Photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151258121876961.436031.562066960&type=1&l=b1ce201ff8
We slept the night with the sound of the falls filling in the white noise, and woke to the sound of the cockerels in the morning around 6:30 a.m. Breakfast was a fruit mix of banana, pineapple and mango, toast with marmite, cornflakes, and coffee. Delicious! And, we were off before 8:30 a.m. We drove into Kintampo and spent about an hour and a half there shopping in the market. Well, cook group did the shopping; we others just wandered around talking with the locals. We met the crew from the local fire engine and were shown their brand new, highly polished bright red fire truck imported from the U.S.A.The crew are all trained in first aid, getting people out of crashed vehicles, and of course fighting the many fires in the town. They were so proud of their roles and their vehicle. Wouldn't give us a ride though!! One cook group got some guy who showed them all the good shopping spots and led them around the market but wouldn't accept anything for doing it. The other cook group (2 groups had to food shop - we are getting into Northern Ghana now and there is not much here) got in a taxi and travelled about 1 km to the meat shop to buy meat for dinner. We chatted and joked with another group of women and I manged to get a lovely shot of a woman carrying her baby - Ghana style. Then it was back in the truck and off again. The roads were paved and really good. Either a Japanese project or a Chinese project to finish a beautifully paved road to Tamale. We stopped for lunch around 12:30 - again just pulled off the road in a drive leading to a small farm. Temperature was about 41C so we are not freezing. Last night the temp got down to 18 and I was freezing in the tent - didn't have my sleeping bag only my sleepsheet. Ray got so cold he moved up to the truck to sleep around 1:00 p.m. The afternoon drive was more exciting on a bright yellow-brown dirt road complete with pot holes. But it was a lovely drive. We passed a number of villages with the beautifully round mud huts with thatched rooves, sleek white cows, large termite hills. The landscape changed from forest to more savannah woodland like scenery with scrub trees and bushes. A lot of the land is burned and we are trying to find out why: either to stop bush fires, prevent snakes, or burn rubbish. At least those are our ideas so far. Again we passed numerous police checks all of which were really friendly and waved us on our way. And then around 3:30 we pulled into Mole. Ray is really not too well so we upgraded to a room where we have electricity and running water. No Internet though!!
We slept the night with the sound of the falls filling in the white noise, and woke to the sound of the cockerels in the morning around 6:30 a.m. Breakfast was a fruit mix of banana, pineapple and mango, toast with marmite, cornflakes, and coffee. Delicious! And, we were off before 8:30 a.m. We drove into Kintampo and spent about an hour and a half there shopping in the market. Well, cook group did the shopping; we others just wandered around talking with the locals. We met the crew from the local fire engine and were shown their brand new, highly polished bright red fire truck imported from the U.S.A.The crew are all trained in first aid, getting people out of crashed vehicles, and of course fighting the many fires in the town. They were so proud of their roles and their vehicle. Wouldn't give us a ride though!! One cook group got some guy who showed them all the good shopping spots and led them around the market but wouldn't accept anything for doing it. The other cook group (2 groups had to food shop - we are getting into Northern Ghana now and there is not much here) got in a taxi and travelled about 1 km to the meat shop to buy meat for dinner. We chatted and joked with another group of women and I manged to get a lovely shot of a woman carrying her baby - Ghana style. Then it was back in the truck and off again. The roads were paved and really good. Either a Japanese project or a Chinese project to finish a beautifully paved road to Tamale. We stopped for lunch around 12:30 - again just pulled off the road in a drive leading to a small farm. Temperature was about 41C so we are not freezing. Last night the temp got down to 18 and I was freezing in the tent - didn't have my sleeping bag only my sleepsheet. Ray got so cold he moved up to the truck to sleep around 1:00 p.m. The afternoon drive was more exciting on a bright yellow-brown dirt road complete with pot holes. But it was a lovely drive. We passed a number of villages with the beautifully round mud huts with thatched rooves, sleek white cows, large termite hills. The landscape changed from forest to more savannah woodland like scenery with scrub trees and bushes. A lot of the land is burned and we are trying to find out why: either to stop bush fires, prevent snakes, or burn rubbish. At least those are our ideas so far. Again we passed numerous police checks all of which were really friendly and waved us on our way. And then around 3:30 we pulled into Mole. Ray is really not too well so we upgraded to a room where we have electricity and running water. No Internet though!!
After we got the room, I changed and wanted to go down to the pool. I
opened the door to be greeted by a number of baboons: big red bottomed males,
females with babies on their back and teenagers. I was really alarmed, because
someone had said to keep away from them, but they were in my path!! Anyway, Ray
walked me halfway, and they didn't seem to bother me, so I got to the pool
safely. Then a little further on I met a family of wart hogs. I've loaded some
of the pictures and hope you enjoy them. I had a nice swim to cool down, and I
sat with some of the group in the viewing area anxiously waiting for wild life
to come to the big watering hole below the motel to drink. Nothing appeared,
but we did get a lovely African sunset.
Next morning we were up early and set off on a 3 hour hike to see wildlife.
The land is savannah woodland, and very dry. We are at the beginning of the dry
season. We trekked for about 3 or 4 km following little paths around the
watering hole. We were all excited to see two elephants. The first time we saw
them they were at the far side of the watering hole, but when we had trekked
all the way around suddenly we looked up and through the trees we saw the bum
of one of them again!! It was a little scary, we were only about 25 feet away
from them. The "armed" guide just clapped his hands and shooed it
forward and we followed at a too close distance till the elephant slowly
dropped down into the water and waded out and started to throw the water
through his trunk. It was very exciting and very special. We also saw 3 types
of buck, which of course are always pretty to see. There were some monkeys, but
they were high up in the trees so we didn't get an awfully good view of them.
Green monkeys I think he said. The birds were quite beautiful, especially the
kingfishers. Anyway, it was a long trek, and of course it got hotter and hotter
as the time wore on. Really exciting to be so close to wild elephants, but
otherwise just a nice walk in the African Savannah. Came back and had
breakfast, then I came to my room to upload pictures to the hard drive to back
them up.
Hope we get a chance soon to upload this. Things are pretty wild up here,
but we have seen some other tourists here in Mole. It is Ghana's largest
provincial park. It was a game reserve in the 1950s but in 1971 it was turned
into a park and the animals are protected. There are about 400 elephants, some
leopard, and they are hoping in the future to be able to attract the lion back
to this part of Africa. The park is about 4,577 square kilometers.
Had a couple of interesting stories today. First thing in the morning, Ida,
the Norwegian girl was standing at the campsite when the others saw one of the
warthogs start towards her. No-one moved, no-one said anything, they all just
stood transfixed and watch him trot across the campsite and head butt her in
the thigh. Poor girl was shocked. He did break skin a little, but not
seriously!! Then, later on, Jimmie, one of our tour leaders climbed up into the
truck and came face to face with a baboon sitting on the table, stretched up to
the string rack above the seats struggling to free an apple from the back of
the rack. They both stared at each other and Jimmie couldn't figure out how it
got it, but more importantly since he was blocking the entrance how it was
going to get out. He managed to stop it eating the apple, but when it hissed at
him he decided to back off and leave the door open. Eventually it wandered out.
He thought the only way it could have gotten in was from underneath the truck
when they had the panel off to do some repairs. Apparently the baboons did a
reccy first thing in the morning, must have figured out the best way to get in,
then this one came back on his own later!! Smart animals.
In the evening, I opened the door of our room on to the balcony at the back and came face to face with a little deer. She was so pretty and as astounded to see me as I was to see her. She just stared, and stared at me. I moved very slowly, and she just stayed there. You will recognize the picture. A very special moment of connection with a sleek, wild animal.
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