Motorcycle Trip Atakpame to Lome Togo

Motorcycle Trip Atakpame to Lome Togo
Lome, Togo West Africa
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Andy of HoboTraveler.com

I rode my new Moto from Atakpame, Togo to Lome, Togo yesterday, the trip was easy and uneventful, just a lot of vibration. Riding a motorcycle is about as if being on a riding lawnmower for a few hours, not much difference, except the riding, lawnmower is probably more comfortable.

There is some Easy Rider Movie, Route 66, and Rebel with out a cause or clause in their contract allure to Motorcycles. I have owned a few motorcycles and I think I took my longest distance trip yesterday; I have rode one motocross for longer, but not just down the road.

Travel Golf Scores

Starting 167 Kilometers
Stopping 332 Kilometers

Starting Time 7:39 am
Stopping Time 11:11 am

I used about 2000 CFA in Petrol or Gas. Gas is 505 CFA per Liter for Super.

I traveled 165 Kilometer in about 3 hours, so I guess I could guesstimate future travel times at about 50 Kilometers per hour. I would say, all Moto rides are Holes in Ones, but not a game of travel golf, more avoiding the game.

Traveling by Motorcycle in Togo is about twice as easy or three times easier than by public transportation. There is not much of a challenge to the motorcycle for me, more or less just a noisy car drive to the market.

There is travel bragging, and many people with Motorcycles want to say I rode a Motorcycle. I may think more in terms of challenges than in terms or bragging, I have no one to brag to so I would have to claim no joy, not much reason to brag.

I am doing a lot of debating in my head, is a moto better to accomplish my goals than public transportation? I have to say yes, because I purchased the moto, but than again, I can sell it also.

The prime directive of travel is to enjoy life, then comes the problem of how I enjoy life is different from how another person enjoys life. I like to go to the edge of the cultures, to reach out blindly and feel for where the edges are located. To get very close to falling off the culture and bruising myself, but not getting too hurt.

Yes, that is it, in Africa, there are some big drops, it is possible to drop off the edge, and I am not sure this is possible sometimes in Southeast Asia, hard to drop off the edge into the abyss or no mans land. What do I mean, I do not know, but I do know there be dragons on the other side. I do not want to go off the edge of this culture and find out what is there, I may not make it back.

Iraq or Africa…? Which is more dangerous?

I think driving a motorcycle is more dangerous than taking public transportations. Taxis and Buses will not drive blindly into dangerous areas of a city; I can do this on a motorcycle or by car. I have not found many real Ghettos in Africa, no Hoods where all the bad guy sit around waiting for stupid people or chumps. Africa for sure has it stupid white people, and they are in a higher percentage or ratio here than in Asia or South America, the average white person in Africa needs a servant to help them find the door. They come to help and need help to find the people.

My goal is somewhat nebulous, I want to go to small villages and look around see what they are growing, what is the business of the day and why they carry water. See if there are smiles on their faces, I am always amazed when someone says a bunch of smiling people are suffering, and not saying bunch of frustrated workers at some big business in the USA are not suffering because they make so much money. I weigh suffering by smiles on faces, not by money.

People tell me I have freedom, I do not dream of freedom, I am free.

Motorcycle Trip Atakpame to Lome Togo