Wow was last week great. Sunday morning I headed to Kara to enjoy a few days of good food, air conditioning and the pool. The 2 hour trip went relatively smooth and it was blistering hot by the time arrived at the pool a few blocks from where we were staying. The pool was packed- mainly with students from the university there in Kara. I’ve been to Kara three times now, and in keeping with the tradition the sky grew overcast and it rained for the last few hours of the afternoon and into the night. I had been waiting in LT, sweating my you-know-what-off for the rain to fall and cool things down. And now, here I sat at the pool, ready to swim some major laps (impatiently waited for the locals who don’t understand the concept of lap swimming to clear out) and what does it do- rain! Ah, Togo. So I swam laps in the rain as the sun was setting! And afterwards I enjoyed a fresh salad and big pizza back at the Hotel some PCV’s and I were staying at. We splurged and went for the air conditioned room… did I mention it rained and was now chilly out? So much so that I wrapped a dress around my shoulders at dinner to keep warm.
Monday was literally a perfect day here. Slept in, enjoyed waking up cold. Savored coffee with real milk at the hotel then walked to the pool where I swam uninterrupted for an hour. There were a couple men from China there (the Chinese do lots of business in Togo) observing my laps. I struggle on a daily basis to get my thoughts across in French, but usually natives can get the gist and help me fill in the blanks. Not the case with non-native speaking Chinese men. Alas, my demonstration and hand gestures on breathing techniques had to do as the broken French between the three of us was not working. I enjoyed my left over pizza for lunch by the pool and proceeded to nap and read for the rest of the afternoon. So peaceful. There is a missionary family from Indiana who has lived in Kara for 7 years. They were at the pool too and introduced themselves right away. They have two young girls and were very friendly. In the middle of a lap, I remembered my lack of Christian music and I abruptly stopped and asked if they had any I could take. So, that evening I went to their house not far from our hotel and they let me get my fill. Not only that but they have a BEAUTIFUL home. Very open, spacious and decorated with colors and furniture I can relate to. I was like stepping into America and the couple was so generous offering me to stay with them for dinner and a movie. I politely declined but they insisted I come back and stay some weekend and use their guest room, internet, trampoline…. Wow what a blessing!
Yes, I declined a free (and no doubt delicious) meal as I was meeting up with my friend Melissa at our hotel for a dinner I’d been looking forward to—fries with cheese sauce. Yes, it is me Taylor talking. It was a gravy like sauce with sharp white cheese mixed in. And real fries. Yes, I ate the entire thing. Yes, it was awesome. Yes, I delighted in the AC that night with a full belly!
Tuesday started off the same but this time I was the lone person at the hotel. I’ve decided I’ve got to live by the water some day; it makes me so very happy. After I swam some laps I just sat there listening to the water lap on the sides of the pool and appreciating the peace. I even gave up continuing with a workout to enjoy simply floating and taking it all in, savoring every moment. I enjoyed a burger for lunch with some friends passing through and then had time to kill and headed back to the pool. There were some people there from the States visiting their friend who works at the Embassy in Lome. They were asking me all sorts of questions about my life here in Togo and I realized I know my stuff! One asked why I decided to do the PC. My response was delayed a bit as I realized that while some of my reasons have changed (career wise) more than anything I came for the adventure. It was a well timed question and I really appreciate him asking and giving me the chance to really reflect on what’s important to me in this effort. This peace and calm helped carry me through the rest of the afternoon and evening as I proceeded to wait an hour for a car to leave Kara and head west toward my friend and fellow PCV, Abby’s house.
This trip was in itself a snapshot of the PC adventure. As we literally drove off into the sunset I was just beginning to be impressed with the paved and well maintained road, when we veered off and hit the dirt. Wedged in the front with 3 other people, I had a guy’s armpit on my shoulder and the driver continually ramming the shifter into my hip as we wound our way into the very barren land of West Kara. After a bit, a few shacks and huts appeared and we let a guy out and I was able to breathe a bit better as armpit guy moved to the back. Smiled and the adventure line ran in my head as I watched a man wearing a “Don’t mess with the Zohan” shirt holding a baby as we continued on. Africa. Enjoying the sunset as we continued on and then I realized the driver only had one good eye and he kept looking off to the side to see in front of him. An adventure, I say to myself. Later, as we swerve to miss a flock of guinea fowl I see he also had no front teeth! Finally we come upon a school, more market shacks and lots of mud huts with straw roofs. We had reached the village where I would get out and now take a motorcycle taxi the rest of the way to Abby’s. No longer could I distinguish between my new tan from the pool and the red dirt from the road that had caked itself on every visible surface.
Abby’s friend arrived on his moto and we headed down another barren dirt road. It was starting to get dark and I head something click with his moto. There I was standing in the middle of this road at dusk with my two bags and helmet still on as I watch him mess with the clutch… adventure! He soon wiggled it free and we were off. I didn’t panic or even worry –was still smiling until it happened again but this time I could see Abby’s village and as we pulled it at dark she was there to greet me with a pot of lentils.
I slept outside on Abby’s porch Tuesday night as her small house had heated like a furnace all day and it was too unbearable for me. Abby has the true village life. Her house is small and cozy with straw mats insulating the tin ceiling and door frames just tall enough for us to pass through. Her village is small and I couldn’t get over how flat and barren it was compared to LT. The farmer’s burn their fields and most of the trees have been chopped for fire wood. The majority of the village is made of sporadic mud huts with straw roofs; you can see for ever and ever.
Wednesday morning we had leftover lentils for breakfast and heated water for coffee on Abby’s charcoal stove. Man does that make me appreciate gas stoves. Pretty sure I would go hungry if I had only charcoal… so much work to start a fire! We toured her village of Namon, walking through her small market and visiting her clinic where she does the majority of her work. I was surprised to see so many water pumps throughout the village and luckily I got my hand in the pumping later that evening when our water supply was running low- a great workout! We hung out under Abby’s shaded area in her fenced in backyard (invisible to lots of screaming kids and random people coming to say hello). It was really nice. We caught up on our projects and what we’re thinking for the future. I told her about my host mom and how she’s about ready to pop with a new baby. I mentioned that she doesn’t sleep under a mosquito net and I haven’t said anything; trying not to be an annoying American, harping on them on what they need to do/change. However, I’ve decided when the baby comes I’m not going to be so passive. After losing Adenan for no explainable reason last fall, I will be making sure this new little one sleeps safely at night, especially with the upcoming rainy season and the hoards of mosquitoes it brings. This also sparked an idea in me; my host family is a snapshot of the Togolese lifestyle and I could make a list of the things I could teach them or show them to improve their lives, so that’s what I did. I listed out the relevant things to my family from each sector of PC here in Togo- all the knowledge I have here and I made a goal to talk with my mom/host family once a month in my last year here. This sounds simple; but it’s quite intimidating and I’ve been reluctant up until this point. Now though, I’ve think I’ve built a level of trust and confidence with them, that and my French has developed a bit more. I’m excited for this challenge I’ve made for myself.
God deserves the credit for this motivation and idea. Since I came back to Togo in January, I’ve struggled to know my purpose here and I asked God each morning when I was feeling doubtful to please show me what I’m supposed to do here; if I’m meant to be here. And He’s done just that. It didn’t come on a big billboard like I had hoped, but it came little by little. The success of the Women’s Conference that I took part in in March was the turning point in boosting my confidence as a volunteer and from there I’ve had ideas of things I want to do in LT for next year and now this idea with my host family. God’s moving in me and I’m so thankful.
Abby and I finished off the very hot afternoon with icy cold Cokes at one of two bars in Namon and then we slept early in preparation for the next day’s travel. And boy was it a day. We could only find one taxi moto to take us to Kara. So at 5:30 am we bounced along for two hours with our big bobble helmet heads knocking against each other as we were squeezed with our bags and our driver. After a flat tire about halfway to Kara, we finally made it and found a bush taxi leaving for Atakpame. We found egg sandwiches and coffee for breakfast and all seemed right with the world as we waited for the car to leave. Three hours later we were off and Cameron, a fellow PCV had helped me score a front seat (less cramped) and I was ready for the 5+ hour trip. The bush taxi got a flat tire only an hour into the trip. After three hours of trying to patient and hopeful we finally flagged down another car to take us a little bit further but not all the way; I felt like the mom on Home Alone when she’s trying to get home to Kevin for Christmas. Long story short, 6 moto/car changes and 15 hours later we arrived in Atakpame well after dark. I had the adventure attitude up until the last few hours when I couldn’t stand being so cramped, hot, sweaty and disgustingly covered in dirt and grime from the road. Thankfully, we found a hotel in Atakpame run by very sweet nuns and we scrubbed it all off and met up with our friends who had already arrived.
Togo may have won Thursday but Friday was definitely a plus in my book. Veronica (my talented and very sweet running friend) was in town so we were up early and enjoyed an awesome, authentic African run through the hills and valleys of Atakpame. It was breathtaking and so nice to catch up with her. I helped prepare for the Passover meal that PCV’s were organizing for that evening the rest of the day and very much enjoyed the celebration and learning all about a Jewish Passover that night with about 30 other PCV’s. The dinner was plentiful and delicious and the wine was flowing (part of the ceremony!) and so we made our way to a ‘club’ and danced it all off, just us Americans and our American music. It was pretty great.
Saturday I took the PC Limo (a PC car that goes up and down country twice a month) back north to LT. Celebrating Easter yesterday here in village was quiet and simple and it sort of had to be with the insane sweltering heat. Just napping under Aposto’s piotte after a yummy lunch of fufu I awoke drenched in sweat. Not even a breeze to help a sister out; hot season is here. Thankfully, and as I sort of suspected it would, the sky grew dark last night and lots of cool wind blew in a nice thunder and rain storm and I awoke this morning feeling much better!
Ps- while I still hear the mice scurrying about above me, I did catch one using a trap from Aposto last Saturday before I left for Kara.
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