Cultural differences: House-help (Part 2)

So. You're looking for house-help.

One of the best ways to get a reliable house-helper is by inheritance. Find someone who is leaving the country and is passing on their house help, or someone can recommend past employees. Embassy and international school staff would be good people to ask.

Hiring friends of friends or someone with no recent references almost always ends badly. We're speaking from experience here.

Make sure your house help knows how to properly wash and dry clothes. You may have to remind them to only wash similar colours at once (The purple -- formerly white -- shirt incident of 2012 taught us this) and to be vigilant about ironing everything, especially if you are in areas prone to mango flies. 

Also speaking from experience: once you've found someone, make it very clear that their first week is a trial week. IN WRITING, spell out all expectations and make it abundantly clear that it is a trial week only. If the trial week doesn't work out, culture in Togo dictates that you can not tell them what they did wrong, but only that it won't work out.

It is also standard practice to change the all locks on your house when an employee is terminated. We know several people who have been burgled days after firing an employee. Revenge is very much alive in Togolese culture.

Going back to keeping things in writing: You need to do this to protect yourself, as laws in Togo favour the worker and not the employee. You can be sued for firing someone for not doing their job, as it is your job as the employer to help them become less incompetent. If you have them sign a contract that states they are on a trial period, and on a subsequent month-to-month contract which can be terminated by either party, that helps balance the scales. (do make sure your contract still falls within the parameters of Togolese labour laws.)

In the contact you should also write down a basic idea of expectations: laundry and dishes daily, wash floor twice a week, wash windows once a week, pick up groceries on Wednesday, etc. Do make sure you go through the house with them, showing them the ropes, where things are stored, how you like your bed made, how you prefer your towels hung, etc.

Make sure the contract spells out working hours, salary, holidays and leave and miscellaneous clarifications such as whether or not loans will be provided.

Lastly, make sure your house help are able and feel comfortable asking you questions about their duties and work. They're not mind readers.

As mentioned above, make sure your expectations fall in line with the law. 

Rugged Luggage

Generally, we're firm believers in travelling light and living with what can be found in local shops. 

However, there are still things that can't be found -- or are of poor quality and high price-- that are more easily bought abroad. 

The main concern for me has always been: "OK, so you bought that new slow cooker crock pot. How are you going to get it to Togo in one piece?" 

Well, I think I've finally found the solution. 

On the way to Heathrow with our new hard-sided 'tool boxes' -- which make great rugged luggage. 

Travelling with soft-sided suitcases is good and blends in well -- but leaves breakables vulnerable to crushing. And those hard-sided plastic suitcases still flex too much for my liking.

The ultimate in protection would be a Pelican Case, but they weigh too much and cost way, way too much. I don't need it to withstand a bulldozer and be completely waterproof. Just a hard-sided, rugged airline OK sized box to put my stuff in.

While on a recent trip to the UK, I began searching for such a box. Which led to some difficulties with the English language. (Do I call it a plastic footlocker, a trunk, a case, a bin -- definitely not!)

After days of looking at and for a Gorilla Box (Chimp size, to meet airline size regulations) and googling for distributors of Contico and Sterilite containers, I nearly gave up.  I even started looking at hard-sided suitcases again.

And then, with time running out, I decided to look at tool boxes. Shortly into my search I came across a polypropylene tool box with wheels and multiple carrying points and handles. 

The best thing? A shop a few miles outside of London had them in stock. So off I went to find the Multi Utility Box (MUB) by GT Line. 

It's rugged, light-weight (6.3kg empty) and holds a lot of stuff (89 L.)

It even has 4 padlock holes, so you can lock it up (or zip-tie as I prefer) for the flight. 

The dimensions are just a tiny bit over most airline regulations of 62 linear inches, but I've travelled with mine and have had no problems.

Other than that, I don't know what else to say. It works for travel to Africa. And makes a great storage container on arrival. 

A small note: when travelling to Africa, we've found that customs officials are attracted to shiny new luggage. Make yours look old with some scuffs and duct tape before your journey. The same goes for whatever appliances or goods are inside. Leave nothing new in the box and remove all price tags

Cultural differences: House-help (part 1)

Having some form of house help is a natural part of life for expats living in Togo. It is expected that if you have more money (or are perceived as having more money) than average it is your responsibility to share that wealth with others. If you do not share your wealth, you are viewed as being selfish and not a friend to the local community.

As an expat, having someone cook or clean at your house is culturally expected in Togo.

Before we left Canada there were a few things that prepared us for hiring someone. The first was talking with people (or in our case, relatives) who had been part of the service industry when first immigrating to Canada.

A close relative told us about her experience working as a cleaner to a well known public figure in her community. She worked very hard and this was noticed by her employers. They were kind to her giving bonus' at certain times of the year, occasionally giving her extra food if they had too much for themselves, not docking pay if she needed to take a day off due to a flu bug. They helped her secure a building permit when the family needed to renovate the house. Their kindness to her was never forgotten.

The second was watching a movie called 'The Help.'  Some people do still treat their house help as a separate class. Having extra hands around the home to help are such a blessing for us, we're not quite sure how people can behave so backwards.

If we were going to get someone to help us in our house I wanted to make sure they would look back on working with us as a time of good memories and remember us as fair, kind and generous employers.

Best Restaurants: Alt München

While the main restaurant is indoors (at left) they also have an outdoor seating area.

Coming from German heritage, one of the most pleasant surprises was to hear about a German restaurant in Togo. 

Alt München, situated near the port just next to the Seamans Mission, definitely helps fill the craving for German cooking. 

From the European styled facade, to the booth seating and selection of German beverages -- Alt München is the place to go if you're looking for German food. It's also the only place in Lome. 

To be honest, we've both got our favourite dishes and don't stray far from those.

The cote de porc forestiere (Jägerschnitzel) is smothered in a mushroom gravy and served with spätzle and red cabbage. Yum.

N's favourite is the cordon bleu. It's a huge portion and best of all the meat is soft and chewable!

Deserts are also very tasty (try the flambeed cherry ice cream -- no idea what it's called on the menu) but usually we are too full to order. 

And if you're not itching to go yet: they've got free wifi. 

Cote de porc forestiere.

Talk to the owners about whale watching (September through November) and deep sea fishing opportunities. 

Notes:

Closed Wednesday. 

Telephone: 22 27 63 21

And at this point in our restaurant reviews it's worth noting a few things: This is Togo. We're not giving reviews by western standards. Food at all the places we review will be edible, tasty and not make you sick. We're not promising perfect presentation, or even the best cuts of meat.  Also, many restaurants employ several chefs -- and sometimes one is much better than the other, so going at lunch may yield totally different results than dinner for the same dish. 

Get to know this man

One of the most helpful people we've met here in Togo is a carpenter. 

Depending on your living situation here, you may need a dining room set, a bed, a rocking chair, patio furniture, a bread box or a picture frame. 

And Elias Nyakpor is definitely the one to ask. He regularly works with embassies and expats and his quality of workmanship is very high. 

Our house came furnished, but Elias' wood bowls, bread box, spice rack and shoe rack make our home a much nicer place. He also made the backings for all our wall hangings.

Folding chairs, just one of the many things Elias makes.

It's worth mentioning that Elias can make practically anything from a drawing or a photograph. Just give him the measurements and tell him what type of wood you'd like used and it will happen. 

Sure, there are people out there who will give you lower prices, but guaranteed -- the quality will not be anywhere near his.

We know a woman who had a closet built and three months later it was reduced to dust by termites. It turns out the carpenter skimped on supplies while treating the wood. 

You may buy a table, only to have it split down the middle because the wood was improperly dried. 

Save yourself the hassle and talk to Elias. 

He's got a Facebook page set up which showcases a few of his creations: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LEbeniste-Africain/293472607350311

His number is: +228 90 11 43 09

(Elias can also direct you to the best  safe-for-yovo-consumption fufu in Lome. It's somewhere under a big billboard in the Tokoin neighbourhood.) 

Restaurant review: Cote Jardin

The spacious bar and dining area at Cote Jardin provides a relaxing atmosphere

 There are a few places in Lome that can make you forget where you are. 

And no matter what kind of day you've had, going to Cote Jardin and eating a scrumptious meal in their nicely decorated restaurant makes it all a bit better.

Tucked on a side street just off of the circular (officially Blvd 13 Janvier) near the beach, Cote Jardin is definitely on the upscale end of restaurants in Lome, but when you compare it to western restaurants: paying $15 (approx 7000 cfa) for a main dish still isn't that bad at all. 

Charcoal grilled chorizo

The food is tasteful and can also be on the creative end of things. Deep fried baby barracuda and antelope stew can be had along with more 'normal' dishes like charcoal grilled chorizo and steaks. 

Cote Jardin is also the place where we accidentally ordered cows tongue. It's a long story, but lets say we were tired, we felt pressured to order quickly and in a panic we pointed to an item from the beef menu. A moment after the waitress left, our French brain kicked in. Langue. What is langue. Tongue. Ahhhh! 

Let's just say that we're glad we ordered it at Cote Jardin, because they still managed to make it taste quite good. 

Directions:  5 Rue Simone-Dogbe, Quartier Ocam.

Telephone: +228 22 22 02 20 or +228 98 48 49 04

Website: http://www.cotejardin.tg/

Fly on the wall

This week, we had the opportunity of sitting through a four hour piano recital (without an intermission), and one thing that became abundantly clear to us again is that the media here are not as discreet as we were used to in Canada.

D tells me this is not how media normally acted back in Canada. I guess the fly on the wall concept has yet to take hold here.

Media: front and centre. Where's the kid playing piano?

Togo-Benin Border Crossing

If you've read our blog, you know that we have a special dark place reserved for crossing the Ghana border.

It's just not fun. Even when things run smoothly, the guards are unfriendly, abrupt and sometimes just plain mean.

We recently witnessed a Togolese border guard at the Aflao crossing (Ghana) demanding 15,000 CFA ($30) from a traveller because he made an error on the customs immigration form. That's the normal form handed out freely like candy.

Lorries waiting to be processed by customs near the Togo-Benin border.

But having just crossed the Togo-Benin border with a vehicle we can confidently say it is much easier to cross.

The layout at the border is a lot more straight forward for and follows a relatively straight line!

Show up, park the car under a shady tree, get exit stamped out of Togo, show yellow fever vaccination card, cross border to Benin, fill in Benin paperwork, get entry stamp into Benin, get car paperwork. Hit the road!

Time: approximately 30 minutes.

 Not bad, not bad at all.

There were no people insisting they be our guide or trying to be 'helpful' by grabbing our hand bags.

The only place where guides exist is by the Benin car paperwork post, which they will run and fill for you for a small fee (1000 cfa or less). They can sometimes be helpful, as the location of the paperwork post is not always as advertised! (We found the border guard hanging with his buddies in a different shack.)

The only visible sign of corruption was rather benign and also helpful, should you have forgotten your yellow fever vaccination card!

If you forgot your yellow fever card it costs 500 CFA ($1) to pass without it, though the European (Yovo) price may start higher.

We should note that our visas were processed before arrival. If you get your visa at the border, it will take longer!  On some days, border officials may run out of visa forms, or simply not want to process them unless a 'gift' is given.

Best Restaurants: Chez Fanny

How many restaurants are worth driving over 100 kilometres for?

Well, we've found one in a lovely mountain town, Kpalime, which lies just over 100 kilometres north of Lome.

In our opinion, it's one of the best restaurants in all of Togo.

Chez Fanny, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, also has a selection of excellent (SPOTLESS), air-conditioned rooms.

Avocado Shrimp Salad

While rooms do cost more than other hotels in Kpalime (18 000cfa+) the whole compound is meticulously clean --  enough to satisfy the scrutiny of any German oma. Beds also have springs, and pillows do not feel like hardened sacks of concrete.

The French-Togolese couple who own Chez Fanny are warm and welcoming and their menu boasts scrumptious selections of beef, lamb, chicken and fish as well as a set of daily specials.

Wines are chilled, tablecloths are clean, waiters are very attentive and often bilingual and the cost-per-plate is reasonable compared with your other options in Kpalime. (Entrees range between 4000 - 6000 cfa)

We recommend the avocado shrimp salad as an entree starter and the chicken brochettes, ginger shrimp or lamb as your main course. For those who like steaks, they're supposedly really good. And while we have yet to try it, the French Onion Soup is supposedly amazing.

Beef, ham and cheese roulade special. I wish this was always on the menu! 

It's worth noting that they serve something other than plain omelettes or 'petit dejeuner complet' for breakfast. Tuna, ham and cheese or chicken sandwiches can be had as well as a variety of other egg based dishes. We highly recommend the Bacon and Eggs.  While crepes are technically on the dessert menu, they can be had for breakfast as well!

Additional notes:
Chez Fanny is located at the south edge of Kpalime, on the right hand side of the street if you're coming from Lome. Look for a compound wall covered in flagstones.

Phone number: 24 41 05 79

Chez Fanny closes for the month of June.

Best Restaurants in Lome: Lalibela

What are the best places to eat in Togo?

To date, one of our most favourite places to go for a scrumptious meal in Lomé is Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant in the Forever neighbourhood. (That's on the same road as Plan Togo's new office, Av. de Kondona.)

Pros:
We were introduced to the restaurant by some friends of ours, and have yet to stray from their recommended dish: the vegetarian platter. It consists of injera with a variety of vegetarian dishes -- cabbage, bean, salad, etc.

It's huge and cheap (approx. 3,000 cfa) and it is easily shared if you're not too hungry.

And if you desire some meat, the tibs are a decent addition to the vegetarian platter.

Cons:
Power goes out quite regularly in this neighbourhood, so be prepared to sit in darkness as a waiter tries to get the generator going.

Slow. You will likely wait 45 minutes for your food, or longer if there's a few dishes being prepared.

Notes:
Phone number: 22 35 45 91
Closed Mondays

Visiting or Moving to Togo: Flights

Accra's Kokota International Airport on a hazy day.

A few things ground rules:
Finding a direct flight from Lomé that lands anywhere near your destination may be difficult.
On average, international flights in Lomé appear to be $500-600 USD more expensive than ones in Accra.

And as Accra is only 3ish hours away from Lomé by car, many expats living in Togo simply drive to Accra and enjoy a cornucopia of international flights. There's also shopping malls, movie theatres with current films and traffic laws that are obeyed! (A year-long multiple entry visa for Ghana costs $150 USD or so.)

Flights in Lomé and Accra are usually paid in cash if you are booking directly through the airline at their office. In fact, certain airlines may not allow you to book online if your IP address shows it is coming from West Africa. (Consider using a device to hide your IP address.)

We found great priced tickets with a certain Turkish airline, but were unable to book them online as our flight was departing from Africa. The website gave us an error message with a number to their call centre. We called, and while we were able to reserve the tickets, we were told that we had to make the payment at their office in Accra.

'OK, we're going to Ghana over the Christmas break, no problem. Where is their office?'

'It's in the Accra Airport.'

'And how can we pay?'

'We are proud to accept Visa, Mastercard and debit cards.'

'Are you sure, in our experience most places don't. We just want to make sure...'

'Absolutely, we proudly accept Visa, Mastercard and debit cards as means of payment.'

Well. We get to Accra (scroll down if you missed the tale of how we got into Ghana), drive to the airport and lo and behold, the airline office is no where to be found. They have a check-in gate, with a small sign stating that their office is adjacent to a hotel, somewhere else. Having never been to Accra and being map-less, this was not boding well.

We managed to find their office without much hassle.

'Your reservations are here,' the smiling lady behind the counter pronounces. 'That will be ¢2,576 per ticket.'

I hand her my Mastercard.

'Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept Mastercard.'

I hand her my Visa card, which we planned only to use in emergencies.

'Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept Visa. Cash -- Ghana Cedis -- only.'

'Excuse me, but just a few days ago, we called the Airline office and were clearly told several times that you accepted these as payment options. They didn't even mention cash.'

'There's a bank down the street, maybe you can get some Cedis there.'

In the sweltering heat, we trudged to the Barclays Bank. A smiling teller confidently pronounces that they are able to assist us, and taking out several thousand Cedis is not a problem. Then quietly, almost in passing the teller throws in that while possible, the transaction must take place at the main branch -- downtown. A vital tidbit of information, as it's late Friday afternoon and traffic in Accra is atrocious at best on any given day.

Rather than fight a losing battle, we continue with our vacation and return to the main branch of the bank early one morning the next week.

A surly middle-aged teller commands us to her wicket. I hand her the Mastercard and tell her how much we need withdrawn.

'Oh, we impose a limit of ¢1,500 per day. We can't give you that much money.'

'But, the teller at the other branch... uh,..' We were slightly flabbergasted.

I hand her the emergency Visa card as well. I figure that at least we would be able to purchase one ticket between the two cards. That's better than none, right?

She commands us to sit. The bank is air-conditioned and clean, so we don't mind the wait.

A few minutes later, we are beckoned.

'This one is blocked, and this one is giving an error message,' she says, thrusting the cards into our hands. 'You must call your bank.'

I reach for my phone, and start dialling the 1-800 number. This will be pretty expensive, I think to myself.

The phone starts ringing. A security guard grabs my arm.

'You can't use your phone in the bank.'

'But, the teller just told me to use my phone.'

'Out.' He's dragging us to the door.

'Isn't there an office, a quiet room we can use? It's loud out there, and I'd rather not be sharing my personal details with everyone on the street.'

He shakes his head.

We decide to stand next to two hired police officers guarding the ATM outside. At least we're sort of safe if our personal details are not.

I call the bank, and inquire about the Visa card. All of Accra decides to get louder. Cars start honking. A battered diesel dump truck decides to stop and rev his engine next to my ear. I can't hear the representative and she can't hear me. Finally I manage to answer some security questions, shouting out my birth date and digits of my SIN number to anyone who cares to listen. Oh, this card (which we've never used as it is an emergency card) had some problems while being activated.

'Great, let's activate it,' I say.

'Just a few more security questions. What is your mother's maiden name?'

This card is used by both of us, and we both had to fill out cardholder information. I ask her if she knows which one of us the question refers to. No idea, so I shout out my guess. She reads it back to me. Totally wrong. I shout it out again phonetically. This time we get the same letters.

'I'm sorry, that's the wrong answer, I can't help you any further.' Click.

I call Mastercard, and while waiting on hold, I start to wonder how much credit is left on my phone.

'Mastercard, how may I help you,' says the lady.

'You have one minute remaining,' says the phone.

I hang up. We buy some more credit, and try again.

'Is there a reason that the card has been frozen? '

'The reason the transaction was blocked, and your card frozen is because there was an attempted transaction from the Barclay's Bank in Ghana.'

'We notified you that we would be travelling in West Africa, is that note not on the file?'

'Oh yes, but this transaction took place in Ghana, not West Africa.'

My phone interrupts again.

We look at each other and decide that today is not our day. These plane tickets are not meant to be and so we leave Accra, spend the night at a beautiful mountain resort and head back to Togo.

Visiting or Moving to Togo: Money

So here's our thoughts on a few money related questions about traveling in West Africa, specifically Togo.



Visa or MasterCard - can you use them here?

A resounding 'NO.' In Togo, they are absolutely useless in daily life. I can count on one hand the number of businesses in Lomé that accept credit cards. I think a few banks state they accept Visa. Regardless, cash is the way to go.

As far as we can tell, Benin appears to be similar to Togo.

While Ghana seems to have a few more options available for tourists, the easiest method of payment is still cash. Places that say they do accept cards may not -- nonfunctioning machine, incompetent clerk (I almost paid $720 for a $72 tab) and perhaps they just lied to get you through the door. Banking institutions in Ghana are able to get cash off the card, but most impose a daily limit of ¢1,500 or so. If the machine is functioning and the transaction appears on the verge of being successful, odds are your credit card company will block/hold the transaction even if you've told them you're travelling in West Africa.

How much should I bring and in what currency?
It really depends on how long you're staying, what your accommodation is like and what you're buying.

A bed to sleep on at a very nice hotel may cost $200 or more (now this hotel may only have a three star rating but you will get hot water, air conditioning, clean sheets, wireless and good food in a marble crusted environment.) In smaller cities, I've stayed at perfectly comfortable local establishments (albeit not as posh and with a squeaky fan and no air conditioning -- probably 1/2 a star) for $5 a night.

In Togo, it is hard to find a proper Currency Exchange, but at the borders, you can change Euros, US, Cedis and CFA with ease with guys walking around with wads of bills. Do make sure you know what the going rate is before going and use a calculator to double check any calculations.

In Ghana, proper establishments exist and banks can change currencies as well.

Be aware that some people will not accept worn or damaged currency, as they believe it is 'broken' and worthless. Also, banks will often not accept US bills older than 2003.

What other money services are there?

Moneygram and Western Union are everywhere, and if you end up stranded without cash, these provide an easy way to get back on the road.

The Vehicle Hunt - Part 3

It didn't take us long to say yes -- there was no way we were going to let this car escape us again!

We agreed to look over the Land Cruiser one final time and, should everything go well, hand over the cash that very day at 10 a.m.

Hastily, we scrambled to scrape the money together and eagerly awaited the call from Robert that the vehicle was being driven over.

10.

10:15.

10:30. It's OK, it's Africa. There's traffic, delays. Things like this happen.

11.

12. We call Robert, and ask him what is going on.

"Oh, the owner's wife needed to do some shopping, so they took the Land Cruiser into town. They should be there very soon."

1.

2. Pins and needles. Waiting all day now. We call Robert again.

"The owner remembered that he still has the other man's deposit, and doesn't feel right about selling the vehicle while he still has the other man's money. He's called the other man, but he is not picking up. The owner has gone into town to look for him, so he can give him back his money."

3.

4. Nothing.

4:45. Robert calls. Good news, the deposit has been successfully returned!

But as it is now nearly 5 p.m., it is time to go home. Work for the day is finished, the man has gone home. What time can we meet tomorrow?

We agree to meet at 9 -- SHARP -- and hoped that the days events would not repeat themselves.

After many frustrated phone calls from Robert to the owner of the Land Cruiser, the chariot finally arrived. Each time he called, they were 'only five minutes away.'

They arrived at 9:45.

At 10:10 we made a list of repairs to be made -- all minor, thankfully -- a new mirror, new belts, pull some dents, make sure the hood stops sticking shut, rear seat belts, etc...

At 10:30, we handed over the cash to Robert, who, as the middle man, took the car to the government offices to start the paperwork.

At 1:00 p.m, we received word that the car was clear to be sold (ie, not stolen, not on any Interpol lists), and the transfer paperwork process had begun.

On Friday morning, the paperwork was all but complete, and most of the repairs were already done.

On Monday, with the new paint over the now-dentless surface dry, we rode off on Togo's windy, bumpy roads to Kpalime, a breathtakingly beautiful town surrounded by picturesque hills, cascading waterfalls and flurries of butterflies.

From there, we -- with quite a detour (stay tuned!) -- rode off into the Ghanaian sunset for what turned out to be one crazy, crazy trip to Ghana.

The Vehicle Hunt - Part 2

Sold. The vehicle we had wavered back and forth about and finally decided to buy had sold just when we made up our mind. Ripped from our grasp.

We were disappointed but figured that there must be a reason this vehicle was taken from us -- perhaps there was a better one just around the corner.

So we kept looking for this better car.

We looked at a late 90's Rav4, which looked nice, but upon closer inspection we became convinced that this was not the car for us.

Keep in mind that in Africa, cars are not considered in need of repair until they will no longer move. So strange banging and clattering noise emanating from the engine compartment are of no concern whatsoever. In fact, the seller may dutifully inform you that the angry sounds show that the car is really, really powerful.

Labour is cheap, and paint is nearly as cheap. So often times you will find freshly repainted cars for sale. This Rav4 had been painted, of all colours, black. We asked the man why on earth he would paint a car in Africa black. He muttered something sheepishly and declined to comment, but the consensus we have reached is that black equals luxury, even if you will roast alive under the scorching blaze of the sun.

While a fresh coat of paint is nice to look at, we found you're probably better off getting a vehicle that has not been repainted, as paint is also seen as a way to hide any critical blemishes. Like rust. Most cars we looked at suffered from serious rust issues, but rather than dealing with the rust and plastering the problem spots, the rust had simply been painted over.

As mentioned before, details are not the forte of the locals. We were informed that this Rav4 was 4x4. It wasn't even all wheel drive. A quick look at the dash or under the rear wheels could have shown that. Either the seller thought that we would be blissfully unaware or was somehow ignorant of the matter himself. Sort of a scary thought.

So we declined the Rav4, lurching us back into the realm of no vehicle and no leads.

We racked our brains all weekend and after a good dose of kicking ourselves for not buying the Land Cruiser when we first had the chance, we decided to go back to the Port first thing Monday morning.

To our surprise, we did indeed find several candidates, including Land Cruisers, right off the bat. But just as with our previous Port experiences, what you see on the outside doesn't always reflect under the hood. One of the Land Cruisers, an 86 LJ70, had a decent engine, but lacked a single VIN number. All VIN plates and numbers were removed and scratched off. Hmm. But the price was right. Too right...

A second Land Cruiser also had the right price and looked great from far away. But the magic of paint only works from distances over 10 feet. Upon closer inspection it became very evident that there was lots and lots and lots of rust that had been simply painted over. The interior was also infested with black mould. No idea how that happens.



Looks good? Step a little closer and you'll see loads of rust and an interior covered in black mould. Yeech.

The prices we were being quoted were considerably less than in previous weeks -- and I'm sure it was because Natalie was along -- but with all the work that would still be required to make these vehicles safe, the cost was rapidly increasing well above the cost of the now-sold '87 Land Cruiser.

I'll admit it, old Land Cruisers are not the most attractive of vehicles. They're boxy, uncomplicated, and don't have power steering or air conditioning. So naturally, Natalie started paying more attention to the other prime candidate for us: a Rav4. Far more curvy, a lot newer and quite a bit more comfortable.

But one mishap with a Rav4 in one of the Port lots made Natalie, who was completely hooked on the idea of a Rav4, refuse to buy one.

One of the dealers was proudly showing Natalie the comfortable drivers seat as I listened to the engine. Unsatisfied, I told Natalie, who was sitting behind the wheel to turn the car off, which she did. After she got out, the dealer put the car into first gear, since the e-brake did not appear to be functional. We continued to look at the car for a few moments, just to be polite.

The dealer, who was now sitting in the passenger seat, reached over to remove the key, which became stuck. Instead of cautiously wiggling it, he recklessly flicked the key back and forth -- into the on position, causing the car -- which was still in first with the faulty e-brake on, to leap forward. Several workers jumped to safety, narrowly avoiding crushed limbs, but the car proceeded to plow into another parked car. The polished plastic bumper splintered and cracked, the hood bent out of shape and the red-faced dealer frantically explained that the damage was no problem and was easy to fix and the car was still a good deal for us.



Natalie turned to me with a solemn look on her face and said, "we are never going to get a Rav4. If a 5km per hour collision does this to the front end, imagine a highway collision."

I agreed wholeheartedly, making sure to mention that Land Cruisers have a real steel bumper.

Even though the Land Cruisers we saw were real pieces of work, we called Robert and asked him to look over them with us, and he agreed to do so on Tuesday.

Frustrated, but optimistic that one of the lemons we saw may turn out to be OK after all, we fell asleep knowing that Tuesday would be another day with many more cars to look at.

I awoke to my phone ringing. It was Robert.

"Hello," I mumbled, expecting him to say he could not make it to the Port after all.

"Remember that Land Cruiser I showed you? The one I said was very good, but you did not like because it was too old and too expensive? The one that you then decided you would like, but it had just sold?"

"Yes Robert," I said. What I meant was, 'really, you don't have to rub it in. We get it. We missed a great opportunity.'

"The man who bought the car could not find all of his money. The car is unsold."

The Vehicle Hunt - Part 1

You may remember we were dissuaded from buying a motorcycle after a series of not-so-nice motorcycle related events.

So, the hunt for four wheels began.

First off, it is important to note that here in Togo there are no online classifieds -- or reliable old-fashioned classifieds either, for that matter.

And as we soon found out, used car lots are not the place to buy a car.

One afternoon, Natalie, another teacher at the school who speaks French and I trekked out to a conglomeration of vehicles parked outside the vehicle registration office. Dealers will buy cars from the port, register them and sell them right outside the office.



We made several observations rather quickly.

Firstly, cars here are EXPENSIVE. North American or European blue book values mean nothing. Don't blink twice if asked to pay 10,000 USD for a rusted, battered mid-90's Toyota 4runner. Car values are determined by the availability of parts and how easy they are to repair. For example, Toyota is more expensive than Ford, Mercedes or BMW because parts are readily available and mechanics know how to fix Toyotas.

Secondly, dealers don't only avoid telling you faults; they will bold-faced lie when you show them a problem. The smoke pouring from the engine compartment moments after you fire up the vehicle? It is only because they changed the oil just before you came, and happened to spill some. There is oil/other engine fluids seeping and bubbling from engine block orifices? No problem, the vehicle will be just fine. That is normal. Stupid American knows nothing about cars. Trust us, this car is very strong and will last forever. But for you, special price. Only 3,800,000 CFA (approx. $7,500 USD.)

Needless to say, we enjoyed the experience of looking at the car conglomeration, but vowed not to buy one there.

Which left two options. The Port and Robert.

Now, The Port of Lomé is full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Numerous dealers (most who happen to be Lebanese) have massive storage lots crammed full of Mercedes', Reneaults, Peugeots, Fords, and most any other brand imaginable. These cars, I am told, are often the 'rejects' from North America and Europe that have failed emissions testing or were police seizures. I've even seen a few with VIN plates removed and any identifying numbers scratched off.

And should you find a vehicle you like, the price you will be quoted will likely be quite lucrative. But there is a catch. Cars in the port lots have not had their import tax/port fee paid. And at 52%, the tax makes the price of a car quickly skyrocket.

Furthermore, the mechanics at the port are even more crafty than those selling cars outside the registration office. We've been told that several people have had experiences where they will pour some sort of syrup in the engine to mask any rattling sounds. Of course, it will hold together for the test drive around the small lot, but once you pay up and take it out of the lot and drive a little faster -- the engine seizes. And there is no Better Business Bureau. Your loss.

The last option we had available to us is a mechanic named Robert. Over time, many of the teachers at the school have asked him to help them find a car, and he has developed a reputation for being able to find the car you want at quite a good price. As a bonus, he guarantees the vehicles for 6 months and takes care off all the government paperwork to boot.

So we consulted Robert and asked him to find us our vehicle: a two-door 4x4, preferably Toyota. Preferably mid-90's.

A few days later, with our lack of French and his limited English, he informed us that he had found us what we were looking for. He described it as being very much like another teachers' vehicle -- which was a 94 Land Cruiser Prado.

It was at this point we learned another quirk of local culture: prices are not discussed on the phone, at all. But we were told it was within our requested price range.

So the next afternoon, we agreed to meet at 3:00 at the school. At 4:45, he showed up with the vehicle. It was definitely not a 1994 model. This is another cultural quirk. Car models and manufacture years mean nothing. If it looks sort of like something else, it is.

In fact, this one was a 1987 Land Cruiser LJ70. Despite the age, the kilometres were low, and the engine was in remarkable condition. But Natalie had informed me that in no way was she interested in a vintage vehicle. Besides, the asking price was at the top of our range -- and this was a really, really, old car.



Disappointed, we looked a few other cars in and around town, but nothing but a bunch of lemons showed up. We reassured ourselves that surely, by Christmas we will find something.

Robert informed us that he had bargained the price of the vehicle down nearly a million CFA. It was lucrative, but still felt a little too much for our naive taste.

I went back to the Port with Robert to look at some of the other Land Cruisers we had seen, but all had either serious mechanical issues or were even more expensive than the Land Cruiser LJ70 he had shown us. We began to rethink our decision. Maybe the oldie-but-a goodie was the way to go.

Besides, Christmas was just over a week away. And we had another complication to consider: the potential devaluation of the currency, rumoured to take place on January 1. If we were holding on to millions of CFA, we could stand to lose a lot of money. Furthermore, the cost of cars would skyrocket.

And after discussing it with many of our friends one evening, we decided that though the price was still a little uncomfortable, it was in our best interest to buy something now. And a vehicle that was easy to fix, with very few electronics (the radio is the most complicated thing in it) and a great track record was the way to go.

So we called Robert and informed him that we would like to purchase the 1987 Land Cruiser after all.

"Oh, Mr. Daniel. The Land Cruiser was sold in the last hour."

Substitutions for real things

When packing the 6 suitcases of our earthly belongings in preparation for the move to Togo, there were a few things we really thought we would miss. But, thanks to technology, great supermarkets and some pleasant surprises, here are a few things we actually don't have to live without.

Family & Friends - Going a long time without seeing friends and family is tough, but having Skype sure makes a whole lot easier! The other night we had the chance to talk to both our sets of parents and even the grandparents all within 1 hour, even though they live in different provinces and were on the other side of the world.

Current North American TV programs. We are able to stay up to date by accessing streaming TV thanks to websites like sidereel and watchseries. Due to the slow internet connection shows take a few hours to load but we can usually watch them the day after they have aired back home. Some of our favorites right now include Canada's Worst Driver 7, Glee, NCIS La and The Mentalist.

Oma or mom's homemade canned peaches. Here peaches in a can taste gross. They are almost salty tasting. At omas house or moms house canned peaches are available even throughout the winter months and they taste great with ice cream. The other day we went to the import grocery store and found this peach compote in a can. Not having high hopes we bought one can of it and one week later, it was empty! It tastes almost like home and goes great on toast in yogurt and in smoothies. We'll have to try some of the other fruit compotes from this company.

Cheese. Since Togo is a former French colony there are many French foods one can find at the import grocery stores called Ramco and Champion. Smoked Gouda, cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan, it's all here.

Nutella. D loves this stuff and I have weakness for it as well especially on freshly ripened finger bananas from the market.

Fresh bread. White bread, whole wheat bread, baguettes, flat bread, rye bread it all exists here. There are bakeries that sell this stuff as well as bicycle riding vendors who will drive by your house every morning with fresh bread in the boxes on the back of their bike.

Root beer. Its one of our favorite types of pop. While there are rumours of its existence at the US Embassy, we found it locally! The other day we were in Ramco and noticed this can of pop which claimed to be Sarsi flavour. It was imported from Malaysia and Sarsi turns out to be Short for sarsaparilla -- root beer! We are not ashamed to admit that we are hoarding quite a bit of the stuff.

Swimming. The strong current in the ocean makes swimming impossible or very, very dangerous at the beach. But there are plenty of places with swimming pools overlooking the ocean. You have to pay about $2-$5 but it is worth it. At the club the school owns D and I get to swim for free and, yes, it's lovely.

Togo Tummy

Well, it has finally arrived.

At first I figured that I had made it unscathed -- that somehow my innards were more fortuitous than the rest.

But thanks to some suspect prawns cleverly disguised in a scrumptious coconut-tomato sauce -- Togo Tummy has arrived.

At first, it was just a rumble in the distance followed by some awkward squirming.

But by this evening, I was sprinting toward any porcelain pot in sight.

And internal events can be influenced by external surroundings...

Whilst making my way toward the neighbourhood supermarche, Ramco, I began to notice the rumbling once again.

'It will be a quick shopping trip, nothing much -- just some deli meat, cheese and some cereal,' I reasoned.

I can control my functions for five minutes, right?

But unfortunately, Ramco has bone-chilling air-conditioning, which, as I found out immediately, speeds up time.

Three minutes later, Natalie was left to do the shopping on her own, whilst I bolted for the door.

Once outside in the sticky heat of the night, things settled down long enough for me to march home.

Also, Pepto Bismol is a great invention.

Lists

Right now on our fridge sits a large poster paper detailing all the things that need to be done before we leave. The list grows longer by the day and a part of me worries about finding time to get everything done.

I came across a website online that broke down week to week of what should happen if you are planning an international move. Right now looks something like this:

• Organize, sort, sell, pack or throw out items that you will not be taking overseas.

We had a garage sale last weekend to sell most of our furniture and items we were not using or going to be needing for much longer. The house looks like a hurricane went through it a now we are sorting everything from inside out. It is a long arduous process. We need to have everything organized by June 10 as we have a Goodbye/Grad Party here on the 12.

• Give the house a good thorough cleaning so that when D moves out it isn't as tedious a chore.
  

• Take care of all the necessary paperwork (passports, banking, billing, cellphones, cars, etc.)
  

• Spend as much time with family and friends as possible before leaving. Get those family projects done and clean out room at the parents house.

• Purchase items needed for time away. Get packing materials together.
  

• Observe various teacher teaching to get ideas to bring to Togo.
  

This is a sample of the list. It looks quite short as all of it appears quite vague in reality it is taking up an entire poster board and then some. I love checking things off and will admit that if I do something for Togo that is not on the list I will add it to the list just so I can see another check mark and feel slightly more at ease.

Blogs and Books

Just finished reading a book called Letters from Togo even though it was written back in 1983-1984 reading it brought me back to Africa. I enjoyed the descriptions of life in Lome from the perspectives of an expat university professor from North America. The whole book can be found at this link below. I didn't find out if the author ever returned to Togo after 1991 as she passed away last year.
Letters from Togo

I have been reading quite a bit these days trying to glean as much information as I can on Lome and the rest of Togo. I have also been following a number of bloggers all around Togo. Some are working with missions organizations, others are working for NGO's, a few from the peace corp and several international teachers. I was talking with D about having a blog party once we get to Togo. The party would sort of be a thank you for those people out there who blog about daily life and living that I can read up on before I get there.