Togo > A dance performance on Christmas Eve

The day before Christmas—though I don’t feel much of a Christmas spirit here. Occasionally, Christmas songs play on the television at the reception, but that’s about it. You won’t see any decorated Christmas trees here. Today we are taking a walk across the Klouto Plateau. By bus, we drive a short distance to the village of Kuma Kunda, where we meet Prosper, our guide for the day. Prosper has an exhibition of nature paintings that he is eager to show us. A little later, we set off into the Klouto mountains, waved off by the children of Kuma Kunda.

Togo - Coffee beans drying in the sun

The flora is remarkably green, with many different types of plants and shrubs growing here. Prosper gives detailed explanations about the plants. He also skillfully uses his butterfly net to show us the most beautiful butterflies. He demonstrates how colors can be extracted from the plants, which he uses in his paintings. To my surprise, we suddenly come upon a clearing in the forest. Banana leaves are laid out to sit on, and fresh fruit is ready. A boy had gone ahead to prepare everything. Tasty and fun. By chance, we spot a walking stick insect—an extraordinary creature about 20 centimeters long. We continue our trek through the forest. We pass two small farms, which we are allowed to visit with the residents’ permission. Coffee beans lie drying in the sun. The locals are trying to earn a little extra money. The small children are both excited and a little frightened to see us. At one farm, the local beer simmers over a campfire.

Togo - A full lunch in a clearing in the forest

A stream offers refreshingly cold water, and since it’s very warm and humid today, I pour some over my head. Behind the tall bamboo trees, it’s time for lunch. Bamboo trunks are set out to sit on. Just as everyone sits, the lunch arrives. Four boys bring the chicken, rice, plates, cutlery, and even our own cooler with drinks. I hope for their sake that there is a shorter path through the forest, so they don’t have to carry everything the same distance as we did. After lunch, we walk back along the same path. Unfortunately for the carriers, there is no shortcut. At one farm, we are offered Sabadi, or palm wine. I estimate the alcohol content at over fifty percent, so I only take a sip. Around three o’clock, we return to Prosper’s exhibition space for a coffee break. I buy one of his drawings. At the end of the afternoon, we walk in the opposite direction toward the mountaintop. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Ghana. Today, however, it’s hazy. Just before sunset, we reach the top, but the sun is faint through the haze. In the evening, we eat at Prosper’s Auberge in Kuma Kunda. In the background, “Silent Night” is played on Djembe drums while we are served roasted mutton.

Togo - A professional dance and music performance in Kuma Kunda

A musical performance with drums also begins in the Auberge. A lovely Christmas Eve. When the show starts, I quickly realize the performance is much more professional than I expected. The music, dance, and acrobatics flow seamlessly together. I enjoy it thoroughly and think that this could fill venues back home in the Netherlands as well. The fact that this is not just a tourist band is evident in the presence of the local population. Over a hundred spectators watch from the Auberge courtyard. It is a bit strange that the group only performs toward us and two other tourists, while the locals watch from the side. When the fire-breather performs, it nearly goes wrong. He demonstrates running torches over his body—a voodoo practice. During the fire-breathing itself, he comes dangerously close to the thatched roof and to us; the fireball passes less than a meter away, and we duck back. I get the impression that the fire-breather and the band members are not really connected, but they quickly apologize and check that we are okay, then continue with a new number. For the final song, we are invited to dance. As I lie in bed afterward, thinking back on the evening, I realize this Christmas Eve will remain unforgettable.