April 2010

It was a hot and dusty day in April. We could just say it was a hot and dusty day. Period. Because every day is hot and dusty in Togo. But on this particular hot and dusty day, we decided to get out of the capital city of Lomé for a brief respite in a small town called Togoville.

To get to Togoville, we could have driven directly to the town via the highway which crosses Lake Togo on a rickety bridge.

Or, we could have shaved an hour off the drive by stopping at a quaint little hotel along the way, hiring a gondoleer, and crossing the lake via pirogue. We chose the latter.

Crossing Lake Togo in a Pirogue

It was extremely bright and mildly uncomfortable, but how many chances do you get in your lifetime to cross Lake Togo in a pirogue?

Approaching Togoville

As we landed on the opposite banks of Lake Togo, men were there to greet us. Rather, men were there to carry us from the pirogue so that we wouldn’t get our feet wet – and so that they could hit us up for money.

Greeted by the Locals of Togoville

We walked up the path towards the town, which was advertised by large letters carved into a wall. Stacy Lyn paused long enough to take a picture with us.

We Made It to Togoville!

Next we sauntered up the hill and visited the local church. Outside the church was an outside church. How curious!

The Outdoors Church in Togoville

View of the Outdoors Church

The beautiful Catholic cathedral hovered in all its glory over the tiny town.

Notre Dame du Lac Catholic Cathedral in Togoville

 Frescoes covered the walls of the church.

Fresco inside Notre Dame du Lac

Interesting artwork was placed randomly around town. We would have inquired about their significance, but the town was eerily devoid of human presence while we were there. We wondered where all the inhabitants were.

Statues in Togoville

We took the pirogue back across the lake in a heat that became oppressive. It was an interesting day, but we were happy to be back in an air-conditioned vehicle once the day was done. We Traveling Socks are made of wool, you know!