A weekend in Ghana

I feel like I have not really written at all about the many things that I have done outside work. It got to about 3 weeks ago when I suddenly realised that I had not seen many places outside of Lome. Partly this is due to the fact that travelling around and working off ship I get to see a lot more of the area than most people so don't feel the need to explore. The other part is the fact that it is so stressful getting anywhere using 'public' transport (see my earlier blog) that you need the whole weekend just to recover from the journey!

But my sense of adventure prevailed and as such I found myself wedged with 4 others and driver in a 5 seater car travelling north through Togo. After 5 hours of travel through lush countryside, round hair pin bends, up and down mountains, 30 minutes at the border waiting for the guard to turn up and a very amusing guy who kept calling one of the Americans in our group 'Obama' we reached Ghana.

After a 1 hour uphill climb we arrived at the ridge where our guide had bought us to pitch our tents. The view was breathtaking. On one side the huge Wli waterfalls and on the other a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and setting sun. It was one of those moments that can't be described in words, the awesomeness of creation spread out before us.

The waterfalls from our camp

The valley below our camp

After a night spent trying to get comfy balanced on several rocks (!), we were up early the next day to continue the hike to the falls. What followed was a vertical up hill slog to the summit, a vertical slither downhill on bums and then a steep rocky path to the falls - pretty tough in the heat and full sun, despite the incredible views! But as we came through the clearing to the Upper Falls, I knew it was all worth it. It thundered down into a perfect clearing, creating a refreshing spray that cooled the air. The fact that we were the only people there made it all the more special.

Part way up the mountain

The falls from the trail

The Upper Falls

We were quite small in relation to the falls!

Another descent led us to the Lower Falls (easily accessible so teeming with people). The rocks surrounding the Lower Falls are covered in around 250,000 bats. After the hike we spent a night in the hotel for a bit of r & r. Even the cold shower was very welcome after being covered in sweat, dirt, suncream and mosquito repellant for 24 hours!

Group picture in front of the Lower Falls

The view of where we climbed from our hotel - we went up to the right and around the ridge

It's these experiences that make up the rich tapestry of our lives, that stay in our minds as pictures and memories but most importantly give us the opportunity to praise God for giving us the opportunity to live life to the full.