This one time, in Africa, we were COLD!

That's right, folks.  Anne and I were COLD this weekend.  We traveled to Hohoe, which was about a 9 or 10 hour drive, for the weekend to visit the Wli Falls and Afadjado Mountain, the highest free-standing mountain in Ghana.  It was definitely one of the most eventful times we've had!!  We stayed in a great little hotel with AIR CONDITIONING on Saturday and Sunday nights.  Sunday morning, we woke up and ate at the hotel's restaraunt--WONDERFUL crepes and of course instant coffee, haha.  Then, we took about a half hour taxi ride through the African rainforest to the small village where Wli falls is located.  The drive was beautiful, and though we tried to capture the feeling with pictures and words, Anne and I have decided that it's impossible.  Our theme song for the weekend was John Mayer's "3x5," specifically the lines "You should have seen the sunrise/with your own eyes" and the part where he talks about fitting life into a picture frame.  You  just can't appreciate the view as much unless you're sitting in a broken down, smoking taxi, layered with pounds of deet and sunscreen, listening to the birds and frogs and watching goats and chickens and roosters dart across the dirt road.  These are the moments when our hearts just fill to the brim with amazement... I can't even describe the feeling.  Ah!  That morning we hiked for about 45 minutes to the Wli falls.  This is the highest waterfall in all of western Africa, and the view is spectacular.  My knees buckled just looking up to the top, and the splashing water sent this mist throughout the whole opening where it was.  The water was freezing and SO clear and clean.  We had a great guide through the whole hike, too, who pointed out the avacadoes, palms, bananas, pawpaws, cocoa plants, etc.  There were so many butterflies, too.  And going into the forest was incredible--it's silent except for the sounds of crickets and animals and frogs wandering around.  All of the sights seem like someone's let you in on this incredible secret, and you just want to be able to keep it forever.

After the hike, Anne and I wandered around some shops that were near the tourism center, which is where you set up to hike with a guide and everything, and found some BEAUTIFUL glass and handmade jewelry.  Then, we went to a small hotel we had read about in the guidebook to have lunch.  The owner was so kind--she came out and sat and talked with us for a while, and her hotel was just like this oasis of calm looking out over the mountains and the jungles.  We could see the waterfalls from our table under the covering!!  Up next on our agenda was the REAL hiking, the mountain.  We were definitley NOT prepared for what was ahead of us, haha.  At the shops we had met a group of canadians who had just finished hiking.  They asked if we'd ever hiked a mountain before, and we, thinking of Cinque Terra (which WAS taxing...) just kind of brushed it off.  Well, this was no Cinque Terra.  This was straight up.  The whole way.  Fear of heights?  Yeah, conquered that.  We hiked it in about 40 minutes, which our guide was VERY impressed with, and were thoroughly exhausted at the top.  But the view was worth it, without a doubt.  From the top of the mountain, we could see Togo, which is just north of Ghana, and all these little villages surrounding the mountain.  It looked like a toy map, all these little brown huts in clearings spaced out around the mountain.  We could even see Lake Volta.  It was staggering.

Here's where it gets EXTRA interesting.  So, we get down the mountain and ask for the tro-tro (it would be our first... we've been terrified to take one so far) to take us back to Hohoe.  Well, guess what, no tro-tro on Sunday.  What about a taxi?  Nope, no taxi, either.  Motorbike?  SURE!  One of the men that worked at the mountain offered to take us back to the village where Vli was where we could probably get a shared taxi or tro tro (and did).  On a motor bike.  Anne and I have the new found laid-back-ness/risky-ness, so we say sure.  Before seeing the bike.  So they bring the bike out... and spend thirty minutes trying to make it work.  Great.  Do we back out?  No, of course not.  They finally get it going.  So let me describe said bike... it's old, the foot rests are falling off, and, oh yeah, it's built for two. A driver, and a passenger.  So where do I ride?  The grate on the back. ohh yeah.

So we head off, the driver in the front, Anne in the middle (with a broken footrest), and me on the grate, with my legs wrapped around Anne and the driver and my arms clinging to Anne for dear life, my shorts flying up and showing probably much more than is decent in any country.  The road between the mountain and the falls is quite bumpy, so I have to admit I buried my head in Anne's back until I got used to the feeling of almost falling off.  But once I did, I realized this was one of the most incredible experiences EVER!

We were riding a motorcycle.  Through tiny, hut filled African villages.  Through the rainforests.  With the mountains on either side of us.  WHILE THE SUN WAS SETTING!  Can life get any sweeter?  No.  I can't even describe the beauty of that trip... the sun creating first a yellow and then pink hue throughout the clouds that brushed across the sky, the waves and amazed look as we rushed past villagers relaxing and working outside, and the occasional moment of panic when we swerved to avoid a goat or a pot hole or even... a tro tro (huge van that came a little too close for comfort...)  Top ten moment?  I'd say so.

So Anne and I head back to Hohoe, have dinner, and get back in the hotel room.  Anne goes into the bathroom to wash off her feet...

Anne: Okaay, don't panic.

Geales: Well that doesn't sound good.
[Enters the bathroom, my ENTIRE bag of toiletries has somehow ended up... in the toilet]

MY FIRST AID!  MY COMB!  MY ADVIL.... MY CONTACTS!!!!!

And then Anne laughs so hard I have to leave the room... well, anyways.  It was quite an end.  To quite a day.

My time's out, but I hope everyone is doing well!  Anne and I are still enjoying every blessed minute here and learning so much and seeing so many beautiful places and people!  Lots of love!

And... Happy birthday Granddaddy, I love you!!