January 2010

We Socks spent a great deal of time in the maritime region of Togo, then one day we decided to take a hiking trip a little further north into the plateau region. It was noticeably cooler here than in Lomé.

As soon as we left the town and entered the forest, nature showed us some pretty remarkable sights – like this termite mound that stood well above Norm’s head.

The villagers (even children) carried their supplies through the bush to their homes or to the market in Kpalime.

This was Stacy Lyn’s favorite tree on the hike. We had to indulge her this one tree picture because you know how she is about trees.

The villagers still dry their clothing by laying them on the grass beside the path.

Villagers greeted us “yovos” as we passed them on our hike through the bush.

As Stacy Lyn climbed the hills, the sun came out in full glory, and the weather seemed to heat up a bit.

We passed through a German Cemetery along the way and wondered why all forks eventually converge here.

By this time, we had been hiking for four or five hours, and it was quite debilitating for us. We are made of wool, you know. Stacy Lyn was tired too, bless her heart.

By nightfall, we made it to camp, just in time to be drenched by a sudden downpour. But the rain dissipated quickly and we were treated to a show by local musicians and dancers.

There were beautiful young dancers, and the following morning, one of the girls asked Stacy Lyn if she could have the clothes she wore the previous day. How could Stacy Lyn say no? She could not, so she gave the young girl her clothes.

We were tired, but Stacy Lyn didn’t consult us when she accepted an invitation to dance. From where did she get the burst of energy?

 The morning was hazy on Mt. Kloto, where we had camped overnight.

The last stop on our hike was the Café Kuma coffee plantation, where beans grew under the protection of the forest canopy.

We stopped for a moment at the plantation store where Stacy Lyn bought a couple of bags of delicious arabica beans.

We’re not done with Africa yet…stay tuned as we head east to Benin!