Another Mad Dash Across Ghana
Tuesday, June 20th, Day 47 - The orginal plan was to leave the hotel at 6am. Fortunately around 5:30 Arne was informed and messaged me via whatsapp that it would be more like 8:00. So we had time for breakfast. Which at this hotel consisted of a decent omelettized egg (though lacking cheese as usual), and plain toast without any spread at all. Asking the restaurant attendant, she just said "please no, we have no spreads." And nescafe. And of course there was still no evidence anyone other than us two are staying in this entire big hotel.
Around 9:00 the first pickup full of our colleagues arrived but we had to wait for the second one with the rest to arrive at 9:40. They had all departed Accra just this morning, so they'd already had to drive three hours to get here (which is why Arne and I were rather doubtful about the initial 6am time).
We then commenced our three and a half hour drive north:
Weirdly the road was "decent" (better than Guinea, still with big pot holes one had to carefully dodge around) for the first hour or two, then there was half an hour to an hour where the road was really really really bad, and then weirdly the last bit was on an extremely good condition smooth asphalt road. This last section was deeply in the middle of nowhere so it was rather unexpected but I guess they're making better use of their road funds than the region in the middle we passed through.
Crossed over some pointy mountains covered in forest and thereafter the sharp ridges of these mountains bounded our horizon on either side. The landscape was mostly thickly forested with the wide variety of trees, ranging from tall (figs?) that seemed to stand three times higher than the rest of the canopy, a variety of lush broadleafed trees with palms sticking above the canopy, banana trees intermingled amongst them, and just generally a riot of variety. All my life (well ever since, specifically, my uncle brought back pictures from his honeymoon in Costa Rica) I've always wanted to see a jungle and when I see tropical forests I ask myself "is THIS 'jungle'?" I still don't know really what actually counts.
Finally we arrived at our destination in the village of Pampawie at 13:00. The inauguration for the Volta-Oti Beekeeping Association was already in full swing under a covered meeting area. The professional photographers with flashes might have done better than me but I didn't get a single decent photo because it was relatively dim under the covered area but bright outside it and therefore in the background in every direction. I would have liked to have a picture of this cool golden-colored staff one of the chiefs had; and also there could have been a cool picture of a quadcopter drone flying just in front of and above some traditional dancers but the lighting situation ruined it.
Also there was a generator roaring just behind us making it difficult to hear the speakers. Sometimes it would go out for a moment, as would the amplified sound system, but I think it was a toss up whether it was easier to hear with the amplified sound + roar of generators or without them. I feel like I made a particularly lackluster speech, the sound situation was very disconcerting.
Official ceremony broke up at 14:00 and then there was some mingling until 15:00. But Courage wanted to get all the way back to Accra this same day so even though local dignitaries wanted to mingle us longer we made our escape.
So once again we spent 7 hours driving to spend 2 hours at an event. I don't really mind though, the event was certainly important to attend and its nice seeing a wide swath of Ghana.
Arrving back here in the town of Ho at 18:30, Courage announced that because everyone, including the drivers, is tired they'll rest here and resume their journey to Accra at 03:00 in the morning. That doesn't involve me though, I'll be staying here, starting another training group tomorrow. And having breakfast at the venue hall rather than this hotel!