OUR WORK > cbm co-worker stories from West Africa > Arrival in Togo
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Tania and Neil Arrival in Togo
We have arrived in Togo!
(The above photo of a woman riding the moto is no where near as impressive as it was in real life…. she was travelling at 50kms/hr holding onto that load AND the little touch of pink is a child on the front!)
It has taken a long time to get to Togo both in longer term planning and on the actual journey. After four months of language school and a short time working back in New Zealand for Neil’s medical registration requirements, we are back in Africa working with the development organisation cbm (formerly Christian Blind Mission). So the letters from far far-away commence again…
The total travel time from Auckland to Lome was going to be 35 hours, but in Abidjan the flight was delayed… and delayed… and delayed. Nobody could tell us when it was due, or if it had even taken off. As you might expect, the airport facilities in Abidjan are a little limited - the TV monitors showing departures and arrivals didn’t work – or en panne, as the French say.
We originally arrived at lunchtime for a flight due to depart at 7pm, and it wasn’t until 3am the next morning the flight agent conceded defeat and arranged to ship us and about 20 other stranded passengers to a hotel until daylight. Eventually, we did make it!
Driving in Togo is a little like Russian Roulette; there are hundreds of motos – 50 to 150cc Chinese knock-offs motorcycles of the Japanese variety that used to be so common on New Zealand roads but here they have one, two, three or sometimes more people on board plus whatever baggage they can carry (apparently there is not a 20kg limit per person).
They swarm like mosquitoes around cars and apparently have their own set of road rules which unfortunately are NOT the same as those for cars. For example, cars stop at red traffic lights (yes, its true, Lome has some functioning traffic lights when there is power) BUT NOT MOTOS. Red must mean go, or turn in any direction you feel like and appear aggrieved if a car, which was following the car road rules and had Right of Way, happens to be bearing down on you all.
One literally drives with all senses on full alert never knowing from where the next moto will appear or what it will do. Why more people are not killed here every day is one of the true mysteries of life, perhaps to be revealed only in End Times.
We have been to the 'Centre Ophthalmique Jean Paul II' (John Paul II Eye Hospital) - the cbm funded eye hospital where we will work part time - and enjoyed meeting some of the nuns and the other staff. Once our visas, cartes de sejour (residence cards) and medical registration are all sorted we will be able to start there in earnest.
Please remember us in your prayers as we settle, avoid motos, and despite our best efforts continue to mangle our French in some truly unique ways.
Adieu,
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