This year my Girlfriend and I went by air to Togo .
We arrived 5th of may 2013 in Lome Airport and had a friend waiting ..
When we had exit the plane , we felt like entering a terrarium , humid and HOT Togo !
Impossible to come from Belgium and then go and try to sleep in a non airconditioned room was really not an option ! so we rented a nearby +-cheap hotel with AC and tried to survive the first week by spending alot of time in the hotel room ;) and looking for old friends as the boy You could see in the foto , he is a streetkid , no family no house , just found him one day sleeping in some alley on the ground with his fellow friends.. feeling for them . This boy i knew from last travel last year and i promised him when i come back i will try to do what i can for you .. I took him in , to sleep in our hotelroom , on the sofa , he had a nice shower and good meal , and freshly washed clothes ''to big for him'' but anyway he felt cosy , we went out and bought a dvd with cartoons and heenjoyed anyway , it didnt affect alot of his life still :/ Sometimes we hold little tiny party's for some streetchildren in Lome , buying them a softdrink and some food ...
People warned me that i could get in trouble with this , that some people might sew you for ''you know '' stupid mindsetting , '' maybe also harsh reality (pedo's etc..) :/ , but come on , we are there to look for recordz and to try to be nice to people even if its only for a glimps in their lives...
As the first days went by also little by little Recordz were brought by people who got to hear that a "Yovo" (white guy) is looking to buy their old records...
When we walked around and asked several people if they still know who would still have records in his possession . Most people gonna tell you that , Yes , they once had , but they have throwed them away , or burned them ..
We met several people staring at a corner in their yards with fire remains on the walls saying : ooh damn , i just burned like 200 or 50 of them 1 month ago or 2 years ago , or 30 years ago ..
Leading to sometimes very painfull moments , for the previous owner and for the digger :/
Questioning : what would have been inside that collection that just went up in fire or was used as some kind of frisbee for the children .. aiaiaiaiai , ...
One guy had u HUUUGEE , collection of ...sleeves :/ , he throwed away the records and kept the sleeves as souvenir... omg !
He had throwed them into a pit that they lighted up afterwards..
We met alot of people who once had records !
As the week passed we went to the harbour and looked to buy a good motorbike . I really do trust Myself alot more than any other guy driving some cheap chinese bike to transport my girlfriend or me .. well sometimes you dont have a choice and you have to trust and pray ... accidents happen everyday :(
When driving around alot in African country's , You'll see unfortunatly.. So heres the bike we found those days :) Honda Dominator 650cc !
