Officially declared a religion in Benin in 1996, Voodoo and the Voodoo festival attracts thousands of devotees and tourists for a day filled with ritual dances and gin drinking. [Photo/Agencies]

The dancing and the tourists gives a folklore feel to the festival, a weeklong event marked by the beach procession on Jan 10 every year.

But despite the crowds, the noise and the scorching sun, Hardison said she feels a "spiritual sadness" in Ouidah.

Looking at the Gate of No Return, where hundreds of visitors are crowded together trying to find some shade, she says: "I wish it could have been different for all the people who passed through here."

"I feel them with me."