First Day in Kpalime!

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

~Robert Louis Stevenson

 As we were driving into Kpalime, I just knew that I was going to love it. I believe in signs, and traveling along, I felt more at home with every kilometer. The route to Kpalime is surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs; it's just like driving up “the green tunnel” at home. What really made me happy was the rain! I was excited when sprinkles started falling on the windshield! Ha-ha I know this would not make most people happy, but I guess I’m not like most people. Kpalime is in the mountains and not far from the highest peak in Togo. It rains a lot here and is known to have a milder climate than other parts of Togo. I’m looking forward to regularly falling asleep to the sound of rain on my roof. I guess you can take the girl out of the Pacific Northwest, but you can’t take the Pacific Northwest out of the girl.

To celebrate our first night we went to a Belgian restaurant in town that is owned and operated by the lovely Mary and her son Yan. They came to Togo from Belgium eight years ago and have settled down in Kpalime. I ate the best bœuf bourguignon of my life! Melt in your mouth deliciousness! Mary introduced us to her favorite drink, “the Obama.” The drink is a Togolese beer with a little bit of grenadine. Mary says that it’s mixed and it’s sweet, it’s an Obama! I can’t wait to take friends here when they come to visit. Dining at this restaurant and talking to Mary made me feel like I wasn’t in Togo for a little while. I think it will be nice to come here if I ever get frustrated, have a bad day, or am feeling really homesick and lonely. I’ll be able to sit back, eat yummy European food, and relax with an Obama.

an obama

To get home from the restaurant we had to take motos. Riding a moto is not my favorite thing to do yet, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. When I was in the U.S., I never rode on the back of motorcycles. It’s still scary to me and the helmet makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. Kpalime is a big city, very spread out. Because I won’t be living in the center of town, I will have to either ride my bike or take motos a lot. Thankfully, I live fairly close to my school, and will be able to walk to work. The roads can get pretty muddy so I want to say “Thank You!” to my mom, who bought me some short rain boots before I came. They will definitely come in handy here. Overall, I’m really happy with my post. I’m looking forward to exploring the city in the next week and having friends come to visit in the future. Meet me in Kpalime!