The past weekend (7-8 October)

Another awesome weekend! I was very lucky to also travel this past weekend. We went to Kakum National Park and to Anomabo - a dream beach as the pictures will show.

Here is some general information about Kakum and its attraction - canopy walkway:

"Located in Kakum National Park in the West African country of Ghana, Africa's only canopy walkway is suspended 100 feet above the ground, offering you what is truly a bird's eye view of the rainforest. At this height, you don't have to be an expert to identify the colorful patterns of tropical birds as they glide through the forest below you.

You don't even have to climb to get onto the walkway. It starts at ground level, and as you walk along, the land below you slopes into a valley, and you find yourself twelve stories up in the forest canopy. The horseshoe-like pattern of bridges — made of steel cable, netting, and narrow wooden planks — are connected by tree platforms that serve as observation points for viewing the rainforest. You circle back to complete your tour on level ground.

Among other species, more than 300 kinds of birds and about 550 types of butterflies make their home in the forest canopy, and many of the canopy's inhabitants have never set foot on the forest floor. You can hear the distant rustling of leaves as a troop of monkeys travel through the canopy, but don't expect to see them. Kakum's mammals are known to be extremely elusive.

Kakum National Park is an island of tropical rainforest in a sea of agricultural lands — an isolated fragment of what was once a continuous belt of rainforest extending from Guinea through Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana. Degraded by mining, farming, and settlement, and combed by hunters and timber extractors, Kakum now covers less than 140 square miles, but it provides one of the last remaining habitats for six globally-endangered species, including Diana monkeys, bongos, yellow-backed duikers, and forest elephants. "

Yes, Di, Diana monkeys :-P
I have to admit the walk was a bit intimidating and i was a bit scared, but it was a rush of adrenaline and we all made it safe and sound.

We spent the night at Hans Cottage Hotel - very nice place, with pool and crocodiles - no, not in the pool, but in the lake around the hotel. I took hundreds of pictures of the crocodiles – it was like I was under some kind of spell – the Japanese one probably. :-) At first I saw this big crocodile resting, but I actually thought it is a statue - they do have statues of crocodiles so that's where I got the idea. It was only when I realised it was actually a real one that the photosession started. And lasted a while. :-)

On Sunday we went to the beach. I was so excited since it was my first time at the Ocean and first time at the beach since I have been in Ghana. The beach was incredible – the colors of the Atlantic, the palm trees, the sand, the sun – they all amazed me. Got a tan as well :-)

The weekend ended with what I can call – my first real tro-tro experience. That’s what we took to come back to Accra. If I haven’t mentioned it before – tro-tro’s are like maxi-taxis back home, just that they look like they are going to fall apart any minute. They are used for common transportation in Accra and also to connect cities. The road was not the best and the distance was not the shortest, but we’ve made it and it was kinda fun and adrenaline rising. :-)