Today’s post is 1400 words, 31 photos, 1 video, a 6 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
This week in Ghana, I’ll take you to a view of Lake Volta, a regional school for the deaf, and a park with a majestic waterfall. If you missed my previous posts from Ghana, click here, here, and here.
Lake Volta
We were up early for breakfast on our last day in Koforidua. We were moving on to the Green Hill Hotel in Hohoe, population of nearly 170,000, east of Lake Volta near the border with Togo. Even though the distance by American standards is short (203 km or 126 miles), the drive over narrow, rough, mountainous roads takes a minimum of 4.5 hours without stops. However, we did have to make a few stops along the way. The first was at a gas station along the highway.
On the more remote roads, rest areas are far and few between. Papa, our Ghanaian guide, requested permission for us to use the washroom facilities at the Frontier station pictured above. I don’t know for sure but there might have been a few Cedi (the currency of Ghana) passed to the attendant to receive the yes nod. Regardless, we were happy for the relief!
Further on, we stopped for lunch at beautiful resort that overlooks Lake Volta. As we made our way to the restaurant, we noted the number of white skinned people that were enjoying the swimming pool on the very hot day. They were some of the few Caucasians we saw on this trip.
At the restaurant I ordered a club sandwich with fries, a welcome change from typical rice, fish, and chicken meals.
The view of a portion of Lake Volta from the resort was spectacular. Lake Volta is the world’s largest reservoir in surface area. The Akosombo Dam was built in the early 1960’s to back up the waters of the Volta River. This dam produces much of Ghana’s electricity while Lake Volta is an important source of fresh fish, irrigation water, and serves as a transportation conduit between the northern and southern parts of the country. The importance of the dam and the lake to the economy of Ghana cannot be overstated.
A Special Place – The Volta School for the Deaf
On our trek to Hohoe, we passed Ho, the capital of Ghana’s Volta Region. During a stop in the mountains I snapped this photo with my new Sony RX100 VII point and shoot camera. Note the lack of tall buildings in this city of nearly 200,000 people.
The bus stopped in a busy market area and Papa told us to wait for him. In about 15 minutes, he returned with a large bag of rice (I’m guessing weighing around 60 pounds), huge packs of toilet paper, plus other assorted products. We would be dropping these items as well as things we brought as gifts for kids at the Volta School for the Deaf.
You see Papa’s daughter attends this school. She’s 8 years old and is quickly learning sign language as she is clever and smart. She suddenly went deaf at age 3. Both father and daughter were happy to see each other.
It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at the school. We were met by the Headmaster and a large group of students gathered around us. We noted there was nearly complete silence among the kids. As soon as I picked up my camera, the boys and a few girls assumed their photographic positions.
They wanted to shake our hands, I saw it a sign of respect and a sense they wanted to belong to society even though they were somewhat isolated at this school. While we were at the school less than an hour, we made a nice bond with the kids. We were happy to add a bit of extra food to their meager diets. 
Papa was especially kind to this woman, the housemother in the building where his daughter stays. She seemed very pleasant and motherly to the kids under her charge.
It was a short drive to the hotel in Hohoe where we would spend the night.
Wli Falls
After breakfast the next morning, Martin, our bus driver took us to the entrance of Wli Falls. This is a main tourist attraction in Ghana. It’s located a couple of miles from the border with Togo in the Volta Region. Wli Falls (pronounced vlee) is also known locally as Agumatsa Falls and is the tallest water falls in Ghana and in all of West Africa at 80 meters (260 feet). After paying the entrance fee, we were assigned a guide and set out on the 45 minute walk through the forest to the falls. On our way, we’d cross nine bridges, some were a bit sketchy but they held together. Before departing, we made sure we each had plenty of water, it was another hot day at plus 90° F.
Near the entrance there were a few shops that sold food, snacks, drinks, souvenirs, and local artwork.
The trail was well trodden but we had to watch our step for there were plenty of tree roots and rocks to stumble over. We moved slower than the locals who were in a hurry to reach the cool, refreshing water.
Along the way, the guide pointed out interesting natural features such as these cocoa trees with pods growing from the trunk.
As we approached the Falls, I saw this humorous sign.
Wli Falls were majestic. The water from the lower falls was coursing down the side of the mountain, creating a pool where visitors were enjoying the cool, refreshing water on a hot day. The upper falls, nearly as tall as the lower falls, can only be seen by making a steep and challenging hike on a trail up the side of the mountain. 
Here’s a short video on how it looked and sounded was we enjoyed the mist from the falling water.
The cliffs around the falls are covered by a large colony of fruit bats. Even during the day an occasional bat would swoop around to locate a better place to cling to the cliff. The bat population is under threat from the decrease in their preferred habitat. 
After a relaxing time at the falls, it was time to head back to the Tourist Centre and board the bus for our next adventure. As we crossed the last bridge, we came upon this scene. Several women were washing clothes while the children played in the water getting a bit of relief from the hot sunny day. This is one of my favorite photos from Ghana.
During the return, one member of our group wasn’t feeling well, likely from the heat and dehydration. Martin, Papa’s cousin, made a phone call and this fellow drove his motorcycle on the path to the falls to give her a ride back. During our time in Ghana, we saw several instances of motorcycle drivers giving rides to people, likely a one person taxi service. He was paid 20 Cedi, about $2 USD.
This was our guide to and from the falls. It’s a job for him, he’s paid to escort tourists to the falls. We thought he looked much older than his actual age of 49.
We enjoyed the falls, the walk was nice even in the hot weather. But it was good to be back and have a cold drink, I had an orange Fanta. After our time at the falls, we headed south to Denu, near the border of Togo and on the Gulf of Guinea. The ride was long and bumpy, it was late when we arrived at our hotel. Along the way, we watched for an open gas station or rest area to use the washroom. There wasn’t any place to stop. But nature called, so Martin pulled the bus off on a side road, men to the left side of the bus, women to the right. Just like the old days!
One last thing for this week. During our travels, we noticed billboards and posters announcing the death of a person. Funerals are typically held on Saturday and Sunday. They can be quite elaborate affairs especially if the deceased was a prominent member in the community. From what we could gather, if the person who died is elderly (older than 65), attendees wear black and red. There is usually singing, dancing, and music to send the deceased person from the living community to the community of the dead. There is often one or meals served during the funeral service. When someone younger passes away, funerals are less elaborate and the dress is often black and white. We passed by a few funerals, there were large tents with chairs and tables with a few hundred people attending. We understood that sometimes, a funeral or celebration of life is delayed for weeks or months until the family accumulates enough money to pay the expenses of the funeral. An interesting cultural difference.
That does it for this week. Join me next week for more from Ghana.
Until then, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM