Fiona's entry

Trip Start Jun 06, 2006
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Trip End Aug 22, 2006


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Flag of Ghana  ,
Friday, June 9, 2006

Well, so many things have happened already and I have no idea how to explain everything!! The flights into Africa went quite well, nothing out of the ordinary. Thursday we spent three and a half hours on a very bumpy, dirty, and holey road driving up to Kakum National Park. There are so many things taking place on the side of the road and I will try to mention some of them. There are bored-looking women sitting on the side of the road selling any kind of food you'd ever think of. Oh, and when you stop at traffic lights, they come up to your vehicle, baskets full of merchandise on their heads, and ask you if you want any of what they're selling. There are school girls in their uniforms holding hands and walking down the street. Barefoot boys run around on the dirt with a barely recognizable soccer ball, playing "futbol." Muscular men lift things into carts. Crumbling buildings sit beside huts and shacks. Everywhere you go things are dirty, things you could never even imagine at home.

Anyway, Kakum was beautiful. We had a very typical Ghanaian lunch, which I found delicious: Goat meat and rice balls. It came in a big bowl, with the rice and meat (stuck to the bones) buried in a very spicy sauce. After lunch, we hiked through the forest to the canopy walk. The forest was beautiful, however dark it was in there. Towards the bottom, the hiking trail was made of stone, though the path was later dirt. You had to duck under vines and skip over the puddles that had formed from the rain. The trees were huge and dark. A true rain forest! The canopy walk can best be explained as something that can either turn into a nightmare or an adventure. You walk on these wooden boards suspended 100 feet in the air, held there by solid ropes. The bridge sways plenty and it can be scary at times, but if you can forget your fright for a few minutes and enjoy the view from the bridge, it is an absolutely gorgeous view. Gazing out over the misty forest is one of those times that makes you fall in love with Africa. And we snapped pictures almost every 20 seconds, so we'll have lots of memories of that wonderful experience.
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