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