Every so often the ship has to undergo some maintenance to ensure that it continues to function well so we can live on it so comfortably. We have a crew of ship personal who work in the bowels of the ship keeping it running. Whilst I am not completely sure of all that they do (and am sure I don't appreciate it half as much as I should) I know that it is because of their hard work that life here on ship runs so smoothly. However, due to many factors (such as the poor state of our generators which need replacing, the fact that we stay in port for 10 months of the year, and that we sail in the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Baltic sea where the ship was originally built to sail) occasionally the power has to be turned off to do some essential maintenance. Saturday was blackout day, the toilets stopped working at 6:45am and the power went out at 7am leaving only the emergency lighting to guide us round the ship (the hours aren't so unreasonable when you realise that breakfast is 6:30-7:30 during the week so people are used to being up early).
Most people (although not all - some love the peace and quiet on the ship during blackout days) try to get off ship on these days. I had been invited to Bab's Dock which is a favourite haunt of the Mercy Ships' crew on their days off. For me it was an opportunity to get off the ship and out of the city of Cotonou, seeing a bit more of Benin on the drive.
The drive to Bab's dock takes you off the tarmacked roads of the city, onto the paved roads of the suburbs and then to the dust roads of the countryside. We had the privilege(?!) of riding in one of Mercy Ships' older land rovers, the doors don't really quite shut, the plastic around the seatbelt holders has disappeared, occasionally the horn just decides to start beeping and the breaks squeak rather a lot. Although, we were very blessed to have a car to go out in, and realistically the doors hold shut even if they are maybe not as closed as we would normally like, the seatbelts do up, the horn did not go off (it's rather funny when it does anyway) and at least the breaks work and anyone in the way knows you are there! I was in the back of the car and was able to survey the countryside as we bumped along.
The road was wonderful, it is a coastal road and gives beautiful views of Benin's gorgeous, but lethal waters (rip tides are prevalent at all the beaches in Benin and pose a serious risk to anyone who ventures into the water). As we drove we passed a curious line of men holding a rope, similar to how you would if you were doing a tug-of-war, however, it wasn't until we had gone another half mile down the road that we saw the opposing line. It turns out that they were holding the ends of a rather long net that they were pulling in from the sea.
Dotted in view of the road were various buildings, some were made of blocks, similar in size to breeze blocks. The blocks were being made beside the road by mixing together cement and placing it into molds and then out in the sun to dry. Some had walls made of sheets of woven palm leaves, some were made of corrugated iron, and some of the more smart buildings had brick walls. These were then topped with roof tiles if it was a posh building, more corrugated iron, or woven palm leaves, or alternatively thatched. It was a sight to see such a mixture of tiny shacks and small homes alongside these smarter buildings where they used the brick and had windows and curved walls and fancy roofs. There were also many unfinished half built buildings which seemed to be relatively untouched despite their unfinished state. Every so often we would pass a play area, with all the normal items found there, various climbing frames and swings, but made of wood and old tires rather than the metal ones that are common to the UK.
Anyway we bumped along the road until we reached Bab's dock. Well not quite Bab's dock, but where you park to get the boat through the mangrove swamps and across the lagoon to the rather luxurious wooden dock that is Bab's dock. You are greeted by beautiful wooden canoes and wooden decking with plenty of space (and cushions and chairs) to lay and sit on in the shade of the palm trees. There's a volleyball net in the water (which is rather shallow the whole way across the lagoon), a bowls area and plenty of space to chill and relax. Admittedly the water is similar in colour to iodine, a kind of rusty orangey red due to the surrounding vegetation which can be a bit off putting at first it's great once you get in and have a swim (where it is deep enough to do so). It is a gorgeous place to rest and have a day out and has been a real favourite of the Mercy Ships crew whilst in Benin.
Dotted in view of the road were various buildings, some were made of blocks, similar in size to breeze blocks. The blocks were being made beside the road by mixing together cement and placing it into molds and then out in the sun to dry. Some had walls made of sheets of woven palm leaves, some were made of corrugated iron, and some of the more smart buildings had brick walls. These were then topped with roof tiles if it was a posh building, more corrugated iron, or woven palm leaves, or alternatively thatched. It was a sight to see such a mixture of tiny shacks and small homes alongside these smarter buildings where they used the brick and had windows and curved walls and fancy roofs. There were also many unfinished half built buildings which seemed to be relatively untouched despite their unfinished state. Every so often we would pass a play area, with all the normal items found there, various climbing frames and swings, but made of wood and old tires rather than the metal ones that are common to the UK.
Anyway we bumped along the road until we reached Bab's dock. Well not quite Bab's dock, but where you park to get the boat through the mangrove swamps and across the lagoon to the rather luxurious wooden dock that is Bab's dock. You are greeted by beautiful wooden canoes and wooden decking with plenty of space (and cushions and chairs) to lay and sit on in the shade of the palm trees. There's a volleyball net in the water (which is rather shallow the whole way across the lagoon), a bowls area and plenty of space to chill and relax. Admittedly the water is similar in colour to iodine, a kind of rusty orangey red due to the surrounding vegetation which can be a bit off putting at first it's great once you get in and have a swim (where it is deep enough to do so). It is a gorgeous place to rest and have a day out and has been a real favourite of the Mercy Ships crew whilst in Benin.
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