there are other towns similar to Ganvie, but they are only partially lake villages and are only completely submerged for part of the year. we got to visit one of the churches there too. it was interesting to see how the architecture was adapted to the region. the building was built well off the ground with a large concrete foundation. on the sides were decorative openings that allowed air to pass through the building and there were also vertical slats on the sides that let in air. most of the houses though were build on wooden poles with thatch rooves. one thing that they did to give themselves more living space was either to build a large porch on the house or take a section of dirt dreged up from the bottom of the lake and build what was kind of like a big basket for it. so it would be a 5x5 section of dirt that would eventually grow grass and everything, but as it was not attached to the ground, it would rise with the house when the floods come. that is how they were able to care for small animals such as goats and little pigs.
ok so i am currently struggling to overcome one of my greatest fears and i think i am doing admirably. i don't respond well to spiders, but i have been doing very well lately. i can kill the little and even the medium sized ones although it may take me a minute to get my strength up to it. there is one kind of spider here with whom i am having particular difficulty. it is huge (about the size of a 50 cent piece) and really flat and lightning fast! they have spots on their legs and they just look horrible. i found one right by my headboard the other night and immediately went to get one of the little boys to kill it for me. after quite the contest of wills, we (or rather the little boy) came out victorious. then, a couple days later i found another one by my window and ella had to come kill it for me. that, combined with a colony of ants that lives behind one of my electrical outlets, has them all making fun of me. i am planning on getting some insecticide so i can take care of these things on my own next time. i'll get stronger eventually but right now it is one step at a time.