After a well appreciated sleep-in and an atypical leisurely
breakfast we set out for our first of three days of R&R. How great is that! With our trusted driver Mensah and our two
indispensible sidekicks (translators, tour guides, enablers and all around
helpers) Segnon and Messenh in tow, we headed toward the beach. As it was Election Day and a national
holiday, it was a pleasure to be able to navigate our route with a lot fewer
vehicles on the road making our passage unusually swift and stress free. When we reached the Atlantic, we headed along
‘Ocean Drive’ in the direction of the Benin border.
Our first stop was the Hotel Le Lac on Lake Togo just a
short drive from Lome. There we spent a
very relaxing four hours sipping drinks, lounging on chaises, dipping our feet
in the pool, enjoying the beautiful vista of the lake all the while recounting
the many memorable moments, events and highlights of the previous six days of
distribution.
After a delicious lunch of local fare, we hopped back in the
van and continued our trek east for about another fifteen minutes until we
reached the Benin border where we watched lake Togo flow into the Atlantic
Ocean. Here we all disembarked, passports
in hand, hoping to be able to cross the border and add a new stamp to our
passports and Benin to our growing list of visited countries. Despite our valiant attempts to convince the
Togolese border guards to let us cross the border, which included a
heart-warming account of our recently completed distribution of 4,000 bedkits
to the poor children of Togo and decorating the border guards with Canadian
flag pins, we were told that the border was closed for election day, they
couldn't allow an exception for us and, if we wished, we could perhaps try
again tomorrow.
Once back in the van, we headed to Lome where we were
treated to a grand tour of the city including such highlights as the University
of Lome, the Independence Monument, not one but two very large homes of
Emmanuel Adebayor (a very famous football player whose jersey Mike had been
wearing all day) the photocopy shop of Dosseh (our third helper who had to
leave a few days ago to work near the Burkina Faso border) and last but not
least the border of Ghana. In a
relatively short period of time this afternoon we traversed the entire 50 kms.
or so southern expanse of Togo from the border of Benin to the border of Ghana.
Shortly after our arrival back at our home away from home, a
team of 26 A.E.D. volunteers descended upon us for a scheduled end of
distribution party. After we shared a
meal together, we opened the doors to the back patio, danced, sang and clapped
hands together all the while sharing recent photos and videos while taking new
ones. After a warmly received speech
from Doug, in French no less, and a singing of our respective national anthems,
we exchanged hugs with our Togo family and friends and bid them all a fond au
revoir.
We had come to the end of yet another great day on the Togo
Trail.
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