Volta Region

We left on a Friday evening to go from Cape Coast to Hohoe (Ho-Ho-Ay) in the Volta Region- designated by the white and black Volta rivers and Lake Volta, man-made to power a hydroelectric dam.  It turns out it is pretty easy to get there. You go from Tantri station in Cape to Keneshi station in Accra and then tro/walk to Tudu station in Accra and take a direct tro to Hohoe. Our issue was getting from Keneshi to Tudu but a really nice guy took us there. He put us on a tro then walked us 4 blocks and we got on another tro and then walked another 3 blocks to get to the station. He then just smiled, wished us a good trip and left. People are incredibly kind here!

We were in Hohoe at 11pm after sitting in traffic for 2 hours to go 30km- really bad idea to travel out of the capital on a Friday night. We also had to go through 2 legitimate tolls and 8 police checkpoints which is stupid. It explains why the fare was 10 cedi for the same distance as Cape to Accra which is 5 cedi: all the cops wanted there take...

The guesthouse was not very nice since the guy made a big deal out of 3 people sharing a double room and then refused to give us breakfast (included in the room) because he was kind enough to let us all stay. So we checked out early and this is my bad review. Do NOT use the Galaxy Lodge. 

One of the best surprises of the trip was Saturday morning. We were walking to the main tro station when we saw a bunch of brightly colored string sticking out of a building. We decided to investigate (which one should always do since it always turns out well). When we walked over we found that it was a Kente Weaving Station! 

Kente is the traditional fabric of Ghana. It takes a day to make 2 lengths which is ~4 inch x 6 foot. Only men are able to weave Kente (its a traditional stigma). 

We watched for a while and took lots of photos, after asking each of the guys for their permission. They had fabric that they literally threw at us to look at which was awesome, and we each bought a piece directly from the creators!

After walking around Hohoe we caught a tro to Wli (pronounced Vlee, the German way since we are practically in Togo which originally belonged to Germany although everyone now speaks French) Our first excursion then was all of Saturday afternoon. We went hiking and spelunking in Likpe Todome, which was awesome.

It was 2 towns over from where we were staying. So we got a car to the first town, but had to walk to the second, which was incredibly long and hot. Our fault since it was 2 big uphill slopes and was at noon... But we were told by the old men sitting under the tree it was a small-small walk. They kinda lied...

Once we made it to the town we stopped for a bit and ate some oranges and groundnuts and bought some water. We then went hiking. The hiking part sucked at times since we were climbing a mountain and dying from the heat and the exertion. However, at the top we could see both Ghana and Togo and met some Togolese girls who spoke french with us. (good thing i went backpacking in France huh?)

Then we climbed into 3 different caves. One was at ground level and was a nice place to sit.
  

The second cave required us to climb up a ladder onto a rock face which we then shimmied across, while it was wet and our hand holds were not wonderful. Once we made it into the cave we then had to climb up a 45 degree angle to reach the top where we could crouch and sit. The getting back out was worse since gravity is with you on the way down and pushing you along. However, the three of us managed without too many slips... And it was a beautiful cave and a very neat place since the tribal elders used to use to cave in the past.

The third cave was subterranean. You wiggle through a little hole onto a 12 rung ladder into the ground. It is pitch black in there until your eyes adjust to the small proportion of light coming in through the only hole that we came in through. The coolest bit was that it is a bats nest. There were thousands of the little guys in there. If we used the red light on our cameras we could see them without causing them to fly off, but every time we flashed or used the torch they flew away into the recesses of the cave. It was so neat!!!

We then hiked out of the cave and back down the mountainside to a beautiful waterfall. We were muddy and hot and therefore jumped in. We stood underneath the falls and it was a fabulous muscle massage for our backs! By the time we were done playing our guides were laughing at us, and the hike back into town was short and happy.

We had oranges when we got back and they were the best thing i have ever eaten! (Simply because we were so in need of sugar and water!)

That night we slept in a tent with 2 other Americans (Alaska and Illinois) because they had no place to stay! We had gone to the one guesthouse and we then guided by one of the staff to another since the place was booked because of a funeral. The next place was full too, but they  had tents to rent! They even provided mattresses and sheets, so it was less camping then normal... :)
                                         

The following morning we were stiff and sore and walked to the lower Wli falls. We were told it was a 45 minuted hike and were dreading it, but the ground was level the whole way and we made it in 30 minutes... 

The place was gorgeous! It is the tallest waterfall in Ghana and well worth the trip. We loved it. Even the walk through the forest was awesome. We walked along the river with a bunch of butterflies! So neat!

Our trip back was smooth and fast, which we were happy about. We saw lake Volta and crossed the Volta river and saw all the eastern mountains. We talked our way out of a security checkpoint, since none of us carry our passports, but the being as nice as possible seems to work everywhere for 3 innocent girls.... :)

We made it home by 8pm which was earlier then we expected!

I did have to apply some anti-itch cream since i have 24 new bug bites and am now sincerely worried about malaria... :( But I am sure I will be fine... :)