The Volta Region

              A few weeks after my parents visited, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the Volta Region, which I’d anticipated for some time.  One of the porters of my hostel named Elvis is originally from the Volta Region (the region along the Volta River in Eastern Ghana), and he graciously offered to escort a handful of students to explore there for the weekend.  We left at 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning—maybe closer to 7 by the time the group of 10 girls got themselves together—in an air-conditioned van to make the three hour trek east.  Upon arrival, we grabbed a quick bite to eat to prepare us for a hike to the top of the highest mountain in Ghana—Mt. Afadjato!  It is no exaggeration when I say that this hike was one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life.  Not only was it 95 degrees out with an additional humidity factor, but it was an extreme vertical incline up an unsteady rocky terrain.  Our guide said that he climbs up the mountain at least four times a day, which I could hardly believe, but gave him a lot of credit for because there is no way I would be doing such a thing.  As we climbed up Mt. Afadjato grabbing whatever our hands could grip in order to support ourselves, caravans of children would barrel down the mountain only stopping to tell us “you can make it” and reminding us how much further we had to go (an amount that never seemed to decrease).  Occasionally, they would laugh at us obruni panting and sweating as we attempted to scale the mountain that the children of the local villages managed without any effort at all.

The group posing at the top of Mt. Afadjato after an exhausting hike

               Finally after about an hour, we reached the peak, where we were greeted with a much relished rain shower!  Embracing the short downpour, we threw our hands in the air and shouted “I’m king of the world” as if we were Leonardo DiCaprio enjoying the majestic view from Titanic’s bow.  From the top we were surrounded by lush landscapes and could even see the mountains that lined the Togolese boarder.  Mistakenly, I assumed the trip down Mt. Afadjato would be much easier than the hike up.  Like the kids before us had warned, we spent most of the way down the mountain sliding on our rears.  My backside was completely covered in dirt by the time I got to the bottom and I was very relieved to have completed the journey.

At the top of Mt. Afadjato, with Togo off in the distance

The breathtaking Wli Waterfall

                After a short drive, we had another hike (this time of about a half an hour) to get to the tallest waterfall in Ghana.  This hike was infinitely more bearable than the previous one, as we made our way through the rainforest along a winding river.  The fresh smells of nature and sporadic calls of animals stimulated my senses as I watched the sunlight creep through the breaks in the dense foliage and shimmer on the serene river.  At a break in the jungle, you are welcomed by one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen—I would think it was a painting if I wasn’t there to witness it myself.  The Wli Waterfall towered above a pool of fresh water and was boarder on either side by rigid walls of rock which were home to beautiful wildflowers juxtaposed with swarms of bats.  I didn’t hesitate to jump right into the refreshing water and swim under the falls.  It was almost an outer body experience to be standing under the tallest waterfall in Ghana while the powerful water beat down on my body, and a truly amazing encounter.  Finally we drove to the top of the second tallest mountain—precariously perched along the scariest “road” winding to the top—where we stayed the night in a quaint guesthouse. 

                The owners of the guesthouse kindly prepared dinner for us and although Banku and stew would not have been my first choice, any food was good food at that point.  It was actually my first time eating Banku, because I had purposely avoided it up to this point, and it was roughly what I’d expected.  Banku is a fermented ball of masked plants like cassava that you are to tear off with your fingers and dip in a seafood flavored soup with egg white consistency.  Any visitor to Ghana should give it a try before the leave, but I certainly won’t be depending on Banku alone.  Our night was frequently interrupted by giant spiders appearing in our rooms, which resulted in girls screaming for assistance and all piling into the “safest” bed.  Despite this disturbance, the morning brought yet another breathtaking view as I stepped out onto our balcony.  The sun was peaking over the mountaintops, perfectly kissing the surrounding green trees to paint a colorful picture of peace and tranquility.  Then to everyone’s surprise, we were invited to meet the chief of the local village (the highest human settlement in West Africa) who was holding a council meeting.  We all introduced ourselves and listened to the chief as he provided us with a bit of history on his people as well as a few words of wisdom!   

Monkey at Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary

                After devouring a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and toast with nutella spread (yummy!!!), we packed up and headed to the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary a little over an hour away.  Tafi Atome is a preserve of forest that locals have reclaimed after colonialism destroyed much of the monkeys’ natural habitat.  The monkeys were said to be sacred creatures and played a crucial role in the lives the ancient people in the region.  A guide walked us into the forest and when we arrived at the monkeys’ domain, he signaled to them that we had food.  All of the sudden dozens of monkeys appeared in the surrounding trees, eager to snatch the enchanting bananas we held in our hands.  We were told to grip the bananas very tightly with only the very top visible to the monkeys if we wanted them to jump on us and eat from our hands; otherwise, you could extend your arm and they would hang from the tree while they ate their breakfast.  I have never been so close to wild monkeys before, and assumed this may be one of my only opportunities to have one perched on my arms while I fed it a banana, so I raised my hand toward the trees and firmly gripped the fruit.  Sure enough one after another, monkeys would take turns leaping from their trees onto my arms, head, and shoulders, to quickly eat their bananas and hop back to the protection of the forest.  It was amazing!!  They were of decent size, but surprisingly light, and their facial expressions were absolutely hilarious.  I was all smiles and it is one of my favorite memories from Ghana that will remain with me forever!  My weekend in the Volta Region was truly delightful and such a rewarding experience.

                              

                                     Monkey eating a banana on my arm at Tafi Atome    

Surprise visit from the Parents

      

         The month of March flew by much faster than I ever expected and began with the best surprise I could have ever asked for—my parents came to Ghana!!  I honestly did not think it was even a possibility that they would visit me while I was here, and I had completely come to terms with the fact that, given my choice of location, visitors were pretty much out of the question.  After secret communication with my parents, my professor invited the Pitt students to his home for dinner one Thursday night where they were awaiting my arrival.  It took a few minutes to register that my parents with the two random obruni standing around the dinner table at Dr. Adjaye’s house, but once inner face-recognition technology kicked in, I was at an absolute loss for words (as evident in my father’s video recording of the surprise event).  Needless to say, I was a giddy little school girl sporting a blissful smile from ear to ear for the remainder of the evening as we chatted (mostly about what provoked them to fly to Africa for a long weekend and how they managed to keep this all a secret) and enjoyed authentic Ghanaian food. 

Dad and I in our African attire

True to himself, my Dad had done his homework on Ghana and had an awesome few days planned for us, which was wonderful considering I had no prior knowledge of their visit and therefore could not have scheduled a thing.  After dinner on the first night, we all went back to the Golden Tulip (a very nice hotel in Accra, just down the road from campus) where I was pleasantly welcomed by a lush bed, air conditioning, and hot water—things I hadn’t experienced since arriving in Ghana!  The following morning was enjoyed relaxing by the pool at the Golden Tulip, where my Mom and Dad were first greeted by the hot Ghanaian sun.  They didn’t quite realize how intense it was, and lounging in the water all day created the illusion that it was just a summer day in Cape May, when in fact a perfect shade of pink was leaving indication of their tropical destination.  Later that afternoon, we made the 3 hour drive to Elmina, an old colonial town just past Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana.  The ride itself is an eye-opening experience for newcomers to Africa as it winds through rural establishments along Ghana’s coast and exposes one to life outside of a city.  My Dad especially enjoyed the young boys holding the giant rat-like animal that they caught for sale on the side of the road! 

Elmina harbor filled with fishing boats on a Saturday afternoon

We arrived in Elmina just in time to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean as we ate dinner on the water’s edge.  Similar to the Golden Tulip, the Elmina Bay Resort provided me with the luxuries I had been craving—air-conditioned rooms, a television, and a pool that overlooked the ocean.  Additionally, spending a weekend being spoiled by your parents while you are abroad means that you can try the delicious foods that surpass your usual 2 cedi dinner allotment.  The next day, we ventured to Kakum National Park where we hiked through the rainforest and walked along the suspiciously suspending bridges connecting the tallest trees in the canopy.  A group of school children from the Asante region followed behind us and my Dad enjoyed conversing with them and watching their antics that reminded him of our 13 year old Richie and his friends.  Although we didn’t see any animals, other than butterflies, it was a new experience for me to walk along the canopy of a rainforest and a great change in scenery from Accra.  By lunchtime we had finished in Kakum and stopped for a bite at the Hans Boatel where crocodiles swam freely underneath us and brilliantly yellow birds busily built nests in the surrounding trees.  Then we headed back towards Elmina where we stopped to tour the San Jorge Castle before spending another night at the Elmina Bay Resort. 

My parents and I at Kakum National Park canopy walk

The slave trade castles—both the one in Elmina and the one in Cape Coast which we toured the next day—are a must see if you are traveling to Ghana!  It’s hard to articulate the feeling when you are walking through such a magnificent structure placed right on the edge of the land where palm trees and pristine waters captivate your view; yet, you are fully aware that this current beauty masks a horrifying past of vile vanquishers with no regard for human life other than their own.  As eerie as they were, the tours of the castles were one of my favorite experiences in Ghana thus far and allowed me to have a better understanding of a crucial part of African and European history.  The biggest juxtaposition was that when you step outside the walls of the castle through what was formally known as “the door of no return” as it served as the last point the enslaved Africans would ever be on their homeland, you are confronted by hundreds of fishermen bringing in the days catch, plenty of young boys playing soccer on the sand, women selling their goods on their heads, and colors—lots and lots of vibrant colors!  I could write an entire blog post about my thoughts and observations while at Elmina and Cape Coast castles, but I’ll leave that for another day. 

Dad and Mom at the San Jorge Castle

That night, my parents and I slept like babies, and the next day we headed back to Accra after a bit of relaxation time by the pool.  This time we stayed at the Mensvic hotel in East Legon (even closer to my campus) and were accompanied by hundreds of students participating in a worldwide medical conference.  Not quite the quiet, elegant atmosphere of the Golden Tulip, but a nice hotel nonetheless.  Monday was their final day in Ghana and after a weekend of rapid sightseeing and traveling, we were all ready for a low-key day around Accra.  I gave my parents a simplified tour of my campus so they could get a sense of what I do on a daily basis; I know my Mom appreciated seeing my routes to class, knowing where I eat dinner, and meeting Auntie Adelaide—the sweet lady in charge of my hostel.  Finally, we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant at the Accra mall and I dropped them off at the airport for their late flight home.  It was a quick visit, but I am beyond grateful that my parents were able to experience Ghana and share in my passion with me!  I loved having my parents here in Ghana and it is incredible memory that we will cherish forever.