Cape Coast and Kakum National Park

Cape Coast (Saturday, January 30, 2010)

After crashing super early Friday night after supper at the Night Market didn’t agree with me, I got up about 6 am to the already broken day outside to start packing for our trip. We walked to the Night Market about 8am to stock up on snacks and breakfast (2 egg sandwiches, 2 loaves of bread, juice, 1.5 L water, and cookies all for about $4 U.S.) and then loaded the tour bus. It took us about 3 hours to reach Cape Coast after crazy Saturday traffic and a pit stop at a very nice bathroom. We pulled into the university there for a (delicious) lunch of your choice of chicken/fish and plain/fried/jolaf rice. Then we set out for the slave castle there. The tour was informative and thought-provoking. I couldn’t begin to get my mind around how difficult that was for the people who passed through those dungeons and tunnels. The will power that they must have possessed to get through such horrors is beyond me. As we emerged from the dungeons to the beauty of the coastline just outside the walls, it was ironically fitting that the polar opposites lay so closely. You could feel freedom in the waves, the breeze, the beauty of the sunshine; all the while you could feel the pain of slavery in the strain of your eyes in the dark rooms, the stench of the dungeons, and the hopelessness of the future that the castle presented. It almost seemed wrong to smile for pictures.

After our tour, we hopped back on the bus and headed for our hotel for the night, which turned out to be a botel (whatever that means). It was located way out of the way but was close to Kakum (our destination for Sunday) and has excellent accommodations. There was a pool for swimming and hot water for showers. Some of the rooms even had air conditioning. A pond was located out front with a path around it so that you could get a better look at the crocodiles, of which there were apparently about 40. Some of us even pet a baby one who had come up on the bank. That is where we met Melissa (of Canada) and Alex (of England). We spent most of the night talking with them about movies, television, fast food, and other cultural issues of importance, while Judith and Mitch waited for their food. A band played throughout the evening and Evan even joined them on the drums once or twice before we all called it quits.


Kakum National Park (Sunday, January 31, 2010)

So we woke up about 6 this morning to the sound of thousands of birds outside. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was still at the botel. Karlie and I were the only ones up in our room and we tried our best not to wake anyone. We took showers, spent a little time reading and then headed to breakfast with Judith. Fresh orange juice. Toast, butter, marmalade, fried eggs, pineapple. Yum.

Mitch, Judith, Karlie, and I sat with Melissa and Alex, our two friends from the night before, and once again compared cultural differences. We didn’t have long before we had to say our goodbyes, pack up, and load the bus. We headed for Kakum National Park. We arrived a little early and had time to check out the gift shop before the hike up to the canopy walk. Our tour guide, “Fred,” told us a little about the rainforest and then we headed up to the canopy walk. It was composed of 6 or 7 bridges suspended by cables and rope, with aluminum ladders overlaid with 2x6s as a floor. It was plenty sturdy, but of course it shook and swayed. We all took lots of pictures (when we dared) and laughed and joked with each other as we enjoyed the scenery. I still couldn’t believe we are in Africa. Will it ever sink in?
Once we were on the bus, we were all ready for lunch. Again, we stopped at the restaurant on campus at Cape Coast, but this time I got fish and chips (man have I missed grease and ketchup). We ate quickly so that we could make it back to campus before the Ghana match at 4. We barely made it (3:57) and we all settled down to watch the match. It was the final game in the African Cup of Nations; we played Egypt, and we won’t talk about how it ended. Let’s just say it was a lot quieter tonight than it could have been.

We talked to Momma and Daddy, it was really good to hear their voices and get caught up on what’s been happening there. Apparently, we are missing about 8 inches of snow at home right now. :( Oh well, you can’t have it all. We are praying for Momma’s safe day tomorrow at work and anyone traveling on the roads. But please, enjoy the snow! :)

Miss yall!