Training for an Illegality

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WA; Capital of the upper west of Ghana 

Ghana has interesting rules when it comes to the usage of motorbikes. In the northern part of the county where i lived last year and the early part of this year, most people own and use motorbikes. This is presumably due to the poor nature of the roads and the relatively lower cost of owning and maintaining a motorbike than purchasing a car. In fact one of the things i really enjoyed whiles living in the northern part of Ghana is getting to ride (as a passenger) on a motor bike everyday. On any given day i would ride either a motorbike or a bicycle for errands. I think my obsession with riding on bikes stems from the fact that  motorbikes are not predominant in the south where i came from. I always looked forward to travelling to the city (Wa) from the village during weekends. The 'getting there' part of the trip was always the most exciting for me. The sound of the strong winds on your face, the energy, the noise and the excitement as the bike traveled a 100km/hr. Whiles we left a thick cloud of dusty air behind us as we sped forward. I never got tired of looking at the beautiful northern Savanna landscapes as well as the lovely views of dam 15. I was always surprised at how kids as young as 10 and 12 could ride motorbikes whiles an adult like me couldn't. I vowed to learn how to ride so that i could purchase one when i move to Accra. But sadly all that had to come to an end after a year, i didn't learn how to ride a motorbike and I've hence moved back south.

On days that i reminisce about good times in the north, my bike rides always comes up as part as some of my favourite moments. Therefore i was surprised to find commercial motorbike services who were willing to take passengers from one part of the city to another. But the sad bit about this service it that they are illegal says the Ghana police. It is not a recognised form of commercial transport in Ghana unlike Nigeria. These motorbikes popularly know as 'Okada' though its illegal looks like its highly patronized because although the police have tried to shut them out for so many times. They find a way of weaving their way back into Ghana's transportation system. Supply usually goes with demand therefore the fact that these illegal commercial motor bike operators keep coming back into the transport system means that customers clearly keep demanding and articles such as this and this further buttresses that point. So here is where i come clean, as a transport user and a commuter i have patronised the services of the bike riders a few times. They are cheaper than a taxi cab, can weave in and out of traffic and therefore i get to where i'm going faster and is a quick easy transport fix. On most of my illegal rides on these motor bikes the riders usually ask me whether i have a motorbike of my own? After replying 'no' i usually ask them why i keep being asked that question and most riders tell me i don't seem jittery and nervous when i sit on the bike. I have the perfect balance and don't hold on to them too tight out of fear. It looked like all the riding i have been doing back in the north has payed off. Considering i was nervous and probably held on to the rider too hard back then when i started riding.  These comments on the riders part make me  happy but then i realise am encouraging something which is illegal, i don't get happy as much. 

West to East: My Top 3 Tourist Sites

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Northern Ghana is an exciting place when it comes to tourism. There are a myriad of tourist destinations and sites to visit. These are my top three out of the various tourist sites i have visited. These three tourist sites can be located in the upper west and upper east regions of Ghana. 

Wechiau Hippopotamus Sanctuary

The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary is located at a small town called Wechiau in the upper west region of Ghana. The hippopotamus sancutuary is about a 10 kilometre ride from the town square. It is a pleasure to see the hippos swimming on a warm day whiles they come out to look for food at night. The hippopotamus are untamed therefore wander to and fro the Volta river where they reside. It's interesting to see hippopotamus in their natural environment. I went to this tourist site last year and i really enjoyed the trip. I particularly enjoyed the canoe ride called 'river safari' since it was my first time on a canoe. I would not hesitate to go to Wechiau again, may be this time for a longer period and possibly a camping trip. You can read my trip report of this amazing tourist destination here and for all visitors information on accommodation, dinning etc click here.

Hippopotamus skull at wechiau

Paga Crocodile Pond

I read about the Paga crocodile pond when i was a kid and since then it has been on my travel bucket list. Therefore on a recent backpacking trip it was high on my bucket list and i really didn't regret going to Paga because the last time i saw a crocodile, i was watching from a very safe distance whiles the crocodile was caged. This was about 6 years ago at a zoo. But to touch, feel and even squat on a crocodile was much more surreal. It was a great experience. Although it's been a few weeks since i came back from this tourist trip, it still feels like yesterday. The way humans and crocodile coexist in Paga is nothing short of amazing and legend of how the crocodiles became an integral part of the society is nothing short of amazing. At Paga i learnt the word 'herptophobia' as i panicked when it was time for me to hold the crocodile. You can access the trip report here and every tourist information you need about the crocodile pond here.

Crocodile at Paga

Nania-Pikworo Slave Camp

It wasn't after i have been to the Paga crocodile pond did i hear about Nania and when i heard of Nania my mind went straight to C.S Lewis classic book 'chronicles of nania'. But this Nania is different, it is a defunct slave camp which was operated  by African slave masters. Piwkworo slave camp has a harrowing story of slavery which has no doubt has a dent on the African continent and Africa in general. It was only in Pikworo slave camp that i learnt that Africans traded each other for sugar during the slave trade. My trip report is available and you can click here for tourist information if you want to visit Nania-Pikworo slave camp.

This sign post ushers you into the camp

Tourist site: Nania-Pikworo slave camp

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Pikworo Slave Camp

Pikworo slave camp is located in the upper east region of Ghana near a little village called Nania. The village Nania where the slave camp is located is very close to the town of Paga which is the district capital of the Kassena Nankana west district of Ghana. Nania was a slave camp during the era when the slave trade and slavery was at its height in Ghana. Nania means "a place of cows or cattle" whiles Pikworo means a place surrounded by rocks. The slave camp was started in 1704 by a slave master whom the people called "Baggaw" which literally translates as 'bush man'

Get There 

Pikworo slave camp is near Paga. Upon reaching Paga, there are motorbikes, taxis and mini buses that can be hired to the slave camp. The camp is about 9 kilometres away from Paga.  Paga is quite a developed town therefore it is fairly easy to get there from which ever part of  Ghana one is coming from. Popular towns close to Paga are Bolgatanga and Navrongo. The most popular mode of transport to get to paga is by car/bus. 

Activities

• The main activity at Pikworo is going round the camp with a tour guide whiles he tells you the storied history of slavery and slave trade in the past. There is guided tour of various sections of the camp. That is the kitchen, sleeping areas, punishment rock, cemetary etc.
• For a little tip, the tour guides can perform to you the way slaves of the past used to sing and entertain themselves. A link is provided here for you to preview how it looks like.

Accommodation/Lodging & Dinning 

Pikworo has no hotel/guest house as well as a restaurant. But since it's quite close to Paga, you can get meals and lodging at there. Paga can be toured in a few hours therefore you can decide to go back to Navrongo or Bolgatanga where there there is a wide variety of hotels and guest houses.

Pictures of the slave camp

Prices

A guided tour around the slave camp cost 5 cedis for Ghanaian nationals and 10 cedis for non-nationals. Kids and students pay different prices. 

NB: All the prices stated are 2014 prices and are subject to change.

Contact

The slave camp has a close connection with the Chief crocodile pond at Paga. You can therefore contact these lines for more information.

+233-244-691-525

+233-244-189-338

No dedicated website yet

Tourist Site: Paga Crocodile Pond

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Paga Crocodile Pond

Paga is located in the upper east region of Ghana and the last major town on the north eastern corridor. It shares a border with Burkina Faso Ghana's neighbour to the north. Paga is the district capital of Kassena Nankana west district of Ghana.

Get There

Paga is quite a developed town therefore it is fairly easy to get there from which ever part of the country one is coming from. Popular towns close to Paga are Bolgatanga and Navrongo. The most popular mode of transport to get to paga is by car/bus. There are buses which move from other major cities in Ghana such as Kumasi and Accra to Navrongo or Bolgatanga and from there you can board a taxi to Paga. There are two main crocodile ponds in Paga but the most popular one is the Chief Crocodile Pond which is located right in the centre of town. A Paga bound taxi drives past the pond therefore its easy to locate it.

Information board and reception area

Front entrance

Activities

The prime activity at Paga is crocodile watching and the interesting nature in which crocodile and humans coexist in a peaceful way. At the pond, you will be allowed to touch the crocodile fave a feel of it scale and hold it tail as well as take pictures with them from different angles.

The pond

 Crocodiles

Another interesting thing you can indulge in at Paga is go to the Ghana-Burkina Faso border which is not very far from the Chief crocodile pond. Even though the official language of Ghana is English, at the border you will here an interesting mix of English, French and the local Kassen dialect which is quite delightful. 

Accommodation/Lodging and Dinning

The Chief crocodile pond has an eatery nearby therefore finding a place for a meal will be no hassle likewise, there are a number of hotels and guest houses in Paga though they are not associated with the crocodile pond. Paga can be toured in a few hours therefore you can decide to go back to Navrongo or Bolgatanga where there there is a wide variety of hotels and guest houses.

Crocodile pond restaurant

Prices

10 cedis for Ghanaian nationals ( prices vary for school kids and non-nationals)

NB: These are 2014 prices and are subject to change

Contact

+233-244-691-525

+233-244-189-338

No dedicated website yet

Nania: A Tale of Slavery

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I don't know about you but anytime i hear 'Nania' my mind goes back to C.S Lewis classic fantasy (almost magical) book "The chronicles of Narnia" and its hero Aslan. But for the people of Nania-Pikworo which is a small community near Paga (a major town on the north-eastern border of Ghana) their "Nania" was a story of real pain. If you follow my blog post, i announced a one week backpacking trip. Now that i am back, i am doing series of blog post on the places i went. The last post being my visit to a crocodile pond and how i'm battling herptophobia (don't ask).

Nania was a slave camp during the era when the slave trade and slavery was at its height in Ghana. Nania means "a place of cows or cattle" whiles Pikworo means a place surrounded by rocks. The slave camp was started in 1704 by a slave master whom the people called "Baggaw" which literally translates as "bush man" because they did not know his real name since he was not from the community. Baggaw was suspected to have dealt in slaves in his hometown but the slave business there had tanked. Hence his relocation into the community of Nania to continue his 'craft'. In Nania, Baggaw was still having problems setting up his slavery business because a lot of people in Nania suspected him to be a slave master therefore families were unwilling to let their loved ones go with him because he tried to convince the locals he was going to train the people he took to his camp . He therefore invited two of his friends Samori from Burkina Faso and Babatu from Mali. This gang of three now convinced the chiefs (with gifts in hand) of these local communities to take people especially able bodied ones to their camp where they will receive training and after that sent abroad for further studies. This is how slavery started in Nania.

The families got a little money for allowing their ward to go with Baggaw and his friends. To the three slaves masters their business was not growing to their liking which made them employ local people as slave raiders so that they could capture more people. After many years of taking the people to their camp (20 years and over), the local chiefs were alarmed none of the people taken by Baggaw and his friends under the pretense of training had returned. This is where their initial suspicion of slavery was confirmed but it was too late. Baggaw and his friends had already built a slavery empire which included majority of the locals acting as security, raiders, body guards, cooks etc, From that point no one dared go near the camp for the fear of being captured or being killed.
                                 

Slaves were chained to trees at the camp from dusk till dawn

                       

In the evening, slaves climbed these rocks to have supper

The slaves ate from the carved craters in this rocks

The slaves were fed once a day, in the evening they ate from little craters mad in the rocks after super they were made to drum and dance and make merry. To keep their spirits alive and send signal to those outside the camp that the camp was an enjoyable place.

The only source of water at the camp. It runs quite deep as a test i dipped a stick which was more than 10 metres long in it. The stick went all the way down.

An elderly tour guide demonstrating the songs slaves used to sing.

                               

Highest point at the slave camp, camp security could see very far from this point

This part is the where the security guard of the slave stood to watch out for slave who tried to escape as well as intruders. Slaves who tried to escape were brought back to the camp and taken to the punishment rock. Those who were out of reach were shot. As deterrent to other slaves one of every fresh batch of new slave was killed as a warning for what will happen to them when they try to escape.

At the punishment rock slaves who tried to escape had their hands and feet tied and were beaten to pulp while they sat on the rock with their face upwards.

There is a close proximity between the punishment rock and the cemetery for dead slaves. 

When the number of slaves at Nania reaches a satisfactory limit, the three slave masters take them to Salaga a major slave trading spot which is in the northern part of Ghana. At Salaga, the slave masters sold their slaves for  commodities such as sugar, whiskey, bacon etc. Slave masters from neighbouring countries such as Burkina and Mali also came to Salaga to buy slaves. These slave were then moved to Cape Coast and Elmina both coastal towns in Ghana where they were then taken abroad.
Slave trade ended in 1845 and all the three slave masters were killed. Samori from Burkina Faso was killed at Yendi. Baggaw was also killed at Navrongo. Whiles Babatu was captured and killed at Sandema. Slave trade has no doubt had a dent on African history, but we can blame greediness and deceit on the part of European colonial masters. But as an African, it still beats my mind why we traded each other for sugar.

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to visit Nania, click for information on the location, contacts, accommodation and dinning available at the slave camp.

A Crocodile Pond (What is Herptophobia?)

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From Navrongo, i made my way to Paga. Paga is a border town on the north eastern boundary of Ghana. It is famed for it crocodile pond among other tourism sites. Therefore upon reaching, the first place i went to was the crocodile pond just to continue the cliche.

Entrance of the Pond

I located this tourism center rather easily, because it is right in the middle of town. I board a shared taxi from Navrongo which cost about 2 cedis. The taxi made a stop in front of the pond. After paying an entrance fee of 10 cedis (10 cedis is for nationals entrance fee differ for non nationals and kids) i entered the fenced pond.

The pond does not look big but was informed by our tour guide it has upwards of 200 crocodiles

Legend has it that the first person who settled in the town wanted to cross the pond which was huge at that time and these crocodiles helped him cross therefore there was a personal bond between him and the crocodiles and this bond has evolved to 'spiritual'. It is believed in Paga that when ancestor dies they metamorphose into one of the crocodile in the pond. At night some of these crocodiles go to various houses in town and if a crocodile comes to a house it is believed to be an ancestor. 

One thing that really caught my attention was how cattle were drinking from the pond ( though fenced had an openning on the far left) without being harmed by the crocodiles. It seemingly went to corroborate the story or the ancestral bond between the crocodiles and the indigenes of Paga. This was truly an experience

This fella was following us everywhere

I wasn't the only one at the crocodile pond that day i was joined by other people who had come to also see the crocodiles. After the tour guide showing us around and giving us the history he now asked "who will be first to hold the crocodiles tail for a picture?' That is when we all realised we were battling Herptophobia

Tour guide, he is a 'gunner'

We all became fast friends based on our collective fear of crocodiles

If you enjoyed this post and would love to visit the Paga crocodile pond click here for all the information you need about transport. lodging and dinning..

Backpakcing Day 2: Navrongo

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The last time i posted was on my trip to Tumu my first stop of my backpacking trip. when i was on the road, i figured writing blog post whiles on a one week backpacking tour would not allow me to absorb local culture and i might feel rushed. My time was already limited as it was just a week of backpacking and i wanted to absorb as much information and sightseeing as the few days would give me. I didn't want to spend the few hours i had left going to internet cafes to write post to update the blog. I therefore decided to wait till i get home and do a series of posts to update you on what happened.

From Tumu, i headed east my plan was to spend a day at Navrongo, one of the major towns in the Upper eastern stretch of Ghana and very close to Paga another town in Ghana which has famous crocodile pond and a slave camp (a post on that coming soon).

Bus ride from Tumu to Navrongo

Only one bus moves from Wa to Bolgatanga with a stopover in Tumu where others will join to places such as Navrongo therefore missing it means staying till the following day. Although i alighted in Navrongo, i was made to pay the full Bolgatanga fare. Towns and villages worthy of note are Chiana and Chuchuliga              

First sign post that caught my attention

 Reached Navrongo around 12 pm Monday afternoon and the town looked really busy since it was a market day and there was a lot of excitement in the air as Ghana was playing United states in the Fifa world cup.

Go Team Ghana!!!

old district library observe the British architectural influence

Donkey taxis

It was a market day, people were busily trading

                   

Navrongo high street

I slept at a guest house called Pierre Lodge which was a bit out of town therefore rates were cheaper. At Pierre guest house i gave up on bathroom lights in guest houses because the bathroom lights here were not functioning either.

Next stop