West African Adventure

Ghana is one of the friendliest countries in western Africa. My journey took me overland from Accra north into Kumasi and then on to Tamale. I then proceeded northeast into the remote area of Nalerigu. This area is rarely seen by tourists which makes it a great place to experience tribal villages in their natural settings. Nalerigu was once a walled city to protect the people from the Ashanti slave traders who traveled into these remote locations to capture slaves.

Quick Tips:

When traveling in the rural areas of Ghana do not use your left hand to wave, shake hands, eat, or in any social situation. The rural people use their left hand for cleaning themselves (as we use toilet paper) and it is considered rude to use that hand for anything else. Also the 'thumbs up' we commonly use is considered a rude gesture. The people here are very friendly but VERY primitive. The only phone is at the Post office in Gambaga, and it very seldom works; there is no electricity. There is a Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu and Internet access in Bolga (which can be reached in a lorry from Gambaga.) Bolga also has a great market. If you get tired of the village life the Hotel Chesterfield has a few rooms in Nalerigu for about .00 a night. They also have a generator and A/C.

Best Way To Get Around:

Ghana is very safe and has a nice public transportation system (buses). You can buy a bicycle for around .00 and get around easily in remote areas. Accra has its share of traffic and pollution but is still fairly safe compared to other African countries. In country flights are very affordable and if you are in a hurry I would suggest flying.

Adeshie Hotel is a nice CHEAP SAFE place to stay over in Accra. There are taxis available to take you nearby to the local shopping and to High street market. The rooms are clean and for the price, you just can't beat it.

While traveling through Ghana, the Ashanti Gold Hotel is a nice Hotel to stay over in. Usually you can find tourists there and the hotel caters to foreign clients. Close by there is good food and shopping.

Tamale is the last large town heading north into unknown. Las Hotel is very expensive and has clean rooms and decent food. (However I don't know if they still serve food.) The staff is friendly and even changed a tire for us.

The Internet café in Accra is the Punch Cyber Café located on Achimota School Rd.
There is also a internet Café in the Northern area of Bolga. However, I didn't have my journal with so wasn't able to jot down the name and address. Bolga is a small town so it is easy to find. Remember that the Internet access is SUPER slow, it took me an hour to answer just a few Hotmail messages.

Punch Cyber Cafe Achimota School Rd Accra, Ghana 233 21 406040

The Chief, Gabangudana gave us a hut or 'compound' to sleep in and the villagers flooded us with gifts of food and pigeons to eat. One evening we gathered around and they drummed and danced under the stars. What a great experience! After a while the village life began to get annoying, not because of the rough living but due to the fact that white people very rarely travel through this region and the villagers couldn't get enough of us. They literally followed us everywhere to watch us. They would stand in silence and whenever we would do something amusing they would burst out in laughter and start mumbling in their native mampruli to each other. Twice I was fortunate enough to meet with the chief. When escorted into his compound you must formally greet him by bowing down and clapping your hands. He silently repeated the word 'naa naa' while he welcomes you to his village. Chief Gabanguduna was a friendly man although most of his own villagers have never been able to meet him. He is the oldest child of the queen who recently died at (supposedly) 145 years old.

During part of my journey in Ghana I volunteered at the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu. This is one of the most remote hospitals in the world. I witnessed many sad sights. The most common hospital visits are due to snakebite (cobra and pit vipers are very common) and Malaria (this is during the rainy season). During my stay there was a lorry accident and many of the survivors had limbs amputated. Tuberculosis was common and sufferers were kept in confined corridors until they unfortunately passed away or managed to get better. Aids is fairly uncommon in this region due to the lack of people travelling through that could infect the locals.

I also worked in the nutrition area where young children who are brought to the hospital due to lack of proper diet stay until they are healthy again. The parents are required to stay and work with the nutritionist until the child is healthy and they have been taught the proper foods for the child. This medical center needs volunteers as well as medical supplies.