Continued from Cape Coast

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So, we visited the castle on the saturday and on sunday travelled to Anamabo beach- 15 minutes drive from our town. It was paradise, a secluded and private white sand beach lined with palm trees and straw umbrellas. It felt more like a caribbean island than a beach in Ghana. It was the kind of place I'd imagine spending my honey moon with beach huts seconds away from where we sunbathed. The sea wasn't that crystal clear as the waves were quite strong but swimming in them was as safe as you can get out here, so the 4 of us enjoyed the coolness of the water. We hitched a ride in the back of a truck home from some lebonise guys who we kind of knew.

During the week we alternated our days between the school for 6month-4years and the orphanage near us. I worked in the creche, mainly playing and feeding the little ones but when i had a chance i would sneak into Alli's class to see what they were doing- usually scribbling or creative art.
At the orphanage we would get there at 7ish am to walk the children to school and return to the house to clean the breakfast bowls and pots and swept the yard. We would return in the afternoons to around 3ish when they got back from school to do some reading with them, or maybe some colouring in and clapping games. One day we helped out with washing the clothes so atleast some of the children could get some rest after school and play.

Thursday was joans birthday and the kids had fun playing our home made pass the parcel and music statues and chairs. Friday was Ghana Independence day and no school meant we could all go to the orphanage with our planned activity- making ghana flags. The children seemed to really enjoy it although some were perfectionists and needed two or three attempts. After sticking the coloured paper onto some sticks we paraded round the block and enjoyed taking lots of photos.

At the weekend we had arranged to fit in as much as possible as it was mine, Alli's and Caitlin's last one in Ghana. On the saturday we packed an overnight bag and left to drive up to Kakum National Park. On the way we stopped at Hans Cottage. A 'botel' with a restaurant and some usual guest- crocodiles! We were standing on this island that was in the middle of this lake with 4 or 5 big crocodiles roaming freely around, with a ghana man with a stick to control them hayley was petrified, but i was worried that i had no fear at all-surely thats not right. We were each allowed to crouch down and stroke the back tail of the croc, however when it was my turn i took steps forward to go behind the croc and it snapped out at my foot. Lightening reaction, i pulled my foot away and my shoe went flying. I still wasnt scarred just excited. I had my photo taking and petting the pre-historic animal that could have been chomping on my foot!
Later we willingly jumped into a pedalo and started to-row,row row our boat gently down the stream, if we saw a crocodile Hayley would definatley scream! we soon docked our boat and headed like always to the restaurant.
After we continued our journey to Kakum and when we arrived, not without difficulty did we book a place to stay over night and a 4am guided tour. We happened to be staying on a tree plateform in the middle of the rainforest! Just a tine roof over our heads and a mosquito net to protect us from the wild creature of the night. The noises were so loud and crazy, and in the pitch black we were easily spooked by a near by branch breaking. Some weird noises included the Tree Deser which sounded like some one being raped. Actually its a large rodent climbing down to the rainforest floor to eat, and the Bush Baby.
At 3.30am we packed away our things thankful to have not been eaten or raiden during the night and headed back to headquarters to meet our guide-Prince. Still pitch black we made our way back into the forest trying to be careful where we stepped, massive ants seemed to roam around biting anything that got in their way including my ankle! It stung so much and later was so sore it was hard to walk. We saw big fat millipedes and huge tarantulas but everything else seemed to be hiding away.
At 5.30am we reached Africa's one and only canopy walk- up to 40 metres high pretty much a swinging rope bridge trailed around the tops of the trees. We waited to see the sun rise then made our way along the walkway. I was surprised at the height of it and was almost scared to look down. Probably one of the most terrifying moments of my life happened on a wooden platform 40m up on this tree. We were all standing on one each trying to watch the monkeys in the tree (which are rarely seen in the day), the platform jolted, suddenly i though we were plummeting down to our deaths!! My heart stopped- luckily it only lasted a split second but before we left the platform it happened again. I was glad to leave that platform but not so glad that my feet still were relying on a swinging rope bridge.
Our tour finished at 6am and we headed back to Abra- our house.
The same day we spent at Anamabo beach, it is such a tranquil and luxurious place that it lowers you heart rate so you feel like you could be dreaming -gay but it does. I walked up and down the beach letting the water lap over my feet as i listened to my ipod. I was sad to know that I would never return here and that after today we only had a few days left in ghana.

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