Just returned from a wonderful little jaunt southways through the tropics of Ghana and am now preparing for a couple weeks at site getting in some project work before the rains come in June and the chances of getting anyone to do anything outside of planting peanuts. We're planning on putting up a new fancy metal fence around our garden and start working on a tree nursery for the rainy times ahead. Enough about that though. On to the good stuff!
Four friends and I headed overland from Bamako to Ouagadugu, Burkina Faso and then on to Kumasi, Ghana for sunny beaches and easy to follow English instructions. What we found was impossibly difficult Ghanaian accents, several days of rain and very difficult Dutch people. It was great! The change of seasons (from our 100+ degree weather every day to the nice cooling rains of their wet season) was a very welcome factor in our decision to head down now. We had a couple days where the rain was a little much but all in all, it worked out.
We spent a couple days on a beach at our own private resort - well, we were the only ones there, so we'll just say it was ours - and a couple days bouncing around the cities enjoying the fact that they sell ice cream in a bag. After 33 hours on a bus back, we're all safe and sound back in Mali la.
We all noticed just how increasingly developed Ghana was as you headed towards the coast, until we eventually couldn't find any real similarities between Ghana and Mali. They are, in so many ways, years ahead in development and in all honesty, I'm not to sure Mali can get there. Nearly every road was paved and had street lights, street vendors used forks to hand you food instead of their hands, they sold ice cream in a bag. All important things that I'm just not sure Mali can achieve. I hope they do, but who knows what the future holds.
It was a great experience and a nice change from the 'grind' of PC life, but I came to appreciate Mali just a bit more as a result.
Cheers.
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