Saturday, March 26. After breakfast, Ilse and I pack our things and go to get a bus to Accra. At the station they tell us they are short of gas. We will have to wait for maybe one hour. Although they assure us not to be talking in Ghanaian time, we remain sceptic but for once it is really one hour. The bus brings us safely to the capital where we get a taxi to the next station to meet Anwen. Tudu bus station is a busy place. Too many people plus cars. We follow a guy carrying Anwen‘s bag through the chaos. A Trotro pushes through the crowd and separates Ilse from us. We can‘t go back so we wait until we see her again. Shouts from everywhere, people squeezing past the cars. A woman has her nails coloured in all this mess. We get to a Trotro, take our seats and soon it leaves to Hohoe in the Volta Region. The journey takes more than four hours. The landscape becomes more green and more hilly until we even see green mountains. As soon as we get out of the Trotro and stretch our legs, taxi drivers direct us to their cars. It is always worse when you have big bags with you. At least we really need a car to take us for the last 13 km to the village Wli. We came to see the Wli Falls, which are said to be the highest waterfalls in West Africa. After a short rest in the hotel, we walk along the street to the wildlife office to arrange a tour to the falls for the next morning. People on the street smile at us and welcome us. The landscape is beautiful. Mountains covered with green forest. We can see waterfalls in the distance.
The next morning, we get up early to meet our guide. He is an old man but we our soon to find out how fit he still is. The first part of the hike is easy, along a nice path over nine bridges. Then we get sticks and the climbing starts. Our guide is fast and we can hardly stop and look around but our eyes are focused on the ground, concentrating on roots and stones that can help us handle the ascent. When we look up we have a stunning view. Below us is Wli, bigger than expected. We see the red road coming from Hohoe cutting through all the green. Behind the mountains on the other side of the valley lies Togo. We could actually walk there. However, our destination is a different one. So we continue the hike. Butterflies buzz around us, the sounds of birds and insects fill the air and of course the rushing of the water getting closer and closer. Now and then we can see the fall through the leaves of banana trees and all the other plants. A few more metres up the mountain, then we descent to the pool. We are covered in sweat and savour the freshness around the waterfall. Water drops swirl in the air, cooling us down. Our guide climbs up the rocks on the bottom of the fall and takes a refreshing shower. There are two other groups with their guides and we leave shortly after each other. One of the groups we soon overtake, hurrying after our guide. The descent is almost more difficult as the ground is partly slippery but Ilse and I take our time, enjoying the fascinating surroundings. When we reach the lower fall, I can‘t wait to get into the water. A big group of students is gathering at the pool, having fun in the water wearing all their clothes but at this moment I don‘t mind. Anwen and I get into the water and are at once grabbed by a number of guys. They take our hands, turn us so that our backs face the falls and pull us under the falling water. But for them, I wouldn‘t have gone there. The water is coming hard but the boys know where to go. As a countermove we smile and laugh for their pictures with us. I don‘t mind them here. After a while they leave and the place gets very quite except for the rushing water. On the rocks next to the water hundreds of bats are hanging head first. We recognise what these dots are only when they fly through the air. It is a peaceful spot. We sit next to the water and let the sun shine on our faces. Only when we get hungry we leave to spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel.
I sit in front of the hotel‘s entrance gate on a bench when a Trotro passes and a man alights. He greets me and says he will come back in a minute for a chat if I allow him to. He doesn‘t come back but a second guy, Noah comes to pick me up and leads me to their house, just the one next to the hotel. He brings a chair and asks me to take a seat in the shadow below a big mango tree. The parents welcome me in their house. While Cyril, the first guy, is working in the house, I have a nice conversation with Noah. He studies in Tamale where he lives with an uncle and came to the Volta Region to visit his home village, Wli. His uncle doesn‘t want him to come here but he can‘t just forget his home, he says. He invites me and my friends to come back later and he would go out with us. At dusk I say goodbye. Ilse and Anwen don‘t know where I am. Cyril walks me back to the street and asks for my number. I tell him I lost my phone and he insists on giving me his so that I can call him as soon as I have a new phone. „I will miss you. My heart beats faster when I see you.“ and so on. I promise him he won‘t miss me and go back to the hotel. At dinner with Ilse and Anwen another guest talks to us who was at funeral nearby and decided to take the opportunity to see the falls. He is still wearing the white and grey patterned shirt. He tells us stories about his work, the business he does with somebody in the US with big machines, like excavators. We don‘t really know why he is telling us this. Back in our room somebody knocks at our door. Somebody is asking for Lisi, we are told. I go outside and find Cyril. He bought me a dress. I get Anwen and Ilse to help me. We are going to bed early, we say. We will leave early next morning. He thanks us for our time, for telling him our names and leaves, insisting on me accepting the dress. Now I definitely can‘t go back to Noah to tell him we are not going out. That is all too weird.
Monday morning, we really leave early. The plan was to do a second hike and visit some caves nearby but we don‘t have enough money left. We don‘t want to be stuck somewhere, not able to pay the next Trotro. On our way through the village we meet our guide again. You always meet people twice here. I am glad I don‘t see Cyril again. We don‘t wait long for a Trotro to Hoehoe as it is market day today. In Hoehoe we have to wait longer but eventually the car is full and the driver decides to leave. I can‘t move my legs so I appreciate the few stops we make at a fuel station and when a little boy has to pee. I even appreciate it when we all have to get out of the car to pass an immigration point. The officers only look at our volunteer‘s IDs for a moment and let us pass. In Accra we drop from the Trotro before we enter the crazy Tudu station and quickly find a bus to Cape Coast. Unfortunately traffic is really bad. The trip seems longer than on our way there on Saturday. We are hungry and tired when we reach Cape Coast. As the bus stops, we and our bags are already spotted by taxi drivers. The door opens and they reach for our bags, shouting competitively at us. I only laugh. „We are taxi drivers. We are taxi drivers. Where are you going?“ We tell them we know what they are but they are not listening so we accept our defeat and follow one of them who took Anwen‘s bag. He and another driver have a little fight when they realise we are only going to take one car. Despite all this Cape Coast feels like home sweet home after the long trip.
