In southern Benin there is a town like no other. Monkeys hump kittens, the streets are paved with water, stilts are a form of currency, and kids run the show.
In the 17th century, while the Beninese kings were busy making a mint from the slave trade, a small group of people decided that slavery wasn't for them. Led by Kevin Costner, they took to the water in rusty sea-doos, creating a town, called in the ancient tongue, "Puuure Wataaa Werld". Things worked swimmingly, literally, as the king's slave hunters were land dwellers, forbidden from going on water because of religious principles.
The village grew from the ground, or water, up, based entirely on Big Bamboo (RIP) stilts. The streets, were therefore H-2-O, and the well, well, there wasn't a well. Indeed.
Now, for some reason unkown to anyone, only the children prospered. And what remains today is a town completely run by kids. While three-year-olds at home are about as useless as Kevin Costner in Waterworld, in Ganvié, 3 is the age when you take to the water to seek your fortune. Most modern fortunes seem to be found selling inch-long fish, or just asking for cadeaux from tourists. Everywhere in the town kids in boats go about their daily business, paddling small canoes, punting larger craft, and tending to their tasks. At night things don't slow down. There's just a lot more crashes.
Furthermore, during our stay, we encountered quite the enthusiastic couple; an odd couple of sorts. One small monkey, named Chumpie, and one small kitten, named Humpie. Hilarity of the indescribable sort ensued. Chumpie seemed to like to grab a hold of Humpie from behind. And, well, you know. Check the pictures. Cuteness and Cuteness (Hi mom).
The thing about stilts is that sometimes you walk on them and sometimes you live on them. Also, sometimes you're 3 and the captain of your own lake freighter.
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