2012 - OCEAN PRINCESS - TOGO

LOME IN TOGO...

DON’T TELL ME YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS. BUT YOU COULD GUESS AT NEXT DOOR TO BENIN & BE RIGHT.

AND TODAY WE ARE OFF TO JUST YOUR COMMON, EVERYDAY, AVERAGE ....

FETISH MARKET.

YES - YOU HEARD

JUST LIKE THAT, WE STEP INTO A FETISH MARKET.

THERES SANDY, CLICKING AWAY LIKE CRAZY.

ALL THAT STUFF IS FOR SALE & IT CANNOT BE TOURISTS BUYING IT. THEY WOULD NEVER GET IT HOME. SO IT MUST BE THE LOCALS & THERE SEEMS TO BE BUYERS..

ANYWAY - WE ARE OUT OF THERE AND THERE IS AN AMAZING VARIETY OF STUFF FOR SALE ALONG THE ROAD.

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE PATTER OF THE SALESMAN.

CAN I INTEREST YOU IN A NICE COFFIN TODAY SIR? WE HAVE A NICE ONE HERE GOING CHEAP, MIGHT FIT THE MOTHER-IN-LAW.

WE ARE A BUS LOAD OF PEOPLE, FORTY MAYBE, WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER BUS.

WE STOP FOR A PEE BREAK. WANDER THROUGH ONE BUILDING, ACROSS AN OPEN SPACE.

SEE THESE KIDS & THE DRAGONFLY. NOTE HOW WHITE THE BABIES CLOTHES ARE. HOW DO THEY KEEP EVERYTHING SO CLEAN? EVERYWHERE YOU GO IT'S LIKE THAT. A TOTAL MYSTERY TO ME.

& REACH THE ONE TOILET AVAILABLE PER SEX.

THE LONGEST PEE BREAK. THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS PEE BREAK.

GAVE US SOME TIME TO TAKE IN THE STREET LIFE THOUGH & FOR THE STREET LIFE TO TAKE STOCK OF US.

A STOWAWAY BUTTERFLY...

HOPE THIS GIRL MADE SOME SERIOUS CASH HAVING HER PHOTO TAKEN.

THERE SHE GOES, PUTTING SOME MONEY AWAY.. ENTERPRISING LADY

THEN WE ARE OFF AGAIN TO VISIT A VILLAGE

& SEE SOME LADIES SPINNING CLOTH..

IS THAT A MAN WITH SOMETHING ON HIS HEAD? VERY RARE...

AND MORE DRIVING AND A PLACE TO SHOP AND LUNCH...CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE EUGENE...

MORE DRIVING AND INTO ANOTHER VILLAGE, A BIT BIGGER THAN THE ONE IN BENIN BUT STILL THE WELCOMING CEREMONY WITH THE WATER & SALT ON THE FLOOR.

KIDS, FASCINATED BY ALL THESE CRAZY WHITE FOLKS.

LADIES DANCING.

MEN DRUMMING.

I GOT THESE KIDS TO TAKE THEIR OWN PHOTOS AND GIGGLE OVER THE RESULT...

AND MORE STREET SALES...

WITH A DRIVE ALONG THE BEACH AND BACK TO THE SHIP.

TOGO - ANOTHER GREAT PLACE TO VISIT.

I WONDER IF ANYONE BOUGHT AT THE FETISH MARKET:

WHICH IS A SUPERMARKET SELLING STUFF FOR VOODOO RITUALS,

BUT YOU KNEW THAT - RIGHT?