Togo

*Side excursion into Fazao-Malfakassa at National Park in Togo. We drove the road we could find in Togo’s largest national park.*

Togo proved to be both an interesting and challenging adventure. Our first evening, we arrived later than we wanted due to delays on the Ghana side of the border. But the Togo side was super easy and fast. Visas On Arrival in 15 minutes ($53 each) then Laissez Passer for the truck in 10 minutes ($11) and we were good to go. We had booked a hotel in Lomé for the night with the expectation that we would be tired and want a safe place to land. Most of our hotels we book through our Visa credit card travel rewards program (Chase Sapphire) so we rarely have to pay - we generally earn enough travel points to cover several hotels a month. Our first search criteria for a hotel is free secure parking. Most of the time this works out - we check the satellite photos to make sure the parking is spacious enough for us and not covered.

For our first night in Lomé, we had apparently found a neighborhood hotel down a very narrow alley with the dedicated parking being the first floor of a building under construction. It was tight.

*Entrance to the parking at our hotel, maybe an inch to spare either side, mirrors in.*

*Squeezing by the wooden poles being used as scaffolding for workers above.*

Ever since leaving Senegal we have had surreal hotel experiences as the only travelers staying in hotels. Staff have been fantastically courteous but we cannot understand how all the infrastructure is being supported. In general in West Africa, hotels feel like they have seen better days, as if there was a tourism boom about 10 years ago and a slow decline since. (At least this is true for the ones we stay in which tend to be on the budget end.) We assume this is in large part due to first Ebola and then COVID. But it does not feel like tourists are returning despite the fact that hotels seem to be fully re-staffed and operational. A few hotels we have stayed in seem to be partially occupied by local people which feels like a good use of the space. But mostly we just look at each other in amazement as we walk across deserted hotel spaces, retire to our room as the only visible guests, show up to breakfast with staff ready and waiting for us.

After maneuvering the truck into its resting place, we set off to find some food. Dark had set and in general we try not to walk in big cities at night. We asked our friendly front desk person for a nearby recommendation for food and he described a local restaurant. We made our way two blocks down streets literally covered in people. (Did we mention it was hot?) People were outside sitting, lying and praying on the streets instead of hanging out inside their homes. We were instantly surrounded by kids asking for money. Not feeling entirely at ease, we got to the local restaurant which was closed then opted to buy cookies at the gas station and call it a night. Not every day is a culinary experience for us.

We left our hotel after a restful air conditioned night (one of our two primary challenges in traveling West Africa, constant humidity and oppressive heat which we are just not accustomed to) and set off along the main coastal road out of Lomé. Our destination was Coco Beach, a nearby beach area with camping available, and, we hoped, some cool breezes. On our way we encountered our first serious military stop. We were whistled and waved over to the side and told that we had gone through a light. Andy was seriously confused, he was being scrupulously careful about driving slowly, following what others were doing and paying attention.

It turns out that on the four lane divided road, the left lane was a dedicated left turn lane and had a separate light which was way down low to the ground, partially hidden by poles and signs and it had turned red. Due to a lack of arrows, painting or signage that indicated that people were to stop and prepare for a left turn, Andy had continued straight down the lane. They were ready and waiting to pounce on ignorant travelers coming in as this was the main route from Ghana. We watched them pull over person after person as we negotiated our situation.

To date we had been over confidently proud of the fact that we had not paid a bribe in over three months in West Africa. This situation rapidly declined. The officer had Andy’s driver’s license and was clear that he was not giving it back until we paid. We could give him the fine now, or wait until the next day and go to the police station to pay and reclaim the license. He explained that he took all the tickets to his chief at the end of the day and they were not available to pay until the next day.

It was a strange and unsettling situation. We had actually broken a traffic rule so a ticket was in order. But he was refusing to write us a ticket on the spot, instead saying that we just pay him 15,000 CFA (about $25 US dollars) or we relinquish the drivers license until the next day when we would go to the police station to pay. Something was off. We were waiting it out, repeatedly asking for another solution, but he was getting pissed off and didn’t want to deal with us. He would disappear, deal with someone else then re-appear telling us to pay or go to the police station the next day. Frustrated, Andy snapped a dashboard picture of him in case we didn’t get his license back (this will come up later). After about an hour, and a discussion with the officer’s superior, it was clear we weren’t getting anywhere and we gave in. Feeling a little disgusted and discouraged, we handed over the cash and got the driver’s license back. If money go before, all ways do lie open.

Such is travel, ups and downs. To make up for it, the travel fates then gave us two spectacular days (with ocean breezes) at Coco Beach. We found ourselves at a (no surprise) deserted beach resort which allowed us to camp for $10 a night and use all the facilities. They opened a side gate for us and we pulled in and got settled.

*Only campers/guests at Chez Antoine (see truck in background). Andy enjoying our private palapa. Some restaurant guests did appear the next day.*

Our two days at the beach were also about waiting out the weekend as we had embassy visits and visas to secure in Lomé (Gabon and Republic of Congo). Freshly rejuvenated, we woke up bright and early on Monday and headed back into the city. But first we stopped off at the famous fetish market.

We were once again surprised that this acclaimed tourist attraction had minimal signage, no parking and was down a small street surrounded by a busy neighborhood. (Some day we will stop being surprised by this in West Africa.)

Not sure where to safely park in Lomé to visit the fetish market, we asked a friendly gas station attendant if we could park there. He smiled and welcomed us, we were happy with a safe place and he was happy with the tip we gave him when we returned (1000 CFA or a little over $1)

We were glad that a visit to the Akodessewa Fetish Market came with a guide as we were completely ignorant about the practice of Voodoo or the associated fetishes.

*Our guide Dako Mark Okeke explaining the healing practices and use of various dried animal parts.*

The biggest surprise for us was that everyone there was actually from Benin, where many of the Voodoo practices originate. We learned that Voodoo is a religion based in hope and healing and is commonly practiced in addition to or alongside other religions. It is not unusual to have the same people attending Christian churches or Islam mosques, and Voodoo churches.

*Impressive display of dried animal parts used by Voodoo Priests for a variety of healing purposes*

According to our guide, Hollywood has done a number on Voodoo as a practice and the bad witch doctor cursing people is not actually part of the religion. He showed us the Voodoo dolls (not actually powerful unless blessed by a priest) used for healing a variety of ailments.

*Voodoo dolls for sale as souveneirs, they are not blessed by priest so no power in them*

*The chameleon is a key symbol, represents the spirit of life*

*Dawn being silly, cow tails used in ritual dances*

We did visit a priest who had a number of blessed fetishes for purchase. We invested ($8) in a token one which guaranteed our love together forever. Although really, if we can travel together in a truck camper in 95’ heat for months on end we can do anything.

We enjoyed our introduction to Voodoo and the visit. The stench of the rotting animals in the market aside, it was fascinating to learn more. Once again, we were the only visitors.

This is where things turned south for us. After starting the process on our Gabon visa, we decided to go to a supermarket for supplies. With trusty Google maps on Andy’s phone we set off for the largest one downtown. Google said turn right so we did. Apparently down a newly-created one way street. The wrong way. With no signage. And motorcycle police hidden behind a building on the corner.

Once again, a ticket. OK. The negotiation begins. This time we only handed over copies of documents, driver’s license and truck registration (lesson learned). But the policeman was insistent. Kind pedestrians came up and translated for us, recommending we just pay the equivalent of $10 and go on our way. But Andy was frustrated and wanted to understand, no signage, how was he to know? The police just wanted him to pay. Then the police officer saw Andy’s dashboard phone and asked if he took a picture of him, Andy said “no” and the officer demanded to see Andy’s phone. Andy handed it over and the officer saw the photo of the military officer Andy had taken a few days ago. Yikes. The yelling and threats of jail started.

The demeanor of the policeman had drastically changed and it was clear the situation was not good for us. He didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak French. This is when our good samaritan, Ibrahim showed up and started advocating and translating for us. We showed him our limited local currency and the officer said that taking a photo of military was a jailable offense and we would have to pay much more than the initial ticket. Well, two hours later, much back and forth with Ibrahim and an escorted visit with Dawn to the ATM down the street and we thought maybe we were going to get out of it with a $100 fine.

Then Ibrahim let us know that people on the street were getting activated and watching and making the police uncomfortable. They thought we should have to pay much more because of our fancy car and because of what white people had historically done to Africa. Ibrahim explained that we were all going to go down the street away from the crowd and do a deal in private.

So, in the end, we went to an abandoned building and handed over $243. It was the weirdest scenario and without Ibrahim we would have been lost. Our second West African bribe, both within two days of each other in Togo. Maybe we could have held out longer and had a different answer, but it really didn’t feel like it. We have learned, hide the phones and don’t hand over original documents.

*Ibrahim, our good samaratin who stepped in and translated and advocated for us during a really ugly police stop*

*So we went to his store and bought a mask. He would not take any payment for helping us.*

*Ibrahim later explained that he was raised by a white missionary when he was orphaned and tries to help white people when he sees them in trouble in Lomé.*

The whole incident unsettled us but we felt lucky to have made our way through it. And grateful for the help of a kind bystander. Maybe not the ideal outcome, but at least for us the hefty bribe was not a trip ender. As we keep reminding ourselves, we are having this enriching, rewarding and deep experience traveling in West Africa. If it was easy, it would be crowded with tourists. So we will take it as it is.

*After a stressful experience time for some food therapy, Found a tiny place called “The Best Burger in Lomé”*

*Actually, the best burger in months. Andy still looking a little stressed but so happy with a burger and fries, he had been missing them.*

The next day donned our embassy outfits (long pants and closed toed shoes for Andy, covered arms and legs for Dawn) and picked up our visas. We have been known to change into these clothes parked outside the gate of an embassy. We happily left Lomé. Availibility of burgers aside, big cities are not our happy place. They tend to be dusty, hot and crowded.

We made our way north, looking for cool mountains and green and found it in Kpalime. We also met up with some fellow overlanders and their friends that we had been in communication with by Whatsapp for a while but had not actually met yet. Great fun to exchange stories, tips and highlights. Dutch overlanders Renske and Maarten van Pel are out to complete the first fully electric journey from the Netherlands to South Africa. (You can find them on Instagram at 4x4electric).

*Great meet up with fellow Dutch overlanders. We are the old ones. It seems like the majority of the travelers are either European 20-30 somethings taking a break from work or retirees like us.*

Kpalime was beautiful, quiet and casual, surrounded by green mountains. After our big evening out with the young people, we wandered the town one day and hired a guide for some hikes the next.

*Our first real avodaco tree! (Despite having been buying them in the markets along the way.)*

Despite still feeling resistant to hiring hiking guides for well marked trails, we understand that it is often the most straightforward way to contribute to the local tourism economy, And we enjoyed our time and conversations with Kome.

*Driving the green roads around Kpalime*

We saw on the map that the biggest national park in Togo was nearby and decided to go there and see what we could see. The park looked huge but the road infrastructure was minimal. We got a taste of the scenery, but no large animals.

*Typical village in central Togo, square homes made of clay, outside shade structure for cooking and resting.*

*Main road through Fazao-Malfakassa at National Park*

Then, finally the reason we had driven to northern Togo, the fortress houses or Tékyèté. Built by the Tamberma in Togo, these clay houses have a distinctive castle-like structure. Built for beauty and defense they are definitely unique.

*The homes fit beautifully in the natural terrain*

*Built in cylinders with coned thatch tops - often removable*

Despite making our way to the cultural center of Koutammakou, we were unable to find any tourism guidance so drove the roads appreciating the sites and designs but did not learn as much as we hoped. We felt hesitant about randomly approaching the villages and intruding so stuck to the main roads - maybe a mistake. Sometimes our inherent introvertedness and shyness holds us back. But we are also aware that people are living their lives and may not want us snapping photos or walking through their village compounds.

But we had not given up hope, we knew that the same architectural practices were common in Northern Benin and had found out about a place where it was easy to hire a guide to visit the Tata houses there so decided to say so long to Togo and cross the border.

*Immigration office on the Togo side of the Togo-Benin border*

Similar to entering Togo, leaving it was super simple. The Togo to Benin border was probably our easiest border crossing to date. No one else there, no lines, no fixers, no fees. Just kind people waving us on.

Next country, Benin, for more adventures. Thank you for reading and coming along on the journey with us!

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