GHANA - DAY 4 (Reprise)
The Day Before the Day of the Snake
(Or the Trek to the Safari)
Though slightly smaller than Oregon, Ghana is one of the most densely populated countries in West Africa. It lies south of Burkina Faso, between Togo to the east and the Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) to the west, on the Gulf of Guinea. Most of the country is made up of wooded hill ranges, wide valleys and low-lying coastal plains, though the northern third of the country is thick with rainforests. A fair chunk of central Ghana was swallowed by Lake Volta in 1964, when the Volta River was dammed and the lake swelled to become one of the largest in Africa.
The south-western area of Lake Volta is the site of the massive Kujani Game Reserve/Digya National Park, Ghana's largest protected area, which is known for its hippos, water buck, crocodiles and manatees. North-west of the lake is Ghana's best known national park, the Mole Game Reserve, where one can see lions, forest elephants, leopards, antelope, wild boar, monkeys, snakes and over 300 species of bird. These two regions were where our small party of adventurers explored.
Making My Way to Safari - Traveling through the Coastal Forts & Villages
The coastal area west of Accra boasts old slave-trading forts and fishing villages, a new nature reserve and low prices! Here, along a 155 mile stretch of sand, are 15 forts and castles. Although one can actually sleep in several for about $2USD per night, my schedule did not allow for that. Many of the structures sprang up during the 17th century, when a number of the major European powers were competing for stakes in the booming slave trade. About half of the forts are now in ruins.
Some 37miles west of Accra, the village of Senya Beraku boasts some great beaches and friendly folk. Its big attractions are Fort Good Hope (1706), where you can stay for about 2500 cedis ($1USD) per night, and the surfing beaches at nearby Fete. Another 22miles west is a small fishing village, Apam, and its main attraction, Fort Patience (1697), which has also been converted into a guesthouse. The first major town along the route is called Cape Coast, whose main landmark is the Cape Coast Castle (1652) in the heart of town. Here I took some time to visit the former slave trade "processing areas" which were actually reeking dungeons, dank and horrible, with the terrible scratchings of desperate, terrified slaves still visible on the walls. It was a grim reminder of some men's inhumanity to their brothers, which unfortunately is still with us today.
About 5miles east of Cape Coast, near the town of Mori is the site of Fort Nassau (1612), the first Dutch fort built on the Gold Coast - even the bricks used for the walls were imported from Holland. Two miles farther east, Biriwa has one of the best beaches around and a restaurant where you can feast on delicious cheap seafood. I stopped there for lunch and enjoyed the balmy seascape under the gently swaying palms. Just 3 miles beyond, Anumabu is the site of one of the most handsome and well built forts on the coast, Fort William (1730), and a brilliantly painted native asafo shrine. My driver, Thomas, suggested we stop and explore, which I gladly did, but alas, only for a too brief period. Some 22miles north of Cape Coast, the Kakum Nature Park comprises 139 square miles of dense vegetation, packed with monkeys, elephants, antelope and over 200 species of birds.
A small, vibrant fishing village about 13miles west of Cape Coast, Elmina has both a fort and a castle. St. George's Castle (1482) was built high on a rocky peninsula by the Portuguese when they discovered the area's richness in gold and ivory. The Dutch captured the castle in 1637 and built Fort St. Jago (1652), several hundred feet away, to protect it. Both were expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce. Tours of the buildings leave you with a deep impression of how miserably the slaves were treated. It is estimated that thousands died there, and you can almost feel their ghostly spirits forever haunting dark, winding corridors.
But now my route took me away from the famous Gold Coast beaches as I turned north and inland, heading first for the bustling city of Kumasi, and then the large town of Sunyani, capital of the Brong-Ahafo Region.
Kumasi and Sunyani
The ancient capital of the Ashanti kingdom, Kumasi is still the heart of Ashanti country and the site of West Africa's largest cultural center, the palace of the Ashanti king. To add to the appeal, it's surrounded by rolling green hills and has a vast central market as vibrant as any in Africa.
The city's major attraction is the National Cultural Center, a 10-minute walk west of the market. The sprawling complex encompasses a fascinating museum of Ashanti history, a popular library, an excellent crafts shop and an exhibition hall. Classes in traditional dance and drumming are available. One of the center's more interesting exhibits is the fake golden stool used to trick the British, who'd heard that the real Golden Stool held the strength of the Ashanti empire and demanded it be brought to them. It was decades before they discovered the ruse. The real stool is kept at Manhyia Palace and is brought out only on special occasions. It's so sacred that not even the king is allowed to sit on it, and it's never allowed to touch the ground. There's a photo of it in the museum.
If you're looking to escape the heat, (like I was) one option is to head next door to the zoological gardens, with its lovely gardens and somewhat depressing zoo - picture caged chimps toying with broken beer bottles. Watch your step, as crocodiles and porcupines roam freely. About a quarter mile to the west, the Anokye Sword sticks out of the ground exactly where - according to legend - the Golden Stool descended from the heavens to mark the beginning of the Ashanti people. Legend has it that if the sword is ever pulled out, the Ashanti kingdom will disappear. Similar in a way to the Sword of Excalibur from the King Arthur legend.
Manhyia Palace, better known as Asantehene's Palace, is the palace of the highest Ashanti ruler. Ashanti kings have never lived in luxury, and visitors are often surprised by how sparse and unpretentious the palace is. The current king lives in a more recent palace directly behind the old one. This one has all the modern luxuries, including air-conditioning.
In the villages around Kumasi, artisans specialize in crafts such as goldsmithing, woodcarving, cloth printing and weaving. Bonwire is the place to go for kente cloth, Pankrono is best for pottery, Ahwiaa for woodcarving and Ntonso for andinkra cloth. Private taxis and tro-tro (small buses or vans) are the best ways to reach the craft villages, or just about anywhere in Ghana, for that matter.
As it was getting on to mid-afternoon, I asked Thomas to proceed to Sunyani, still many hours distance away. I was looking forward to checking into my hotel there, grabbing a quick dinner, and taking a long, leisurely bath.
Along the drive we spotted antelope darting alongside or across the road, but no other game larger than that. Dotted across the countryside were very small towns or villages, some comprised of only a few households with thatched straw roofs or the ubiquitous tin roof so common throughout West Africa. As the day proceeded, smoke drifted lazily into the air at many locations. Many of the people in the countryside still burn wood to heat their kettles and/or pots, and cook their family meals on the ground outside their houses.
As we proceeded north, the humidity dropped but the temperature rose. Just outside the town of Sunyani the temperature (in the shade) was climbing well above 100 degrees. Directly exposed to the sun it could easily have been upwards of 115 degrees, maybe more.
It was dark by the time we reached Sunyani. Many of the streets were deserted. When I checked into the hotel I was told I had a message from the Chief outside of Berekum. He wished me a continued safe journey and would be seeing me tomorrow afternoon. With great fanfare many of the staff came out to greet me. (I don't think this was their usual hospitality, they just wanted to see the novelty of an American staying at their hotel.) I was formally introduced to the Desk Manager, the bartender, cooks, maids and even several of the widely grinning hotel security staff. I was bombarded with questions about my travels in Ghana, about America and about my feelings of Ghana and her people. The longer I stayed in Ghana, the more I inwardly understood that, indeed, I represented America and its image and was, in a sense, an ambassador during my travels across the countryside.
Warning of the Snakes
None too soon I was graciously offered a very simple, yet very satisfying dinner of rice, vegetables and delicious spices. During the meal I met a most interesting man named John who owned a small grocery store in Berekum. He mentioned to me that he was returning to Berekum the next day and perhaps we could share a taxi? But of course, I responded, and then the conversation shifted to my travels in Ghana and what I was doing next. I mentioned the safari, of which John seemed most interested, and then I asked him if it was true about the cobras inhabiting the Mole Game Reserve.
"Oh, yes!" he responded, smiling. (Why he smiled I never found out.) "There are some cobras to be found in the Game Reserve. Are you looking for cobras?"
I answered not especially… But then a new thought crossed my mind. "John, are there any other poisonous snakes there beside cobras?" He looked puzzled, so I asked in a different way: "Are any other snakes there deadly? Can they kill you?"
He smiled broadly, "Why yes, there are yellow snakes and green snakes. Both kinds of snakes are very bad. If they bite you, you are dead for sure! But they are very pretty to look at." This was "great" news. I thanked him for the information, then asked what the snakes were called.
"Ahhh," he answered, "We just call them The Yellow Snakes and The Green Snakes."
It made perfect sense.
Following the meal I had a hot, leisurely bath. I was ready to retire and make my final preparations for the journey to Berekum the next day. As I lay down to sleep I fervently wished that my dreams would not be filled with images of snakes, even the yellow and green ones, no matter how "pretty" they were!
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