Canopy Walkway and Final Stop in Accra

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We awoke in Hans' Botel, and I reflected on the trip so far. Realizing this was our final day of, what I felt, was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of experiencing this amazing country and people. It was a bit of a damper but we needed to go all out for the finale!

We arrived in Kakum National Park, which consisted on a protected tropical rainforest, that supposedly was home to plethora of varied species. We began by reading about the forest and it's creatures in a small museum. Outside I found loads of different lizards moving about and tried cornering some, but they always escaped. While the forest was supposed to be teeming with life, we sadly wouldn't be seeing much, as everything was hidden in the bush and the sheer amount of humanity passing through meant whatever potentially would have been in view would be long gone. So I took this canopy walk as simply walking above the forest, which it was, so in that respect it was fun. Especially jumping around and being stupid on the walkway and freaking people out who had fear of heights. There were about seven sections of the walkway and we got through them pretty quickly.

We were now off to our last stop; back to Accra where everything had begun. It was bittersweet because I wasn't ready to head home yet Accra, in a sense, was a home away from home while in this country. We already recognized many areas from being in and out of here so often, especially in Abelempke, where Gaby and his family were and where we had stayed. The mini-bus first headed to the airport where we were going to check in our bags so we wouldn't have to worry too much about gear for the rest of the evening. Initially it seemed as though the flight had been overbooked and me and the Duke where banking on getting extra days in Ghana but sadly it was not meant to be.

Once the mini-bus dropped us off in Abelempke, we bid farewell to our guide and driver and met up with Gaby. We headed to CK's restaurant and had our final friend rice and chicken dish we had all come to love. Gaby had come through and procured our beloved Atta Mills shirts we'd been so hellbent on getting. The Duke met up with the bridesmaid he had an interest in and they spent a bit of time, even if fleeting, with each other. Finally it was time to go and we said goodbye to everyone and headed out. I grabbed a ride with Gaby, who also brought Marina, Held and Rosalind. We hit some traffic on our way back but we had ample time to spare. While waiting to turn at one intersection, and we waited a while, a squeegee kid ran up and started cleaning Gaby's windshield, despite his protest. Gaby claimed he wasn't gonna give him anything but eventually gave him a few Pesawas. He was just too nice a guy not to. As we continued waiting another squeegee kid ran over and started cleaning the windshield again! We were cracking up and Gaby was not too happy with this latest development and let the kid know it. Finally he switched gears and got into some Ghana style driving and we hit the light and finally got out of there.

When we got to the airport we said our final goodbye's and presented Gaby with a bottle of Jack as a small token of our appreciation. We went through security and then loafed around for a while but the flight was on time and before we knew it we were all on the plane about to leave Africa behind. Such a great experience in many different ways and I couldn't have been happier with how overall us classmates got along with each other in terms of work and play. I feel like we have unfinished work here and I don't doubt some of us will be back eventually. I guess the focus now is finish school so we can get out into the world and try to help others out, while discovering other cultures and ourselves in the process.



Half way through our flight home and I just awoke from a decent nap. I turn to my travel mates and ask "Beer?". After I head to the back to inquire and return with the good word. "Seems like beer is complementary on this flight," I say with a grin. The fun wasn't about to end yet...

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