Togo, August 31, 2008
National Run to the Border Day!
From Lome to Ghana to the beach - a perfect workout!
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Its Sunday morning in Lomé, and I'm going for a run to work off the French wines from the night before. I've stretched, I've power up my running GPS, and its time to go.
Through the back streets I jog, slowly working up my speed, when I see a crew of people running by. "Where are they going?" I think, when I see a second group run by. Know I need to know, I run to join them. When I reach Boulevard de la Republique, the one paved street in Lomé, I am shocked to find myself in the midst of a sea of runners. It's Togo's National Run to the Border Day!! In the midst of this sea of running humanity, I started laughing. Only in Africa can you have such an odd experience - running to the Ghanaian border with thousands of Togolese on a random Sunday!As I ran from the Ghanaian border back into downtown Togo, I asked those I ran with why they were running and when this run to the border tradition started. Funny enough, no one knew why or when, they just enjoyed a Sunday run to the border and back to the main beach, for another beach party. And I think that is the key to being African happy. Don't ask why, just enjoy the moment. And the beach. |
