Soon after independence from France in 1960, Togo was cursed with what became Africa's longest-running dictatorship lasting almost four decades, although some progress has been made since his death in 2005.
On trips outside the cities, we had a chance to see some villages that, while expecting us, did not seem to be on a regular tourist circuit and were not yet jaded toward visitors.
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| Wonderful welcoming committee at this Ewe village (northwest of Lomé). |
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| School kids singing at the Ewe village; older women watching their daughters dancing. |
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| Of the many traditional singing and dancing groups we've enjoyed over the past three weeks, this group in Kpalime in the highlands of Togo near Mount Agou was definitely the best. |
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| Really cool to sometimes be on the opposite side of the camera! |
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| A change from my usual shots of kids with broad smiles are these more pensive ones. |
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| Left: A surprisingly boring voodoo ceremony at a small village. Right: Part of a large "fetish market" with animal remains for use in voodoo potions and magical concoctions. |
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| Bustling central market in Lomé (the capital of Togo) |
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| Left: Togo's impressive monument to freedom and independence. Sadly, it was erected just before the start of the long-running dictatorship. Right: The dramatic German cathedral towering ― in an odd cultural juxtaposition ― over the busy streets of Lomé's central market. |
Togo photos are also featured in this photoshow from my 2005 trip to west Africa:
