A morning hike to visit a clifftop Taneka community with unusual round-roofed dwellings. The highest part of the village was inhabited by the chief fetish priests who dress in goatskins, and their young initiates who were naked except for a band fo goatskin around their neck holding amulets. There was quite a bit of nudity [...]
“Travel Tips & Advice on Ghana, Togo and Benin”
The Taneka People and Natitingou, West Africa
December 26th, 2006 
Sheila Simkin 
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin 
Tags: adventure, africa, culture, destination, event, log, naked people, natitingou, Natitingou people, nature, place, sightseeing, Somba region, taneka, travel, tribes, West Africa 
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Abomey, Benin and More Voodoo in West Africa
December 24th, 2006 Sheila Simkin Abomey is one of Benin’s big attractions with painted voodoo fetish temples and remains of former royal palaces. The Dan-Homey empire built magnificcent palaces in Abomey. One is now a museum displaying ritual objects of the court including treasures given by European royalty and merchants. The palace also contained the kings’ grand tombs. There were [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: abomey, adventure, africa, benin, culture, Dan-Homey empire, destination, event, Hotel Tata Somba, log, nature, palaces, place, sightseeing, somba, taneka, travel, tribes, voodo, West Africa No Comments »
Gelede Fon Mask Festival in West Africa
December 23rd, 2006 Sheila Simkin The Gelede masquerade tradition developed in the Ketu region of Yorubaland (present-day western Nigeria). This large-scale festival celebrates the spiritual powers of elderly women, who protect the community’s well-being. The masks are specifically made for the celebration (used masks are patched) with elaborate, superstructures, and consist of both human and animal faces. The Gelede dancers [...]
Posted in Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: adventure, africa, benin, culture, destination, event, Gelede Festival, landmark, log, nature, sightseeing, travel, west 2 Comments »
Benin – Ceremonies and Festivals in West Africa
December 22nd, 2006 Sheila Simkin We entered Benin and visited Ganvie, Africa’s largest village on stilts. Ganvie is spread across Lac Nokoue with the wood and thatch houses built above the water. When the Dan-Homey kings armies were capturing people in the countryside to sell in the Portuguese slave trade, the people of Ganvie were saved from slavery by the [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: adventure, africa, benin, culture, destination, event, Ganvie Village, Lac Nokoue, log, nature, place, sightseeing, travel, tribes, West Africa No Comments »
A Voodoo Ceremony in Togo, West Africa
December 21st, 2006 Sheila Simkin Later, we were invited (and you must be invited) to attend a real voodoo ceremony in a local village with dancing and drumming. The village was very serious about this and it was not just a money-making gimmack for the village. The word “voodoo” is traceable to an African word meaning “spirit” and practictioners were [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: adventure, africa, benin, culture, destination, event, Ganvie Village, Lac Nokoue, log, lome, nature, place, sightseeing, togo, travel, tribes, West Africa 1 Comment »
Togo, Voodoo and A Traditional Healer – West Africa
December 20th, 2006 Sheila Simkin Throughout this trip at various border checks, a “money trader” would come on our vehicles carrying bags of money. He would then convert whatever we needed at black market rates. If there were too many military police standing around that hadn’t already received their daily graft, Godfried or Roberto would take our $$ and disappear [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: adventure, africa, benin, culture, destination, event, fetish market, great market, log, lome, nature, place, sightseeing, togo, travel, tribes, voodoo, West Africa, witch doctor 1 Comment »
Ghana’s Very Unusual Casket Industry Along The Road From Accra to Sogakope
December 19th, 2006 Sheila Simkin There were only four other persons in our Mountain Travel group beside us. Two others had cancelled for health reasons. (That’s why you need travel insurance.) The trip was officially begun with a morning tour of Accra. The most unusual point of interest was the district of the carpenters in an eastern suburb. They have [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: accra, adventure, africa, culture, destination, event, ghana, log, nature, place, sightseeing, sogakope, toro, travel, tribes, unusual caskets, West Africa No Comments »
Time Spent in Lome, Togo – West Africa
December 18th, 2006 Sheila Simkin An easy border crossing into Togo, arriving at the Hotel Mercure Sarakawa our destination for two nights. Lome is known for its excellent shopping – far more interesting than seeing its few sights. A big plus on any trip is a chance to meet and visit with people who actually live in the country and [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: accra, adventure, africa, culture, destination, event, Hotel Mercure Sarakawa, log, lome, nature, place, sightseeing, togo, travel, tribes, West Africa No Comments »
Accra to Akossombo, Ghana, West Africa
December 17th, 2006 Sheila Simkin As usual, a half-dead arrival in Accra, Ghana after marathon hours in the air. Godfried, assistant to Roberto on the main tour, met us at the airport and transfered us to the Novotel. Godfried was also going to be our guide on this extension. Accra, Ghana’s capital (population over two million), was founded around 1500 [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: accra, adventure, africa, culture, destination, event, Ga Tribe, ghana, Lake Volta, log, nature, Novotel, place, sightseeing, travel, tribes, West Africa, Wi Falls 1 Comment »
Planning Ghana, Togo and Benin – West Africa
December 16th, 2006 Sheila Simkin Air? This involved flying to and from Accra, Ghana. We flew Chicago to Frankfurt on United, and used miles for the Frankfurt-Accra portion on Lufthansa. Lufthansa has a superb web of routes all over the world and we’ve found it to be more cost-effective (especially in the Winter) to buy a ticket to Europe and [...]
Posted in Africa, Ghana, Togo and Benin Tags: adventure, africa, benin, culture, destination, event, ghana, log, nature, place, sightseeing, togo, travel, tribes, West Africa No Comments »
