Bragging Rights

Held wild monkeys, rode a motorcycle, climbed the second tallest mountain in Ghana, trekked to the highest waterfall in Ghana, and traveled 13 hours via tro-tro! This weekend is definitely something to brag about!!!

The adventure started early Friday morning, when Alicia ( a fellow Cape Coast Intern) and I headed West via tro to Peki, Volta Region. Despite some minor confusion with the driver of the Tro we made it to Roots Yard eco lodge that afternoon. Rasta Bob and his wife Jaqueline have created a lovely space tucked into the plains of the many mountains of Volta. Roots Yard is a vegetarian/vegan only lodge so I loved eating vegan again! Their tofu and soy milk is made on spot, so cool!!!! We just took it easy at the yard and enjoyed good food and conversation.

Saturday morning we headed North to Tafi Monkey Sanctuary. The village of Tafi acquired monkeys a long time ago and has been worshipping them since and more recently using them to attract tourists like me! I knew that I was about the have monkeys climbing on me, but I did not know that soon I’d be on the back of a motorcycle! When the tro dropped us, we were surrounded by motorcycles not taxis. I’ve always told myself that I’d never ride a motorcycle, but I totally change my mind. I loved it!!! Granted we weren’t going super-fast, so I felt safe, but it was so much fun! Seeing the monkeys was a lot of fun too. Our guide walked us into the jungle doing a monkey call. All of the sudden we were surrounded by a family of monkeys, I’d guess about 20. With a banana in hand I was told to stand still and wait! They just jump right up and sit on your arm while they dine on your banana offering. For the most part I felt really comfortable, but I was pretty afraid of the male of the family, he was huge! Monkey tracks and banana slimmed cleaned off I was back on the bike headed for the tros. I may have enjoyed the bike ride more than the monkeys. Then it was another 2 hours in the tro and a taxi ride to our next lodge, Waterfall Lodge. Wow what a beautiful location! The summer hut, aka outdoor sitting, had a great view of the upper falls and mountain. A great meal and new friend made, plans were arranged to hike the loop the following morning.

The Loop consists of a 6ish hour hike up the second highest mountain in Ghana (but come on it was huge!), which then leads to the upper falls, and down to the lower falls. Our trusty guide Wisdom led the three of us to the top, all while wearing flip flops! The hike was challenging but so rewarding! The view from the top was amazing, and seeing the power of a waterfall up close was truly breath taking. Tired and hungry the rest of the day was spent snacking and drinking, in the summer hut.

6 am wakeup call and Alicia and I were headed back home to Elmina. Long story short we tried to take a short cut that ended up being a long cut. I got home at 8pm last night! The longest tro-tro ride anyone can handle



This weekend was sooooooooo wonderful! One of my favorites by far! 

All time is all time

“All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber.”

-Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse Five

With less than a month left here in Ghana I have been reflecting a lot on my stay here and what moments in time have meant the most to me.

My stay here has given me the opportunity to allow myself to sit down with a book and just read for fun! I honestly don’t remember the last time I picked up a book, just to read. I hope that when I get back to Netflix civilization I can keep a good balance between vegging out with a Netflix original and a good book. This Sunday my roommate lent me Slaughterhouse Five and I read it that day! I absolutely loved it, and am now reading Hocus Pocus. In case you were wondering I've also read; Secretes of the Firekeeper’s Daughter, Life of Pi, Gone Girl, Rose Madder, Slaughterhouse Five, and currently Hocus Pocus.

Secondly I’ve really enjoyed getting to know some of the locals. Eli Max is hands down my best pal here in Ghana. I see her pretty much every day. We have started watching this really awful soap opera every night on her T.V. I still can’t tell if Eli likes it or thinks it’s hilarious like I do! Eli just makes me smile and I love hanging out with her. This weekend I plan on teaching her Grandma Kinder’s chicken noodle recipe and I’m very excited! One my projects at GM is to make sure that all of the Mama’s have their Fair Trade certificates and their workshops are up to date. So these past two weeks I have been traveling all around Cape, with the help of Doreen my translator/support system. I’ve been able to meet a lot of the ladies who make GM possible, and I feel really lucky for that opportunity. Around Cape I have also made friends with lots of the Rasta and chop stands that I visit for lunch. It’s nice to have a familiar face to say hello to! Lastly I’ve made good friends with some of the staff here at Elmina Beach Resort, I now have a free WiFi hook-up! But overall everyone that I have met in Ghana has been super friendly towards me! I do have a semi funny story of unkindness though;

I went to “take lunch” at a soup shop close by the office. It was my first time going by myself. I ordered fufu and light soup, which I thought would be fine! Go me! I’m eating fufu right! Nope! There was a lady cop in the shop and she says to me, “why aren’t you taking chicken(my questions mark doesn’t work...) you will die weak!” I didn’t have a good answer for her, and I left leaving her disgusted in me. May not be the best story! But it makes me laugh. She was so stern with me!

Of course there are many other things that I love about Ghana, but the last that I will mention is not having plans ever. If you know me, you know I like to plan. Here it just doesn’t happen, and I’m going with the flow! Everyone here just takes their time and lives by the moto “Don’t Rush”, which I ‘ve taken to heart. I even walk slower now!

As I continue my adventure around the world I will keep this Vonnegut quote in my mind. I will cherish all moments, but remember that I can always revisit them in my future (kinda).