Togo

Visited: November 2013

Duration of visit: 5 days

Capital city: Lomé

Population: 7.0 million (2013)

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

• The capital city of Lomé – decent palm-lined beaches, exotic markets, friendly people and knowledgeable moto-taxi drivers.
• Visiting the world’s largest voodoo market, Marche des Feticheurs, and talking with shaman about the different meanings of all strange subjects on sale.
• Tamberma valley with a unique collection of fortified villages, traditional shrines and animal skulls on the ceiling, protecting the inhabitants from evil spirits.

My trip to Togo was part of a three-week journey that also included Benin and Niger during the European winter of 2013.

Especially Togo and Benin have a lot in common. They share the French language, a long and narrow shape facing the Gulf of Guinea, and transportation by bush taxis and moto-taxis in the big cities.

Togo formed part of the Slave Coast between the 16^th and 18^th century and has been going through ups and downs since its independence. The first president was assassinated during a military cup. His successor, Gnassingbe Eyadema, ruled the for 28 years, first turning the country into a lovely West African destination and later destroying it with a harsh dictatorship.

Even though Togo has a strong cultural heritage and some wildlife, there are actually very few exciting things to do or appealing places to visit. In practice, the country offers limited attractions to most travelers.

Lomé, with its palm-lined coast and sandy beaches, could be an idyllic city. It could attract thousands of tourists who would enjoy relaxing holidays and spend money to benefit the local community.

It was once called a pearl of West Africa, until political troubles caused the economy and banking sector to collapse in the 1990s. Many people fled to neighboring countries, and the turmoil lasted for a long time.

Today, the capital of Togo is just another African city that hasn’t used most of its development potential.

Most residents improvise to survive another day. Many new immigrants from rural areas move to the city in search of a better future. There are very few tourists here. I couldn’t find any particularly exciting highlights or places to visit.

The main landmarks are around the central Independence Monument. These include the Congressional Palace, the National Museum, some hotels, and parks.

The best experience in Lomé is riding on the back of a moto-taxi, watching the streets, colorful markets, and people moving around. It’s one of the simple, but rewarding things to do; without any particular plan or activity.

Grand Marché and Marché des Fétiches are the principal markets in Lomé. As any big market in Western Africa, Grand Marché is dominated by women, dressed in colorful traditional cloths, selling all kind of goods: food, fabrics, clothes, electronics, souvenirs.

Children, hawkers, merchants and buyers try to drown out the sounds of loud music that creates a nice atmosphere to the rather dirty and crowded environment. In general, people were friendly, not pushing to buy and allowing me to take photos.

The Akodessawa Fetish Market or Marche des Feticheurs is the world’s largest voodoo market. It features monkey heads, rotting dead birds, snake spine necklace, talismans, dolls, crocodiles, skins and other products of dead animals.

During my visit, the place was quite deserted, which provided me the opportunity to encounter a local voodoo priest. In a short ceremony, he blessed me and wished me a safe journey. After a mix of strange words, shouting, and meditation, he explained the importance of voodoo in daily life.

Walking among skulls, bones, and dead animals is very different from enjoying the pleasant smells of a spice market. Still, it was a revealing experience that showed the importance of voodoo in the daily life of local people.

My next stop was the Koutammakou area. The Tamberma people live there in northeastern Togo, close to the Benin border.

UNESCO added Tamberma Valley to the World Heritage List in 2004. It recognized the valley because the local people live in harmony with their land and build the distinctive fortified houses that define the area.

Tamberma Valley is a unique collection of fortified villages that was founded in the 17^th century.

A typical compound (tata) consists of various towers that are connected by a thick, mud wall. The houses usually have only one doorway from the outside, making them look like strong castles. They kept out invaders, including neighboring tribes, slave traders, and later European conquerors.

Fetishes, which keep bad spirits away, adorn the outside of houses. They protect each inhabitant of the house and prevent bad spirits from being in the surroundings and from accessing the interior of the house.

During my visit, two men were building a base for an oval tower that would be used as a warehouse for basic tools or millet and corn – main sources of basic diet. Builders don’t use any tools. Clay and straws are mixed with water and fortified with wood.

People protect their homes with fetishes and altars on which they make sacrifices to the spirits; fetish animal skulls are used for decoration on walls and ceilings. Beside agriculture, hunting with bows and arrows is the main activity to survive.

During my visit, I saw two men building the base for an oval tower. They planned to use it as a warehouse for basic tools or millet and corn, the main sources of the local diet. Builders don’t use any tools. They mix clay and straw with water and strengthen the structure with wood.

People protect their homes with fetishes and altars on which they make sacrifices to the spirits. Fetish animal skulls are used for decoration on walls and ceilings. Beside agriculture, hunting with bows and arrows is the main activity to survive.

Two traditions of Tamberma people called my attention:

• A young man, ready to marry, shoots an arrow to determine the place where he is going to build his home. He will build his own house (tata), where the arrow lands.
• Women cover their hats with antelope horns, which are quite uncomfortable to wear. Horns are also present as decoration in the houses above the front door.

Togo has rich culture, diverse landscapes, and amazing wildlife. Its UNESCO site in Koutammakou, voodoo traditions, and sandy beaches along the Gulf of Guinea could easily attract many tourists. But the potential is hidden and will keep waiting for many years to be explored.

In the meantime, I had a great time in Togo. I enjoyed a traditional dish made from boiled yams – fufu, sandy beaches of Lomé and travelling around on a moto taxi or uncomfortable bush taxi. Cultural experience of Tamberma people and learning about voodoo were the highlights of my short trip to Togo.