Ghana have fun

     On the first day we arrivied in Tema, I traveled with Abbie, Nils, Alyson, and Lauren.  We took the 45 minutes bus ride to Accra and met up with my friend Jillian who’s studying in the city.  It was great to see her after so many months.  She led us around, first to a restaurant, then some markets, then to an orphanage she volunteers at.  We got to play soccer with the kids there. It was quite the workout, but I managed to score the first goal. I traded my shirt and 15 cedis (Ghanain currency: 1.4 cedis = $1) for another guy’s shirt at one of the markets.  I think I may have gotten ripped off but I didn't worry about it.  We got to see Jill’s host home, we had dinner there, and she took us out to the Purple Bar in town.  We had a few drinks and I headed back to the ship. My friends stayed over at Jill's house. The next day I went to the slave dungeons and castles of Ghana.   It was really profound to see how the triangle slave trade worked and where the slaves were kept.  It was a lot of traveling during the day, but worth seeing.  I met a guy that taught me some of the native language. One of the coolest things about Ghanain greetings is the snap handshake. While pulling away from a handshake, Ghanains pull the middle finger so that each hand snaps.  That night I went out to a local place in Tema called Manila Bar.
        The third day, after much deliberation, I decided to travel alone to attempt to get to the famous Wli Waterfalls near Hohoe.  After consulting a tour company, I found the bus station and took a tro-tro to Hohoe.  Tro-tros are 15-18 person vans that run daily, leaving from a station whenever they fill up.  I paid 7.5 cedis for the 4-hour ride.  I met a woman named Patience who worked for an NGO (non-government organization) educating the public about HIV/AIDS awareness.  After we got off, I went to dinner with Patience and she helped me find a taxi to Wli, the village with the waterfalls.  I got to Wli and went to the first hotel I could find owned by a German couple.  The hotel was full.  I got to another hotel called the Wli Waterheights Hotel and paid 20 cedis for the room overnight.  I got outside and asked for directions to the border to Togo.  The woman who worked at the hotel told me the border closed in 10 minutes, but I thought I’d give it a shot.  I walked out the gate towards the border, some 250 meters away.  I ran into a guy named Victor, who introduced himself as one of the Wli waterfall tour guides.  I told him my name and he said that after I came back, I should hang out with him.  He ended up accompanying me to the border, which helped a lot considering he was friends with the guards.  They let us pass, and we walked into the neutral zone between Ghana and Togo.  We walked further and got to the police checkpoint into the village.  They asked for my passport.  I gave it to them and asked them not to stamp it.  “Are you a soldier?” the officer asked.  “No,” I replied, not sure why they were asking.  They let us go.  We walked through the village.  The people there spoke French.  Victor helped me find a lady to exchange my cedi to CFA, the Togolese currency. That night me, Victor, and a few of his friends had some drinks at a local bar.  Keep in mind friends, I will give all of you a more detailed story when I talk to you in person.
        The next morning I woke up at 5am, found Victor finally by six, and started climbing to the upper falls of Wli through the rain forest.  It was an incredibly difficult aerobic climb, but we made it and it was completely worth it.  I got to the falls and looked up in awe.  I stripped down to my suit and walked into the water.  Victor told me the water was safe to drink, so I splashed water on myself and drank it.  The water was sweet, pure and cool.  I stood underneath the falls and fell the light sting on my back.  It was wonderful.  We climbed down afterwards.  Victor helped me find the right tro-tro and I said good-bye, promising to return one day.  I felt truly sad to leave my new friend.
        On the way back to Accra, I met a girl named Mary and talked with her for a while on our 4-hour journey.  She was an absolutely beautiful Ghanain woman, and she happened to be just one year older than I.  As we came near to the end of our journey, I asked Mary if she wanted to get a drink with me and she told me she would like that.  I took her out for a drink, then realized I only had about an hour to get back on the ship.  I shared a taxi with her, then realized I was going in a different direction.  I kissed her good-bye, promised to come back someday, then got in another taxi.  I got to the shuttle area only to realize that the last shuttle left at 4PM.  It was past 4:30.  I told the driver I only had 13 cedi left and he said that he would help me, though it was very little money compared to the long drive back to the Tema port from Accra.  I clocked in at the ship at exactly 6:00PM.