1. Lome----Kara
Our journey from Lome to northern Ghana and back began at the Post Office (“La Poste”) in Lome. Myself and my two friends Brandon and Ben boarded the bus at 6:30AM. I was apprehensive to be getting back on this bus again after the incident last time I was on this very bus. I saw my life flash before my eyes as the bus began to roll backwards, without functioning brakes to stop us. Luckily, we didn’t roll over and everything was okay. However, that incident and the incident another Volunteer experienced, where the bus did flip over (luckily she was not seriously hurt) were in the back of my mind the entire time. But then again, we take greater risks every time we load into decrepit, barely-functioning, far too overloaded bush taxis with inexperienced drivers and lack of routine maintenance. At least that’s what I kept telling myself, even after the bus broke down after several hours in the city of Sokode in the Centrale Region. Yet, fortunately the repairs did not take long and we were back on the road and experienced no other issues for the rest of the trip. My faith in the Poste Bus had been somewhat restored and I still believe it is a much better option than a bush taxi. Or at least it’s much more comfortable.
2. Kara---Tamale
We arrived in the city of Kara, in the region of the same name, at about 4:00PM that evening and checked into the guesthouse run by the Affaires Sociales (the Togoles equivalent of Social Services). The Togo side of the border was just a rinky-dink shack. Across the street was a gorgeous white office building that was still in construction, and therefore still unused. It was on this trip from Kara to Tamale that we met two Belgian guys who were also on their way to Tamale, and eventually Mole.
3. Tamale---Mole
After reaching Tamale, a growing city in the north of Ghana with paved roads, sidewalks, stop signs, nice restaurants, and a thriving commercial district (unimagineable in the north of Togo), we spent the night at the Peace Corps transit house and hung out with a few Volunteers. It was amazing to hear that the Volunteers have some of the same challenges regarding their work as we have in Togo. The education system is underdeveloped, stuck in the system of rote memorization imposed by the colonists, the same sanitation problems exist, getting people to change their mentalities and behaviors is just as difficult, and bureaucracy is just as annoying, nonsensical and counterproductive. Yet, after the trip I was left with the feeling that things were moving in the right direction for Ghana. It is country with a commitment to democracy, with a commitment to improving the lives of its citizens. Although it may be true that Ghana receives much more aid than Togo, considering its continued history of democratic rule and the fact that is it is an English-speaking country, there still seems to be a disconnect regarding the disparity in the level of development and general quality of life between Togo and its neighbor.
After our brief stopover in Tamale we departed for Mole, en route to Mole National Park. Mole Park, the great tourist destination of Ghana, where tourists from all over the globe come to see the wildlife of West Africa. This is one of the few protected areas in the region; one of the few areas where one can see monkeys, elephants, antelope, warthogs, and even the occasional lion (so we were told) in their natural habit.
When we arrived in Mole, after nearly an entire day on an over-packed, stuffy bus from Tamale, we arrived in Mole in the night darkness. As Ghanaians filtered off the bus, getting off in small villages between Tamale and Mole, I began to get a feel for what kind of place Mole National Park would be. By the time we arrived the crowd on the bus was remarkably non-Ghanian. Aside from two Togolese women and two black British women, the bus was full of Europeans and us Americans. We were all foreign tourists, about to spend several days at a swank hotel by African standards, complete with a pool, great meals, large comfy beds, air conditioning, and a refrigerator. On the bus was an amazing mélange of people from all over the world- Belgians, Spanish, Mexicans, Austrians, French, Togolese, Italian, and British were all represented. While this was on the one hand a great experience to see such diversity, it was rather awkward as well. As an American Peace Corps Volunteer I had become accustomed to being among one of the few white persons in a group, clearly standing out in the crowd, while at the same time trying to fit in, or as Peace Corps likes to say, “integrating into the community.” At Mole, we were not standing out, yet at the same time, after spending a year in Togo, living and working “au village,” we somehow felt out of place, as if here we also did not really belong.
Yet, with that said, Mole was perhaps one of the greatest places I have ever visited. We woke up the first morning to elephants right outside our hotel room. We went on a walking safari where we saw more elephants playing in a watering hole, antelope running through the savannah, monkeys swinging from trees. Baboons walked freely along the grounds of the park and even dug through trash, jumped on tables, and stole peoples’ food. We relaxed by the pool, met new people with interesting stories and could relax without all of the usual concerns we have in village. Everything was comfortable and taken care of and we had not a care in the world…besides those monkeys squawking at night and jumping on our roof.
4. Mole---Larabanga
This stop on the trip, in my opinion, was perhaps the most memorable of all on the trip. Here, with the assistance of a former PCV, two brothers, the Salia Brothers, had opened their home up to tourists visiting Mole National Park, naming it the “Salia Brothers Guesthouse.” What was interesting about the Salia Brothers was that they had achieved the dream of most Africans I have met and had lived in America off and on for several years. However, as they said, “We always chose to come back.” I had heard so many times from Togolese and Ghanaians alike that life was so difficult here, there is so much poverty, and that given the opportunity they would get out of the country, move to somewhere in the West- preferably America, France, or England, to never return. Yet the Salia Brothers, devout Muslims from a small village in northern Ghana, felt a strong affinity to their faith, their village, and their way of life, which they could not see sacrificing indefinitely.
-Most extended amount of time in a predominantly Muslim village
-90% of villagers don’t support Mole Park
-Taking away prime cropland
-None of benefit going to Larabanga
-Instrusion by white foreigners
5. Larabanga----Wa
-Wa- large city, highly developed (only a secondary northern city)
-Unofficial transit house
6. Wa----Wechaiau
-Hippo sanctuary- collaboration between different organizations (Calgary Zoo, PC)
-High level of community support
-90% of benefit goes back to community
-Guide makes 1 cedi per visitor
-Legit but not overdone- great use of community resources
7. Wechaiau----Tumu
-3 hour wait to fill up the taxi
-Stifling hot, cracked windows, terrible, dusty road
-No way to get to Bolga same day, found awesome guesthouse run by German missionary who had been in Ghana for 40 years. Had translated the entire Bible into local language. Nicer than most places I’ve stayed in in the States. Said that at one point Lome was the place to be in West Africa and was a thriving, bustling, city ("The Paris of West Africa"). Now Accra, with its history of commitment to democracy, its commitment to sustainable growth, and its investment by nations in the West (namely Britain and the US-considering it is an English-speaking country) is a city that should see substantial growth in the next few decades.
-Electricity, cold drinks (Gulder, Heineken, mixed drinks), restaurants, etc. all the way up in the north in a random city.
8. Tumu----Bolgatanga
-Bolga- large Muslim city. Calm and tranquil except at the taxi station (of course)
“It seems like there a chance that the projects you do here might actually stick.”
