We May Never Pass This Way Again

 "I wanna laugh while the laughin' is easy; I wanna cry and make it worthwhile."

~Seals and Croft 

I have to admit that after almost two years in Togo, I appreciate the good fortune of my assignment to Kpalime. I mean, every region has it's own benefits and challenges, but I've been very happy here. I have electricity and running water. I can walk to my bank and post office. There's a large market everyday with everything you can imagine. We are near numerous tourist attractions including waterfalls, chateau, butterfly hikes, and the mountains. Kpalime is very close to the highest peak in Togo, Mt. Agou. There are a few villages situated on the mountainside and I finally made the trip up to the highest village last week, when a few Peace Corps Volunteers came to visit.

Getting up to the village takes about 30-40 minutes on a moto from my house. You travel on a paved road and then take a dirt road up for the last couple miles. When we arrived at the village, students were carrying dirt up the village's many, many steps. We think the village is building an extension to the school or something and that's why the students were enlisted to help. Climbing all those steps felt like a workout on the Stairmaster, and these children were doing it while carrying containers of dirt on their heads and SINGING. 

It was fun to trek around with my friends and our moto drivers, exploring the place. We definitely drew a lot of attention in a tiny village that is not used to foreigners. We had a little following of kids up at the very top who loved to get their picture taken. I think they were startled to see that we knew a little of their local language, and that one of us was wearing the same flip flops that they had on. The view at the top was absolutely breathtaking. I have seen the sun rise over Mt. Agou countless times on my morning walks; I'm so glad I finally got to see what life is like up there.  

It's great to live in a town where people want to come and see the sights. I love exploring the surrounding area of Kpalime and playing tourist with my friends. Living here in this beautiful, tropical climate is so different from back home. Knowing that the countdown is on to my return makes me very aware of how much I want to take it all in, see all that I can see. I want to leave feeling like I soaked up every drop of Togo.  There have been highs and lows, but we may never pass this way again, so I want to make the most of every last moment.