Togo > Where will I sleep tonight?

Just after 3:30 AM, I check in at Schiphol Airport for a flight to Lomé in Togo via Casablanca, Morocco. The check-in process comes with quite a backstory. Two weeks ago, I received the electronic tickets, and to my surprise, the flight was scheduled to depart from Brussels. When I inquired with the travel agency, they explained that all trips usually depart from Amsterdam—except this one. If I had looked very carefully on the website, I might have found that out myself… Sigh! I accepted my loss and bought a return train ticket to Brussels. The weekend before the trip, winter struck with full force. Fifteen to twenty centimeters of snow and temperatures down to minus ten degrees disrupted traffic, train services, and air travel. I decided to allow extra time for my train journey, leaving four hours earlier than planned, on top of the three hours required before the flight. After all, I had booked an adventurous trip. By Monday, it turned out that the Belgian airport had run out of de-icing fluid, and flights could no longer be guaranteed until Wednesday.

Togo - The large Baobab tree in central Bassar

What now? Personally, I trusted that the incoming flight from Casablanca would be able to return without too many problems, but I prepared myself for a possible overnight stay at Brussels Airport, perhaps in Casablanca if I missed the connection, and maybe even in Togo. That evening, I received a call from Sawadee. As a precaution, the flight to Casablanca had been rebooked to depart from Amsterdam. Did I have any objections? Relieved and reassured, I went to bed feeling at ease. With a half-hour delay, Royal Air Maroc flight AT 835 takes off toward Casablanca. Nothing serious enough to worry about for the connecting flight. During the flight, I read about the history of Togo and chat with the travelers next to me about Morocco. Especially over Morocco, there is heavy turbulence, and the landing is quite shaky.

Togo - Children in the village of Malfakassa

At Casablanca Airport, it’s pouring with rain, occasionally lit up by flashes of lightning. The second flight is delayed considerably more. Security checks on the hand luggage take so long that by the original departure time, one-third of the passengers have yet to be screened. A perfect opportunity to get to know some of my fellow travelers on this trip. On board, I quickly fall asleep and barely notice that we take off for Lomé an hour and a half behind schedule. It’s around midnight by then. At 3:30 AM—one hour earlier than in the Netherlands—we land in Lomé. I pass through customs and collect my travel bag from the baggage carousel. It turns out that two of my fellow travelers’ suitcases have not arrived. Anani, our Togolese tour guide, helps fill out the claim forms. He has lived in the Netherlands for several years and speaks excellent Dutch. While we wait outside the airport building, I notice how warm it still is in the middle of the night—a big contrast to the snow back home. As we finally drive to the hotel in Lomé, life outside is slowly starting to stir again. Around 5 AM, we arrive at the Napoleon Lagune Hotel, a fine place with a pleasant courtyard, swimming pool, and bar. I take a quick shower in my room. It’s a pity I can only enjoy this room with its balcony for such a short time. I set my alarm and crawl into bed to catch a couple more hours of sleep. Outside, daylight is already breaking.