Even lawyers are doing it
It’s easy. It’s simple. It’s do-able. What am I talking about? A leisure trip through our rather lovely countryside. Over the years this column has justified, has preached and has pleaded for out-going Ghanaians to leave their comfort zones and hit the road.
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Resources and advisories are available to assist you. The Ghana Tourism Authority and tour agencies can be contacted. Movements such as Kofi Sika’s ‘Adventure Junkies’ as well as my buddy Paa John’s ‘wango wango’ trips are also making this dream come true for many.
A bit fed up with teaching and preaching, now I just want to show; to share what a group of young ladies just did. And guess what, they are lawyers!
When someone sent me the road pictures of three professional ladies, I went ‘awww’. That’s how I croon each time I see Ghanaians on domestic tour. But then when I enquired about them and how they did it. I thought this is one for my readers.
Barbara Okai – Tettey, Amma Frimpomma Dwumah and Atta Aba Atta – Quayson are three friends who have discovered a knack for traveling and discovering their God-given Ghana. They are all practicing lawyers in Accra and what they do is plan ahead, save and hit the road together.
Plus, they also save. Like I’ve always said, saving for a leisure trip is as important as saving for the cost of a professional course or a dental procedure. So please start the susu for that long cherished trip.
To make it special, the three friends link their journeys to special occasions. This latest trip was embarked on in celebration of Barbara’s birthday.
To show you how simple it is I recount, in their own voice:
Day 1
We left Accra at 10:00am to Tamale by flight; flying time was approximately 45 minutes. Our guide, Ibrahim, met us at Tamale airport and drove us to Mole. The journey from Tamale to Mole was three hours with a stop at Damango Market where we purchased fruits from the market. Upon arrival at Mole, we checked into the Mole Hotel and had lunch at the hotel.
We then proceeded to visit the Larabanga Mosque which is 5km away from Mole. The mosque is the oldest in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa built in 1421. Our guide told us the story behind the mosque and it’s Sudanese Architecture. We were showed the baobab tree where the founder of Larabanga was buried. We took pictures of the mosque as well.
We also visited the mystic stone also in Larabanga which the people believe to possess mystic powers of protection.
Visitors to the stone are encouraged to donate to the upkeep and care of the stone and every year, the amounts collected is used to buy a ram which is distributed to inhabitants of the village.
Day 2
We set off for the Safari on day two at 7am. The safari offers both walking safari and safari by jeep. A jeep takes seven persons exclusive of the ranger and costs GH¢120 to rent. This cost is shared by all persons on board.
We shared our jeep with a group of four from Germany. On our way, we saw antelopes, warthogs, baboons and of course elephants. We were fortunate to witness herd of elephants in a watering hole. The duration of the safari was two hours.
We had lunch at Zaina Lodge, and staff also showed us round the lodge. We must admit Zaina is a beautiful place to stay at.
We then proceeded by canoe to watch birds on the river at Mognori. That was the first time we all got the opportunity to paddle a canoe and it was a humbling experience. The river also had crocodiles and we saw the crocodile foot marks on the river bank. We also walked through the village of Mognori, meeting a shea butter producer who took us through the process of making shea butter. We were also ushered into a hut and showed how the hut was built. We visited a medicine man who showed us his arsenal of medicines for different ailments.
Dinner was at the Mole Hotel and Barbara and Atta Aba tasted Tuo Zaafi for the first time. It was delicious!!
Day 3
All too soon our trip was over and we had to return to Accra. We stopped over at Tamale to buy smocks and the best waakye in Tamale.
We had so much fun we almost missed our flight!
The writer is a Communication and Tourism Specialist. Books he has authored include ‘Romancing Ghanaland - the Beauty of Ten Regions’, Tickling the Ghanaian - Encounters with Contemporary Culture & ‘Harmattan - a Cultural Profile of Northern Ghana.’