Togo with a touch HAZARD (continued, part 3) Our friendly taxi driver who took us to the market, decided to go with us. Perhaps he too was curious. In my hands was a pen and paper, but I could not figure out where to start, given that around was much more interesting. Later, I almost could not make out your own handwriting (it is in the order of things), but here are some excerpts from my notes: NB: All animals are dead, but some are dead a little more than others. Dog's head, 13, all disgusting. Head of storks and crocodiles snout spherical head with spots - hyena or a cat? Empty cage the elephant feet, without claws. Yellow tkachiki, flattened into a kind of pies. Whole heads of buffaloes in varying degrees of decomposition. Kingfisher, Woodpecker, Abyssinian roller (small birds living in tropical Africa, ca. TRANSFER) - I wonder how they catch them? A whole box of flying fox with big white teeth. Heads of monkeys. Rats, flattened, with the guts out. Tortoiseshell. Skin of the crocodile. Dried fish-dog. Snake, coiled or frozen in a threatening posture. Six heads of domestic cats. Baboon's head with a wild-eyed. Many of dried toads. Two huge hippopotamus skull. The cage with the vultures. Dried scorpions, I counted 34 pieces and it was only a few trays. I chose only one, not too terrible picture, but it is enough to make it clear that this place is. I apologize if someone even this picture may seem daunting. Market amulets, a fragment of "showcase" All this is confusing. On the one hand, you do not want to judge too categorical about local customs and beliefs. Life here is very different from ours, and in most cases not for the better, and all these rituals are just that - an attempt to cope with something, to overcome something, and just live. Problems with your business? You can call the witch doctor, and he's going to fix the elixir of chameleons (chameleons have been particularly useful in solving problems related to work) ... At least, the person will feel that he tried to do anything when all other methods have not helped. Maybe they actually believe that all this helps. But for a man on the side for a foreigner, these rituals seem to be honest, pretty dark and melancholy. Almost all the beautiful birds and animals that we admire in Africa, were presented at the voodoo market in umertvlennom state. Skulls of elephants and hippos ... Honestly, you do not want to even think how they got here. Look at the dead tkachikov, kingfishers and owls simply intolerable. Communicate with people in the market and it does not look gloomy was not easy. However, we still talked a little bit. In particular, the "son of the sorcerer" who wanted to sell us a pair of amulets. We took in the room, the sorcerer "(It is no different from any other shop in the market, albeit in a corner stood a cage with two amusing rats). There we were shown a variety of "props", the wooden charms for lovers and clay statuettes of the god of thunder Legby. Legba me something reminded Furby (mechanical toy that looks like a mixture of an owl and a hamster, approx. Perevi.) And I asked if it is not blasphemy. From the head of his feathers sticking out, and instead of his mouth was a hole. Temple of Pythons "Statuette of the god to protect the entire family" - our guide explained to us. - "But once a year into his mouth to insert a cigarette and set fire to it and let it burn until the end." I wonder what brand of cigarettes prefers Legba? Apparently I looked a little worried, because our guide said: "Do not worry if you have at home do not smoke, you can just pour it in your mouth a little water." How nice that the god of thunder was so understanding, but in any case, I think that customs would not be thrilled if I wanted to take him home. Instead, we chose two simple amulet for travelers. They are pink in color, made of wood, very small, and to make them had to kill just one tree. We both knew that we needed some souvenir from Lome, but tried not to show their particular interest. We are likely to try to inflate when the conversation will go on a price. "Son of the sorcerer" declared that the gods themselves will determine the price. Exactly. After quite a simple ritual, which included the ringing of a bell, whispering our names in the turtle shell and throwing cowrie shells (genus of marine gastropods, approx. Perevi.) Land, a young shaman said that the gods are usually asked to 18,000 CFA francs for the two amulets (about 22 pounds sterling), but they will save up to 15 thousand. Who knew that the gods have special offers? Seth said, thanks for the offer, but two pieces of wood, we will not allow that kind of money. The son asked the sorcerer of the gods, whether they wish to change the price. Again fell on the floor cowrie shells. The gods said that 12,000 to arrange. We smiled, stood up and dusted. Seth said that as amulets anything is not present, two thousand francs - that's the maximum that we can give. Then the sorcerer's wife intervened and took our price for the sake of good relations with tourists. I think that day the gods with a price no luck. Traffic in Cotonou next week we spent in Benin, about which I was even told nothing will. The country was not as interesting as I imagined. With the visa having minor problems, and yet there was a nasty incident when a goat peed on our backpacks - that's all. City of Cotonou was one more dangerous for tourists capital. In the evenings there is better not to stick your neck out, and if you were on the street at this time, the operator should move as quickly as possible. I told Seth that he had immediately to go to Lagos to complete the triptych of dangerous cities in the style of Francis Bacon (English painter, the main theme of painting which was a tragedy of existence, approx. Perevi.). For some time we spent in the cities of Ouidah and Abomey. There we experienced a strong hurricane, which hit the coast. During a thunderstorm, lightning fell into the ground so close to the place where we stopped, that my hair stood on end, and at night we both had not slept for several hours. Yet there is a voodoo temple with a lot of pythons and the holy forest where the suspicious-looking monkeys watched us from the tree crowns. We were just a few kilometers from Nigeria. Apprehension dissipated and were replaced by curiosity that pushes us toward the border. The complexity and danger of our journey has gradually increased, and we're both very seriously were ready to continue. Start material:
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