Hi there! If you’re reading this, you should know that we took a work trip abroad.
YES! “Abroad” We took a weekend-long trip to the French city of Cotonou in the Benin Republic.
At Raven, team bonding and community are vital to our operations. This explains why we constantly find new ways to build our community.
When management announced the end of the year trip, everyone screamed in excitement, not just because a vacation couldn’t have come at a better time, but because they also got to bring along their loved ones, partners, and kids.
A free trip abroad with your family? Sign us up!
In the last week before the trip, we spent our time daydreaming about our long-awaited vacation and counting the days until it was time to go. By Wednesday, a large majority of the team was packed and ready to go.
The goal was simple, a mix of work and vacation while getting to know everyone else even better basking in the peace and tranquillity of the Benin Republic.
And yes! We knew work would be involved, but we were ready to have fun, and we sure did.
Thursday, December 1st
D-day finally arrived, and we all headed to the start location in Ikeja.
As we met up, everyone said their hellos welcoming our guests (the partners and kids). Arms wide open giving warm hugs, and laughter flowed seamlessly as we joked and shared our individual expectations for the trip.
For some of us, we couldn’t wait to soak our feet in the warm waters at the beach, others couldn’t wait to practise their french (most of which were Nigerian spiced), and the rest of the group cleaned their cameras to begin taking pictures and making digital memories of the trip.
Our trip was scheduled to begin at 6 AM; however, in the spirit of honesty, we didn’t leave until 11 AM, because “Nigeria”. Still, everything worked out.
Fast forward to getting to the border, we presented our passports and waited for approval. The process took about 30 minutes, after which the “A Bienvenue Au Benin” sign welcomed us to the home of the Beninese people.
Sights
Our trip into the city started from the rural areas. The distinct red clay, thatch buildings and bike men wearing helmets marked a change from Nigeria.
As we drove past the small shacks at almost every bus stop, apple-shaped fuel bottles graced the tables, and we were acknowledged by the Beninese people dressed predominantly in Ankara, who stared at our buses as we drove by, some of them taking time to wave welcome to us.
The closer we got to the capital city of Port Novo, the more the landscape and architecture began to change. Thatch houses were replaced by square buildings, some of which were unpainted but a majority of which were fully tiled, reminding us why the Beninese people earned their title as the best tilers in West Africa.
Crossing into the city of Cotonou, we passed the popular Tollgate, which many of us jokingly nicknamed “Lekki Toll Gate part 2.” At this point, its huge roundabouts, tarred roads and never-ending movement of bikes were a standard sight.
Soon, we drove past Africa’s longest graffiti mural and at the end of the long stretch of wall, we got our first glimpse at the Benin 30m high “Amazon” statue honouring the Dahomey warriors.
We moved on to the inviting stretch of beach leading to the city of Ouidah, where our resort, “La Casa Del Papa,” lay waiting for us.
But not before we grabbed lunch, enjoying some delicious Eba, Amala paired with Egusi and Efo at the beachfront.
La Casa Del Papa Ouidah
Located in the city of Ouidah, La Casa Del Papa was our home for the first night.
We started the night getting assigned our rooms, two staff members paired in a room while the couples and management staff got a single room to themselves.
The beachfront buildings were built to resort standard, with a balcony and chairs that invited you to sit and watch the sunrise. Each room had a rustic feel, as its wooden furniture and open floor bathrooms replicated a home away from home experience.
The next morning, we were woken by the sounds of fishermen singing as they pulled their nets from the ocean, the sounds of the ocean, music to our ears.
Our holiday began in full with an early morning team bonding game of volleyball, football and water sports; kayaking, swimming and water relays. After spending most of the morning enjoying the cool ocean breeze, we soon gathered for our breakfast buffet consisting of steamed banana, yam, tomato sauce and dry bread.
We had breakfast, packed our bags and headed to the Temple Des Python (Python Temple) Ouidah.
Considered sacred animals in the Benin Republic, legend has it that the King of Ouidah ran into the forest during an inter-tribal war and was protected by pythons. On his return, he is believed to have built three sacred huts in honour of the pythons which make up the current temple.
Within the temple were snakes of different sizes between 2–6ft. After a brief tour, it was time to pose with the snakes, and the adventurous team members did, while the rest of the team found other things to distract themselves with, i.e. buying water 😂
We made a quick stop at The Musée de la Fondation Zinsou. The museum presented a rich collection of African art represented through various mediums, including photography, sculpture, installation, video, painting, drawing, lithography, etc., but also by the diversity and quality of the collection.
The highlight of the museum being the “room of the dead,” we walked through the dark room filled with mirrors which absorbs every form of light and legend claims it to be a means of communication between the living and the dead.
Cotonou
After a brief tour of Ouidah, it was time to move to Cotonou, where the rest of our trip was scheduled. Our home for the last two nights in Cotonou was the Paradisia Hotel, a four-star hotel located in the heart of Benin Republic’s commercial district.
At the hotel, we spent time bonding over various activities; swimming, playing games and relaxing.
The next day in Benin Republic, we started our day off with a little work before grabbing breakfast and retiring to our rooms to prepare for a fun-filled day of exploring.
We grabbed our lunch of delicious Nigerian jollof rice, fried rice and Ofada rice paired with well-fried plantain, chicken and turkey at the beachfront. After lunch, we spent most of the day exploring the beach, playing in the water and joining the fishermen as they worked on casting their nets.
It was time to start getting souvenirs. We shopped for woven bags, baskets, kites and Benin snacks at the beach before returning to the bus for our trip to the Supermarché Erevan, Cotonou’s biggest mall.
Exchanging 1000 Naira for 800 franc CFA BCEAO, we were ready to begin our final shopping of the trip properly. Outside the Supermarché Erevan were mini stalls that sold beautiful Benin attires, necklaces, artworks and carvings.
Inside the supermarket was a world on its own, containing different items; food, drinks, home appliances, interior decorations, clothes etc. We had fun shopping for gift items to take back to Lagos.
At the end of the day, it was time for the bonfire night, our last team bonding activity, before we returned home.
Sitting around two well-lit campfires, we reminisced on our trip experience as we geared up for a fun-filled night. With the warm heat from the fires engulfing us, the cool beach sand on our feet, tasty drinks passed around in cups, and the ocean breeze embracing us, our final night was one for the books.
Not to mention team members taking home cash prizes for participating in a series of games while the rest of us filled our tummies with well-fried yam, plantain and fish.
At the end of the night, we returned to the hotel with memories of the night we had.
Returning back to Lagos the next day, we set out at 12 PM, making a brief stop at the 30m Warrior King statue with its slogan “Symbole de notre amour et de notre engagement pour le pays, nos amazones ont su, par leur bravoure, autant que les hommes, défendre la patrie. Telles nos amazones, la femme béninoise est notre fierté. -Patrice Talon, 2022.”
“A symbol of our love and our commitment to the country, our Amazons have known, through their bravery, as much as men, to defend the fatherland. Like our Amazons, the Beninese woman is our pride.”
Soon we were on our way, returning the way we came and reminiscing on the amazing time we had.
Getting back to work, our conversations revolved around the trip, what stood out for us, the exciting time we had and how much we wanted to do it again.
At the end of the day, one thing’s for certain, we are building a community and encouraging team bonding amongst our growing team of Ravenites whilst having an amazing time.
