October
The kids were off school for the fall break so Ahni and I took a day off work to head to the hills. We had reservations at Biakpa Mountain Paradise, in the Volta Region. It was about a three hour drive from Accra on fairly decent roads, until the last four kilometers, when I wish I drove the Defender. The accomodations were austere, a step up from a hostel, but with gnats that aggravated us in the night. The views, as you can see later, were stunning.
Garrett took drum lessons from "Believer," a name given to him by the man who apprenticed him at the cultural center in Accra. He is from Togo and his real name is Desiree. The lady who was more or less in charge of the resaurant was Charity, and her helper was Mercy.
The night we arrived it rained cats and dogs. The girls made a point of running to the room to read books while Garrett took the first installment of his drum lessons. We all enjoyed the fabulous lightning and thunderstorm. 
We took off on a three hour hike Saturday, after our friends arrived with their two young boys. As you can see, the boys made it about a hundred yards before they wanted to be carried. We kept going down the road to the entrance to the trail and a taxi of young American ladies drove by, going to meet us at the trailhead. Andy, the father, and the boys ended up taking the taxi back up the hill and hanging out while we finished the trek.
Notice the slight amount of sweat on my shirt as we posed for pictures at the first waterfall. It was all downhill to this point so you know it only got worse.
The treacherous climb down to the second waterfall required the assistance of a rope so you wouldn't perish when your feet slipped. Now almost total immersion in sweat.
Meg using the rope to steady herself on the way to the swimming hole. The young American ladies said they didn't get sick last time they went swimming here so what the heck, if you can't beat them, join them.
Garrett with our friend Ana, under the second and largest waterfall.
Garrett wanted to go swimming so bad that when I said he had to strip down and go in his skivvies he didn't waste any time. Lookout below!
The last stream crossing before the final thirty-minute ascent to the top...and our lodge with showers to get cleaned up! Good thing we kept our shoes dry up to this point.
Garrett took drum lessons from "Believer," a name given to him by the man who apprenticed him at the cultural center in Accra. He is from Togo and his real name is Desiree. The lady who was more or less in charge of the resaurant was Charity, and her helper was Mercy.
The night we arrived it rained cats and dogs. The girls made a point of running to the room to read books while Garrett took the first installment of his drum lessons. We all enjoyed the fabulous lightning and thunderstorm. We took off on a three hour hike Saturday, after our friends arrived with their two young boys. As you can see, the boys made it about a hundred yards before they wanted to be carried. We kept going down the road to the entrance to the trail and a taxi of young American ladies drove by, going to meet us at the trailhead. Andy, the father, and the boys ended up taking the taxi back up the hill and hanging out while we finished the trek.
Notice the slight amount of sweat on my shirt as we posed for pictures at the first waterfall. It was all downhill to this point so you know it only got worse.
The treacherous climb down to the second waterfall required the assistance of a rope so you wouldn't perish when your feet slipped. Now almost total immersion in sweat.
Meg using the rope to steady herself on the way to the swimming hole. The young American ladies said they didn't get sick last time they went swimming here so what the heck, if you can't beat them, join them.
Garrett with our friend Ana, under the second and largest waterfall.
Garrett wanted to go swimming so bad that when I said he had to strip down and go in his skivvies he didn't waste any time. Lookout below!
The last stream crossing before the final thirty-minute ascent to the top...and our lodge with showers to get cleaned up! Good thing we kept our shoes dry up to this point.
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