Trans Togo Trek

56 km, 12.5 hours, 3 countries, 2 sore feet and maybe the most physically challenging thing I have ever done :)

So 2 weeks ago Haley (Grade 4/5 teacher) asked if I'd be interested in 'walking across Togo'. Touch the Ghanian border, walk across Togo, touch the Benin border..

Sounded insane, so without a second thought I signed up. And to be very honest the idea is brilliant, how many time do you get the chance to walk across a country. The fact that 1 group from the ship had already tried, and failed, should have been an indicator that it was not going to be easy. But hey.. its just small Togo right?

On the fateful morning 7 walkers and 1 (very important) support driver left the ship at 4.45 on their way to the Ghanian border. Its about 10km form the border to the port, so 3 of the 7 had decided just to walk that part and the other 4 (idiots) decided to carry on.

So it was Haley, Estelle(kindergarten teacher), Kelly (dietician) and myself. Oh and not to forget Murray (head receptionist) driving ahead and stopping with water and snacks along the way.

I feel I can safely say although I knew in my head it would be difficult, it was more so than expected! Estelle stopped just before halfway but the other 3 of us in the group carried on.

I would be quite honest in saying at one point we renamed it the Trans Togo Trudge.. as for an hour just past the 3/4 mark we were just putting 1 foot in front of the other. The distance just seemed to constantly be growing!!!

But through the blisters, pain, heat and exhaustion....

WE MADE IT. WE WALKED ACROSS A SMALL AFRICAN NATION IN 1 DAY!!!!!! All praise to Haley and Kelly for slugging it through with me and Murray an Estelle in the car for making it humanly possible to carry on for that long.

So the lesson we can learn from this:

Next time a Grade 4/5 teacher asked you to do something.. Say no ;)

Walking walking walking

At the marathon mark

Are we there yet..

So I thought Id make use of my shirt collection and start in the Ghanian shirt at their border, swap in the Togo shirt for the middle section, and finish in my Benin shirt as we hit their side, arent I just brilliant!

Done :)