Bimbilla to Yeji - Day 287

Date: June 1st, 2010
Distance: 110km (plus a 7 mile canoe trip)
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse

Left Bimbilla early. I knew it was going to be a long day. I didn't really know quite how long it was going to be though.

It was cloudy in the morning though, so that was at least helpful. Then it started to rain. Pretty soon it was just pouring down. After about 30 minutes I was soaked. I really couldn't have been more wet if I jumped in a river. Not for the first time I have been happy to have those Ortlieb waterproof panniers. For the first bit it was nice to have the rain. I was actually cool for once. Plus it kept the dust down. After a couple of hours though the roads started to get muddy. That was not helpful. The going was slow and rough after that.

I would also like to get a bit philosophical for a moment. (If you were hoping for a nice adventure story that doesn't make you think, then skip ahead.) It would appear that when humans first started to find religion they came up with two different forms for god. Groups that had settled into a farming lifestyle tended to believe in a goddess of fertility. She was associated with the earth and good harvests as well as healthy children. Nomadic groups on the other had tending to perceive god as a man in the clouds. He was responsible for rain and wind and lightning. Zeus is a classic example of this. Also, as Abraham was a herdsman this idea was handed down through the major western religions. So our classic example of God is a man in a white billowing cloak who lives among the clouds. As a nomad myself, today I have gained a bit more understanding of this idea. When you are outside in the pouring rain in the middle of nowhere watching lightning flash around you while 20 seconds of thunder peals over your head, it is a big reminder that you are a very small part of a very big world.

I did get to Salaga in the mid afternoon. I even had a bit of extra time to stop and have some lunch. I would need it. By that point the rain had stopped as well. The road out of town kept switching between ancient pavement with lots of potholes to rough dirt roads. It was mostly downhill, so I made good time.

I reached Mkango well before dark. This is right across the lake from Yeji, where I needed to go. I guess I was an idiot though and didn't hop on the first boat in the harbor. There was one pulling away as I rode up. I was still trying to get my bearings and nobody told me it was the last boat. Yep. The last one that night left. I need to get to the other side to take the ferry down to Akosombo. If I waited until morning, the ferry would be gone. So I had to make it tonight. I didn't have enough money to charter a motor boat. At least that is what they told me. Now it was getting late and I had to cross this lake. The boat crews kept telling me to wait. They would find something. I asked if I could take a canoe, as there were several sitting on the beach. Everyone seemed to think I was crazy for suggesting that. Finally after an hour, they found some guys who would take me across by paddling a canoe. We set off just before sunset with me paddling along with them. For some reason they found it inconceivable that a white guy could paddle a boat. (How hard is it to paddle a boat?) It did take a long time to cross. Probably an hour and a half. The wind was really not helping. By the end my arms were aching and I was shaking because I was so out of food. I did make it though. Life brings you to weird places. Then again crossing a lake at night in a wooden canoe may not have been the best idea. I never claimed to be smart though, just determined.

Now I was in Yeji, but out of money. So I had to find someone to change money. That was actually easy. I ended up finding this guy Alfred. I guess he is a student in Yeji, but also helps tourists find their way around the city. He was able to change money and even took me over to a place for rice. If you get to Yeji on the ferry, ask for Alfred or his friend Eric.

From there it was a long wait for the ferry, the Yampei Queen. It arrived just after midnight and started to offload. Alfred tried to help me out and get a place to stay. I was depressed to learn that there were no cabins available though. I was really looking forward to a bed, a shower, and a good night's sleep. Instead I would have to settle for a wooden bench on the top deck. I should mention this ferry was never really meant for long distance passenger travel. There are cabins for the crew and a couple of extra ones that occasionally are rented out. After that it is a couple of lounges with wooden benches and tables, or for high class travel, the top deck with the long benches that also hold life preservers. I was just so tired at that point, it didn't matter. A wooden bench it was.

-Dravis