Togo and Benin

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Lome Hotel Le Galion- We got up at our usual time around seven, we all took warm showers once again and we went to a place not far away to get a car to our next destination, Ouidah. We encountered a hilarious man that was so excited to see us. He screamed Obama and came limping in our directions so he could give each of us a kiss on the cheek. We walked for about twenty minutes when we were stopped by men in a loading car. They would be traveling to Ouidah and they informed us that that was the only way to get there. We were not convinced in the slightest so we told them we would be back in a little while we just wanted to get some bread. I am sure more was said because the conversation went on for a bit, but it was not in English so the contents of the conversation are unknown to me. We were successful in discovering the actual trotros that would take us to our next leg of the journey. We made a horrible decision however in deciding which car to ride. We were able to get in one that would be leaving right away, but there were not enough seats so the three of us would have to squeeze into two seats. So we decided to wait for the next car. This turned out to be a car that took an extremely long time to fill so we remained in the hot car for some time before we finally went on our way. This was also the last vehicle we would board that was not filled beyond the believable capacity. Although I was not extremely squished the woman next to me was terribly annoying. I think she may have been from Ethiopia and she was not a happy person. She did have a terrible seat, but none of them are luxurious so she had no real reason to complain. The entire way was bumpy and there was so much screaming along the way. On top of these poor circumstances the woman next to me slept almost the entire way leaning on me, so we were both sweating on one another profusely.
When we finally arrived at the boarder to cross into Benin the driver brought us right up to customs, which was extremely kind of him, considering everyone else had to walk to the proper gate. The process was very simple we got our passports stamped in Togo and again in Benin and we had to once again fill out forms letting them know where we would be staying and when we would return. We then had to get back on the trotro, but there was a slight problem. First, the Ethiopian woman and her friend were in our seats so they had to exit the car. This is much more difficult than you would think because the only exit was out the back and the seat went up in an odd manner making it very difficult to stand and move the middle seat if you weighed more than fifty pounds. They finally got off and we got on and they once again had to go to their original seats. This process took about twenty minutes and while it was occurring the driver was trying to convince Hannah and me to give him our number. We tried to communicate to him that it would be of no use considering we do not speak the same language. Although the entire process was frustrating it was also quite comical. When we finally got to the end of the journey we got a ride on motor bikes to the museum because he no one knew where the hotel was located. We decided since we were already there to take the museum tour and then go to the hotel. The tour guide was nice and spoke some English so we were able to learn a little bit. He explained how the French colonists came into the country and introduced Catholicism. So the locals still today go to church on Sunday mornings and practice voodoo at night. He repeated several times, 50/50 no problem. We learned about the12 kings and the different pictures that represented the rein of each one. We saw pipes and ceramic that was used to trade slaves. We learned that twins are sacred and there is a ceremony each year to bring all of the twins together to be blessed so they will bring good luck to the entire village. We were then brought to the outside of the museum where we saw the first church ever built in the town and the mote that was once filled with crocodiles to prevent the slaves from escaping.
After the museum we went to the Python temple, which we thought would be interesting. The tour guide was already at the museum because it would be the same guide that would take us on the following day on a slave tour. He was summoned by the museum to negotiate with us about the price of the trail and the place where we would be picked up. He agreed to bring us to the temple and tour us for free. So Hannah and I got on one bike and Anna got on another and we traveled for about two minutes to the temple that turned out to be a tourist trap. There was no tour, the guide just told us that there were forty one virgins that walk to the ocean and get water. That water is considered holy and it is placed in a large bucket that both a male and a female python drink from. Then we went into a room that contained around twenty snakes. He informed us that the doors are left opened at night so the snakes can get out and eat. Each morning the locals carry the snakes back to the temple when they see one roaming around. The guide then through the snakes around our necks and we immediately took out our cameras. Once again he attempted to rip us off by charging us 2,000 CFA after he had told us earlier if we decided to take photos it would be 1,000 CFA. However, we paid the 1,000 and walked out annoyed. We then quickly walked across the road to see the Catholic Church, which we were scolded in front of and informed we were not permitted to take photos or enter.
We finally decided to go to the hotel which the guide book said was 1 km away. That turned out to be untrue so we were nervous we were headed in the wrong direction after walking for over a mile. We ended up finally finding the place called Edelweiss Les Retrouvailles and when we got there we found out that the only room available had air-conditioning, meaning it was double the price. It was a large room with one bed, but we were given a mattress and sheet to put on the floor. There was a small hand towel, soap and a little bit of toilet paper that did not last us very long. The shower was also leaking at an alarming rate and since there was no curtain or anything separating the shower from the rest of the bathroom the entire floor was soaked. But, it was a nicer room than some of the others in the past and the rest of the hotel was really charming. There were dogs all over the place and we met two really nice girls from Germany. We talked with them for a while and then we left to find food. We found a woman selling yam chips and balls of doe which we think were ground beans. While we were waiting our turn on line the boy told us he spoke English small small. It was hilarious that of the little bit of English this by did speak he would say small small. We also got some beans from a different stand. That journey was much more entertaining. We found a child near an empty bowl and when we caught her attention she immediately ran away to get an adult. The women came over and told us to hang on while a teenager ran into the house. She came back a little while later with a bowl of cold beans that we felt obligated to buy. While we were waiting Hannah made a friend. There was a little girl that was shaking her hips back and forth and then doing all sorts of tricks that Hannah was copying. It was hilarious to watch and it was keeping everyone busy including a young boy that shyly joined in periodically. We then went back to our rooms and made our way to bed a little while later.

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
We had agreed to meet the tour guide in front of our hotel at eight o’clock, but the price was never settled on. The German girls informed us about the price they paid and we learned we were going to pay three times that amount if we accepted the price the guide gave us the previous evening. Therefore, when we met with the guide we told him how much we would pay and we were able to get a reasonable price, although it was still much more than the German girls had paid. We were told we would be going on a slave trail called route des esclaves and there would be twenty two stops along the way. We intended on counting, but we lost count after some time. What we did find out was about four of the stops had to do with slavery the remaining eighteen we statues of some voodoo figure or of the symbol of one of the kings. Additionally, we would stop on the motor bike for about fifteen seconds and he would speed off after speaking three words not allowing us to ask questions. If we did fit a question in, he was clueless to the answer. There were some interesting things along the way. We saw three trees, the market tree where the slaves were sold at Place Chacha, the forgetful tree which the slaves would circle in order to forget their past and the families they would be leaving behind, and the tree of return which is said to be the place where the slaves soles return after they die. The guide said they return as slaves, but I would like to think they returned as free men. We also saw the place where the house they were kept in for two weeks used to stand before brought to the ship to be sold. There was a cemetery where slaves were buried dead or alive and the final stop was a gate that was built to represent where the slaves passed to get onto the canoes that would lead to the slave ships. After the tour we were taken to the sacred forest to do one last tour before leaving Ouidah.
Anna came in handy once again because the English tour guide was not around. Therefore, the tour was in French and Anna was supposed to repeat everything to us in English. However, this is not what happened. Since it had been raining everyday there was an overwhelming amount of mosquitoes that would not stop attacking us. We were bent over the entire time trying to prevent the bites. We were hopeless and none of us could focus enough to hear the tour. Therefore, we got very little out of the forest. The only thing I learned was that the king died and returned as a tree and that is why the forest is known as the sacred forest. We got out as quick as we could and once again made our way back to the hotel. We decided we would not spend the second night like intended because we had already seen all of the sights and it was still early in the day.
One of the men at the hotel was kind enough to bring us to somewhere where we could get a car. He negotiated a price for us and it was a wonderful ride to a trotro station. The next ride did not go so smoothly. We were crammed into the back seat and we were sweating profusely. Additionally, there was a women sitting in front of who had zero volume control. She was screaming most of the way and all three of us were having a hard time dealing with it. We then stopped for about thirty minutes to remove about fifty sheets of metal from the top of the car. The process took longer than we had predicted and I thought someone was going to pass out. It was such a horrible experience and it just got worse as the time passed. Finally, the driver returned to the car and we began driving again. Shortly after, someone got out of the vehicle leaving us with a tiny bit more room to spread out amongst the group. When you have five extra people in a vehicle you would be surprised how little removing one actually does. It was not long before more people got off and Hannah was able to move up a row allowing the people in the back including me to spread out a little bit. We finally got to Abomey and the mother in the front seat started screaming at her child and smacking her face in an attempt to wake her up. She was only about three years old and her mom had to finally dump water on her to get her up. I was so scared I thought something horrible happened, but her mom was hysterical laughing which was no surprise because they laughed at us pretty much the entire ride.
We finally got out of the car and onto motor bikes to get to our next hotel, Chez Monique. This hotel was adorable because it had statues of animals all throughout it. There was also a real monkey in a cage and dogs walking all around. When we got there we found young children to play with and draw pictures with until it was time to leave for dinner. Before dinner we got fruit and walked through a local market. Then we went to a cute restaurant, Chez Delphano, up the road that had a small TV in the corner that was playing Spanish soap operas dubbed to French and paintings all over the walls. I ordered a traditional dish from the Ivory Coast, Atcheke, and it was delicious. It was couscous with tomatoes, onions, and almost a salsa dipping on top. It also had chicken that actually had meat on the bones. Before the meals arrived a local artist came in to show us his work and he actually spoke English. Hannah ended up buying a tapestry from him and taking a photo with him. Later three boys came in one of which spoke English. It was funny watching him think really hard about each word, but he did a good job considering he only knows the language from school. He is still in high school and so were his friends and after a while Anna finally told them she spoke French. So she took over the conversation and Hannah and I just sat quietly until dinner came and they left. When we got out of dinner they were standing outside with a pen and paper so they could get Anna’s information. We then went back to the hotel and discovered that a band was in the lobby which is outside playing traditional music. I got brought to the middle to dance for a bit until I was able to meander away. When the show terminated we dispersed to our room and studied for a couple of hours before we went to bed.

Thursday, May 12th, 2011
This morning we got up at the usual time and took our showers. The shower was so cold I had difficulty standing under the stream of water. We then went off to breakfast, which we decided to eat at the same restaurant we had eaten dinner at. We did not pay our bill the day before because they did not have change, so it worked out that we were eating there again so we could settle both bills at once. I ordered french toast and coffee (real coffee). It was fabulous, the french toast tasted more like bread that was fried and there was no syrup. However, the best part was the mango and pineapple jam which was out of this world. I ate slowly in an attempt to savor every last bite. The coffee was also amazing, not because it was anything special just because it was not instant. We devoured almost a full jar of jelly and in the end we ended up purchasing a jar to have with us for the remainder of our journey. One of the best parts about the meal was that we only waited about thirty minutes for the food. We are yet to see another person eating at this restaurant, but I would recommend it to others.
We then found motor bikes to take us to the Musee D’Histoire De Ouidah that we were all very excited about. My driver seemed to be in a huge rush because we arrived at the museum about two minutes before the other two bikes; thankfully he knew where he was going. We had only heard great things about the tour we were about to go on and we were hoping to learn everything that we missed out on because of the uneducated guides in the past. Our first encounter was not the best because we realized we were paying way more than the sign indicated. The man at the desk said it was a service tax, which is completely absurd considering we have paid zero taxes since we have landed in Ghana. We were again disappointed when we found out that the English speaker was not around, so the guide would speak in French and Anna would have to translate. It turned out wonderfully because not only was our guide extremely knowledgeable she was also extremely kind. Every time Anna looked confused she would repeat the statement in a different way so that she would better understand. She accepted every one of our questions and always knew the answers. We found out along the way that some of the minimal information we had obtained from the slave trail was false. There were 12 kings each one added land to the palace and after he passed a temple was built in his honor. We were shown two of the temples and the guide explained that they were blessed by spilling the blood of 41 people on the walls. To our relief we were informed that all of the people donated their blood to be used, no one was injured in the process. Unfortunately, Hannah and I were unable to enter the temple because we were impure (on our periods) and if we did enter our babies would die. We decided the risk was too great and waited behind. Anna told us there was a bed on the floor and each night food is placed there for the king’s spirit to eat.
It seems to be prevalent in the culture of the people of Benin to feed the dead. Each king has a staff that is made in his honor after he passes. Every year there is a celebration and the staff is given food to eat. There were twelve kings all from the same family until the 1900s when the French colonized and a new family came into power. The French and Portuguese came into the palace and built a structure right in the center just to prove their dominance.
We also learned about the Amazon women who fought like men during the war against the Nigerians. They would capture the men and bite through their necks with their bear teeth. We saw the weapons that the king used and the weapons used to chop of people’s heads. We were shown umbrellas made for each king and the tour guide demonstrated how the servants would spin it while the king sit underneath. We learned about a king that was exiled by the French and about the other kings who were each famous for something different.
At the termination of the tour the guide gave us each a mango that had fallen off a tree and we went off one more time on our own. We attempted to follow the trail of the kings, but we were unsuccessful. We ended up at dead ends, in the middle of villages, and just wandering around for about three hours. We passed hundreds of kids many, which sang a song that is almost identical to the song they sing about white people in Ghana. However, instead of aborunis we are yovos and the remainder of the song is identical just in French. We also found a place to buy cards which would come in handy later on. On our journey we saw a large part of Abomey, including the governor’s house, an old castle wall, the first school to be built in the town, and a prison. We searched for pure water on our way. We were ineffective because these countries are much poorer than Ghana. Therefore, pure water is less abundant they more commonly have filtered water in clear plastic bags with a knot at the end. The problem with this water is it is not purified or made by a company so we did not want to chance drinking it. Thankfully Anna was able to find our way back and when we arrived at the hotel the young kids were all there and ready to play. We played cards for a little while and then we gave out pens to the kids. We spent a couple of hours with the children some of which were like monkeys. They were in our room for a short time then we went back outside with them. We threw them around and we each carried two at a time until the thunder began and we had to send them off to find shelter before the ran began. This led to all of the parents the following day coming up to me and asking me for more pens. I was happy to comply considering I have no need for the pens. Also while we were playing cards we ate our mangos and a man saw me picking my teeth so he came over with toothpicks for me to use. It was really embarrassing, but super kind.
Friday, May 13th, 2011
We traveled all day today and each trip was more epic than the proceeding one. First we took a motor taxi to the station to get a car to Asove. It was a normal size car and we put ten people inside plus a baby. We waited for about thirty minutes, and then the baby and mother left and another woman joined the front seat. After about an hour in totals wait we took off. We stopped several times along the way and it was not for one to two minutes. We would stop for thirty minutes plus, while we all sat like sardines piled in the back of a car. In the back seat was Hannah, Anna, the biggest woman I am yet to see in Ghana about the size of a small horse, and a child on her lap. In the front seat there where two adults with what looked like six year old twins on their laps plus the driver. The first stop was requested by the woman sitting in the back with us, she wanted to stop and buy mangoes. She bought hundreds of mangoes and the driver had to spend a significant amount of time tying up mangoes and placing them on the roof. At this point we had no idea what happened to our luggage we were just hoping for the best.
We continued to stop more than once an hour and for the life of me I could not comprehend what the stops were for. It was so hot in the car and we just wanted to get out so our legs could get circulation back. The stops seemed to be set up by local village people trying to charge the drivers to pass the road. It is possible that some of the interruptions were truly cops trying to check luggage and ensure that the papers of the passengers and driver were in order. However, some of the stops had no one sitting by them, others had very poor men standing around the gated area, and they seemed to have no real authority. The stops came in all different fashions. Sometimes it was a gas bottle with a stick through it that required someone to sit next to so they could pull it back when someone needed to pass, sometimes a rope that just needed to be lowered, and sometimes two sticks that no one actually moved they just needed to be driven around, and sometimes they actually had some metal structure that needed to be pressed down so the metal rod would come up in order for cars to pass. The latter seemed to be the true stops, but the others seemed to have the same effect, the driver would stop, get out, show his papers, sometimes pay, and then get back in the car. Sometimes arguments erupted, but I was never able to understand what the fuss was about. We finally made our way on the horrendous roads to our destination.
It was not long before we found the next taxi we needed to take to get from Asove to Notse and once again we would put an overwhelming amount of individuals inside. This time there were nine of us in total. Hannah, Anna, and I all sat in the front seat practically on top of the driver. Anna was clearly on the stick, so every time the gear needed to be changed she would have to try to maneuver herself out of the way. The taxi had zero handles, no mirrors, and none of the windows moved up or down. We again stopped a countless number of times. During one stop Hannah and I really needed to use the washroom so Anna asked the people in the backseat if it would be appropriate for us to use the toilet where we were stopped. They all immediately irrupted in laughter. There was an older man in the back that seemed to be the most amused because he continued laughing loudly for over a minute. I am not sure if it was funny because they just like to laugh at yovos or if they were under the impression that we were unaware that there was no actual toilet in the middle of the woods.
The next time we stopped we realized it was going to take some time. The driver and two men were piling rusted pieces of metal on the roof that must have weighed more than them. It was insane the way they lifted the gigantic bags and tied them on the roof. Hannah and I decided that we would not ask, we would just venture off and find somewhere appropriate to “do nature”. We succeeded in finding a small path that we used to get a little ways into the woods. We returned to a greatly amused car load of people, Anna said they pointed and laughed the entire time we walked away. We are so used to being a source of amusement none of us paid any mind to it.
The next stop was the border between Togo and Benin. This consisted of an illiterate man sitting in a hut with a cellphone, pen, stamp, and radio. The guard was in charge of writing three lines and it took almost thirty minutes. He was unable to decipher the months because they were not in French and he had a lot of trouble just writing USA. They then instructed us to go through customs. This led to a problem because there were three more huts in the area none of which appeared to be a place of authority. We began walking towards one of the buildings and we were hissed at by a nearby man. We learned we were headed in the wrong direction, so we turned around and made our way to the correct stand. When we finished we were escorted back to the car. This was the least secure border we had witnessed thus far with only a rope separating the two countries from one another. The rest of the drive was long, hot and bumpy, but we did eventually make it to Notse.
We easily found the next trotro that we would need to take to Kpalime our final destination. Thankfully the driver informed us that it would be a while before the vehicle was full so we could wait outside. This was a wonderful break from the cramped cars and we were able to find a shop with water and crackers to hold us over until we arrived at our hotel. It took about an hour for there to be enough passengers to allow us to begin the trip. We all hopped in the car and we quickly learned it would be a very long trip. The seats we so close together my legs did not even fit. We were forced to raise them up towards our chins because adjusting them on an angle would involve kneeing the person sitting next to you. It would not have been horrific if two minutes before we pulled away a group of four people had not shown up. The driver decided it would be more convenient just to add the four of them to the vehicle. That means we were now putting four in a row instead of three, plus the extra children. It is comical to imagine who designed such a car and how many people they intended to fit inside. I do not believe they would have ever predicted that that many rows would be installed and that such a large number of people would be receiving rides simultaneously.
This was the worst journey thus far because after we were all stuffed in we learned that the car was finished. Men climbed out attempting to step over the children and around the women so they could push the car out of the way. We waited for about thirty minutes for someone to show up to look at the engine. The engine is located under the first seat, so the lucky individuals sitting there were able to step out of the car into the fresh air and wait out the time outside. I was unable to move since I was in the last row in the back against the window. The car did eventually begin moving, but not for long. We broke down about five times during the trip. Sometimes the people in the front seat had to depart for the driver to look at the engine, other times men would shimmy their way out and push the car until the engine caught and we started moving. Every time we stopped, which was often, the car would struggle to turn back on and we were constantly going in reverse the forward to again go into reverse. I do not know the significance of such an act, but it was irritating. It was an extremely hot day and Hannah and Anna were stuck next to a woman who refused to exit the vehicle. At times when the car stalled for more than twenty minutes everyone would exit except their row because the woman would stay in her seat. Additionally, she was not only breastfeeding the entire time, she would leave her boob out when she was not breastfeeding which is very common and would not have been an issue if she was not pressed up against Hannah. Poor Hannah was smacked by the woman’s breast each time we hit a bump and the remained of the time she was pressed up against it. I truly thought Hannah and Anna were going to lose it so I was trying to keep them entertained by thinking positive, although I failed to make them smile we did make it through the trip alive.
We finally made it to the trotro stop and it was close enough for us to walk to, Hotel Bafana Bafana where we would be staying in Kpalime. The city as a whole was much more difficult to navigate than we had predicted according to the travel book. The country has less money and it is not set up for tourists. It is difficult to find transportation and the individuals were not as friendly. The hotel did have very kind people working at it, but the rooms were less than luxurious. There was one bed with a bathroom if you would like to refer to it that way. In order for the water to run you needed to turn a valve near the floor and then use the faucet. When you were not using the water you needed to turn the water off and when we failed to do this after about thirty minutes someone would come and tell us that the water was still running. We soon learned that the switching off of the water was essential. The bathroom was in the corner of the room and there was no door or curtain so anyone in the room could watch the individual using the bathroom or taking a shower. The shower head was positioned right above the toilet seat, so if you failed to turn the water off and attempted to use the toilet the water would drip on you the entire time. Additionally, there was a picture of two Asian children in the corner. At appeared as if they were going to get married, but they may just be siblings considering they are only about three in the photo. Why they did not use the dollar they spent on the picture for a shower curtain we were unable to figure out. Although the hotel was not amazing it still had a fan that moved extremely slowly, but it was better than nothing. We really had no complaints we were happy there were rooms available since reservations do not exist.
We were also unable to figure out how to flush the toilet the entire first day and night we stayed in the hotel. After we saw our room and used wipes to try and clean the dirt and dust off of our faces Devin and Kayla showed up. Hannah, Devin, Kayla, and I are all neighbors in ISH (our hostel at the university) and we are all from the same program CIEE. Anna is from a different program, but she lives in our dorm and we have several classes with her which is how we became friends. Devin and Kayla had a different final schedule so they were unable to join us for the entirety of our trip. We would be with them for the final two days of our adventure and they would follow our path starting at the end and working their way to Lome the first place we visited.
We hung out for a little while and told the new girls about our wonderful and regretful encounters before we made our way to the town to find something to eat. We found delicious peanuts that were not roasted, but appeared to be boiled. I favor them over the peanuts we have in America. We went back to the hotel to relax, study, and play cards. While we were sitting outside in the small courtyard a praying mantis landed on my arm, so I was sure the next day’s travels would be successful. Devin and Anna went to the room to exchange money with one another since Devin and Kayla still didn’t have any CFAs. They discovered that something was wrong with our door and they were unable to get in. They had to call a man to help them break in. When it was time for bed that night we learned that our door no longer locked, so Hannah put her backpack in front of it to protect us.

Saturday, May 14th, 2011
We woke up a little later than usual because Hannah was not feeling well. We decided to go to find some breakfast and bring crackers back for Hannah. We each picked up fruit and bread and returned to the room right before it started to pour. We allowed Hannah to rest for some time and when the rain slowed down we checked on her status. She was feeling much better so we decided we would start our day.
Before we left the hotel we decided to inform the women at the front desk that the door to our room would not lock and the toilet would not flush. She showed us how the toilet worked and we were all utterly embarrassed because we figured the lock probably did not have a problem either, the problem was that we are mechanically inept. But the door really was broken and she allowed us to switch rooms. We were given a room with the exact same set up except for the fact that instead of the toilet facing the shower head it faced outwards towards the bed. So anyone lying in bed could not only see the person on the toilet the person on the toilet would be staring right back at them. So we decided to sleep with our faces on the other side to avoid having to wake up to someone using the bathroom. This room also had the same photo of the two Asian kids, but it had two fans keeping the room extremely cool.
After we were settled in our new room we decided to find a car that would take us to a local monastery. However, local is an over statement because it was really 50 km away. We got into many fights with several drivers and Anna became extremely overwhelmed. We needed to back up from the situation and give her some time to get her thoughts together. After a short period of time, she was able to find someone who would take us for a better deal than we had heard previously, so we all piled in the car in hopes that we would depart shortly. We sat for about forty minutes with people constantly bothering us. Hannah was in an especially jumpy mood and she seemed to be startled every time someone would reach their hand in the car and grab her and just speak quickly. There was a girl with a shirt that read Obama Girl and a young man that seemed to be glued on either side of the car. Neither of them would leave us alone. When the driver returned he spoke in French for some time and Anna would later tell us he was trying to explain that he was unable to move his car. People had parked all around him blocking his vehicle in to prevent him from driving. They claimed that we had agreed to go with a different driver and if we would not go with him we would go with no one.
We had to exit the car and Anna was so fed up at this point we made the decision to change destinations and go to Mount Klouto which was close by. We paid an exorbitant amount, but bargaining was out of the question with the incidents that had already occurred. We got in the worse taxi I have ever seen and went on our way. There were no door knobs, the steering wheel looked like it was going to fall off the entire center console where a stereo would usually be was empty, the wind shield was completely shattered, and the windows on either side did not role up or down. There was not even a handle to attempt to crank them down. There were no locks on the doors and only one door could open from the inside. The taxi was comical, but the driver was kind. He waited for us to hike for a little over an hour and then brought us back to our hotel.
The hike was not actually a hike it was more a tour through the village. We saw teek leaves that made beautiful red paint, coffee plants at all stages, leaves that close when you touched then, a calabash tree, and a plant that looked like it was splashed with red and white paint. We also smelt a mint plant and we were given natural tattoos that the women use. It is a plant that leaves behind a white residue if you put it against your skin. We saw the local school, people’s homes, and the church. Although the tour was not what I expected it was a nice experience and the guide was both enthusiastic and English speaking. He then took us to see butterflies in glass cases, because a part of the description is a butterfly garden, and many people bought coffee that was supposedly made locally.
After the tour we went back down the bumpy hill honking fifty percent of the time. We again passed beautiful sites of the mountain, a waterfall, and wonderful views of the trees. When we got back we went to the hotel and spent the remainder of the day relaxing and studying.
After a couple of hours we went back into town to get a couple of things done. First Hannah and Anna wanted to buy a CD with both music from Benin and Togo. While they were surfing through music Kayla and I stood outside next to a man that was washing worn down shoes. He seemed to speak no English, but eventually he turned to me and said I love you, you is good for me. It was extremely funny considering those are the only words he was able to utter in English. Everything else he said was in French. I do not understand West African men and their fascination with telling white woman that they love them. I stood their pondering how many languages he is able to say those couple of words in; I really wish I could get into his mind to help me understand his thought process. Hannah and Anna did eventually find the music they were looking for and we then went on our way to find dinner. We found a delightful little sit down area that served local food. I ordered couscous and beef. The sauced that the beef came in was outstanding and not extremely spicy. It was made with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Although we were bothered many times by locals while we waited for the food to be prepared, we enjoyed the experience and the food was well worth the wait.
We continued back to the hotel and I went straight out to the table in the court yard to work on my readings. There was a little girl just walking around and standing by the table watching me as I read. So I invited her over and gave her a piece of paper and pen. She ran off and returned with two markers and an old magazine and we sat next to each other without saying a word considering we spoke completely different languages. However, she was adorable and she seemed to be enjoying herself. I would outline shapes and she would trace over then, she wrote her name several times, and we filled in all the letters with holes in the center on the first five pages of the magazine. I did eventually go back to studying and after a while I went to the room to shower and go to bed.

Sunday, May 15th, 2011
We made it to where the trotros sit and wait for passengers at around eight o’clock. Luckily the car leaving for Ho had only three seats left, perfect for our group. Our bags were placed on the roof of the car and we were ushered into the vehicle. The car was parked for a mere thirty minutes before we started on our way. We did stop right away to get petrol, but that only took about ten minutes. We were in a blue car that is very difficult to explain. The best I can do is to have you picture a car you may see in Hotel Rwanda the movie or any vehicle you can see refugees escaping in. If none of these images work picture a hay ride with the barrels of hay on each side and a strip down the middle. Now change the image to see the car about half of the width and the line of hay down the center is a box that leaves about six inches on either side. Therefore, the people sitting on the side have their knees digging into the person sitting in the center and the metal that makes up the side of the car digging into their backs. The car is made to sit around ten, but we stuffed 23 people in.
Hannah and I spent a good amount of time attempting to decipher who the individuals in the car were and how they were related to one another. There were clearly two women who were unrelated to anyone else, plus the driver who was on his own. There were four men, 7 women, and six children all of whom seem to have a relationship. They were clearly from the same tribe where women bread their hair in a very particular way and fetishes are worn. The women all had large ear piercings and the men wore similar hats and clothing. They all also spoke the same language, even one man that did not seem to completely fit in according to his clothes.
The dominant man seemed to be married to several of the women and father to many of the children. There was one female who is about thirteen or so and her relationship to the others is the most skeptical. She seems too young to be a wife, but too old to be a child. The other children all ranged from age five to infancy. It would be out of the ordinary for there to be one child that is eight years older than the rest.
The next woman in her twenties had one baby clearly with the dominant man and she was visibly pregnant. The next woman also in her twenties had a young boy, but was sitting too far away from the men to know who the child belonged too. The following woman seemed to be in her forties and be the mother of three children. I contemplated over this woman for a long period of time because it is clear that two of the three children are fathered by the dominant man. However, the middle child was being neglected by everyone. He was left with one of the women who were unrelated and he screamed the entire second half of the journey, while no one paid him any mind. Additionally, it appeared as if the second man was married to this woman, not the dominant man. The two older children of about five were passed around periodically and ignored in general. The babies were passed around so that they could be breast fed by the woman in her forties because she was not pregnant. There were times when all of the children were sleeping, times when they were awake and just quiet, but there were also times when all of the babies would cry at once and it appeared as if nothing could be done to console them. He were packed in so tightly it was difficult to move the children, they were all dripping sweat and they were crammed in an area with limited air flow. When the car stopped moving the babies would all scream making the entire problem worse. The road was long and bumpy and we were all relieved when we discovered we would get a break while we got our passports stamped. The border was more protected than the Togo Benin border, but security was lax. We were able to cross the border to buy bananas and then return back to finish the process. To leave Togo there was no form we needed to fill out we just needed to hand a man in a hut our visa and passport. It took a longer time than usual because we did not know the vehicle number. After we finished we all got back on in the car and the children seemed to be in a better mood. The dominant man bought mangoes for the children and the third man that looks like he does not belong handed out bananas. The fruit calmed everyone down for the thirty minute drive to Ghana’s border control.
When we arrived at Ghana’s patrol we were all so excited to be back on familiar land. The men hit on Anna like crazy and she was forced to give the guard at the border her number and he has already called her several times. We saw women for the first time it was at the entrance into Ghana. There was also a stand where you were supposed to prove you received the yellow fever shot, but one white person showed their papers and that was enough to prove we were all vaccinated. Then we were given our final stamp of our adventure and held up by new men at customs who wanted to talk. They called us over after we were already headed towards our vehicle. We thought we made a mistake a missed a step, but when we arrived we realized they just wanted to flirt with us. After a couple of minutes they asked if a vehicle filled with people were waiting and we replied that they were, so they let us leave. We got back in the car and drove for about another hour with several stops to check our papers on the way. We finally got back to Ho and we were so excited. We got on a trotro that only had three people in each row and our legs were able to fit in front of us without having to angle them to the side. We had to wait a long time before we left, but none of us paid any mind to that we were just thrilled to be in a car that we could breathe in. Also the radio was not on which is a huge problem with traveling anywhere in Ghana. The radio is either blasting someone preaching or music that we cannot understand because it is pulsating through your eardrums.
We made it to Madina with few stops and it was a miracle that we were back on campus by four o’clock. I was able to study for a good amount of time and unwind after such a long journey.

Monday, May 16th, 2011
I finally got to sleep in past seven o’clock, which was fantastic. I got up around nine and got breakfast. After I learned the water was once again flowing, so I got in the shower as quickly as possible, washed my laundry, and cleaned all of my dishes. I also treated myself by allowing the women in the hostel to wash my clothes. I only washed the outfit I had worn that day and my undergarments from the trip. My clothes smelt terrible from being in a bag for the week and from the horrible traveling situations, so I felt the only way for them to ever be clean again was to hand wash them for several hours or to give them to someone else to do. Since I have only done this once in the past I allowed myself to do it this one last time. I spent the remainder of the day studying for my final tomorrow until it was time for dinner. I went over to Hannah’s room and we made the most delicious smoothies which I had been craving for days. They had oranges, mangoes, pineapple, and bananas, they were to die for. We also had a special treat from Leslie. Her mom sent her a package containing trail mix and oreo cookies, which we devoured within the hour. After our outstanding food we were forced to retreat to our rooms to continue studying. I then went to bed extremely early in preparation for waking up early the following day.

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Kayla is amazing and has allowed me to use her computer while she is finishing up her journey in Togo. Therefore, I woke up extremely early this morning and made my way first to the book store in hopes of getting a mug with the university symbol on it. This attempt failed for two reasons, first I was early and had to sit and wait until the store opened and second because they are finished. I then went over to the CIEE office knowing the internet was working I was so excited to finally get on and post some of my blog. I again was too early and had to wait about forty five minutes for someone to come and open the office. I finally got on and was able to type up a large amount of my blog, go on facebook, and make contact with my two sisters and father. At some point I did have to leave to write my exam, but it only took about an hour because it consisted of a meager three questions. Two of the questions were math based, so they took zero effort if you knew the formulas. The test was extremely easy and I studied way too hard for it. I am thrilled that it is over I only have two remaining, one of which is going to be very difficult the other I think I will manage with little headache. I had a meeting afterwords with my adviser, but it was not actually a meeting it was just me picking up my paper from a professor. So I decided to go back to the office in hopes that I could get on line for another thirty minutes. What actually occurred only God can explain. There were constant u-pals in and out and I was able to stay until after seven. It was an extremely productive day not because I got a lot of work done, but because I got to talk to my family and update anyone interested on at least a small part of my trip. When the office was finally closed I made my way back to the dorm and continued typing there although I am unsure when I will have the ability to get online to post the blogs.