By Jose Carrillo

This past weekend our group was able to visit the Volta Region, a place my co-workers told me is (like Kumasi) entirely different from Accra. While I expected this “difference” to be related to the people, it was more in relation to the environment. The Volta Region is much more nature-filled, something I’ve been missing from home. Luckily, unlike our other group excursions, the trip didn’t heavily focus on visiting markets or other places to purchase items, rather, it allowed us to appreciate the beauty Ghana has to offer. I’m not knocking the people who like buying souvenirs, you do you. Just a personal preference to be surrounded by greenery. Anyways. Back in Oregon, I used to hike every other weekend with a group of buddies, so the journey to the waterfall in Hohoe made me feel absolutely at home. It was a light 20-minute, flat-ground hike with a couple of rundown and newly constructed bridges. Once we reached the opening of the trail that revealed the waterfall, everything became so picturesque. A really relaxing moment. We spent the day here, hopping on the bus to
drive to the border of Ghana and Togo, then back to the hotel for an early night in preparation for Afadjato.

Hohoe was a relaxing hike. Afadjato was the complete opposite. It started like any other trail; walking for about 15 minutes on a flat (with some incline) ground, but absolutely manageable. Then came the ACTUAL hike. Straight up. I don’t think I’ve sweated as fast or as much on a hike as I did after the first five minutes on this mountain. Halfway up, I remember the only thing I became focused on was finishing the hike. So, my head stayed down, everything around me went silent, and my legs just moved. Pilot mode. Once we reached the top of Afadjato, the sight was absolutely worth the work, but the CRAZIEST thing about the entire hike? Our guide nonchalantly says he does the hike three times a day. A day. Now mind you, I love hiking in nature and I’ve been able to see a lot of beautiful things, but hiking STRAIGHT up 3 times is not the type of way I’d like to spend my day. Still, I realized it only took around 45 minutes. Guess you sort of lose track of time when you feel like your body is breaking down.

The day is not over yet, actually, after the hike it was only half-past 9. Already felt like a long 24 hours. While soaking wet from sweat, I sat on a bus seat for around an hour driving towards a monkey sanctuary. Totally worth it. Our group was able to feed, hold, and take pictures with monkeys. One of my favorite animals, behind racoons. Yeah, I know that might sound weird, but if you get it you get it. So, we’d walk MAYBE 2 minutes into a forested trail and boom. Monkeys are already jumping on shoulders and arms, snatching bananas, stealing from their buddies, and chirping to each other. Honestly, the whole thing felt really surreal. Like, I fed a monkey that was just chilling on my arm, looking at me. I’m happy to say not many people have gotten to experience that.

This weekend trip really dispelled all those misconceptions Western media spreads about Africa. At least from my perspective. It seems like the common opinion is that Africa is rundown, lacking beauty, and only in need of restoration. But being able to stay in the Volta Region, and looking back on my entire month in Ghana, I can genuinely say this perception couldn’t be more false. I’m glad I was able to spend my last weekend submerged in water, sweat, and monkey hair. A perfect end to 6 weeks off the grid.