The Moto Ride of All Moto Rides

I thought I was just riding home from buying dog food at the market but I should know better by now. Things here take much more time and effort than what they should. This was indeed the case like every other day.

I set out to go to the bank, walk through Grande Marchette, go to the western market to buy dog food, and then take a taxi home. I got most of that done with not one hitch until the taxi part. The taxi, like all taxis in Lome, inflated the price beyond reason and then some because I was with my other white friend and because we are yovos we are rich so he must take our great riches. So we negotiate and I still pay a little too much but oh well and we set out for home. Then unannounced to us there was another demonstration/march about the election that was held the first week of March. The opposition side is very unhappy that the president won the votes in the north (villages mostly) and lost in the south (capital city and suburbs and some villages) and still managed to get the majority of the votes. They have been marching off and on but this protest was massive. They marched down one of the major roads of the city. So the taxi looked at the protestors and realized that we were completely cut off from the side of town that was our destination. I realized there was the angry mob, but figured we could get by some how so I proceeded to munch the western cookies we treated ourselves to at the market. Then I saw the police trucks roll up and this serge of anger grew. I knew that these protestors liked to throw rocks at the police and so I knew we had to go please and thank you. The taxi maneuvered the tight traffic and got the taxi turned around and headed in the opposite direction then pulled over. He began demanding that we get out and that we pay him. My friend said no and then told me to sit in the taxi while he got the dog food out. I did and then I got out too. Honestly the taxi hadn’t taken us more than six blocks or so and to demand his fair for several miles wasn’t good and isn’t protocol here.

So we were left on the side of the road not 100 yards from where the protestors and the police and the traffic jam was. We managed to get two motos and they were confident they could get us home. We began with driving against traffic then turned up the muddy street. Oh did I mention we had torrential rain that morning for about an hour. As we dodged puddles the size of small lakes, cars, and pedestrians then zigzagging down this street and the next to find a way around the protestors that seemed to be stretched out for miles. We even went through a few very large puddles, but I will say that my driver didn’t get me wet or dirty at all. This man had skill. He also had a large mouth as he was yelling and commenting to everyone around him. I chuckled as I clung fiercely to the moto. People laughed at my face and how my eyes were the size of saucers.

I made it home first and we were good. I was glad to be done with that adventure.

A few days after this protest I found out that 2 policemen were killed and one wounded. These demonstrations are serious and I’m thankful that we managed to maneuver around it. The Togolese Independence Day is happening soon and the president will be instated as the president for the next four or five years. I know that the opposition is rallying again today and the opposition leader has come to give a speech on the beach and the masses have been out for that, well until the rain rolled in. I hope that there is peace today and this next week. I will stay home as much as possible.