Togo

Togo 1970
In October 1970 we drove west from Lagos, Nigeria, through the neighbouring West-African country, Dahomey, into the next neighbour along the coast, Togo. This proved to be a pristine, unspoilt country, with a beautiful road following the coast from the Dahomey (Benin) border right up to Lomé, the capital. These wonderful atlantic beaches were lined with coconut palms, and not a single concrete or brick building to be found. There were, however, dozens of straw huts in the palm forests alongside the beaches, and friendly hospitable people who offered us cocunuts to drink, after sending their children to climb up the tall palms to fetch them. We stayed in a hotel in Lomé, as I recall, a rather dingy, dark and damp place, with no air-conditioning. I imagine it will be considerably changed these days, with the advent of mass tourism. I understand the beach-front area of Lomé now has dozens of luxurious, high-priced western-style hotels.

An un-spoilt beach in Togo.	A ladies' canoe at Gianve lake village.

Victor's and Barbara's Travel Diaries