relaxing at home

 We will start here at my refuge.  On the veranda, in the shade with a light breeze.  A quiet place to read and think and plan and reflect or relax in the peace of an afternoon in Kara.  A cool drink of water and a good book.  After the drive to Lome to see Jon off to America and the drive back thru much rain it is nice to just relax.......

This is the Atlantic Ocean (the other side of it) as seen from the Golden Beach Hotel in Lome.  Hotel has about twenty rooms and a restaurant, pizza shoppe, and bar-b-que window. The restaurant was actually pretty good.  Nice menu for diner and a continental style breakfast.

 After leaving Jon at the airport, I ordered a late night banana split.  It took them forty minutes to make it, as they must of made the ice cream to order.  On a large plate I found a banana and one small scoop of vanilla ice cream under a copious amount of whipped sweet cream.  Went down well while watching the Ukraine win their football game.  As I was to discover of the sixteen people in the restaurant six of us were customers (3 Chinese - 1 European with a local gentleman - and myself) two were servers and the other eight were the Ukrainian owners and friends.  Only one spoke English and that was moi.......  Love the challenge and so far have not had to starve or go without.    

Before leaving in the morning I walked on the beach and enjoyed the breeze.  Fishing boats are not unlike they were hundreds of years ago.

Traffic in Lome was more of a challenge than in Kara only because they included several blocked exit roads by demonstrators.  After two attempts and one penetration of the fringe of a large demonstration we were able to find a road closer to the Ghana border that allowed us to go North and get away from the Capital.  Understand that later in the day the demonstrators did clash with police.  This is very unusual for Togo as law and order is the norm.  People seldom display anger and I have great confidence in the peaceful way they get along with each other.

Glad to be back to my refuge.  To the far left, hanging from the roof, are metallic wind chimes doing their thing with the palms and the trees rustling their leaves to accompany them.  Occasionally a child playing or a bird singing or maybe a baby goat bleating will add to the sense of solitude.  The time between noon and two thirty in the afternoon is for everyone to take a break, eat and rest.  It is a habit I have come to enjoy very much.  Since most people do not have electricity, night life is over early.  However, the sun is up shortly after 5:00am and the day begins then. 

Have tried several times to post short videos to no avail.  Will describe as best I can and you will have to use your imagination.  Loving all of it and thanking God for allowing me to be back in Togo with these wonderful people.