Benin’s two biggest cities – the economic capital, Cotonou, and the official capital, Porto Novo – both sit on the banks of the large, shallow Lake Nokoué. Jen and I recenlty joined some friends for a guided boat ride that started on the eastern edge of the lake in Porto Novo and finished about 30 km later in Calavi on the western shore. The lake is shallow enough that people use long poles to push of the bottom for propulsion. The hut on the right side of the photo (built on stilts) is used by fisherman to escape the sun during the hottest part of the day.
