We have arrived in Lome. There is only 3 days left until our flight home. Today we spent recuperating from the long drive and spending time with the Brothers here in Lome. And when I say a long drive, it was. I think you'll find it interesting.
We woke up Sunday morning at 5:30. The night before we hadn't gotten much sleep because we spent time with several of our friends that night as closure and due to packing. Saturday we had gone to the LKL station to pick up a bus ticket, but as we found out you had to pick those up at least one day in advance or they booked up. It was booked up. I paid for our buddy to take a ZED (taxi-moto) to the Rakietta station and see if there was room there. All full. These two buses go directly from Lome to Kara and back each day, one time a day. If you don't take this, its a Mini Bus for you. Well, our buddy Abalo talked to the lady that Saturday and she agreed that if we were to come before 6 in the morning Sunday and there were two places open that we could have them. In fact 4 people hadn't confirmed their seats so we were hopeful. Well, when we arrived at 6 am sunday morning, there were indeed 3 places still open, but 2 people were going to be joining the bus from a nearby village. so that left one seat. It was to be a mini bus for us. We hopped across the street and paid 7,200 FCFA for the minibus and loaded all our bags on. Us and only about 12 other people. Wow, I thought, this is going to be a decent ride. Plus the ceiling was much higher than our last mini bus so this time i wouldnt have to crane my neck to fit in the bus. My knees bumped the seat in front of me but i could deal with that. When i say "seat" in front of me you have to imagine a completely gutted out van, the original seats put back in but all the interior still gutted, then makeshift benches added where ever there is possible space to add them. On top of the van is everyone's luggage. I think i have photos on my site of mini buses like this. So anyway, we all pile in. there are two peace corps chicks along for the ride too, so naturally, Abalo, Dido, Bro. Frederick and Franscica (all who had come to see us off) were cracking jokes about us sharing a bus with our 'cousins'. All in good humor :) So we took off and about 5km down the road we stop for gas. Soon two more people are loading their bags on top and climbing in. The bus doesnt take off. 4 more people do the same. about an hour later, we finally hit the road. People were mad and the chauffeur got an earful. Not 15 min down the road we stop and pick up some more. This continues until the people on the bus refuse to accept anyone else. We numbered 22 including the driver. Oh yea, we had heard before that a bridge or a few were out along Route National (the road from Lome to Kara) so we knew we were going to have to detour a little. Our "detouring a little" turned into a 12+ car ride. We arrived in Kara after 22:00. We had left around 8 am. Today on the news they were talking about the bridges. I guess there 11 bridges in Togo and 4 of them (all along Route National) were broken. All broke within the same week. I have been trying to discover the dates when they broke or a reason behind them breaking, but all anyone knows is that there was a lot of water and the bridges were built in 1973 and not verified since. To me it just seems strange that bridges would hold up that long only to break in the same week. Each bridge is subject to slightly varying levels of traffic, slightly different weather, different amounts of water underneath, different lengths, different tensions...and what of the other bridges? why only the ones along Route National? It seem however, that I am the only one with these questions. Regardless, this is a crisis because an ordinarily 4-5 hour trip to or from Kara or Lome now takes on the order of 10-13 hours. On this new route, we did get to pass these (from what I could pick up) man-made waterfalls. There was a dam not too far away and holes were made in the dam to create these waterfalls which powered turbines below and supplied electricity to surrounding areas. But gossip and the French/Kabiere talk on the bus made it difficult to decipher what was really going on....a sub theme of this trip :) [what's going on?]
Other notable experiences:
- On saturday we ate dog meat with the english professor and his friend. There is a lot of history behind dog meat. In animist beliefs if gives the person who eats it great Force. In the past, men only ate this for 3 years of their life. Ages 20-23. Only after Les Evalas (initiation for boys) would they begin to eat dog meat. They would eat it throughout the years they participated in Les Evalas. Now, it is common and "even women eat it". At one point I asked what part of the dog is this (because it was hairy) and M. Tokehaso smiled and said 'the skin'. A little chewy but not bad.
- went on a safari trip. Also with M. Tokehaso. No lions and no elephants sorry. But lots of zebra, water buffalo, what looked like gazelle, and other animals I didn't know the name of. Lots of birds too. Talk about off roading...the path we took was wild--the kind of terrain that MIGHT justify the Hummers that so many Americans buy (sorry if that includes you).
- Saw the plane crash of the previous president. Not just the site, but the plane is still there in the same state as when it crashed (minus the bodies). There was a big monument too and some documentary stuff but the guys we went with were wary to go and ask if we could all go see it for fear of arousing suspicion.
- Phone calls are about 25 cents a min here and everyone "beeps" you so you have to call them back. Thus we are burning through a lot of credit with phone calls. Darn Togo telecom and their monopoly on the telecommunication industry. Government run.
- Went to several tailors and had a couple pairs of pants made.
- Ted and I made a steak and potato-like stew in hopes of treating the brothers to american cuisine, but the steak was not lean at all and turned out impossibly chewy.
- Akpema is the initiation ceremony for girls. We went with the dean and assistant dean of the school of Technology and Sciences of University of Kara. It is very cultural and very traditional and very public, and it's best left un-described.
- A new Bishop was ordinated, which we got to see. The president was there and pretty much all of Kara.
- In the market a guy tried to sell me shoes for 14,000 FCFA when a normal price is from 3,000 to 5,000 FCFA.
- WE COMPLETED OUR STOVE. The completion of the stove project was a success but the stove wasn't 100% a success. It boiled water and cooked peanuts, but was not nearly as efficient as intended to be. I will include a detailed section on the stove soon.
- My friend Dido started teaching me Kabiere (the local language). I can now read it, but I have no idea what I'm reading. I know probably about 20 words and their plurals. Im going to learn the numbers next. Here's my favorite phrase: "Sukuli labo huluu eya esa chamiere" it translates to: children who go to school, their eyes are opened to the world. Dido is amazing and wants to be an electrical engineer. All the more shame that there is not an engineering program here in Togo :/ With continued ETHOS participation however; there will be.
- I no longer wear sunscreen or bug spray and I am drinking the water regularly. I would say I am accustomed to Togolese life.
To answer some questions people have asked:
"how is he adjusting to the new lifestyle"
I would say im fully acclimated. The past three days i have been drinking water from the tap and not been getting sick :) I havent gotten sick once this trip (besides diaherea).
and "what's been his best experience"
as you can imagine there isnt one but a question demands an answer so I would say walking out to the edge of town, me ted and our two friends. The sun was setting and the sky was lit up and all colorful. people were on the streets and it was just really peaceful. I was Africa at its fullest. dont ask me why, but it was. When other people ask me this i prob wont try to explain it, i'll prob say something like oh, the safari trip or seeing girls dance around naked or all the friends i made.
and "does he miss his family alot"
of course i miss them, but ive traveled a lot so homesickness doesnt have such a conscious effect on me.
and "how does he sleep at night" -
under a mosquito net with a pillow that is rock hard. but otherwise comfortably.