Sat/Sun 11th/12th - It came from outer space

Sorry, lots of text here, but it is two days! J

The plan - Work till 5, then head out to Lake Bosumtwe (a meteorite impact crater and the largest body of swimmable fresh-water in Ghana). The “Tro-Tro” station is just across from work, so at about 2 I scoped out where the departure zone was. It is chaos in that station - hundreds of vans, not enough room, traders, passengers. Chickens. Madness. There is no central office that I found, though was told it existed, so I asked lots of people where the van left from. I was gradually circling closer, by the 5^th person I got there. 2500 Cedi for an hours journey (about 15p), no problem. "Would there be a departure at about 5?" Sure, no problem, they said.

The reality - At 5, I came back to the same spot – nothing. No-one there. “No tro-tro this late.” Arrgh. I was in luck though, there was a second station about 10 mins walk away. Luckily a van was filling up just as I got there, so I injected myself into it. An interesting ride…about 10 mins into it there started to be raised voices amongst the other passengers. Gaining in angry-ness quickly, the object of their ire was the girl sitting next to me but one (two tiny kids, one on the knee of the other, between us). Suddenly the guy directly in front of me starting hitting the girl. Everyone else seemed to be on his side too…and for her part the girl was very angry (at the world generally from what I could make out) and super-gobby. Something she’d said had started it all and she just would not shut up for about 30 mins. Eventually she got off and everyone clapped. No-one would tell me what it was about.

Have I arrived? - There was a short taxi ride from Kuntanse, which was the destination of the tro-tro, down to Abonu by the lake. A huge thunderstorm and washed out roads prevented the driver from taking me straight to my hotel, but his English wasn’t good enough to convey that. To my mind he was throwing me out in Abonu, which had no streetlights, in the middle of a huge lightning storm. I wasn’t keen and was very uncertain what was going on. Eventually I got the idea that the hotel wasn’t far and that someone would take me. A crowd of men and boys materialized, all offering the same service. I was very uncertain. Eventually an older man got a torch (the only time you could see anything was when the lightning came) and just told me to follow him. Some other lads were saying to go with them in another direction but the older guy suggested it was a trick (!) Followed torch-guy down to the lake front, the sky was being rent by lightning, though it wasn’t raining just then. We waded though a flood of rainwater that covered the path, over rickety wooden bridges, through mud, around a swamp, every now and again getting a clear picture from the lightning. Boy was I glad to check in!

I was the only guest at the whole hotel! (about 25 roooms)

Early bird - Woke up to the view of the lake at 5.30 Sunday morning. I actually wanted to be up this early to go for walk before the sun rose. It was a bit difficult to tell, since it was so cloudy still, but it was light enough to walk around the lake by the one dirt road that circumnavigates it. I passed through 3 villages before turning back. Very squalid, all of them. People were just getting up, sheets still wrapped around them. They have power, but no lights it seems. Mud huts. Communal outdoors loos. Scabby dogs, chickens everywhere. Kids everywhere! Asking for toffee...I didin’t have any but did have to hand over some cash for some photos.

Big - The lake is HUGE, it must have been whopper of a meteorite. It's about 2 km across and the crater rim, now deeply forested hills, rise about 200m above lake level, right around it. Had a swim after the walk – the temp was about that of my blood! I could hardly tell I was in water. No Bilharzia apparently…guess I’ll find out soon enough...

That's a boat? - The fishermen have lots of nets set up, they get around on these “boats” which are basically a long, thick plank. The only concession to hydro-dynamics is a slight chamfer at each end on the bottom surface. These things are not even at the dug-out stage…incredible. I tried one out for 30 mins or so and they are a nightmare to steer and not very stable. It does make you wonder, why hasn’t this design moved on over thousands of years? Oh, they paddle by using their hands…

And...Relax - After the walk, the swim, the lingering breakfast overlooking the lake, the paddle, the swim, the lunch; I have to say I’ve seldom felt so relaxed. And I needed it, it’s been so hectic at work, and Kumasi itself is to hectic what the QE II is to that log I paddled.