Cotonou Benin

Hobo Travel Tips Newsletter: Cotonou Benin
Tip: Hobo TRAVEL TIPS - Cotonou Benin West Africa Candle Cooking
202 September 15, 2006 was written
Sent on September 20, 2006
TIP: Candle Stove
Issue: 202
Location Published From: LOCATION: Cotonou, Benin
GPS: Global Positioning Satellite Longitude - Latitude
06 Degrees 21.57 North / 002 Degrees 26.220 East

Issue: 201 -- Hobo in Lome Togo

Issue: 203 -- Hobo TRAVEL TIPS - Natitingou Benin Africa Travel Wash Cloth Replacement

Letters to Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

~ NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
~ HOBO TRAVEL QUOTES
How I feel today...
~ HOBO PHOTO GALLERY
This weeks pictures.
~ HOBO DAILY TRAVEL LOG a.k.a. Blog
Travel Blog! A daily web diary of my travels.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html
~ HOBO STEW (A Dish of Meat and Vegetables)
Acceptance of West Africa
~ TODAY’S TRAVEL TIP
Candle Stove

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~ HOBO TRAVEL QUOTES - Back to top
How I feel today, or a start down
the proverbial travelers path.

I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere
than in any city on earth.
- Steve McQueen

~ BACKPACKER JARGON

Backpackers Path
- People that travel on cheap budgets, travel
by bus, train, or cheapest follow almost the
same path. This is accidental, however is will
worn in some places. Example: Gringo Trail
A person does not need a car, a backpack...
(West Africa does not have a backpacker trail.)
Possible:
http://www.hobotraveler.com/2006/08/possible-to-backpack-africa.html

~ HOBO SLANG

White mule
- Old-fashioned white corn whiskey.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/hobo.php

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~ HOBO PHOTO GALLERY - Back to top

A lot of photos - The world unedited...

TOGO - The Country of Togo
Map of Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/ma_mapoftogo.shtml
Lome Togo Photos
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_47_Lome-Togo-Photos.shtml
Lome Togo Home Photos
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_48_Lome-Togo-Home-Photos.shtml
Lome to TogoVille Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_49_Lome-to-TogoVille-Togo.shtml
Togoville Togo Market
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_50_Togoville-Togo-Market.shtml
Togoville
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_51_Togoville.shtml
Togo Food
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_52_Togo-Food.shtml
Togoville Voodoo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_53_Togoville-Voodoo.shtml
Togoville Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_54_1-Togoville-Togo.shtml
Aneho Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_54_2-Aneho-Togo.shtml
Aneho Togo Hotel
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_55_Aneho-Togo-Hotel.shtml

BENIN - The Country of Benin
Map of Benin
http://www.hobotraveler.com/ma_mapofbenin.shtml
Ouidah Benin Hotel
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_56_Ouidah-Benin-Hotel.shtml
Ouidah Benin Photos
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_57_Ouidah-Benin-Photos.shtml
Door of No Return Ouidah Benin
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_58_Door-of-No-Return-Ouidah-Benin.shtml
Cotonou Benin
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_59_Cotonou-Benin.shtml
Ouidah Benin
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_59_Ouidah-Benin.shtml
Cotonou Benin Hotel
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_60_1-Cotonou-Benin-Hotel.shtml

Malnutrition Research
Malnutrition Research Canned Vegetables Lome Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_47_malnutrition-research-Lome-Togo-Photos.shtml
Togoville Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_54_malnutrition-sign-Togoville-Togo.shtml
Malnutrition Sign Examples Aneho Togo
http://www.hobotraveler.com/202_55_Malnutrition-Signs-Aneho-Togo-Hotel.shtml

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~ HOBO DAILY TRAVEL LOG - Back to top

Andys Travel Blog! A daily web diary of my travels.
Daily photos more or less.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html

JOBS with HoboTraveler.com
I need help! I am deluged with data, info, typing, graphics.
Expats living on five dollars, or person in developing nations.
Work from anywhere and help travelers.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/jo_hobojobswithhobotraveler.php

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~ HOBO STEW (A Dish of Meat and Vegetables) - Back to top

Hobo was here and goes there...

That is a list of jumps I have made
since the last newsletter.

Lome, Togo to Togoville, Togo
Togoville to Aneho, Togo
Aneho, Togo to Grand Popo, BENIN
Bounced off, not a nice place...
Grand Popo Benin to Ouidah, Benin
Ouidah, Benin to Cotonou, Benin

I am in Cotonou, Benin, biggest city
in the country of Benin.
Map of Benin
http://www.hobotraveler.com/ma_mapofbenin.shtml

I will go next to Porto Novo, Benin, the capital
the work my way north along the border of Nigeria,
then zig and zag my way north inside Benin to the
country of Niger.

ROUND FOUR
Collin my Nephew in the USA

Collin my nephew is in a contest with a small
film he made. He is doing great, and his father
wrote and said thank you. Help his father recoup
the huge money investment in Collin.
Camera, Computers, Program, University
I am sure many can relate to the cost..
He could win something like 25,000 Dollars
plus help him become a producer.

Nonetheless is he is talented, now if I could
convince him to film for me...

Please go an VOTE:
http://www.theproject.tv

HE WROTE:
Hey Uncle Andy,
My short film is in a contest on the website
http://www.theproject.tv
My movie is called

"The Driver's Seat."
- Charlie, a college student, decides to drop
out of school because he is tired of learning
useless information. He wants freedom and
absolute control of his life, however he learns that
he doesn't have absolute control. -

He is good kid, I have proposed that he come to
Niger with me and make a small documentary
about Malnutrition, so far I am just ignored.
So be the new world, fame has its price though.

WRITE COLLIN PLEASE!
IF you wish, I would appreciate readers to write
Collin and encourage him to come help in Niger
film my Malnutrition Project.
http://www.malnutritionsolutions.org

His Emails, the price of Fame is... need to FIX.
hollywoodblv @ comcast.net
Note: My name is Uncle Andy and not Hobo,
I am 95 percent sure he has never read a blog or
newsletter so safe to talk...
Movie is here:
http://www.theproject.tv

Your Welcome Mike Father of Collin
and good luck Collin.

Acceptance of West Africa

I am traveling along in what I call the Christian Corridor,
the small but essential strip of land along the ocean coast
of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and now into Benin.

As I turn and travel North towards Niger I believe I will
enters some Indigenous religions then a watered down
version of the Islamic African version.

Cote d'Ivoire felt rich, and full of food.
Ghana speaks English and loves an American..
Togo is a French Expats hangout, and under control.
Benin is independent and loves Benin.

I AM WORKING ON ACCEPTANCE OF AFRICA

QUOTE
- Moral principles have lost their distinctiveness.
For modern man, absolute right and absolute
wrong are a matter of what the majority is doing. -

Martin Luther King, Jr.
U.S. civil rights leader.
- Strength To Love

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Acceptance of people,
places and things.

When a person stops…
Arguing…
Making comments….
Discussing…
Lecturing…
Avoiding them…

The world avoids or ignores West Africa, probably
a good decision, at least until they put their
hands back in their pocket and decide to work.
- Andy -

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QUOTE
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your
country can do for you—ask what you can do for your
country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what
America will do for you, but what together we can
do for the freedom of man.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy
U.S. president.
Inaugural address (January 20, 1961)

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INDEPENDENT TRAVELER

I could be labeled as an independent traveler.
I never can understand the term, rather goes over
my head. However, I am independent, and traveling
alone, I rely on nobody but myself; I am 100
responsible for my safety and care, and MONEY.
(I am not living off NGO money gave as a donation.)

I am slowly learning to accept new problems in travel, I
have never encountered in nine years and about 75
countries of travel. Travel always presents differences
of life, a new culture and unique problems. Every
country is special, every person is one of kind, and
every culture is unique.

There are some common cultural characteristics
of the five West African cultures I have visited.

Niger
Cote d’Ivoire
Ghana
Togo
Benin

PROS
Many aspects are easy to accept and
very interesting.

1. Cooking with charcoal
2. Carrying water from the wells.
3. Good iron works, making tools.
4. Making couches and furniture.
5. They are Black.
6. The Black people here like White People.
7. They are tall, much taller than Asia,
South America, India, or Central America.
Mexico or other under-developed nations.
8. Hotels have screens on the windows to
stop mosquitoes, Europe, Asia, South and
Central America does not.
9. Hotel rooms are better, cleaner,
in West Africa than S-C America and Asia.
10. Like a Mexican the will laugh while
the try to screw me. They enjoy when I
catch them trying to screw me out of money.
Hmm… this guy is not the normal sucker.
11. I am seeing an abundance of topless women.
12. Parking at the hotels, if I had a car...

CONS
Difficult for me to accept, ME…

1. Why is the price of food double or five times
the price of USA or Europe? I am in the top
20 poorest countries on the planet, and the
food is the most expensive.

2. Why are rooms double or triple the cost of Asia,
South America and Central, and the same as
Hostels in Europe?

3. Why does 99 percent of the culture think I should
give them money, with nothing in return?
Where did they learn this?

4. Why are the men bullies, why do they try to
hurt women, or in any groups become too smart,
why do they believe they have the right to tell me
what to do?

5. They would give me their sister if I would help
them travel to America and live. (I told one, we
do own people, slavery has stopped.)

6. There are Motels in Africa, I need a car
to get to the Hotel. Hard to walk.

What I love and is a big pleasure about
West Africa is there are not many people.
The land is not developed, it is raped maybe,
but there are very few people outside the cities.
Wide open spaces, and most appears ready
to be farmed. The place is an oasis of un-explored
places for tourist or travelers to explore.
I think I need a tent…

I am vowing to accept West Africa the
way it is, I will not try to save, change, lecture,
or tell them, and I want to say,
- Do not ask for money, grow up,
have some pride. -

I will just say,
- Non -
That is no in French.
This reminds me of India; after you get
very good at getting rid of the beggars,
accept that the place is a pigsty, dirtier
than you can ever imagine, then the place is nice.

I was told before I entered India what to
expect, I read or was a little aware of the
idea of Africa,
- Give me MONEY. -

I can now say or understand it in French;
I have doubled my annoying understanding
of what they want.
- Donner l'argent -

I now assume almost anyone, without exception
will say, or put his or her hand out and say give
me that. I had this girl from Mali buy a cap for
a child, then look at me,
- Pay for it. -

Amazing, absolutely amazing, an unbridled
take from another person culture.

Kennedy was saying, you are responsible,
you give to the world, what can you do for your
country, and you do not TAKE.

Martin Luther King wanted a dream.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech
"I Have a Dream," in which he looked
toward an America of racial harmony
and justice.

I bought these dreams, wants, hook line and
sinker, I believe that equality, justice and
respect for all men and WOMEN is the right
thing to do. I feel more than capable of ignoring
the “what the majority is doing,” as was alluded
by Mr. King. I will treat all persons with respect,
which treat me with respect.

I think often of harsh comments I am more than
willing to make about countries. However, if
I am to criticize my own country, I must be just
and criticize other countries equally, not pulling
the punch, like somehow they are not capable
of being equal.

West Africa is a dreamland in many ways,
I can see thousands of untapped possibilities
for Africa, every kilometer of land I cross,
I see an Entrepreneurs dream come true…

I will go north; away from the Christian corridor,
I have been traveling along the coast. I will go
inland in search or real Africa, where few
White Man goes as a tourist. I have now
counted eight tourists in West Africa. The others
are working in the business of, NGO, Volunteers,
Peace Corps, and some that admit they are are business
here to make money as can easily be done.

I will spend Dollars, converted to CFA,
and contribute to the economy of
West Africa, what a great way to help.

Life is Good,
Le Vie cest belle

Today’s tip
Candle Stove

Life is Good!
Andy of HoboTraveler.com

Just another day in Paradise!
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE...
Be a Hobo, and leave your mark.
X
Hobotraveler.com was HERE!

Article written by Andy the Hobotraveler.com
On Year 9 of Hobo trip around the world.
Budget Travel, Jobs, and Adventure, etc
Subscribe to Free Newsletter at:
http://www.hobotraveler.com
You may publish this article for Free
on the internet If this box stays attached.

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~ HOBO ECONOMICS 101 - Back to top

FAQS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
http://www.hobotraveler.com/faqs
http://www.hobotraveler.com/helpcenter

JOBS with HoboTraveler.com
I need help! I am deluged with data, info, typing, graphics.
Work from home, and help travelers.
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~ TODAY’S TRAVEL TIPS - Back to top
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Candle Stove

I am afraid of restaurant foods.

Candle Stove
http://www.hobotraveler.com/2006/09/survival-africa-candle-cooking.html

I have never pushed to learn whether candles could
be used to cook food. However, West Africa is making
my creativity come alive as need is the mother
of invention.

I use two normal ways to cook.
1. The best is an electric hot plate.
2. Second best is an alcohol cooker.

Now, there are three, I am adding the four-plus
candle stove.

NEED
- Electricity is available 99 percent of Hotels rooms.
- Cheap sugar base rubbing alcohol, less than one
dollar is available in 60 countries, except the Islamic
flavors or French flavors; I think they do not want
people to drink.
- Candles are 100 percent available.

GEAR HEAD INFO
Small Camp Propane - 5 percent of planet
For the people who buy too much gear, this fancy,
propane, whatever, that is only usable in about
5 percent of locations on planet. The planes do
not like, the tanks are impossible to buy; a refillable
one could work if you had all the adapters to refill
from another propane tank. This is just the worst
option possible for a world traveler.

BUDGET TRAVEL
and
HEALTHY TRAVEL

A budget traveler or a person that wishes to eat
healthy, needs to cook food. A budget travelers,
does not have the option; they will not pay big
money to eat. They will not eat; I often go on the
diet in the expensive travel areas of the planet.
I now am trying to eat more vegetables, and am
cooking more as I see that restaurants and
convenience stores do not provide proper vegetables
and fruits.

Tourist or Traveler, there is no difference, restaurants
are not providing balance meal, difficult to purchase
and eating in them 100 percent of the time is
dangerous to your health for long periods of time.
It is easier to supplement your vegetable and fruit
diet by going to markets and grocery stores.

PHOTO OF MY CANDLE STOVE
http://www.hobotraveler.com/2006/09/survival-africa-candle-cooking.html

THE POT - COOKER - HOLDER
The candles are easy, you can have a roaring fire,
use one or twenty, you can make a hot fire. However,
holding a pan, pot, skillet over a bunch of candles in
not easy. I am going to leave how to hold a pot over
candles for a future tip. However, if this is a problem,
maybe best to be a tourist, not a traveler and pay
your way through. Please eat vegetables and fruits;
they are disappearing off menus in restaurants.
You need to say to yourself, where are the
vegetables and fruits.

I write this tip, knowing, feeling, sadly understanding
that most person will see it as being silly. I would
use this tip, even if I were a millionaire. I do not wish
to eat or live in a restaurant; I feel that a nice snack
at night is best prepared by me. I cannot pay enough
in 80 percent of the planet, the under-developed
nations to guarantee they are clean, prepare
healthy foods.

As an American, I am expected to live to be about
age 73-75 on average. To believe that a person
working in a Five Star Hotel, that lives in one of
the poorest countries on the planet, works for
less than 10 US Dollars per day, is the cook,
prepares my meal, and expect to die around
age 45-55, is ready. How can he or she know
how I live in America, and why I live to be 75?
How are they culturally aware and prepared
cook me a proper meal. To believe they know,
that is silly.

What happens in the kitchens of restaurants
around the world you do not want to know…?

Candle Stove
http://www.hobotraveler.com/2006/09/survival-africa-candle-cooking.html

Life is good.
Have fun! Life is Good!

As always, these are suggestions. Please realize I am
giving guidance, and there are always other opinions.
“One mans paradise, is another mans hell”
This way we do not all go to the same place.

Article written by Andy the Hobotraveler.com
On year 9 of Hobo trip around the world.
Budget Travel, Jobs, and Adventure, etc
Subscribe to Free Newsletter at:
http://www.hobotraveler.com
You may publish this article for Free
on the internet If this box stays attached.

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-- Thank you, Lord, for thinkin
about me. I m alive and doin fine
I’m alive and doing fine.‘
Song by: Five Man Electrical Band - Back to top
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JOBS with HoboTraveler.com
I need help! I am deluged with data, info, typing, graphics.
Expats living on five dollars, or person in developing nations.
Work from anywhere and help travelers.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/jo_hobojobswithhobotraveler.php

Issue: 201 -- Hobo in Lome Togo

Issue: 203 -- Hobo TRAVEL TIPS - Natitingou Benin Africa Travel Wash Cloth Replacement