Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it. - Eudora Welty

4 October 2019, Kara to Kabou, 56.22km
Mandela Auberge 3,000XOF (R75)  

Soon after a breakfast of sweet fat cakes (deep-fried dough) and black coffee (the vendor had not made enough money yet to stock up on powdered milk), we turned west out of Kara onto the N19, a secondary road that runs past farmland and grassland and eucalyptus trees through Kabou to the Ghana frontier. The road is a mixed bag, sometimes badly potholed, sometimes smooth running. Being a secondary road, it has no shoulder and no road markings, but it is also little-trafficked allowing us to weave around potholes when needed without fear of accident.
Just a km or so into the N19, I saw an autocycle taxi approaching me, the driver and his passenger epitomising all that is functional and fabulous about this mode of transport. We just LOVE the autocycle taxis. You can step out of any hotel or restaurant or shop, raise your arm, and in under a minute be en route your required destination for a tiny sum of money. In cities, the two-wheel vehicles far outnumber the four, and to the uninitiated the traffic can seem manic and frightening. But there is method in the madness, made possible by an extraordinary degree of tolerance and amazing spatial skills. The driver himself, of course, has no desire to be hurt or killed, nor to cause damage to his precious autocycle, his means of earning a living, of feeding his family. Every day in Africa, and elsewhere in the world, millions of people are transported across and between cities and towns. Every day in Africa, and elsewhere in the world, drivers carry lives and livelihoods from A to B to Zee. Their livelihood depends on doing so safely.
Today’s passenger was a young woman in a blue patterned wrap. Tied securely to her back in a yellow patterned wrap was her baby, head lolling in sleep. On her head, a large basin packed with large baguettes covered with a net. She held the basin in place with both hands, arms upraised almost to their full length. And she looked relaxed, knowing that the driver would in all likelihood deliver her, her baby, and her product safely to her chosen place of business. Love it.
Soon after crossing the dam wall, hills reflected in the dam waters, we entered Kabou and stopped for a spaghetti lunch. For some reason we seemed to attract an uncomfortable number of flies to our table. Luckily the proprietor had provided us with plastic lids for our glasses, essentially coasters with a small handle attached. Then tracked down an auberge for our last night in Togo.
Two things also from today: Charl rescued an earthworm struggling across hot tar. Some earthworms here are 30cm in length. And I am having to protect my sun-blistered thumbs by wrapping them in duct tape. It is hot out there.
Finding dinner was an interesting challenge. We asked our host where there was somewhere to eat and she pointed vaguely toward the north. Before going to find the alleged restaurant, we popped into the Total garage next door to top up our Togocel data and there met the manager, Innocent. He also said there was a restaurant up the road, but thought it might be closed. He phoned the owner and arranged for him to open up and serve us a spaghetti meal, for which phenomenal service we were charged just R25. We will breakfast there tomorrow morning by way of thanks.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…