Gaping Atomic Pit (GAP)
There’s an ongoing joke about who will be the first to fall in one of the open sewers that line the streets of Accra. Now, to be fair, not all the sewers look like they’re a dumping ground for nuclear waste, but there are a few that would undoubtedly corrode flesh upon contact. Neither of us has taken the plunge yet, but stories circulate about expats who were not so fortunate. We’ve been using the acronym as a warning to each other, because ultimately I don’t want to see anyone fall in the GAP.
Amanda and I just returned home from a two-week vacation/business trip in the Volta region of Ghana. A desirable place to visit for hikers and bikers, as it’s the greener more mountainous area of Ghana. In fact, we stood at the base of the largest peak in Ghana (a towering 890 meters high) contemplating a hike to the top but instead opted for the waterfall hike, which in 90+ degree heat is much more enticing.
In the end, we biked and hiked through small villages, swam in pools beneath towering waterfalls and ran through an intense tropical storm to cross a rickety foot bridge just before it washed away. But the highlight of the trip was camping beneath a grove of cocoa trees, outside of the Ewe village, Leklebi Agbesia. After another beautiful waterfall hike, we ate local grub with the village elder – Fufu in goat light soup with fresh wild mushrooms and garden eggs– and then enjoyed a campfire before turning in. The next day we embarked on a sort of Ghanaian pub crawl, hiking from one village to the next and tasting locally brewed beer (Pito) and moonshine (Apeteshie). The crawl culminated in Leglebi Douga, where we hung out with some old guys playing checkers under a palm cover, and drank calabashes of palm wine. Not a bad day.
Amanda and I will be starting French classes today in preparation for potential travels to Mali and Burkina Faso. I think we were feeling a bit ambitious when we signed up because the initial excitement about learning a new language has passed and instead the reality of having three two-hour classes a week plus homework has set in.
Work continues… as I mentioned before a portion of our travels were work related as we spent time visiting similar organizations and learning about their internal processes. Amanda and I are currently in the process of finishing ASPI’s website along with an operational manual detailing the steps of their micro finance program - please try and hold your excitement.
Anyways, I hope all is well with everyone and as always I look forward to hearing from all of you.
