The Allure of Africa

There is something about Africa that draws you in to its embrace.  There is a raw energy here but also a sense of sadness.  I might be making generalizations to say all of Africa so I’ll speak for my life here in Togo.  In Togo, in the bigger cities like the capital, Lomé or one of the major cities like Tsévié, Atakpamé, Sokodé, Kara or Dapaong there are half constructed houses, dilapidated mansions and major government buildings missing letters in their name.  It all seems to exude a longing of what was, what was to be and what could have been.  Here everything is so natural, so imperfect, so human.  This not so apparent as outside the large cities where I live.  There is not the ceaseless drive for perfection, but rather just to live.  The allure and the beauty is in the simplicity in which one can live happily.  I recognize that it might seem like I’m romanticizing Togo where the vast majority of people barely have enough money to buy the most basic medicine and even though I live without running water, air conditioning in 100+ weather, windows, etc. it is a lot better than the living conditions of 99% of Togolese.  I have the luxury of romanticizing Togo.  You feel and smell and hear everything.  Noise is not impolite and being uncomfortable is the norm.  It is not the metallic, sterile environment that many of us live in, in America, but it is the hot sun, the red dirt, the cars which are literally falling apart on the road, the smell of burning trash, the music blasting from blown out speakers, the cuts that become immediately infected and heal poorly.  It all draws a clean line between what we need and what we want.  It is exciting, overwhelming and terrifying all together.