Where in the World are Bill and Bob?

São Tomé and Principe are one country composed of two small archipelagos about 200 miles west of Gabon and are the second smallest country in Africa (Seychelles is smallest). The Portuguese used the islands to settle convicts and later established sugar cane plantations with the help of slaves imported from mainland Africa. The harbor does not accommodate large vessels, so we tendered in and walked around a bit. Crossing the Equator Ceremony where Slimy Polywogs are initiated into the Order of the Trusty Shellback (and have to kiss the fish to get King Neptune’s permission)

Cotonou, the commercial and economic hub of Benin, dwarfs the political capital of Porto-Novo. French-speaking Benin, formerly Dahomey, is the birthplace of voodoo which is said to have originated in the spiritual village of Ouidah. A tour there included a quick drive through Cotonou then on to Ouidah and the sacred forest of Kpasse with statues of various gods, the temple of pythons, and the slave route ending with Benin’s Door of No Return. In the 17th-19th centuries, Ouidah was the most important embarkation point for slaves in the region of West Africa known to outsiders as the “Slave Coast.   Memorial Gate of No Return Temple of Pythons

Lomé was selected as the colonial capital of German Togoland in 1897 and became an important commercial and administrative center.  After World War I, Togoland was divided into French-controlled Togo and British-controlled Ghana leaving Lomé on the French side of the border. Togo is sometimes known as the saddest country in Africa because of its history of slave trade. We took a taxi tour of the city, including the fetish market, where animal skins and heads are sold for voodoo remedies.  Followed by a city tour  Ending with a Togo toga party 

Originally two coastal trading towns, Sekondi and Takoradi were combined in 1946 in part because of the population growth caused by Takoradi’s deep water port that exports timber, cocoa, and fish. The area boomed with the discovery of oil in western Ghana. In the 17th century, the British and Dutch built forts along the coast to protect their trade routes. Some of these forts were involved in the slave trade. Fort Orange, now a lighthouse Market scenes in Takoradi Fishing village (we were not allowed in for safety reasons) Bisa Aberwa Museum At St. Paul’s Catholic Church and School

Sprawling. Vibrant. Congested. The Ivory Coast’s largest city, economic center, and former capital, Abidjan curves around placid Ebrié Lagoon in the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. As one of the world’s largest French-speaking cities, it’s often referred to as the “Paris of Africa,” and likened to New York in terms of crowds and traffic. Abidjan’s population of about 6.5 million represents almost 22% of the population of the Ivory Coast, and is the 6th most populous city in Africa.