last few days we spent on Lake Bosumtwi, which as it seemed during our stay there, is the youngest lake in the world. Why? Well, it was established long after the formation of the continent from the impact of a meteorite lands in the period Pleistocenskim. I really, truly landscape looks like from space. Namely, the lake is in a depression surrounded by a high of 200 - 300 meters high mountains, covered with tropical rainforest. To get there, you must enter switchbacks to the top of these mountains, and later in a pit about the same amount in dollars.
But after the turn. After our recent experiences with the STC has decided to once again choose the bus. Turns out, however, the information given to us at the station in Accra on the hour departure rate in Kumasi were not confirmed. Ultimately, faith bestowed miescowego information from the station. The railway company
STC is a whole institution in Ghana - Well beyond Accra, as a rule, every village supports a number of courses (in the case of Cape Coast is 5 courses to Accra, 5 to Takoradi to Kumasi and 2 - to a total of 10, but for this are all-through). And so a few miles from the center of the bypass, the company has its own train station, and even storey building. And at the train station and from 4 people are working:) So yes: the Lady of the luggage (and it receives the parcel, because the STC buses operate like a little parcel conductor in Poland), the second Mrs. sells tickets (but only for a bus that has already arrived, the check that there are places available which means that you can not buy a ticket in advance), who controls the tickets you are boarding, selling fee for baggage and will hang tag and of another man, who load luggage on the bus.
Because the bus was at 13.30, decided to arrive a little early, around 12.30. Of course, we could not buy a ticket (see explanation above), we were told to sit in the waiting room on the first floor (there also described ladies were sitting, because the office was hot, so I put up a table and we zagadywaly). Strange, because we were the only people waiting for this course, which once again surprises me in light of the number of people employed there. Before leaving, we tried to find out whether your bus is going through or maybe the Obuasi Bekwaii (are two ways to Kumasi, where the lake is about 30 kilometers from the city and only Bekwaii you can get in there.) Consultation with Mrs of tickets, independent of the Lady of the luggage, and later with the driver allowed us to establish that goes by, however, Obuasi. Well - it is hard, then we will go to the Kumasi and later we go on this 30 km. During the road R and W followed the map and came out to them ... However, we would ride through Bekwaii ...
way through Ghane is beautiful - as of this country lies on the coast (and indeed of the ocean), up to 300 miles from shore is green. I just looked so our trip - the cut deciduous forests and palm groves of forests, from time to time the village. Interestingly, the more we took to the north, the villages honors August porzadniejsze - homes in the south were mostly built of clay and reeds, in the north while almost all were made of brick. Condition of major roads (which we could find during a trip to Cape Coast) is good, sometimes only the surface is damaged and you need a little ride on the bumpy road. Visible is also a big difference in relation to Uganda - Uganda's Well on the road you could see a lot of people with yellow karnistrami, carrying water for drinking / washing in August. In Ghana, these paintings is not - it means that access to drinking water is much better than in most countries of Africa.
Road to Bekwaii (200 km) took us about 3 hours, which is quite efficient, cost too small - 10 Cedii, or about 20 zl. In Bekwaii we were able to quickly catch the bus (here called a Tro - Tro) who rode to Kuntanse. Oddly enough, the conductor he asked us whether we will accept in order to chose the next trip passengers. Of course I do not have anything to do so. Although it was a Saturday, traffic was very large - on Saturday in Ghana, funerals are held in the afternoon and many people returned to their home. Travelling from Cape Coast, we saw a dozen of the funeral, in virtually every village passed. They are not like us short ceremony in the church and the cemetery - although preceded by the mass, but later hours of farewell takes place on the large square, playing music, guests sit under tents, and in the center is exposed to a coffin. On average we've seen in funerals took part at least 400 - 500 people (it looked like a whole village to being a youngster in their participation). Thus the whole Kuntanase met busik and as it turned out at the train (?) Park (?) Square with the RER there Tro - Tro and so. shared taxi (on local routes often do not even have buses, only a few people rented a taxi) was a lot of people. We were able to establish that the bus departure time to Akosombo (nearest village from our place of residence on the lake) is not known and have to wait. In the end, when the bus pulled up to the Akosombo and we realized that it is, there were already no seats (ie, either standing or sitting down with someone on his knees, nor in any other way). After lengthy negotiations, we decided to hire a taxi. Price (12 Cedii, about 24 bn) in comparison with price Tro - Tro (0.30 Cedii / person) was more than exaggerated, but there was no choice. After 15 km / 30 minutes of driving we found the lake.
But this wonderfully!
place in which I stayed was called the Rainbow Village, consisted of not 5 bungalows, 2 multi-bed rooms and hut on stilts! (Of course we were granted a cabin, and good!). In addition, bridge, bar - restaurant and grazing on the lawn between the palms donkey. And only we, two medical students from the Netherlands (and a lady from the staff). After a quick dinner and conversation on the pier poszalismy sleep. Morning turned out that the students already leaving because came here only for one night. Work in a rural hospital, about 100 km from Kumasi, placing the practice here (can do this either in the Netherlands in hospitals in several selected countries of the world). They chose Ghana because the medical staff is less and the de facto roles of doctors feel the fullness, while the Netherlands has virtually nothing they do not do.
lake we could finally get away from civilization - there was no Internet, the range of tunes happened to rare, and therefore we read, bathed and drinking all. Every day at dawn the fishermen living in villages surrounding the hunt has begun. They believe that Lake Bosumtwe is a ritual to power and it has been maintained, you can not swim after him any boat. Therefore, the fisheries boards are used, on which sit the fishermen (it looks a little like that sailed on a small surfboard) and how to lasso some criticize the network from time to time wylawiajac few fish. For this, because the voice on the water carries a very August, fishing talk to each other despite the large geographical distance, and from time to time jointly sing folk songs.
And so we spent a good two days of rest:) On Monday afternoon, Aug. loaded into a taxi and went further - to the Ashanti capital - Kumasi.
