Massive Update: Chapter One-Ghana Highlights while listening to high life

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So, my apologies for being so terrible about updating this past month or so… But, no fear, no that I am officially done with classes, procrastination is in order. Therefore, here it goes…

Ok, so sometime around 12 April, Eleanore and I finally made it back to Aburi to rent some mountain bikes. There was rumor of a baseball game against “the Cubans” (that’s how it was left) which never panned out, so bike time! Great, right? Well, yes- and okay, more yes. We get to the bike rental place, and are given helmets, I was given a child sized one… twice, but finally found an adult size that fit, and Eleanore and I were on our way- each with a helmet and back pack. The queens of cool. We were given a “map” of the route we were supposed to take which was basically just a collection of photographs of places to turn. Some consisted of non-descript trees, but hey, it was an adventure, and somehow we use our noggivs and our map and the friendly advice of the Aburi residents (who have seen far too many obourunis make fools of themselves on mountain bikes) to make it to the “trail.” It was a foot path, in some places over grown. I struggled because of my lack of deep vision (can’t remember proper term), but anywho, it was a blast. Running into rocks, crossing a stream, and making it up a killer hill. When we got back, there was COLD, FRESH, PInEAPPLE. Hit the spot, let me tell you, and then we walked around the hilly and beautiful town/village, got some ice cream and called it a day.

The next week was filled with classes and getting ready for my mom and bro. My final group trip left 18 April, and headed up to the Volta region (a place I had been so pumped to go, and will be heading back this weekend). On Friday, Mercy’s husbavd, Kwame, was in-charge because Mercy was still working, and it was a great day. We arrived at a park that has an incredible waterfall- wli (pronounce vlee). Unclear of how tall it actually is, some Ghanaian estimates 400m to 2km? Anywho, we got out of the van, ate our lunches that Mercy had packed for us, complete with a napkin, juice box, and candy for dessert, and began our hike to the falls. Our guide mentioned that we were passivg a village that made palm wine and palm gin, so Kwame suggested a detour, no one protested. Since it was noon in Ghana, and certainly five o’clock somewhere, we had some homemade alcohol- boy, it was strong. There are some great pictures of our faces after consuming the gin, the kind of liquor someone may say grows hair on your chest. I may or may not have tripped, oh a good 10 or 12 times after this little detour, but remained my usual calm, cool, and collected self. We got to the falls, and jumped in. The water was a perfect temperature and so clear. Yea, not a bad afternoon.

On our way home, Kwame stopped to buy us all a drink while we waited for mercy, our Ghanaian Mom to met us at the lodge. The next day we visited the Akosombo Dam, which is one of Kwame Nkrumah’s (not to be confused with our Ghanaian father, or maybe rather, Nkrumah is everyone’s Ghanaian papa). (note my tone, thank you twi class) Anywho, the dam was built in the 60’s and is the source of the majority of power for Ghana, as well as a power source for Togo, Benin, and Burkina. Next stop was a bead village where we got to watch the process for making powder and glass beads. It was really cool, everything that is used is natural, something that is found in the village (same with the palm liquor producing). That’s definitely one of the things that has struck and inspired me here, how close people are to the land.

It was now time for me to get on tro tro and head back to Accra to pick up my Mom and Kevin! Calvin and I greeted them at the airport. Sunday, we explored Accra going to an art gallery, Osu, and the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum. Monday, they went to Kumasi to visit Edna’s family where they were treated royally. On Tuesday, I met them at the bus station in Cape Coast, and we relaxed at our hotel before exploring the town. We went to the Cape oast slave castle which was incredibly moving, and then ran into my friend, Eric, who I met the last time I was in Cape Coast. He was not weaving because of the weather, but we all sat and talked and Eric gave Mom and Kev some beautiful things from his shop. What a good guy, not a city Rasta by any means. I hope to go back one more time to see him before leaving. We walked along the beach, ate some grub, and went back to the hotel where a good football game was on! On Thursday, I thought they should experience a tro tro, so we took one back to Accra, then visited a market, got some food at the night market, went to the national museum, and then Chinese food with Calvin and Eleanore. By that time, I needed to pack and then head off to EGYPT! It was great to have them both in Ghana, and experience some of the food, transportation, and incredible generosity of friends and strangers, in this place I have been lucky to call home for the past couple of months. Tear.

But it was now Egypt time, and I was, well, really, really pumped.

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