Benin's capitol, Cotonou felt to me like an enormous churning machine, a vastly different experience from the tranquil and nearly vacant Porto Novo. Benin was a lesson in contrasts, as well as a lesson in possible alternatives to the life I've been living. Benin also introduced me to the surreal and sometimes irrefutable beliefs in voodoo, and was so engaging that I did not want to leave.

Kiva.org
These photos and others are available for reproduction in exchange for donations to loans that will assist entrepreneurs in the country in which the photos were shot. Loans will be managed through www.Kiva.org. Contact for details.
Benin - Green Seeds Benin - Ouidah Lock Benin - Porto Novo Thinking Boy Benin - Ouidah Banana Girl
Benin - Tribal Scarring Benin - Porto Novo Benin - Pirogue Silhouette Benin - Voodoo Shrine
Benin - Adjara Radio Benin - TV Repair Benin - Pirogue Benin - Crab and Kola Nuts Benin - Voodoo Bone Necklace Benin - Dancing Chief Benin - Bottlecap Anklets Benin - Sisters Benin - Shrunken Heads Benin - Baya Nests Benin - Voodoo Lizards Benin - Voodoo Skulls Benin - Voodoo Monkey Heads Benin - Spare Wheels Benin - Black Market Gas Benin - River Sunrise
AdamCohn's Benin photoset View a slideshow of all of AdamCohn's Sierra Leone photos
View AdamCohn's entire Benin photoset on Flickr www.flickr.com

Welcome to the Machine

3/4/08: Engaging with the churning machine that is Cotonou, Benin


Don’t Go Around Breaking Young Girls’ Hearts

3/4/08: Voodoo in Ouidah and Porto Novo. Dancing to Michael Jackson in Ganvie, Benin


Start From Scratch

3/4/08: The fascinating story behind the creation of Chez Theo Hotel in Possotome, Benin


That Sinking Feeling

3/5/08: Motorcycling around Lake Aheme, eating rodents of unusual size, and sinking a dugout boat in Possotome, Benin


Here Cowboy Bars and Dance Clubs Don’t Exist

3/5/08: Serenity on the beach in Grand Popo, Benin, plus an offer to change my life forever


The Power Of The Voodoo

3/17/08: Voodoo ceremonies in Ouidah, science and voodoo meet in Abomey, lots of dead animals, and a voodoo curse of my own


The Power Of The Voodoo

3/17/08: Voodoo ceremonies in Ouidah, science and voodoo meet in Abomey, lots of dead animals, and a voodoo curse of my own