Lome to Kpalime - Day 280

Date: May 25th, 2010
Distance: 74km (also cheating by tro-tro)
Country: Togo

After leaving the auberge I headed into Lome. It does have a very different feel from Cotonou. They are both cities on the ocean, but Cotonou hides its beach. I was there four days and didn't see it. Then again I also heard it was covered in trash and sewage. So I doubt I was missing much. In Lome the beach forms a beautiful stretch of land right on the city's southern edge. But it is practically dead. There were more fishermen pulling in nets than people enjoying the beach. Without people that means no beach-side cafes. Not even macaroni mamas selling rice and sauce. I didn't see much of a reason to hang out there. Passing through the rest of the city was interesting enough. It reminded me of Freetown in Sierra Leone. A little bit colonial, but run down.

Once outside the city I was back into a countryside of rolling green hills. The wind is still pretty strong, but at least it is now coming in over my left shoulder. Not much out there though. A few villages and farms, but most of it is empty.

After doing 70 kilometers, I decided to call it quits. It was getting late in the afternoon, and I could tell I wasn't going to make it to Kpalime on the bike. That was another 75 kilometers away. I also have a bit of a schedule to keep. So I hopped on a passing tro-tro. It was a pretty nice ride, and I wasn't missing much in the way of scenery.

Once in town I got myself checked in at a hotel. Then I went out to find a cyber cafe. I wanted to check e-mail and add a few blog posts. After I was finished I went to pay and the guy was charging me 500 CFA instead of the 300 CFA posted. He said it was because I plugged in my laptop. I told him that was ridiculous. I wasn't using his electricity, or one of his computers so he could have more customers. Nope, he said that was the price. I tried to argue for a bit before realizing I was using logic. That doesn't work here. This is Africa.

-Dravis