The Reality of Overlanding Togo

Overlanding Togo was never going to be easy, but we didn’t expect to be stopped in our tracks like this. In this episode, our 40-year-old Mercedes van, Mochi, finally faces a mechanical reality on a remote dirt road. A puncture might sound like a minor issue, but when you’re in the middle of nowhere in West Africa with the heat rising and no one around to help, the stakes feel a lot higher. Beyond the mechanical struggle, we continue our journey through Togo to explore the parts of the country most travelers never see. We visit an intense wildlife trading farm and walk through the eerie and fascinating voodoo markets, getting a deeper look at the local culture and the "reality of the road" that we love sharing with you. This is the raw, unedited side of vanlife in Africa. It’s not always about the epic views; sometimes it’s about the sweat, the dirt, and the resilience of an old van. ——————————————— NEW HERE? We’re Mélanie & Norman, and we’ve been overlanding from Europe to West Africa in a 2WD DIY camper. See the full journey so far:    • Overlanding Africa | From Europe to South ...   👉 Subscribe for more overlanding Africa episodes ——————————————— ✨ Our Story: How the Adventure Began It all started in Australia back in 2015—two travelers who realized they shared the same hunger for discovery. Our first true test of "slow travel" was in 2017, when we spent three months cycling from Germany to Croatia. That journey taught us that the best way to see the world is to take the road less traveled. 🚴‍♂️🌍 🚐 Meeting Mochi & The Long Wait After years of saving in Switzerland, we finally found Mochi, our vintage Mercedes van. We spent the next several years pouring our hearts into converting her into a self-contained home on wheels. While 2020 put our plans on hold, it gave us the time to perfect every DIY detail of the build—and now, she’s our companion across an entire continent. 🛠️✨ 🌍 The Dream is Real: Overlanding Africa We are currently crossing Africa, proving every day that you don't need a 4x4 or a brand-new rig to have a world-class adventure. From the landscapes to the people we meet, this journey is everything we dreamed of and more. Thank you for being part of the 2WD family! 💛 ——————————————— ☕️ Support Our Journey If you enjoy our weekly videos and want to help keep Mochi rolling, you can buy us a coffee here! Every bit of support goes directly back into the adventure and the storytelling: 👉 Support us on Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/melanieandl 🛠 Shop Our Van Build Curious about the gear we use to keep a 40-year-old van running in the tropics? We’ve linked our favorite tools and van life essentials in our Amazon Store: 👉 Mochi’s Amazon Storefront (Note: We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you—thank you for supporting us!) ——————————————— ✨ Subscribe for weekly videos:    / @mochioverland   📷 Follow us on Instagram:   / mochi_overland   🎵 TikTok:   / mochioverland   📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=1... ——————————————— ⏱ Chapters 00:00 This week… things get intense 00:25 Street food we didn’t expect 05:50 A police stop we didn’t see coming 07:16 Inside Togo’s snake trade 10:17 When our route completely fails 17:48 Inside Lomé’s biggest market 27:55 The world of Voodoo markets 31:00 Escaping the chaos for a wild camp