Train Ride

Funny thing about Peace Corps – you come to a far off country with all sorts of notions about working with the local population on development projects, only to find that the local population doesn’t always fit the demographics of what you expect.

Take for example the project Steve is working on with a couple of other volunteers related to the tourism industry in the commune of Grand Popo. Through our efforts to create a more hospitable investment environment there we have struck up a relationship with a local hotel owner Guy (pronounced G-ee), an amiable Frenchman who learned his English -- of all places --working the line at Pontiac in the mid 60s. After working in around the African hospitality industry over the past 30 years, Guy runs a group of hotels throughout Benin (as well as an ostrich farm) and has refurbished a small collection of colonial-era train cars to shuttle visitors around the country. During a recent visit to Grand Popo, he invited us to ride a piece of the railway system with him to get the experience, and it turned out to be a perfect way to see the side of the bush one misses from the highway.

Jaren took in the majestic views


A scene straight out of the Lion King
The Oueme River
A Fullani family

The train cars
View of a village en brousse

After a three hour tour (“a three hour tour”), we disembarked at Bohicon and grabbed a car home feeling all the richer for the opportunity.