Shopping in Togo

Last week we went on a shopping adventure around Lomé. When I offhandedly mentioned to one of my girlfriends that I had found a couple cute things, she was thoroughly confused. "What is there to buy over there?" she demanded to know (probably because she's snoopy and wants to know what her Christmas present is).

So, here they are, a few cool things you can buy in Togo:

 You can buy beautiful and overpriced necklaces that you think you might wear a few times but you'll never actually be ballsy enough to wear. Starting materials include beef bones and horns, traditional beads, thread, probably some puppy and leather.

Beautiful Bronze statues are easily found in many sizes. Depending on the store, some are "made" by the person sitting behind the counter and others are selling "ancient tribal statues from hundreds of years ago."

Handmade purses and shoes made from local fabric are fun and colorful.

Handmade pottery, whether it be a pot you see spun on the wheel right in front of you and the guy will give you a really, really good price if only you'll agree to be his third wife, or a scary-faced, phallic fisherman talisman, is always a good gift idea!

Gourmet Sodabe is all the rage right now.

This is particularly hilarious if you've ever tried Sodabe, the local, home-brewed,
reminiscent-of-rubbing-alcohol beverage of choice here in Togo.

 If you have a good friend who you'd really like to treat, go to the traditional pharmacy and get some herbs to help them out. You can find pictures of ailments painted on the wall. For a quick diagnosis, point to your picture and they will supply you with the neccesary herbal remedy.

For example:
You: "Help! There is a snake with an angry man head following me!"
Traditional Pharmacy Guy: "Probably because he is a hipster snake and extremely jealous of your sweet, salmon-colored pants. Make some obscure tea that he hasn't heard of out of this (hands over package of leaves) and you'll feel better."


 --OR--



You: "Help! A brigade of giant, big-bottomed, topless women is attacking my disproportionately over-sized man toy while I do the naked Macarena!"
Traditional Pharmacy Guy: "Get out."







PS. All of my friends are getting traditional pharmacy paintings for Christmas. I just went to the other stores to show my normal friends where to get stuff.