is no doubt that the religion is quite active - throughout the night we hear tom-toms and the sound of all sorts of arcane ceremonies in progress.

However, the real reason for anybody to visit Abomey is to eat at the Cafeteria Bidossessi, home of Madam Brice who is undoubtedly the queen of street food, and who will whip you up a delicious meal for under fifty pence.

Ouidah, 20/03/03

Seduced by a great beach, we find ourselves spending the night next to the Monument of No Return.

Our first shock on arriving was finding that the Truck, which we thought was a couple of days ahead of us, is here, and we catch up with John, Will, Sian and Kevin (who still has transparent legs after all this time) at the monument.

Thus far it's been an uneventful journey, what with no wheels falling off or anything.