There are lots of noises on the streets of Benin. Let’s go into town and listen to some of them.

Thack thack thack. With the flat of his knife blade, the shoe-repair guy hits the bottom of the wooden box he carries around. If your flip-flop is broken or the sole is separating from your sneaker, he will sew it up.

“Tsssss tsssss tssssss tsssssss,” goes the man selling small, colorful beads in long strings that girls and women like to wear around their waists.

Ching ching ching ching go the scissors of the guy who does manicures and pedicures. He shakes his collection of scissors and snips to make them jangle and advertise his work.

“Labouillie-chaud-chaud! Labouillie-chaud-chaud!” calls the lady selling cereal as she walks around the neighborhood. Customers can bring their own bowls or use hers. “Do you want sugar or not?” she asks them.

Bip-bop-bip-bop-bip-bop goes the little horn on the cart of the guy who sells ice cream and frozen juice. “What do you want?” he asks. “Ice cream? Frozen orange juice? Frozen yogurt? How about a bottle of chilled juice?”

“Quaqua, quaqua. Quaqua cadeau, cadeau, cadeau,” calls the man selling items of clothing for 50 francs apiece. Sometimes he calls out another price. You can choose what you want out of his piles.

“Piliba, piliba, piliba, piliba!” calls out a child who is walking around and selling batteries.

“Madame! Madame! Madame!” shout various sellers of pants, bras and fabric.

“Come and look!” call the sellers of dry goods, fresh vegetables, soap, skin cream and flip-flops in a rainbow of colors.

Vroom, vroom! go the multitudes of motorcycles.

“Seye ear?” asks the motorcycle taxi driver as someone settles themselves on the back of his motorcycle.

Now imagine all these sounds coming at you at the same time.

NOTE: Listen to Suzi at the market as she describes the sounds you hear.

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