Koutamakou, Togo

2019-07-22:  Koutamakou, the cultural landscape of the "Land of the Batammariba". Mud houses in Bassamba.

We left Kara at the end of the morning towards the north.
The landscape changes slowly, the further north we go, the more the savannah character takes over. Palm trees and banana trees, for example, have almost completely disappeared, and it is now rather baobabs that mark the landscape.
Habitat is also changing. Rectangular houses are making more and more room for round huts and we find the particular architecture that had impressed us so much in the north of Ghanaon the way to Tamale: small groups of round huts arranged in a circle and linked together by a wall.

Villages north of Kara

At the entrance of Kandé we take a good laterite track to the right towards the Tamberma country. The welcome center awaits us after 1.5 km on the side of the track. Because access to the area is chargeable (1,500 CFA per person for the Ministry of Culture) and 10,000 CFA for the compulsory guide. Ours is called Abajo and sits on the small bench seat at the back of our motorhome.

The track to Tamberma

The Tamberma country begins after the bridge over the Kéran river about ten kilometers northeast of Kandé and extends over 50,000 ha to the border with Benin and even beyond. Abajo explains that the Tamberma people are originally from Burkina Faso. Convinced animists, they refused Islam from the North in the 11th century to take refuge in this region in the north of Togo and Benin, at the foot of the Atakora cliffs in the caves in which they found their first habitat.
A few more kilometers and we arrive at one of the first villages in Tamberma country: Bassamba, at the end of a small track of 150 m.
We start by going to greet the village chief, Antoine. In fact, this courtesy visit to the village chief is above all an opportunity for the guide to give him his share of the price of the visit. The villages are effectively inhabited and not everyone agrees that tourists enter into their private spheres. The association has therefore concluded agreements with some of the villages which receive part of the earning in exchange for the visit.

Gandalf at Bassamba

The walls are mounted section by section, which their structure reveals.

Abajo explains the technique of earth houses building. They are of course built without any preliminary plan or fixed dimensions, simply by following the spontaneous instructions of the head of the family. The walls are made of earth, mounted on a foundation itself made of earth mixed with large gravel. The house will grow from the base in daily layers of 20 to 25 cm which are left to dry overnight before adding the next layer. This sliced ​​construction technique is clearly visible in the structure of the walls.
Once the house is built, the mason will pass a plaster made of cow dung and fine sand which will then be coated with a mixture of neres powder (african locust beans) and shea butter residues to seal the walls. It is of course vital to ensure that this coating is still intact before the rainy season.

On the right the plaster is laid but the coating remains to be done, on the left the wall is finished, plastered and coated.

Fetishes in front of a Tamberma house.

In front of the entrance to the house we find a whole group of earth cones of various sizes. They are fetishes! The two larger ones, one next to the other, represent the father and mother of the family. The others, in front of them, are the fetishes of the animals killed by the family, built when they claim it. If the family does not meet this demand the spirits of the killed animals will take revenge. Fetishes come in different sizes depending on the size and importance of the killed animal. The largest must be that of a buffalo, according to our guide, while the smallest would rather correspond to monkeys.

In other villages the fetishes are built following another tradition: a large fetish, that of the ancestor, surrounded by innumerable small fetishes, those of his descendants.

We visit one of these houses. They are generally all built according to the same model in five different sections. First the entrance with, on the right, a wheel to grind the grain and a small chicken coop below. Then follows a small room where some utensils are stored and where the chickens and their chicks are kept. The kitchen is installed in a small room a little higher after a series of a few steps.

The kitchen

 From the kitchen we access the roof terrace Here we can find a small outdoor shower as well as two bedrooms: that of the mother and the babies in the center and that of the older children opposite . Children stay there until the age of 16, the age at which they are subjected to the initiation rite before reaching adulthood and leaving the family home.

On the terrace, the mother's bedroom.

The entrance is narrow.

The father generally spends the night at the entrance level to watch the livestock and equipment, but a communication conduit connects him to the terrace and to his wife if necessary (!). This conduit was also used at other more belligerent times to guard the entry of the house and to defend it using bow and arrows from the top when the intruders entered there.

The opening to communicate with the ground floor.

The two attics are also built on the terrace. It is through the top of its conical granaries covered with a straw roof that the different grains are introduced. Access is by a rudimentary wooden ladder. The interior of the attic is compartmentalized so that different kinds of grain can be stored there.

Access to the attic by a rudimentary ladder.

The interior of the granaries is compartmentalized to store different kinds of grain.

I have already mentioned, the first Tamberma who arrived here began by living in the caves of the surrounding cliffs, but some also found refuge inside large baobabs, because indeed some of the most majestic offer enough space in their breast to welcome a small family.
Adajo leads us through cotton fields to one of them. Cotton is also widely grown in this region because it is much more profitable for farmers than the traditional cultivation of corn or yam. The national cotton company provides free fertilizer and seeds to farmers who will reimburse them with the result of their cultivation at harvest. The surplus is bought at a price well defined by the national company.

Cotton plantation.

Rice plantation

another village on the way to the baobab

As we approach the famous baobab, children and women from the surrounding dwellings join us and it is with a small escort of ten people that we arrive at the baobab. Unlike earlier, when visiting the house, women and children have fairly penetrating attitudes, either to sell their crafts or to beg. It spoils the pleasure of the visit a little.

Thierry at the entrance of the baobab house

Inside the baobab

After the visit of the baobab we join the motorhome by the track always accompanied by the small group of women and children who keep asking us for small gifts. We still manage to chat with one of them, she is just 18 years old and already has three children, which is to say that she has not been long in school.
We finish the visit with the Unesco takienta (this is how the typical houses of the region are called). It is built following the same architecture as traditional takientas but partially using more modern materials such as cement. We don't dwell on it too much because the original is more interesting.

From the takienta terrace.

On the way back to the reception center I explain to our guide that they should still make awareness efforts with the villagers because the harassment risks frightening tourists and it would be fatal for the villages to kill the goose that lays golden eggs. This is what prompts us to take the road back although we had planned to spend the night in the village. The behavior of the villagers took away all our desire!
We drop Adajo at the reception center. It is already 5:25 p.m. when we hit the road.

Kara, Togo

2019-07-21: Evala Festival.

It is mainly in the prefecture of Kozah, home of Kabyè people, that Evala held annually in July. Originally initiation, they became a national cultural festival with concerts, participation of folk groups and fashion shows, taking place over one week in the Kara region.

Kara Evara Festival.

Evala is a form of wrestling whose purpose is to overthrow his opponent. It is the very first initiation into the adolescent man life of Kabiyé.

The traditional aspect of the ceremony is revealed by the presence of community elders. It is these wise men who ensure compliance with the rules, ensuring the management and arbitration of tournaments.

The Togo includes forty ethnic groups whose Kabyè Kozah, peasants, living in the North East to nearly 430 kilometers north of Lome.
Covering an area of ​​1075 km2 the Kozah Prefecture, capital of the region of the Kara, count  approximately 225 259 inhabitants, city of Kara included.

It should be remembered that it was in the middle of the 18th century that the first Evala events as a challenge took place with the coronation of two atypical characters: a certain Tchablime from the village of Kpédaw and his adversary, Fawokézié de Kolidè. It was strange to note in these two precursors Evala wrestling that: the first had a size of more than 2m, with a Herculean body size, while the second measured only 1.40m. Thus, the first traditional wrestling recorded in Kabyè countries date back to 1785 with the fight between Tchablime and Fawokézié. At the end of this historic duel, it was the myrmidon that defeated the colossus. Throughout the village, the giant will be booed and mocked. From that moment, with the intention of washing away such an affront, the virus of competition then spread throughout the Kozah.

Today is the last day of Evala festival that began on July 11 this year. And today the champion will be decided.

Entrance is free. First we try to orient ourselves a bit, Christine's instinct leads us directly to the right place. Chairs are being installed, the first two rows are for the protocol but the others are free. So we will sit there in the third row with four or five young ladies, French and German, who works in a village north of Lome for N.G.O.

The Festival begins with traditional dances.

The show begins with some traditional dances before the wrestling champions from the different cantons enter the fray. There will be a total of 18 fights since the knockout stages until the final. Each fight consists of a first round of six minutes, if the round ends without a winner a six minutes second round will follow after a one-minute break and if at the end of the second round there is still no winner a third round will follow without time limit until one of the opponents is down.

Champions motivate themselves by dancing until they enter a trance!

We will see practically all types of scenarios: very fast victories, victories in the first round after a few minutes of observation, victories in the second round and even a very long fight during a quarter-final which will be decided by drawing by lot after three quarters of an hour of fight.

Injuries are quite common: strains, dislocated joints or even fractures are not uncommon.

An injured champion must be taken out on a stretcher!

The awards ceremony is very long and a bit chaotic. Police formed a security cordon to keep spectators at bay.

We managed to advance to the grandstand with the VIPs.

We bought a CD from the gospel singer who made a small performance during an interlude. It is a famous singer in Togo, Cecile Meba. Christine takes the photo when it passes us, which encourages the upcoming sit with us to chat a bit and especially to have their picture taken with us. Christine takes the opportunity to have her autograph our CD.

Cécile Meba sings at halftime. And get photographed with us later.

We will not wait until after the ceremony that lasts far too long.

The cup for the winner.

Danyi-Dzogbegan, Togo

2019-07-18: Ascension Abbey. How to make avocado oil?

To reach Danyi Dzogbegan and the abbey, you have to take the small road on the left at the large roundabout in the center of the small town of Adeta. It is 5:10 p.m. and we are only 12 km from the monastery as the crow flies. But this little road is so hilly and stuffed with potholes that it will take us over an hour to get there.

The road begins by climbing to the Danyi plateau with a series of switchbacks and a fairly steep slope. We will then drive about fifteen kilometers on the plateau at an altitude of 750 m to arrive at 6.15 p.m. at the monastery. The road was rather tiring because it is in a really catastrophic state.

Danyi Dzogbegan Abbey

We stop in the main alley in front of the entrance to the monastery. The site looks deserted at this late afternoon time and I am about to spend the night here in the alley when a monk appears. He warmly welcomes us and opens a gate so that we can go and settle near the round stone chapel. The monastery also offers guest rooms, the monk gives us the keys to one of them so that we can use the shower and the toilet.

Gandalf at the camp.

I ask him how much it costs to stay overnight and he says that we can give what we want. The rooms cost between 5000 and 7000 CFA, I offer to pay 5000 CFA per night. "It's more than enough," he said, very satisfied! I think it's well worth it, given the enchanting setting, the cleanliness of the site and the hot showers! ! I believe that are the first in Africa since the Zébrabar (in Saint-Louis in Senegal).


Next day:

The night was very calm and very mild. For the first time in a long time we pulled out a small blanket to sleep on. Upon awakening we are still immersed in the mist, but it will soon dissipate.

We leave at around 11 am to inspect the site, starting by visiting our neighbors, a small building about twenty meters slightly below us. In fact, it’s a small avocado oil production unit. Father Christian and his big sister Dorothée are in charge of it, assisted by a woman from the village. We are free to watch the avocado puree boiling in two large aluminum pots. Christian explains that it needs about 10 kg of avocado puree to get 1 liter of oil. You must first mix the avocados into a puree, then gently heat the mass while adding water regularly and at the right time. The oil is thus extracted from the puree and comes to accumulate on the surface. It can occasionally be used in cooking but its main use is mainly cosmetic. The residues from manufacturing are used as fertilizer when dried in a pit.

Brother Christian explains the avocado oil production.

The avocado stock

Dorthée checks the cooking

The pit with the avocado residue that will end up as fertilizer.

The monks make a cream from this oil by adding petroleum jelly and shea butter, as well as other elements of which they have the secret. They market it under the name of Pomavo.

Anne from Nantes, Thierry, Christine, Dorothée and Christian.

Christine, Gandalf and the oil production unit.

It’s almost time for prayer, everyone goes to church, we too! ... Me too!
The prayers are sung by the monks and part of the audience. It doesn't last too long, only about fifteen minutes.

In the church

We are then welcome to the refectory to share lunch with the other hosts and guests. The monks have lunch in a separate room. Father Michel Benoît (the prior of the abbey) explains to us that normally he should notify the kitchen well in advance to prepare the guests' dishes, but since we do not need a special meal and we eat "the dough" like everyone else, that's okay.
After the compulsory hand washing at the entrance to the refectory, we will patiently wait behind our chairs until everyone is ready and the prayer is said. We don't speak in the refectory. This does not mean that we will eat in silence because during the whole meal one of the monks read aloud a theological and philosophical text on the theme of the resurrection.
The meal consists of a coleslaw and onion salad as a starter followed by chicken rice and yogurt for dessert. The portions are huge, obviously there is no risk of starving here!

After the meal, the guests clear the tables, do the dishes and put them away in the cupboards. It is the rule ! It goes fast when everyone gets started.

The canteen. After the meal is before the meal. Everything is ready for tonight!

We are quietly waiting for the store to open at 3 p.m. It is preceded by a new prayer in which Christine will participate. For my part I have already had my dose I prefer to stay calm in the motorhome. I meet Christine again after the prayer to go together to the shop.

On the way to the shop.

 The monks sell their products there as well as those of the Benedictine sisters of the nearby convent. We are going to buy three small packets of cookies made by the sisters there: “Merveille Des Merveilles” without further description, “Jaquibis” with jackfruit and “Bis Choco” with chocolate, at 250 CFA (0.39 €) per package.

We also buy two 250g packages of "Arabusta" coffee, a creation of the monks obtained by grafting arabica onto robusta plants. Robusta is a fairly strong coffee, while Arabica is a much more flavored variety. If it is indeed possible to grow arabica here, it will be unproductive, because arabica needs altitude and only really gives from 2000 m. This is why it is much more present in East Africa, in Ethiopia or in Kenya for example. We pay 1500 CFA (2.36 €) the package.

In the shop.

We will try star fruit jam (1000 CFA) as well as a mosquito repellent spray made from five essential oils at 1800 CFA (2.83 €). It smells very good, but I wouldn't give it my protection against the risk of malaria.

We finish our shopping with a bottle of mint syrup at 1000 CFA (€ 1.57) and a bottle of therapeutic drink at 3000 CFA (€ 4.71) made from pineapple, star fruit, cinnamon, moringa , lemon balm, sorrel, honey and other plant substances. According to the label, this drink would be effective against general fatigue, it would purify the blood and facilitate digestion, relieve cramps and decrease the curves and cholesterol.

Father Christian brings us six big avocados. They have just brought back the harvest of the day, a full tricycle trailer. The avocado season ends soon, another one to two weeks maximum.

We will end the afternoon with a half-hour stroll around. Our steps lead us a bit randomly to the coffee and pepper plantations. Raphael's explanations during our Kloto's botanical walk are confirmed. The monks actually use the thorny trunks of the sandbox trees as stakes for the pepper plant. What he did not tell us is that the branches of the hourglass are regularly pruned to avoid shading the pepper trees.

Walk in the dependencies of the abbey.

Christine in front of a coffee plantation

Pepper trees plantation. With sandbox trees as stakes

Third day:

In the early hours of the third day, we greet the team who are starting to empty the avocados into mash. We observe how Christian raps the avocados' stones. Once dried one can make herbal teas or grind them to make a powder that will accompany all kinds of meals. It seems to be very good for the heart.

The avocados are emptied to boil the mash and get oil.

grated avocado stones.

The stones are of course also used for the reproduction of avocado trees. Christian shows us his little nursery. Some of these plants are already well developed and will soon be able to be planted in the plantation. An avocado tree will give its first fruits after five years.

He also shows us his little garden where he grows turmeric plants, the "yellow ginger" in popular parlance, as well as ginger. A new discovery for us because although knowing the roots of ginger and turmeric powder we still had no idea what plants could look like. The roots are quite similar, they differ mainly in color, that of turmeric being more yellow / orange.

Christian shows us his turmeric… .. and ginger plants

 

Ginger on the left and turmeric on the right.

Christian opens the circular chapel near which we are parked. It is a stone chapel like all the other buildings in the complex. It was sponsored by the Archbishopric of Cologne, like the main church elsewhere.

The door of the chapel.

 

One of the stained glass windows in the chapel