Togo
The road to the border had long stretches which were full of potholes and it took a few hours to get to the border. We got a 7 day visa at the border for 10000CFA with the option to extend it in Lomé without any extra charge. The surrounding country was very rocky and full of villages which made it hard to find a place to camp, but eventually we found something. We just had finished dinner when a man on a bicycle approached us from the main road. The maize field behind us belonged to him and he only wanted to have a look if everything was alright and left his phone number should we need help which was very nice of him. Early next morning he appeared again just as we were getting up and stared to work in the field, after 20mins or so he came over and asked if we wanted some of his manioc and a sweat potato. We said no but asked him to show us the plant which he did very eagerly and explained how to harvest it etc. We gave him a jar or Hibiscus jam that we have bought in Mali and thanked him and offered to buy the sweat potato; he refused the money and gave it to us a present.
Our plan to see Tamberma country was curtailed due to the Harmattan that was blowing dust down from the Sahara and reduced the visibility to less than half a mile. The Harmattan can sometimes last for weeks or even months in the winter time but we were lucky that it accompanied us only for a few days
Our plan to see Tamberma country was curtailed due to the Harmattan that was blowing dust down from the Sahara and reduced the visibility to less than half a mile. The Harmattan can sometimes last for weeks or even months in the winter time but we were lucky that it accompanied us only for a few days
All along the road there were fires burning or already burned forests and fields with blackened earth and burned tree trunks. We expected lush green jungle and were slightly disappointed by this harsh look of the land. Driving all day we eventually reached Atakpamé and found the hotel Le Sahélien already booked out but where directed to their second hotel Le Sahélien Amou a bit out of town on the way to Badou. For a reasonable price they offered us a very clean a/c room with a very good mattress, probably the best choice in town especially if you are with your own vehicle at it has courtyard with parking space. We seemed to be the only guests so we opted to eat in town due to the fact that the menu was reduced to only two choices but found that in town the places to eat offered almost the same: rice with two kinds of fish-sauce.
Badou & Waterfalls
Next morning we started our journey on a narrow, steep and winding road up through the hills to Akloa to the south of Badou to see the waterfalls. Along the roadside the jungle with banana, papaya & mango trees and here and there a redwood, probably teak. In Akloa is a very small village, we had to pay for the entrance to the waterfalls. With 2 guides and after a strenuous climb of 30min we reached the falls and plunged in the icy cold but clean water. On the way we saw as many as 35 different kinds of butterflies. We were the only visitors that day and the guides showed us on the way coffee and cocoa plants and even climbed in one of the trees to get one cocoa pods for us for to take home
Before we headed back we stopped in Badou for a roadside meal of beans, ground tapioca and a hot chili paste, nice and tasty for a 100CFA. We had to take the same way back to Atakpamé this is a 3 hour ride on a potholed winding road, workers along the way tried to fill in the holes with earth and stones and erected some kind of barricades to get us pay a toll, which could be anything, water, food or money.
Just when Ben said he could do with a bit of pineapple and that he wondered why we hadn’t seen any so far, an old man jumped out of the long grass by the road clasping a huge pineapple. We immediately slammed on the brakes and bought it for a mere 250CFA, he laughed as Ben paid him and we both had a chuckle at the whole thing. The man was happy as he probably didn’t expect to sell his crop that fast and we had a very big deliciously juicy pineapple. We stopped further along the route in 1 of the villages to buy some kebabs from a street stall and then I have made up some pasta and we had all of this for dinner a bit off road. We were watched the whole time by a group of boys from a nearby village and slowly the group got bigger, after a while we decided to back up and drive a bit further, it was now dusk and trying to find a turning off the main road to camp was difficult and driving was a nightmare due to motorbikes and cyclists without lights and lorries travelling at high speed perilously close to us. We finally turned off the main road and camped a few 100 yards behind a school in a dip, it was now hot and humid and difficult to sleep. The horizon was lit by bushfires burning not far from our camp. We could hear it crackling and hoped the fire wouldn’t reach us whilst we were asleep.
Before we headed back we stopped in Badou for a roadside meal of beans, ground tapioca and a hot chili paste, nice and tasty for a 100CFA. We had to take the same way back to Atakpamé this is a 3 hour ride on a potholed winding road, workers along the way tried to fill in the holes with earth and stones and erected some kind of barricades to get us pay a toll, which could be anything, water, food or money.
Just when Ben said he could do with a bit of pineapple and that he wondered why we hadn’t seen any so far, an old man jumped out of the long grass by the road clasping a huge pineapple. We immediately slammed on the brakes and bought it for a mere 250CFA, he laughed as Ben paid him and we both had a chuckle at the whole thing. The man was happy as he probably didn’t expect to sell his crop that fast and we had a very big deliciously juicy pineapple. We stopped further along the route in 1 of the villages to buy some kebabs from a street stall and then I have made up some pasta and we had all of this for dinner a bit off road. We were watched the whole time by a group of boys from a nearby village and slowly the group got bigger, after a while we decided to back up and drive a bit further, it was now dusk and trying to find a turning off the main road to camp was difficult and driving was a nightmare due to motorbikes and cyclists without lights and lorries travelling at high speed perilously close to us. We finally turned off the main road and camped a few 100 yards behind a school in a dip, it was now hot and humid and difficult to sleep. The horizon was lit by bushfires burning not far from our camp. We could hear it crackling and hoped the fire wouldn’t reach us whilst we were asleep.
Lomé
A very misty morning, tent and everything soaking wet, the sun hidden in clouds we got up at 6 and gave a truck driver a ride to Lomé. The GPS was of no use as Togo is not entirely covered by tracks4africa and so we cruised around to find the Ghanaian Embassy using the map in the guide book. At the embassy they wondered why we hadn’t applied for the visa in Burkina Faso and didn’t believe that we couldn’t because it had been weekend when we were in Ouagadougou. So the lady asked us to come back the next day to speak to the consul. She could not guarantee the visa would be issued before Christmas and so we decided to drive straight to the Benin Embassy to apply for a visa there (single entry 15000CFA for 1 month, 2 photos) just in case.
After we had a look at Le Galion, a budget place (8000CFA) not far from the towns beach in an old colonial building with a nice bar and good restaurant but unfortunately a bit rundown rooms we went to the Coco Beach hotel (32000CFA) out of town with a clean private beach and a really good restaurant with mainly French cuisine. After camping and budget accommodation and with Christmas approaching we thought we should treat ourselves to something special and we were not disappointed. The staff were friendly and the food delicious, although swimming in the ocean with the strong undertows could be dangerous.
After we had spent 2 days Visa hunting we finally have had 3 Visas in our hands: Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. While the staff at the Benin Consulate was very friendly and even issued the visa faster and also the Nigerian Embassy was straight forward, to deal with the Ghanaian Embassy was in total a nightmare. It took 2 days and a bit of extra cash although they didn’t ask for directly and the fast track service that we got in the end was handled very discretely.
After that we had time to have a look to the markets at the Rue de La Liberation and around the Village des Artisans and the Grand Marché to shop for gifts and some of the popular wax print garments what you can see all over Africa with bright colors and fancy patterns. Most people get the dresses tailored, the women blouse and skirt in every style that you can imagine, and for the men a kind of pyjama style suit. The Rue de la Liberation and the side streets are probably the best option to shop for them and if you have no time to stay and wait for the tailoring (2-4 days) there is a small choice of pret-a-porter cloths made of the special wax prints. At the Village des Artisans you can watch them making wood sculptures and batics or even paintings.
After we had a look at Le Galion, a budget place (8000CFA) not far from the towns beach in an old colonial building with a nice bar and good restaurant but unfortunately a bit rundown rooms we went to the Coco Beach hotel (32000CFA) out of town with a clean private beach and a really good restaurant with mainly French cuisine. After camping and budget accommodation and with Christmas approaching we thought we should treat ourselves to something special and we were not disappointed. The staff were friendly and the food delicious, although swimming in the ocean with the strong undertows could be dangerous.
After we had spent 2 days Visa hunting we finally have had 3 Visas in our hands: Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. While the staff at the Benin Consulate was very friendly and even issued the visa faster and also the Nigerian Embassy was straight forward, to deal with the Ghanaian Embassy was in total a nightmare. It took 2 days and a bit of extra cash although they didn’t ask for directly and the fast track service that we got in the end was handled very discretely.
After that we had time to have a look to the markets at the Rue de La Liberation and around the Village des Artisans and the Grand Marché to shop for gifts and some of the popular wax print garments what you can see all over Africa with bright colors and fancy patterns. Most people get the dresses tailored, the women blouse and skirt in every style that you can imagine, and for the men a kind of pyjama style suit. The Rue de la Liberation and the side streets are probably the best option to shop for them and if you have no time to stay and wait for the tailoring (2-4 days) there is a small choice of pret-a-porter cloths made of the special wax prints. At the Village des Artisans you can watch them making wood sculptures and batics or even paintings.
 Old house on the sea front in Lome |
 Wibke goes 'African' |
Kpalimé
After this Christmas shopping we headed towards Kpalimé and then to the mountainside towards the small village Kouma-Konda. Prosper, a French lepidopterist, (means butterfly specialist and collector), was out with a group of tourists but some of his guides showed us a nice campsite on top of one of the mountain (Mount Klauto). We just set up our camp and got ready for dinner when Prosper appeared all of a sudden on the hilltop obviously on his way back from the tour and we had a nice chat and he invited us to come down the evening to attend a percussion performance in the village and we made an appointment for a hiking tour in the jungle next morning. We were happy to stay at the mountain side for the climate in the valley was nearly unbearable.
In the evening we made our way down the hill to attend the dance and percussion. A group of 10 people were drumming and dancing, sometimes acting like in a play and then there was a fire eater spitting fire who was obviously drunk or stoned. One of the Dutch tourists nearly got burned legs and Prosper got very angry, the rest of the performance luckily went smoothly.
In the evening we made our way down the hill to attend the dance and percussion. A group of 10 people were drumming and dancing, sometimes acting like in a play and then there was a fire eater spitting fire who was obviously drunk or stoned. One of the Dutch tourists nearly got burned legs and Prosper got very angry, the rest of the performance luckily went smoothly.
25th December Kouma-Konda and Crossing border to Ghana
Our trip the next morning through the forest was pleasant and not too strenuous. We stopped at house in the jungle and had some millet offered and tried the taste of unfermented and fermented millet and were shown how the coffee beans were dried and processed. Our guide had a big butterfly net and caught few on the way to show to us before letting them go. We felt that we had seen more butterflies at the Akloa Falls and wondered if this might be caused by the fact that the guides are catching them and pin some of them for sell, so we decided not to buy any of these framed butterflies. Back at Prospers Auberge, a very simple accommodation without running water and attached restaurant with reasonable food, we were shown the exhibition hall with the paintings of Prosper and his youngest son Tepe. Amazing paintings made with paint from plants, Prospers paintings were more in pastel colors and abstract, sometimes motifs with butterflies and some looking like out of a fairy tale. His sons’ paintings were also very unique in style with motifs out of the village and markets. We could negotiate a good price for some paintings as Prosper asked for some painkillers for his shoulder.
In the early afternoon we drove towards the Ghanaian border. The Togolese official at the customs was obviously not in the best mood and didn’t want to get up of his bed. At the Ghanaian side the official had to be called by local people for her office was also abandoned. Ok, we thought, it is Christmas day.
In the early afternoon we drove towards the Ghanaian border. The Togolese official at the customs was obviously not in the best mood and didn’t want to get up of his bed. At the Ghanaian side the official had to be called by local people for her office was also abandoned. Ok, we thought, it is Christmas day.
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