Tata Sombas and the Atacora

December 28 - 29

 

Day #1 – Started : Natitingou                                      Ended: Cobly                                     Distance Covered: 87 km

Day #2 – Started : Cobly                                                Ended: Natitingou                           Distance Covered: 89 km

 

Highlights

·         Tata Sombas

·         Huge savanna trees

·         Atacora mountain ranges

·         Unconditional hospitality

Click on any of the below images to enlarge them

 



These fields aflame were an obstacle

The Atacora Mountain Range
near Tanguieta

Countless yam mounds.  In 8 months
these will be ready to be picked

 

 

The first two days of the bike trip went off without a hitch.  We finished a short loop around the Atacora region, where we climbed through low mountain ranges, biked alongside fields filled with cotton, yams, and tobacco, and saw countless of the iconic Tata Somba settlements. 

 

Tata Sombas are fortified mud homes, structure much like miniature fortresses, unique to this area of the country.  Originally built during periods when various ethnicities fought to capture slaves for the slave trade, they consist of high walls, multiple levels, and turret-like columns.  When invaders attacked someone living in a Tata Somba, the resident would bar his entrance and climb to the rooftop, where he could shoot arrows on those below.

A Tata Somba.  Various grains are stored in rooms that are within the turret-
like structures to be eaten throughout the year.   The horns above the
door signify that members of this family are cattle herders.

Nowadays, Tata Sombas are still used for security, but more so against famine and thieves.  Cattle are often placed within the buildings overnight, to prevent them from being snatched when unwatched, and turrets serve as silos where various grains may be stored throughout the year.



This stretch of the trip was gorgeous – many parts of the route provided all-encompassing views from the top of mountain ridges, and the landscape consisted of huge trees sprawled out in savanna fashion (where none of the trees are close enough to touch each other).  It was also long and tiring, as it was our first stretch and involved a lot of uphill sections.

 

We were forced to stay overnight in Cobly as a halfway point, which wasn’t as planned, but turned out for the best due to the tremendous hospitality of the people there.  Normally we would have stayed at another volunteer’s house, but they were not in the area and I forgot to grab the spare key they had left us in Natitingou (whoops!).  Luckily we were able to find some friends of another Peace Corps volunteer that lives in the area, and they were kind enough to give us a place to sleep and feed us ‘til we were about to burst.