Magun's Compass
Learn from the Travel Experiences of Others


When the Portuguese slave traders arrived....

in the sixteenth century,
the ruling Dan-Homey King
combed the countryside for men
to be traded off in exchange
for the goods that the Europeans
brought with them; especially guns.

Initially, the weaker communities seeking refuge from the king's army were safe on the lake, as the Abomey religion prohibited warriors from attacking over water.

Then, at the end of the Seventeenth Century, other feuds occurred, and there was a migration from over-farmed Tado to the swampy forest around Lake Nokoue.

Lake Ganvie, by Michel Guntern

The Tofinu people work their lake efficiently, planting branches in the shallow waters to produce artificial thickets that trap the fish for extraction or breeding.

Waiting for Mother.

Women, accompanied by their young daughters, also preserve the daily commerce of the riverside markets.

As Benin opens up, even the police are friendly, and everyone has time for a smile.

Closed doors seem a thing of the past, but unfortunately, "cadeaux" has become a word of the present.

Africa Index

Nomadic Gatherings - Travels in Asia and Australia

Travel on trains and buses in Asia, then jump into cars with complete strangers in Australia and New Zealand as Michel introduces you to a collection of characters that bring Nomadic Gatherings to life.

If you can't afford to buy a copy of Nomadic Gatherings, the chapters are slowly being made available online - for free.

You may even decide that it really is worth having a hard copy in your hands; a useful read for those long bus journeys being written about, and for endless waits at ferry ports.

Nomadic Gatherings - Online Chapters.

Find out more about Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, The Middle East, and The Americas.
Magun's Compass

Originally Hosted on Geocities - in 1996

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