"I don't think my husband would like that" and other vain attempts

Well I made it back from Lome! But first, allow me to begin with recent come-on's by guys:
1. to my friend Rachel while she is seated in a taxi in traffic
"What is your name?"
"Rachel"
"Richard?"
"Rachel"
"Richard."
"no Rachel!"
"Richard, are you a boy or a girl?"
"I am a girl."
"Give me your number."

2. to me while I am sitting in traffic in a tro-tro being forced to listen to the preacher who has gotten on and has been preaching for the past 20 minutes:
"Why did you take my picture?"
"Because you were giving a public speech on public transportation therefore making you a public figure. Plus, my friends and family would be interested to see a sermon being given in a tro-tro."
"What is your number. What are you doing tonight. I want to be your friend."
"I am meeting my husband."
"Is he here right now?"
"No."
"I am here right now."
"Thank you."

One other interesting places to be asked for your number:
While being stopped at a police check point on the way back from Togo and having your passport information documented by a large man with a large gun. Also, while trying to cross the border by the visa giving police officer.



So, Togo was actually a really easy trip. My fried Holly and I had a simple enough time crossing the border. We just followed the masses of people, filled out paperwork, bought a visa, ignored anyone who asked for a bribe, and kept a strong clutch on our bags. Aflou, the border town on Ghana's side is crazy busy with everyone trying to convince you to follow them, or exchange money with them or ride in their taxi etc.etc. and on the other side, in Togo, it was equally hectic with taxi drivers literally grabbing at us from all sides until Holly screamed at them to back off. We took a taxi into Lome, Togo's capital, which is only a few minutes away from the border and began to check into our hotel which was saturated with past middle age European and Middle Eastern men. When I say saturated, I mean there were no women and no one under the age of 40 haha. As we were trying to tell the bar that we would like to get a room, the intense drumming we had been hearing for a few minutes becomes increasingly louder until it enters the courtyard area of the hotel, accompanied with a very tall man wearing only a large headdress and a short grass skirt, carrying only a large knife/machete, and threatening to cut off his tongue and eyelids. Welcome to Lome! The guy at the bar got him to leave after a few minutes and the procession carried on down the street stopping at the local residences. I am assuming he was some type of fetish priest looking to be paid for performing some type of divination? But, I really don't know. Our room ended up being dark and stuffy and hot and kind of creepy with a lantern and an old wooden/metal chest as decoration. Oh well, we did not have any problems with safety.

Lome's main boulevard is situated right on the beach and in its prime was a really nice city. Today however, it is in decay, but still has a few nice things going for it. It is way smaller than Accra so the traffic and crowd factor seems to be nonexistent. The markets are packed with fabric. The food is better with an abundance of baguettes and avocado sandwiches being sold on the streets. And the beach is actually fairly clean. In fact, there are no open sewers in Lome, and the litter/trash amount is less than in Accra. However, by far, my favorite part of Lome are are motorcycle taxis. This form of transportation, which is almost nonexistent in Accra consists of men with little motorcycles. You flag one down, may a really small fee, hop on the back, and off you go, joining the packs of motorcycles on the street. The scene is really invigorating in my opinion. To one side you can see the ocean, on the other side is the decaying Lome, and in front of you are fifty other motorcycles all zipping around each other and the few cars on the road. Look to your immediate right or left and there are 5 other motorcycles; and behind you, as far as you can see down the boulevard are more and more. Hmmm, yeah, those rides were actually my favorite part of Lome.

Disadvantages:
I don't speak French or Ewe, and neither does Holly. While a lot of people do speak some English in Lome, it would be much easier to get along knowing the local languages. Also, I have never been sprinkled with holy water and smoked with a burning lantern of incense in Accra, as I was while eating kabobs and baguettes for dinner on the side of the boulevard. I don't know if that is normal or not in Lome. I know how to be an obrunni in Accra, but I don't know how to be one in Togo.

Anyway, Togo was a nice short trip, but Accra is my home away from home here and it was good to get back. Last night a group of us had an extraordinary two hour long dancing power hour in one of the kitchens...one of my favorite nights here.

I am not sure what traveling I will be doing in the next two weeks. Traffic will be super busy I am assuming on the day before elections, and I would like to be in Accra on that day anyway. So, who knows. Time to start saying good-bye to Ghana!

love love love
Kristin

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