Potters unite!

Day 14 -  Djougou (Benin) to Kara (Togo)

We had a border crossing today so it was an early start. On the way to the border we passed cars overloaded with goods purchased in Niger, we were told that they were driving to Burkina Faso and Mali but because the borders are closed they have to detour through Benin and Togo.

We had been warned that the border crossing would take 2 hours and it did, though at least on each side we were able to sit in a room while we waited. On the Togo side an official placed our passports in piles and then moved them to other piles, continually opening them up flicking through, we got the impression that it might have been his first day on the job. 

We visited two Kabye villages, the first one was a blacksmiths village, where they used primitive tools and techniques. The skills are passed on from father to son, they have no choice in their vocation. In the past the women would climb the mountains to find the rocks containing iron and bring them back to the village, now they use the metal from the broken down Chinese motorbikes.

The second village was a pottery village where K was awed by the makeshift hand wheels and the high quality of their work which they pit fire. Our guide translated between K and the group and they showed their joy at our common interest (and K's purchase of some ceramics) by responding in song and dance.

We made it to our hotel in Kara in good time and it was a pleasant surprise, given our experiences in the north of Benin, We enjoyed the afternoon and evening at our hotel, with the best room we've had so far, getting to know our fellow travellers over drinks by the pool.