There were 10 of us, half Ghanaian, half international (most from Canada!) and we did the trip in a van - called a tro-tro. The roads outside of Accra are insane. There are as many speed bumps as potholes and there is no such thing as a passing lane (because that would mean people couldn't pass when going uphill around a corner...).
There are so many unfinished buildings in Ghana - brick buildings that are mostly built but have been abandoned. I asked our tour guide Elvis why they were there and he said they were projects that one government started, that the next government did not complete. There is a competition over who gets credit for things, so new governments cancel the previous governments' projects. Talk about wasted money and materials.
Our first stop in our trip was to Afadjato mountain, the tallest in West Africa. It is not big, compared to Vancouver mountains, but it was STEEP! There was never a point where we were not moving straight up, and because of the dirt and dried leaves, sliding down was always a realistic possibility. Our guide up the mountain was named Wisdom, and he did the mountain in flip-flops. He said he sometimes climbs it 5 times a day. I asked him if I could feel his leg muscles. They were literally solid - no fat at all.
We reached the peak and had a stunning 360 degree view. On one side we could see the village at the base of the mountain. The rest was just rainforest, like the kind you imagine or see in movies. Wisdom told us that we were looking at the Togolese border, we were that close to Togo. It is Harmattan season right now, so the sky was dusty. It made the whole experience feel even more mysterious and it kept the sun from melting us.
We descended the mountain (quickly, sliding from tree to tree) and walked through the maize field back to the village. We then went to the Wli waterfall, which is the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen. It is tall, slim, and cold. There is a little pool at the base, and we swam out to it and stood under the fall. It was so refreshing, and so magical to be standing in Ghana, in a rainforest, under a waterfall.
When we finally got out of the water, I went and sat on a rock up on a ledge. I looked up and the sky was swarming with bats. Then I looked at the wall of the waterfall. It was covered in bats hanging and sleeping! There were hundreds, if not thousands of bats hanging on the wall or flying in the air. Then there was an outpouring of bats from caves in the wall and the sky was about half blotted out from all the bats in the sky. No noise, just thousands of bats. It was mesmerizing to sit there and watch them all, and a little unsettling. For some reason I have a fear of bats, and I could not help but think of what might happen if they all decided to dive-bomb me...
We stayed in Elvis' village for the night. It was unreal. In the back of his house, just down a hill was a stream full of frogs. They made a symphony of croaks, and it was loud! I had never heard so many frogs before. I stayed outside and listened to them while the others went back inside and then the voices and drums started. There was an all night prayer service happening somewhere not too far away, and their was music and dance mingled with the frog's symphony. I couldn't move, I just sat there and listened. Any of you who know me know that I am always like that when there is live music, but this was something different.
We had a campfire, and told stories to each other, the drumming and singing from the prayer service occasionally supporting our stories. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. The people we were with were characters, each their own. The night felt like a rendition of CATS; there was no story pulling it all together, just random moments of witnessing someone's character. The way each person shared felt very real to who they were.
The next morning, we ate tea (out of a bowl) and bread. It was somehow more delicious than tea or bread usually are. I think the whole weekend just made it so. Then we walked through Elvis' village, and met his family and friends. I don't know what to say about village life yet. It was beautiful, but I don't want to romanticize it. It was also very poor. People looked content, but I didn't have a chance to speak with any of them.
Our last stop was the monkey sanctuary. We pulled up to this little building, and the guy led us about 3 minutes into the forest and started making loud smootching sounds. All of a sudden, you could hear the trees rustling, and then a whole family of monkeys were surrounding us in the trees. We were all given a banana, and told to hold it in your hand. The monkeys would come up to you, reach out, peel the banana, and take the food. The harder you held on, the more they had to work for it, the longer it took them to get the banana. If you were really adventurous, you could stand a little farther away, and the monkeys would jump onto your arm to get it. They will only do this if you are not looking at them.
I was offering my banana to a monkey, then I turned my head to ask someone to take a photo when two monkeys jumped on my arm. One climbed up onto my shoulder, and the other grabbed the banana and left. I wasn't scared for even a second though. They were light, and gentle. They just took the banana and then left. It was funny, to have an experience like that so unexpectedly - it almost seemed anti-climatic, like it should have been more scary.
On the drive home, we were pulled over by the Ghana Road Inspection Police. They asked us to get out of the car, and they searched every single bag we had in the vehicle. Some people were really mad. For me, I felt annoyed at the situation. It was clear, from the beginning, that there was no valid reason for them to do this. They were hoping to get money from us. That is often the case with the police. They waste your time until you give a bribe to go. There was no respect from any of us in the group, but we have to obey what they say because they have large rifles in their backs. It is a frustrating mixture of fear and disrespect. Here, people don't listen to the police because they trust that they are looking out for them. It is the opposite. They listen to them because there is a legitimate fear of their power, and the knowledge that there are may not be the structures in place to prevent the abuse of that power. And that's what it is, and abuse of power.
We left, frustrated at them and out wasted time. Nothing could spoil the weekend though, so after venting about it, we all sat back and added it to the memorable moments of the weekend. Perfect people, perfect trip. Boom.
Bats and monkeys sound awesome! Can't wait to see pictures. :)
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