I am of the mind to get out and see everything I can at each port. I will likely never get back to this corner of the world again, and I want to take it all in while I’m here….now. And, I never even thought I would land in a place called Lomé, in a country called Togo, but here I am.
Like almost all of the West African countries we have so far visited, Togo, a sliver of a country on the Gulf of Guinea, is on the verge of massive growth from oil refineries. Yet, from what I see, this city of modern dusty brown buildings, swirling red earth, and mystical indigenous beliefs seems a bit ill prepared for it, with its mixed traditions and teetering political instability. Lomé, the capital and largest city of Togo with a population of about 850,000, is the country’s chief port, and administrative and industrial center. Though native dialects are spoken, French is the official language of Togo.
We watched from our veranda as we were greeted at the dock with a colorful, agile, and enthusiastic show of native music, dance, costumes, and “acrobatics”. Later, I hopped the free shuttle to town to explore, and upon arriving, I happened to meet up with a fellow passenger and together we ventured into the heart of the city’s Grand Marché, with zig-zagging narrow streets of umbrella-covered stalls that featured every imaginable item including stacks and stacks of the typical brightly patterned African textiles, and traditional style clothing made from these fabrics. At one end of the market is the 100-year-old Cathédrale du Sacré Coeur de Lomé, designed in the German Gothic style, filled that afternoon with faithful worshippers.
In a different take on religion, the practice of voodoo began in West Africa and is very much alive in Togo, where my companion and I hopped a taxi to the voodoo “super market” across town, called the Akodessawa Fetish Market, that has been in operation for over 150 years. Not for the faint of heart, this is sort of an outdoor pharmacy where various animal parts, bones and herbs take the place of conventional medicine. Greeted by the “host” who, for a fee, would give us a tour of the market and explain the goods and their purposes, showed us skulls, dried dead animal carcasses, feathers, hides, seeds, and talismans that were displayed for sale on wooden tables in the dusty square, and told us of their healing and empowering properties.
The voodoo priests practice white magic, not black magic, and if you visit the tent of the priest, he will show you several charms and fetish objects to choose. Each object will be blessed with an incantation and its ritual explained, and you may negotiate to purchase the items to ensure protection for your travels, your home, endow power, memory, or even encourage romance.
Even if you’re not into voodoo, this is one of those exotic attractions that pulls you in and does not let go. And, if you can stand the stench, the dust, and suspend your disbelief for a few hours, it might even bewitch you.
I agree! But, I did get one to give me safe travels.
I’d pick a fetish that would get me back to the ship!