Potholes

Oh where to begin.

The last few days have been as full as I can remember. I've been getting a crash course on what is basically a new life. We'll see if it sticks, but I've been inducted and assimilated into the country of Togo, the city of Mango, the French language, tribal languages, a completely different culture, the 60ish person missionary team, the hospital, the nursing procedures, tropical diseases, teaching a week long course, shopping in the market, transportation via moto, wearing full skirts while biking in the sand in the pouring rain, my new house, and new roommates.

It's a lot to keep straight.

I'm going to choose one topic to talk about today and hopefully get to the rest some time soon. Part of that is so that my brain doesn't overheat. Also, I've found that people actually read the whole blog post if it's short. If it's too long, I lose you. I haven't found the exact cut off point, but I'll probably be doing some research on that in my spare time. (Just kidding. I don't have spare time.)

Today I shall talk about transportation. Ooh, I bet that caught your attention. But for real.  I've actually seen a decent portion of the country. More of it is paved than I thought. The road from Lome to Mango pretty good. However, when it's bad... it's really bad. I thought potholes in Northwest Indiana were bad...... at least they won't flip your car. It actually takes longer to drive the mile from my house to the hospital than it does to bike because you can go around the potholes.

All of the cars here are tough. They can take it. Some of the missionaries own an all terrain vehicle or a truck or a golf cart or a hybrid something or other. There are some buses or trucks that wouldn't be allowed on the roads in the States cause they are so overloaded. Sometimes the piles of stuff on top of the van is taller than the van itself.

I'd say the most common form of transportation here is a moto. Basically it's a little motorcycle. It fits 2 Americans or 6 Togolese. Or 2 Togolese and a cow. I like them. Otherwise, bikes are also pretty common. I bought my own yesterday, and it's cute. It even has a basket. However, riding a moto or a bike in an ankle length skirt presents it's own challenges. While I am not yet able to jump onto the back of a moving moto, I haven't fallen yet. So that's something.

That's what I got for now. I'm doing well. I'm busy and have a lot to get used to. I told myself yesterday that it's nothing that I can't do....it's just stuff I've never done before. So here's a toast to new experiences. Bring it on.

Love you all and miss you!!
C