Out of Village

I just got back to village after almost two weeks away. We had IST (In Service Training) in Pagala. PC has a training center there and it will be the first of many trips for me, especially if I participate in the summer camps that are held there also. It’s located in the middle of the country so it’s easy to get to, but our savannes group was still the last to arrive. I’ll spare you the details of training but I will say that it was very inspiring and I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned in my village. Our whole stage was also together again for the first time since we swore in as Volunteers. At the end of a week we had a Halloween party. The other two girls in savannes and me dressed up as the three hyenas from The Lion King. Other costumes at the party included Mario and Luigi, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Ghadaffi (does anyone know the real spelling of his name?) and his ghost, pirates, a crayon and black swan. Many people used clothes that they found in village marches, also known as dead yovo because the Togolese think that the only way white people would get rid of their clothes would be if they died.

After IST, our savannes crew headed to Atakpame for the post visit party for the new stagiaires. They arrived in Togo back in September and will swear in as volunteers Nov. 17 and I will officially become a sophomore! I met the 5 new people coming to my region and they all seem really cool. Then my friend and I headed to Kpalime. Other than Lomé, it has the highest concentration of foreigners that I’ve seen so far in Togo. It’s also one of Togo’s only tourist destinations, meaning there are nicer hotels, restaurants and tours geared towards travelers. I got to take a hot shower and felt clean for the first time since I’ve been in Togo. The scenery reminded me a lot of Costa Rica. We hopped on the back of motos and when up the mountain. From the top you could see miles in all directions and I got my first glimpse of Ghana. We also explored a small village on the crest of the mountain and saw some gorgeous drawings by local artists using colors made from nature. It was a nice escape from Togo but after a couple days I was ready to get back to my small, quiet village where life is cheaper and people don’t try to rip me off.

I just finished my first three months at post. That means… I’m allowed to have visitors now! Anyone who wants to come visit, start planning your trip now! Email me if you have questions. Also, I’ve been trying to have a theme to each of my posts but let me know if there is anything specific that you have been wondering about that I haven’t touched on yet.