A quick trip.

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  Lome, Togo
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

 Busy weekend , i went to Accra, Ghana, with my father, which is a 4 hour 1500km ordeal where a fourth of the road is dangerously potholed, un-maintained and double loaded trucks swerve precariously away and towards your car to avoid said potholes. Its the first 51 km, or the last depending on your direction, that strains my lower back if i chance a bad seat in the 12 seater van. It only cost 6.50 CAD each way for a distance i believe is roughly Ottawa to Toronto. Included in every car is 120 minutes of the most non sensible and confusing evangelical music i hope to never hear again, and other selections of Reggae or African remixes of country western.
I found it quite funny how at each point along the journey where the van has to slow down because of a police checkpoint or tollbooth, swarms of people surround and chase after the van. Each is carrying the same selection of sugar bread or dried salted plantain and once or twice a long since melted yogurt snack. One second I'm dosing off, enjoying the gentle vibration of the too infrequently  paved road, in the next, 10 pairs of eyes are huddled around the side window waving full loafs at me. While in Accra i was tempted to stay the week after our small busyness was taken care of. Rest after the trip, take in some of the site's the comparatively modern Ghana has to offer, but the trip was a distraction from my routine/goal of theocratic service and surfing practice so i was anxious to get back to Lomé.
Leaving payed off as i was able to keep my arrangement for service this morning. Although a little frazzled i managed to stay out for the normal 8-12pm day. I had the opportunity to use the portable DVD player i have with me,  presenting the Society's video on bloodless surgery, to one of my service partners studies's. Later in the afternoon my service partner , Br Karim and i went to Asê·gamè or, Grand-Marché to buy more seasonable service and meeting clothe's.
 
The Market
 
I could not barter my way out of a free car wash. So having an experienced local brother was vital. He knew what the fair price of clothing should be, which can mean the difference between paying 15$ and 5$ for a pair of pants.Good quality, European cut,  used clothing is cheaper here. There are huge markets outside of town dedicated to imported clothes. Knowing about these markets allowed me to pack less clothes.
 The Grand-marché is a mix of street vendors, taxi's, moped's, wholesalers, Muslim neighborhoods, Indian neighborhoods and constant diligence so not to be knocked to the ground by all of the above, at the same time.
.You can find all the worlds finest brand names, never used, at half the cost, like ; Ki-ke and All-Starrrs shoes, SiecQ and Cahio watches and Blue-Navi and Banana-na-Republique shirts.You can find pirated movie's, 12 Hollywood flicks on each dvd down to fake hologram Nokia battery's . If you go into the Market without knowing what you want, you can quite easily spend for what you don't need.
 
Tomorrow I'm finally going to visit Togo bethel ! Ill be going with my friend Amenuve who i haven't seen since soon after my illness.The tour is expected to last an hour since   its quite small relative even to Canada branch. I always get a thrill when visiting another country's hub of spiritual food. I will hopefully get a chance to eat lunch with the bethelite's aswell. I wonder if they prepare local food or western style food ?
I hope its not fish-day, which i think is either Tuesday or Friday back home :-D

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