Point of no Return

Where-ever we have travelled in West Africa we have found evidence of the slave trade and the scars that this continent still bears as a result of it. Benin has it's own scars and a large memorial stands in Ouida, at 'The Gateway of no return'. This was the point where the slaves were handed over to be shippped out, and for many it was a death sentence.

Once in Ouida the slaves were made to walk around a supposedly magical tree called the Tree of Forgetfulness. Men had to go round it nine times, women and children seven. This experience, they were told, would make them forget everything - their names, their family, and the life they had once had. As if this was not enough, the slaves were then locked into a dark room, built to resemble the hulk of a ship.
In the local language this room was called Zomai, meaning literally: "There, where the light is not allowed." Its foundations are still visible. Once on the ships most of the Beninoise slaves ended up in Brazil, and strangely enough did NOT forget about their homes, families and friends left behind.