Ch-ch-ch-ch changes! (Turn and face the strain)

We will soon be leaving Benin. As I talked about in my last post, so many wonderful people have gone home. My room has only one person in it who was here when I arrived. The living room part of it has even been reorganized:

Before . . . and

After! Better use of space? Only time will tell.

Another thing is that we are packing up all the stuff we had out on the dock:

There used to be fences lining the whole side of the ship, as well as a security building. Now it looks so empty!

Speaking of empty, this area used to be lined with cars. Like so:

And where are those cars now? Well, some of them have been driven to Togo, and the rest are on Deck 8, of course!

I have mixed feelings about leaving Benin. It's has areas of beauty:

On the way to Bab's Dock

And places that make me sick.

Trash in the water of the harbor

It is filled with wonderful people:

Kid from the beach at Grand Popo

And I have made wonderful friends here:

I know that though I look forward to the adventures of the sail, Tenerife, and Togo, I will always have a special place in my heart for Benin: a country that though small, sees itself as larger than life: