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Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. After many weekends of Lome-filled ship life and a relatively peaceful election here in Togo, last week we were finally able to venture out of the city to see the African ways. Oh, how I've missed my African delights.

My six friends and I hopped into a taxi last Saturday morning and tried to get to the bus station. But detours and riots seemed to deter us from our portal to the north, so we found the first taxi that would fit us all, asked where they were going and hopped on for the ride. Three hours later, we arrived in Atakpame, the fifth largest city in Togo, with no rhyme or reason as to what we would do for the weekend.

Our first stop: the most expensive hotel in town. When dropping us off, the driver of our taxi assumed that because we were white we wanted to stay there! If only they knew we'd acclimated to the African standard of living.  We headed somewhere closer in town.  I've learned that the further out of the city you go,the more interesting the African observataions.  Never before have I been one of the only white people in an entire city. Here in Atakpame though, we were it. Everyone asked where we were from, and if we were in the Peace Corps.  I almost felt like we were on parade; mothers constantly waved from their windows and children pointed at us yelling "yovo yovo bonsoir!" (white person white person hello) the never ending children’s song that everyone in Africa seems to know. Oh the joys of minority living!

Here are the children carrying the yellow water canteens to the wells, happy to have clean water.

 We took a hike up to the mountaintop and came across this mural that I really liked:  knowledge is life.

After our short hike up the mountain we came back to have some traditional African food, including palm wine made from the neighboring palm leaves plus a few extra African treats you can see in our drinks 

The next morning we got up at 4:15 bright-eyed and excited for our excursion to see some hippos. Can you tell who the morning person of the group is?

We got on our zimi's and for two hours rode through the African grasslands to get to the hippos. Here is Davide leading the way.

I literally held on so tight I bruised my palm. My first zimi-ride in Africa was exhilarating. We took a break midway and our drivers informed us that before we could see the hippos, we needed to visit the chief of the village to ask for permission. So off we went to the village to meet the chief.  He was very gracious and invited us in for a nice breakfast.

Then, we were really off to see the hippos. Back on the zimi's and to the lake we went.

The first sign we were getting close.

We canoed over to see them and got relatively close. Here are me and Christina excited to finally see them after a full morning of travel!

There were a bunch in the water but just this mama hippo and her baby walking around.

It was only after our excursion that my father informed me that hippos kill more Africans than any other animal. I stumbled across this nice article on an African travel website:

"Despite being a vegetarian, the hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other animal, making it Africa's most dangerous beast. Hippos spend most of their day lolling about in water and can stay submerged for more than 10 minutes. If a small fishing boat or canoe filled with tourists happens to be above their heads when they come up for air, there's little to protect the vessel from capsizing. Females have been known to get extremely aggressive if they sense anyone coming in between their babies, who stay in the water while she feeds on the shore. Hippos can run at speeds of over 20 miles an hour and they have enormous jaws which host up to 20 inch canines. There's not a lot you can do if one comes straight at you."

We look so eager yet unassuming.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss =)

After our busy day with the hippos we headed back to Lome in an African style taxi, made for 14 people. However, it wouldn't be African if it had only 14 people. We had not only 21 people in there but a cat, two live chickens and a goat. No biggie though - the goat was in a bag on the roof, bleating at every passing car the whole way home.
Below, my proud African neighbor with his chicken!

No less than 24 hours later I came across this....

...so lets hope we don't get bird flu! 
Atakpame proved to be quite the memorable weekend away. It made me realize that while Africa has its oddities with its third world standards, I have joyfully come to call it home.