benin and togo

I have just returned from a trip to Togo and Benin, the two countries directly east of Ghana. It was my first time outside of Ghana, and also my first time in a place the spoke French instead of English. The trip was organized by the sociology dept. but everyone was allowed to go. We left on Thursday, 4 hours late (typical for Ghana, some call it living on “Ghanaian Time”), crossed Togo after a hassle at the border, and arrived very late at the dorms at a Benin college. After watching the sun rise and getting a couple hours sleep, we headed to northern Benin to visit a museum. There we saw some gruesome artifacts left over from tribal wars, including a throne mounted on human skulls. We then headed back to the dorms. The next day we took boats out to a village of 30,000 people all living on houses built on stilts over the water. All of the children came to see us and beg for money in small open canoes. After that the tour went back to Ghana, but a friend and I got off in Togo near the Togo-Ghana border. We got a cheap hotel right on the beach and spent the night.
The next day we walked along the beach, watching groups of 20-30 people pull enormous fishing nets out of the ocean. We then met this goofy looking rasta guy out for a tan in a speedo. After talking to him for a few minutes of talking he invited us to his house to give my friend his secret hair treatment. We then walked around the city of Lome, passing through yet another insane market. This one was particularly crazy since everyone was speaking French and occasionally a motorcycle would zoom through the crowd.
We then went to the rasta’s house where I watched as he applied avocado, egg yolk and coffee powder to my friends hair. The rasta was very insistent that we keep it a secret, so don’t tell anyone. After that he took us to his village where we met dozens of his friends and relatives. After walking around to various villages for about 4 hours, it was time to head home. From the village we took a taxi with 8 people-4 in the back, 2 in the passenger’s seat, and two in the driver’ seat, back to the city. From there we took a “taximoto” or motorcycle taxi back to the border. Taximotos must be the most dangerous thing I have ever seen. 2-3 people on a motorbike without helmets zooming around traffic with no laws on roads that are littered with potholes and debris. Luckily, we made it back to campus alive.
Sorry I haven’t been posting, the internet here doesn’t let me a lot of the time, which is frustrating.
Wish everyone well
-Forest