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 Arriving at the airport, immigration procedures went smoothly. Custom
on the other hand was a gauntlet of blatant shakedowns for
money and things. Inspections seemed to be more dependent upon how much
the official perceived the passenger might pay than having anything to do with
the security or contraband. It begs the question why would someone who is
being irritated feel compelled to dump money on their antagonizer. The
pleas for help weren't even compelling: One rather large, health and smartly
dressed customs woman put on
a mournfully sorrowful face and begged that she need money for food.
I remind myself that airports have nothing to do with countries. Forget
about it and move on.
At the moment "moving on" meant Lome, which isn't exactly a beacon of light either, but it is a city so my
expectations aren't too high. It might need even less than that: There is
a veneer of plastic garbage throughout the downtown, potholes stretched the
entire width of the streets, man-holes that drop into the obis have no covers, a
search of about 50 square blocks in the downtown turned up four sit-down
restaurants, Internet cafes were even more scarce, numerous motorcycles make it noisy,
and car parking on the sidewalks blocks the path for pedestrians so they walk in the street leaping potholes, dodging
manholes and evading @ssholes (on motorcycles). Chatting with people is
engaging but most of the cityscape around them is unremarkable.
The one building in central Lome that seemed to have any shine to it was the
Cathedral.
 Once
there were a number of modest African-cuisine restaurants in the center of
town, but they have now disappeared without a trace. Similar restaurants can
now be found in clusters along the circular boulevard (Lome's version of strip
mall). These are a couple of kilometers from the old heart of the city.
 Lacking any other viable option for breakfast we ate at a
sidewalk table, with locals on their way to work. At our table the
chef was preparing
 made to order, onion and tomato omelets,
with special seasoning,
accompanied by a baguette and your choice of black coffee, café au lait, tea
or cocoa. The recipe for cafe au lait is 3/4 cup of boiling water, 1/4
cup of sweetened condensed milk and a couple of scoops of rich instant
coffee. All-in-all it is a tasty combination and interesting
ambiance.
On the fringes of the center are newer modern buildings, mostly with the
name of such-and-such bank on them. As the focus of economic activity
has moved outward the center of the city seems to be economically imploding.
The tale-tell signs of shuttered and padlocked buildings in the center give clues to past
business activity.
 Except for the
banks and a few isolated modernesque commercial buildings, the building and
businesses on the
 periphery are typical one and two-story,
cement block, zinc roomed structures, which are owner operated and handle a
limited inventory in a specific line. These are quintessential "ma and
pa" businesses, where most employees are members of the immediate or extended
family.
 While
our hotel in the town center was worn, it was in comparatively
better conditions than the city outside its walls. Within it walls it
offered a bit of an oasis with a tree shaded courtyard garden and quiet
ambiance. Patient visitors could get a visit from several
multi-colored, head-bobbing lizards that patrolled the garden for insects.
  Lome
is also know for its traditional medicine market, which is towards the
outskirts of town. It is free for locals to visit. There is a
charge for foreigners -- but you can take all the photos that you want.
The primary subject of photographs is a large volume of dead animals.
The
 collection is
largely mammal, bird and amphibian sculls, but there are also some skins, feathers, bones, shells,
quills, eggs, minerals and assorted other parts of the natural world.
If you are ailing you can visit one of the traditional healers that is on
site, they will provide you with a list of ingredients for the potion that
will heal you. You can then buy the ingredients, the potion
would be prepared and then you would be instructed on how to use the it. Depend upon the malady and the potion, it might be rubbed on,
prepared as a tea and drunk, or ingested as it is, etc.
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Addendum:
My airport problems weren't the worst this weekend: People
coming from Ghana were frozen in there tracks when the international border
closed for three days for a general election. But elections are the
exceptions not the rule. Procedures at the airport, which haven't changed
for decades are unlikely to change soon. |
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