How to bargain with the gods - Part 1

Togo with a touch of Lou HAZARD Barnhem, England We were in Togo on a road that only a stretch pulling on the phrase "primer." At the end of this terrible dirt road we were supposed to meet an immigration control post of Ghana and Togo. It seemed incredible that here in the middle of the jungle, on the road, along the edges where grass grows tall with a man, we can wait for someone, however, the posts were in place. Not all passengers are given their passports to get stamped on border crossings. Mostly they send border guards a few notes and did not even get out of the truck. By purchasing a visa in a nearby a provincial town, we landed in the town Kpalime. I would like to call Kpalime city, but language does not turn - it's just a small village, although being in it, a feeling like you got in a big city. In the sense that, being on the street, you can easily breathe in exhaust fumes spewing dozens of cars. Despite the fact that all sides with magnificent views of the countryside, traffic on the roads here are very strong, and we need a hundred times to look around before you venture out to cross the street. The town looked good, but we had to get out of here. A resident of Cooma Konda Two motorcyclists were taken us out of town to the big hill where the road starts to zigzag, and kept threatening dangerous turns. We headed to the village of Kuma-Konda, on the road past the noisy waterfall. Motorcyclists rode so fast that our movement in the hills was more like riding a rollercoaster. We even smiled involuntarily, as it usually occurs during the visits to attractions. We stayed in a modest hotel Oberzh Papillon "(hotel" Butterfly "), and agreed with Prosper (hotel owner, an artist and expert on butterflies) the next day to go for a walk in the countryside. He is a true pro in these walks, he even gave us a small discount, which favorably affected our budget. During this walk we'll have a picnic, take a look at the waterfall and butterflies that inhabit the local forests. Now we have nothing else to do but relax, wander around the village and hoped that in the morning the weather is good. The village Butterfly Cooma Conda was very small, and butterflies are considered to be a profitable business. We were greeted by a boy at the hands of the net which was the size of himself: "Bon Soir!" - And ran home. The trees hung traps for butterflies. Inside, they fluttered a large number of these colorful insects. From the nearby woods came a strange pleasant smell of rotting fruit. At sunset the surrounding hills become a wonderful shade of pink, but as darkness fell all around the stained blue. Beer, which we bought at the local "bar" was the perfect opportunity for local children stare and laugh at us. We sat at low tables on plastic chairs, which were placed next to the small shops selling cakes, sardines, cigarettes and liquor. The first stars appeared. Life seemed perfect. I caught myself thinking, and not the first time that a trip to Africa seems to be something incredible smoothly until the moment when you come here. I wonder how long will remain a sense of reality of our adventures? Hand chameleon from Cooma Konda walk the next day resulted in a 7-hour epic. Prosper is very skillful with his net, and the butterfly is amazing with its beauty. We managed to see the spiders, grasshoppers, giant millipedes and shiny beetles. In some places, came across the magnificent bamboo, appearance and flavor that in no time evoked memories of my trip to Japan. Were there, and yucca (evergreen woody plant that looks like a palm tree, approx. Perevi.) Only a hundred times greater than those kept at home. Here, all you can see virtually any plants: cocoa pods, coffee berries on the branches, indigo (flowering plants, a source of indigo dye, approx. Perevi.) Cassava By the time we returned to the hotel, I was fully confident that this was our most exciting and calm trip during our stay in Africa. I gave her the tablet and pencils Prosper, because I decided to leave any attempt to draw their own sketches. I obviously this is not very successful, and nearby was a man who dealt with this professionally, a true artist. We are with my friend Seth, played with the "living" at the chameleon, and Prosper drew a butterfly, which I really liked it. The fact that he was so attentive, moved me, besides, he was so kind that he offered to take us back to Kpalime, despite the rain and the fact that we had for a long time to search for keys and start the engine from overrunning. Read more: