Another beautiful sunrise starts the day. Christi and I would love to stay here longer, but when you join an organized tour you have to make compromises. Dragoman has a schedule to keep so if we want to remain part of the tour then Christi and I have to get on the truck – preferably now. ‘Stop photographing the sunrise,’ PeeWee yells. In fact not only are we leaving Mole national park today, but this is probably our last day in Ghana. Ahead of us is another long drive on bad roads and in brutal heat to reach the border with Burkina Faso, although we will make a few stops to break up the day. The first will be at Larabanga, a mere 6 km south of Mole NP, and later Wa (what a great name) for more grocery shopping.
Larabanga is home to the oldest mud mosque (also known as a Sudanese style mosque) in Ghana, dating to the 15th century. The mosque is built of whitewashed mud with poles sticking out at odd angles (which artisans stand on to help with routine re-plastering). The mosque is not especially large, but it is quite exquisite. We’re not allowed inside, but several dubious-looking characters mill around insisting we need to pay for the privilege of even gazing upon their mosque. The locals get rather animated when we refuse to pay and eventually Adonis makes a donation using funds from the tour kitty. I’m not sure bribing local hoodlums is actually a suggested use of the kitty, but better to pay than fight!
Poor Christi and Hu-man need to go shopping again in Wa market so there will be bread, tomatoes, and other fresh salad available for lunch. Once they have secured supplies, Christi and I have a little extra time to explore this town of 100,000 souls. In our case this means getting lost while trying to find our way to the local mosque, which proves to be less visually appealing than the one in Larabanga. However, wandering the back streets of Wa and surprising the locals is good fun. I think the presence of a white face around here is a rare (and perhaps wonderous) thing! Needless to say, the photographic opportunities are endless. The most intriguing sight is of a goat scampering up the side of a blue BMW to feast on some tree leaves (snap!). The driver is none-to-pleased when he returns either!
We keep driving but the border never seems to get any closer so Adonis decides we should bush camp. No one knows whether we choose a safe site to pitch our tents (safe from local hoodlums and local wildlife), but we all pretend this is the most natural thing in the world. I will say that calls of nature are undertaken with even greater care than usual!
Buddha and Margaret Thatcher (talk about an odd couple!) cook a wonderful vegetable chilli for dinner, although Christi (normally a heat-seeker herself) finds the meal too spicy. “What I wouldn’t give for a Ben & Jerry’s or Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream right now”, she moans.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of broken hearts and broken test tubes.
Speak Your Mind