I swear not all I'm doing here is seeing waterfalls...

   My weekends usually consist of traveling throughout the country trying to visit as much as possible before I have to leave this amazing country. It is  fun to get out of the hustle and bustle of Accra every so often and see some of the beautiful sights that Ghana has to offer. In particular Ghanaians have been telling me that I need to visit the Volta Region. I would always question why but they could never give me a clear answer as to why I should visit this particular region. Finally I had the opportunity to do so this past weekend. And let me just tell you, everyone should visit the Volta Region. 

     Before visiting the Volta Region I traveled on Friday with some of my friends to a festival in Aburi, about an hour's trotro ride from campus. This festival consisted of many different chiefs and sub-chiefs coming together in a show of unity to promote development in Ghana. It was very interesting to see the similarities between this festival and some Mardi Gras parades that I have seen before with the festive colors, use of parasols, bands, etc. The fabrics worn throughout the parade/festival were absolutely gorgeous and everyone was dressed up singing and dancing throughout the streets. I was even able to join in the procession at one point. 

     Over the weekend I finally had the chance to travel to the Volta Region and I was not disappointed. We climbed to the summit of Mt. Afadjato, the tallest mountain in Ghana. The guide book stated that round trip the hike would only take 2 hours. This however was untrue, especially when you have to hike up a mountain in the pouring rain. At first I was disappointed that it had started to pour and but once I took a step back and evaluated again I realized that I was in the middle of a thunderstorm in a rainforest in Ghana climbing the tallest summit in the country. It was a once in a lifetime experience and was well worth traversing in the rain simply for the views and the feeling of accomplishment felt once reaching the top. The views were absolutely breathtaking and in no way do these pictures capture just how amazing the views truly were. In addition to this while on the summit we were even able to hear drums playing in a village in the valley. 

Notice the English?

Overlooking Togo

    In the same day we were able to visit another truly breathtaking sight, Wli Falls.  These falls are the tallest in West Africa (1000 ft) and are fed by the Agumatsa River. You have to cross 11 wooden bridges that span the river during the hike through the forest. You could hear this loud sound during the hike and once we realized that it was the sound of the falls we had been hearing we became so excited that we ran the rest of the hike to see it. Once we were there we just stood there in awe and all just started laughing and screaming "Oh my gosh! DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?!". Wli Falls is the most gorgeous sight I have ever seen in my entire life with the Swiss Alps being a close second. We  swam in the falls' waters and it felt like we were in a hurricane because of the deafening sound, the wind, the being pelted with water and the incredible power the falls were generating. Even so it was so much fun and I cannot wait until I return. I intend on visiting again during my time here because it was just that spectacular. Again the pictures come no where even close to expressing the magnificence of the falls.

 

  I am so glad that I was able to visit the Volta Region. Not only did I get to see incredible sights but the people there were so unbelievably nice. It was a different side of Ghana and I am so happy I had the chance to see it. If I was to live in Ghana I would definitely live in the Volta Region because of the spectacular natural sights, the friendly people and overall atmosphere. 

  Focusing on campus now, this week the professors are on strike. All the lecturers (what they call professors) of public universities in the country are on strike for better pay.  This of course means there are no classes this week. Hopefully they resume next week because if the strike continues for too long I can miss out on school credit. I believe things will work out; apparently this has happened before and is a normal occurrence. Even so it is just one more thing that I would not have expected to encounter in the US where I take it for granted that professors will actually show up to their own lectures. This week then I plan on catching up on sleep, work and planning the rest of the side trips I intend to take this semester. 

  Anyway I hope everyone is doing well. If any of you ever come to Ghana don't forget to visit the Volta Region. :) I heard that Ghana was featured on "The Amazing Race". Mom told me that they went to Makola Market, a giant market in downtown Accra and that you guys noticed how busy traffic and everything else was there. While Accra is a lot like this you must remember that Ghana is not just Accra, just like the United States is not just New York City but really so much more. I hope this blog has been able to show you some of the more relaxed, beautiful, less stressful sides of Ghana (probably like Vivian's Conde Nast article displayed). :) Nante yie.

Hill overlooking Legon (where campus is)