The Journey to Bantama

It is now nearly 9pm here in Bantama and we are still waiting for our 5.30am wake-up call from the hotel in Accra!

We had an early breakfast and then made our way to the airport to fly on the 9am, actually the 9.35am eventually, flight to Kumasi.

 

 

 

 

These are pictures of some of the many, many half-built houses in Accra and Kumasi.  People start to build with the money that they have and then they run out of money.  From the air it looks like children have built with Lego and forgotten to add the roof.

We arrived in Kumasi at about 10.30am and were asked to wait at the Golden Tulip Hotel for a parcel delivery to Bantama where our house is.  Well, 3 and a half hours later, we were given the parcel and set off on the journey.  We had an amazing salad at lunch time......pieces of avo, paw paw, pineapple, shredded lettuce and roasted nuts with a slightly honey flavoured dressing...no oil and no condiments. Really delicious!

I have come to the conclusion that I am not very good company because....

                                                        at the airport......................

                                                      on the aeroplane............................

                                                        at the hotel..............................

                                                            and in the car.......................!!

Oh well, I'll try harder!!

Travelling with the driver from Kumasi to Bantama is similar to white-water rafting on the Zambezi...one has to have a "tight white knuckle death grip."  Hooters are there to warn pedestrians, cyclists, goats, motor-bikes and other vehicles that we are on our way....just a toot toot and we overtake, pass or swerve around whatever is in the way...the only thing that doesn't respond are the potholes! 

During the three and a half hours drive the one thing that kept me sane was that Westlife was playing on the driver's ipod and it reminded me of home!

(By the way, I do just have to tell you that I was completely stressed out about my suitcase, although you might not have noticed (!), not because I had to wear the same clothes for three days but because all my "love gifts" from my friends were in that beautiful suitcase. I was paranoid that it might be fiddled with and my reminders from home would be gone....well, thank goodness THAT didn't happen.)

We arrived at Atebubu (a half an hour's drive from the house) at about about 5.30pm and bought a paw paw, some pineapples and very small watermelons on the side of the road...that's how it is done here...and drove home.

Getting out the air-conditioned vehicle is like walking into a furnace!  I am sure I'll get used to it but it feels as if we are standing near a braai without the joy of the smell, sound and the taste of it to compensate.

Sean MacKenzie, a lovely young lad from South Africa, who has been here for two and a half months and is counting the minutes until he leaves on Monday, was here to greet us with a delicious meal of fillet (I think!), smash, fried cabbage and an onion and mushroom sauce.  Really, really delicious especially after the weird meals of unidentifiable meat and vegetables at the Airside Hotel. 

Kumasi is in the top left hand corner of this map (as it lies on its side) and we had to travel from there to a place called Bantama, which is between Atebubu and Kwama Danso, just above the large green nature reserve. Tar roads all the way except the road between Atebubu and Bantama.

Porks has gone to sleep, he has had a long tiring day, and Sean is watching the rugby while I am typing this blog.  I have more to tell you but will keep you in suspense until next time!