Togo and Benin

With Ghana becoming comfortable as a home base, we decided to take a trip to neighboring Togo and Benin. Both countries have recently emerged from military dictatorships and difficult post-colonial histories, yet the people in both countries were sophisticated and worldly. We found ourselves challenged by the language barriers but Ryan's high school French classes unexpectedly did pay high dividends during this part of our trip.

While in Lome, Togo, Denise picked out fabric from a local vendor , designed a dress, and had it tailored. Below is the final product.



Togo and Benin are the birthplace of Fetishism, now known in the New World as Voodoo. In both countries, we went out of our way to hunt out the most authentic Voodoo markets.

While in French Africa, it quickly became clear that Moumar Kaddafi was on a power-grabbing tour. His picture was posted everywhere.
Then, we were stopped by a police barricade placed to protect Kadaffi as his entourage drove by us at over 100 MPH in Lome, Togo.
Benin, while being less developed than Togo is incredibly beautiful.
Denise found time to challenge Che Guevarra to a gave of foosball.

Here is a genuine Beninois petrol station . . . with gas sold by the liter.