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Published: October 21st 2008
Sorry I have not kept this blog updated... there has not been too too much to write about so I saved myself the frustration of dealing with the internet for awhile.
This past weekend we went to the Volta Region and stayed in a village (Liati-Wote) with families. In this village there is a waterfall and a mountain you can climb. The plan was to leave Saturday morning and go to a monkey sanctuary and Sunday we were supposed to climb the mountain and then visit the waterfall. Unfortunately, due to a flat tire mid way through the trip we had to alter our plans.
Let me first start by explaining the ride up there. We actually left pretty much on time (about 20 minutes late). The bus we had did not have any air conditioning which was wonderful, let me tell you. It is HOT here. Really hot. Like, we're in Africa hot. So if we slowed down, I mean, when we slowed down due to road conditions or traffic, it was brutal. The roads here in Africa are mainly just a 2-lane road. There was one highway with more lanes which was amazing; it's in Accra. But
we weren't on that highway for long. We got off and made the journey to the village. It was mostly paved, with lots of potholes and bumps along the way. Once we got off the pavement was a different story. The dirt road leading to this village was rough. I felt like the bus's pain was my pain everytime we would go down into some crevice or over some bump. It's a wonder we only got one flat tire (which happened to be while we were still on pavement).
Once we arrived to the village it was too late to go see the monkeys. They only come out early in the morning or later in the day and they did not want to take that bus down that path more times than need be so we went on the hike to the waterfall. Before the hike, we were split into groups and we stayed with families in the village. I was with 3 others and we met our family. Our family did not really speak to us. They speak a different language in this region other than twi, and only the older ones spoke a little english. They were
nice enough though. I stayed in a room with this girl in my group, Nicole, and the two boys stayed in another room. We were fortunate and got two separate beds, full size. Well, I was fortunate that my mattress (well, kind of mattress) was firm, poor Nicole...
After the brief introduction we set our stuff down and made our way to the Tagbo Water Falls. I asked the guide if I could wear flip-flops to this waterfall and he said, 'yes you are only going over a few bridges, you will be fine'. He was a liar. I could not wear flip flops on that terrain, it was miserable. Not to mention, the second mine got wet I was slipping all over so I had to go barefoot. Let me tell you how much fun that was. My feet were sort of calloused from walking around barefoot in Richmond (at the river) but they were not all prepared for this. The ground was laid with rocks, tree roots, and HUGE ants that attack if you get the colony upset. I was reminded of that fun song 'the ants go marching' until I saw the ants and it was
no longer fun. Huge I tell ya! We also pretty much ran to the waterfall. It was a nice little hike up and down hills and rocks. It was a good work out. It was well worth it once we arrived to the waterfall. I have never been to a real, live waterfall (I don't think fake ones at Busch Gardens or Kings Dominion count) so it was incredible. I got in a little big and the sheer force of the wind that the waterfall was exerting was pretty powerful. It was amazing to see this wonderful site in nature up close. We couldn't stay too long because it was getting dark fast (the sun sets around 6 here every evening, all year) and as our guides told us 'the rainforest can be deceiving' and I believe him on that because it was getting dark faster. So we ran back.
Once I got back to the house, well it was more like a compound, where my family was we got a warm bucket shower! They told Nicole that 'she could shower with her sista' so we took a nice bucket shower together. We bonded, it was magical. I also got to use the bathroom, which was a nice hole in the ground, complete with little flies that flew right up my tush. Once cleaned, we got our food and went to a bonfire the village was putting on. They served us palm wine (which they get from palm trees, kind of like maple syrup, and let it ferment) and then wanted us to dance. I told them I needed more palm wine to get me to dance, but most of the others in our group got up to dance. It was HILARIOUS! Africans can dance, I'm convinced they were born dancing. Other people, not so much. But it sure was great watching. Before they asked us to get up and join them they were dancing and it was like a cooler version of the bunny hop. They had rhythm. It was just a fun time with the drums and the African singing. But all fun times must come to an end, so we left the bonfire and went back to go to sleep. I awoke to a rooster CROWING (happy Sara and Angie?) at 5 am and goats making whatever that noise is that they make. We were told to be ready to go by 8 to hike up to Mount Afadjato. That's all we were told- what they should've told us was to be ready to go on the hike from hell straight up the mountain at 8, that would've been a more realistic thing to prepare us for.
I have never hiked, I don't think. So from hearing others who have hiked in my group, I was under the impression that hiking is fun, long, but not too too strenuous because of course you don't go STRAIGHT UP the mountain, they said something about having switchbacks which I'm assuming are like zig-zag paths up the mountain. Someone should tell those people in the village that because they are under the impression that we must get up the mountain the quickest way possible... which is a straight line, which is a straight line up the mountain. No level areas, no nice leisurely walks, no, we are going up fast. I consider myself in pretty good shape, granted I've been slacking since being here because contrary to what the literature makes you believe about this University, there are no readily available gyms (not that I'm bitter by that or anything), but I've been running. There is nothing that could have prepared me for that hike. It was the most strenuous work out I have ever had in my life. I was drenched in my own sweat before we were even 1/6 of the way up. We had two guides with us, and they pretty much danced circles around us. They make this trek about 2 or 3 times a day. They are crazy, one of them didn't have shoes on! It took about an hour to get up the mountain, at a fairly decent pace. Once at the top though, it was absolutely breath taking. I mean... I just hiked up this mountain (the tallest one in Ghana, even though it's only 29,000 Ft), in Africa. So once at the top we did the whole picture thing and got up the energy to hike down. For those who know me well, know that I'm not the most graceful person alive. I tend to run into walls and stationary objects, so hiking down this steep mountain was pretty dangerous for me. I slipped and pretty much did a crab crawl a good majority of the way down, but I made it down in one piece, unscathed. I was so gross, I took another bucket shower with my sista and then we left to come back to the University.
Side note- as we were driving back, we saw this little boy, he couldn't have been more than 6, standing in this field holding this machete. It's not the first time, nor probably the last, I've seen this, but it's still something I am taken back by. Some parents in the states won't even let their kids have butter knives... and this little boy was holding this sharp dangerous tool that was bigger than he was. There were also cows on the road, so I guess Ted's aren't the only ones that do that.
I loved this trip. It was good because this village was what I envisioned Africa to be like. Very rustic and deep rooted in tradition and culture. I am beyond exhausted, but it's a very good feeling I have right now.
Next weekend we leave for the Northern region of Ghana, finally. We leave Friday and will come back Monday. I am very excited because I hear the North is very different than where we are- more rural. I can't wait!!
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Awesome trip
You're trip sounds like a blast. Hiking is such a great hobby. That's one thing I miss about the cov. Sandals in nature sounds like a bad idea altogether. The water fall must have looked insane. All in all, this was a most excellent blog. Watch those ants babe. By the way, a goat noise is called a bleat, heh.