Benin is just a whole different world!

scenes from days 3 & 4 in Benin - Bienvenu, Cyprien & my colleague's whose name I don't know posing w/ an Obama cut-out on row 2 and the charming Romaric, who can seriously reel off a soliloquy - he'll be president of some country in west AF in 10 years! and of course lots of insanity on the roads between Cotonou, Porto Novo and back

on the road to Cotonou

those of you who follow my travels through west Africa know Benin has consistently been my most interesting post - I've seen motorcycles hauling full sized refrigerators (twice), big sheets of glass (successfully) and up to 5 people often. Today was no exception ... some of the sights on the road from la frontiere (the border) w/ Togo through Benin into the capital, Cotonou.

searching for the fashionista!

ciao miei amici: you know I love you all but Angela and iAlex are so polite. Natty's biting commentary has a certain "je ne sais quoi" come back Natty; I know you like the other blog but it was temperamental!

le foto: Alex's bakery took over the dining room yesterday ... his honey whole wheat biscuits w/ il caffe, jelly & butter; sugar cookies & a lovely red velvet cake; Ema being silly w/ 1 of his heavenly sugar cookies; a mummified Ema in 09 Obama visit cotton and the super moon over our compound in Accra on Saturday night

more food

le foto: sorry I cannot rotate this foto! top, fresh mango cobbler, bottom, blueberry cobbler; blueberry cobbler; Ema & M2B w/ my hair in between braiding sessions; Ema kneading his honey whole wheat biscuit dough; the prawns/lobster tails plate at Paul & Ted's house; parmesan/pine nuts biscuits; honey whole wheat biscuits ready for the oven; a happy Ema in the kitchen

Ema and I are going to eat a lot more salad; his wonderful baking is also not so

kind when we visit the bathroom scales. Baked goods only on weekends, a la iAlex!!!

dinner w/ Christian & Baba

Christian is just wonderful - he's the rare person

who is honest, who tells you his truth yet is kind

and generous and fun. I've rarely met someone so

comfortable in his own skin - he really likes himself ...

well he does; I clearly think he's quite fabulous also.

Christian, his friend Baba, Ema and I had a lovely

meal at Christian's beautifully decorated house on Friday.

(le foto: M2B, Christian & Baba in Christians' upstairs den; Christian & Baba; fabulous

stir-fry w/ Chinese sausage, shrimp, eggs & onions ... 2nd row - fabulous curry w/ fresh cilantro,

fresh fish, tomatoes and Thai curry spices; Christian, Ema & M2B; Baba making a point during dinner ...

3rd row - Ema, his apron & Christian; Baba in Christian's beautifully appointed living room

(the slender wood piece w/ the Chinese characters Christian found at a house being demolished

in Cambodia; there is a 2nd piece on the other side of the entertainment center); Ema & Christian

at work ... 4th row - Ema being coy & Christian)

platforms are more comfortable in the 21st century

Today I finally wore my fabulous chocolate brown leather 3+ inch heel peep toe platforms. Fabulous fun until 4:30pm - my right foot was done. le foto: Ema tonight, dancing in the kitchen and checking his cookie cutters for tonight's shapes! more from Alex's bakery: fabulous honey whole wheat biscuits and Kevin eating one of Ema's "off the chain" good sugar cookies