Regional/Cultural Day
Pirogue Gbe
The painted pirogues of Togo's coast are works of art that also happen to catch fish. Bright colors, eyes painted on the bow so the boat can see where it is going, and names that range from devotional to irreverent. Every pirogue launched at dawn is a prayer and a business plan wrapped in wood and paint, and the fishermen who steer them read the ocean like others read a newspaper. The colors fade in the salt air and the paint is refreshed every season, each repainting a small act of faith.