Queasy from yesterday's culinary adventures, so kept it safe with a patisserie breakfast — the French influence means there are quality offerings.

Visited the national monument to the Agojie — all-female warriors of the Kingdom of Dahomey — the inspiration behind Marvel's Black Panther. Finished at a beach resort which refreshingly had just one entrance price — no solicitation of informal fees.

🇨🇳 Chinese investments/influence are rather evident in Cotonou (roads, ports, consumer goods etc.) China's "value-free" approach to African investment is well documented: capital and construction without political/civic conditions attached.

It's an attractive proposition for governments and introduces competition to access Africa's growing mkts (demographics, rising middle class etc). As in Laos — which I've written about extensively — there is, of course, the question of dependency. Either way, China has significant soft power here.

🇬🇧/🇭🇰 As a little experiment, I've been leaning on being an "ethnically ambiguous" Eurasian to switch between introducing myself as Chinese or European. The Chinese seem very well respected here, especially for the money they bring.

🇬🇧 It always fascinated me that in former British colonies, roads & landmarks are often named after officials who generally hailed from the more peripheral regions of the UK (Scotland, Wales, etc.).

💸 The Chinese I've met here also tend to be from the peripheral regions of China (think West + rural). As with the Brits, I put it down to folks with less wealth having more of an incentive to leave in search of fortune.