Are there elephants in Ghana?

We just got back from Mole National Park (pronounced mole-a, almost a Spanish pronunciation. It was the equivalent of driving to California from Utah only with no freeway and part of the time on dirt roads and another part Ghana  pot holes. Mole has the only elephants in the wild in Ghana so far as we know. We rode there with the Wades and back with the Watsons. It was a trip worth doing regardless of the travel issues. Mole is in the northern portion of Ghana and starts to approach the Sahara desert.

 This time of year the Harmattan winds occur bringing sand and dirt from the Sahara to west Africa. Our pictures show a dull sky rather than the sun we are used to in Accra.

 One of the fun features of the trip was that as we gained a little altitude and moved closer to the Sahara the topography changed. Our pictures show the dry brush scattered among a few trees rather than the dense jungle we are used to here.

The villages near to Mole were largely round and constructed of sticks and mud with thatched roofs. Many of them were built near to their neighbors and had mud walls between the houses. The road side stands selling fruit and vegetables which we are used to here were gone as well.

The trip to the park was memorable too. We stayed at the Mole motel which was on a hill overlooking a portion of the park which included a large pond of water. Within 10 minutes of arriving I watched a large elephant walk from the right to the left of an open space beyond the watering hole. That afternoon we went on a walk through the forest with a guide, named Robert, who carried a 30-06 rifle. We saw elephant foot prints from the prior rainy season and some very fresh elephant foot prints in the dust. 

We also saw about 20 Kob antelope of varying ages and sizes. We had dinner at the motel then got up so we could leave by 7:00 the following morning to go on a safari. We all packed into a 12 passenger Ford van with Robert and a hired guide and headed off into the bush. We saw more Kob and a couple of other types of antelope. As we drove along I noticed a line across the dirt road which Robert had also seen. 

He told them to stop the van. We got out and he told us this was a mark where a hyena had drug an animal across the road and into the bush. The track was not obvious but was there to see for anyone who had tracked an animal before. Robert led the way and we all followed the track. About 30-40 yards into the bush we came across a large pile of intestines. In another 20-30 yards we came to the corpse of an old wart hog which Robert said the hyena had killed and drug into the bush so it didn't have to share with other animals. The photos show the corpse ripped up to some degree and rib bones which had been chewed on. After photos and some oohs and ughs we got back in the van and drove around some more. 

We saw more antelope of varying varieties and then went back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch Robert took us back down to the bush. He led us as quietly as you can lead 12 old people to an area where he thought we would see an elephant. We circled around behind the area where most of us had seen one from a distance the night before. After 15-20 minutes he gathered up about 50 yards from where we could hear an elephant and see his back side. 

We also watched the branches way up in the trees waving as he stripped them of leaves. He then gradually turned and we were able to see his front right quarter and his head and tusks. He was huge. We watched for three or four minutes until Robert led us to a viewing platform built about 20-25 feet off the ground. From there we watched as a mother elephant and a baby drank from the watering hole maybe 75 yards from us. 

All the time we were watching elephants Kob and other antelope were chasing each other in the back ground and a group of wart hogs were rooting around on the plain.

 One of the fun parts of this experience was listing to Robert and the other guide talk with their Ghanan accents. We were always looking to Alaphants and the carnivore which got the wart hog was a high – na. We love these people.

So, there are elephants in Ghana today but there is also one less wart hog.

Going to Church in Ghana

Going to church in Ghana is a great experience. These pictures are from the Michels Camp Branch in Tema. It is just like the last thousand times you went to church, but it is different. The buildings are built for the climate in Africa except that they don’t have air conditioning anywhere other than the bishops’ offices and the stake offices. Instead they have ceiling fans and slot windows which open to let the breeze through. All of the floors in the buildings are tile rather than wood or carpet. There are no water fountains. When they bless the sacrament the priests take the lid off a two liter bottle of water in case they run out and need more. Virtually all speakers begin their talks “good morning brothers and sisters” whereupon the congregation replies “good morning.” In many branches and some wards the music is acappella. None of the priesthood leaders wear suit coats.



The children here love Sister Wilde's stickers. Both boys and girls wear short hair because the weather is really hot and it is not easy to care for their hair.





This meeting place is rented but the Church has added some touches. The room with the chairs and no wall is where sacrament meeting is held. Next to it is the mango tree under which the motorcycles and bicycles used to get to Church are parked. Next to them is the large black poly tank where water is stored.




The Church has also installed a baptismal font.

"Have I Done Any Good in the World Today"

This week we were able to accompany Elder and Sister Bullock, and Elder and Sister Seader our humanitarian missionaries to the Cape Coast Training Hospital and to the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital for the handover ceremony for improvements that the church has given them.  The hospitals have a lot of needs and even basic sanitation cannot happen when here are no working washers and dryers.  Ceilings that were caving in and inadequate medical supplies were needs that were helped. This definitely was a great use of the widows mite.  We met a lot of great and dedicated nurses and even the chief came to thank the church for their help.

This is the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Coast.

"This is the day the Lord has chosen, we will rejoice in it."  We were warmly greeted and the chiefs also attended.

Elder Davis and the hospital CEO. He said, "We ask for God's blessings on the church for helping us at the hospital here."

A student nurse and the Adinkra symbol of God.

Greeters give us ribbons to wear.

Fixing the water system and buying some washer and dryers
 so they could wash the clothes in clean water.

Newly refurbished sinks and cabinets.

More smiling nurses

Sign of Gratitude

This ceiling could use some help too.Much is needed.

A grip and grin moment with church leaders from Cape Coast.

Finally, a good use for used tires.  Today we were proud to be "Latterdays."

Grass Cutter for Dinner

One of the unusual delicacies in Africa is the grass cutter a type of bush meat. You can see these for sale along the road to Cape coast. We stopped to buy pineapples, and saw a family preparing some grass cutter and Fufu for dinner. Grass cutters are also called cane rats.

According to Wikipedia :

 Greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) is one of two species of cane rats, a small family of African  rodents. The cane rat lives by reed-beds and riverbanks in Africa.   Cane rats can grow to nearly 2 ft in length and weigh a little less than 19 lb. It has rounded ears, a short nose, and coarse bristly hair. Its forefeet are smaller than its hind feet, each with three toes.

Cane rats live in small groups led by a single male. They are nocturnal and make nests from grasses or burrow underground. Individuals of the species may live in excess of four years. If frightened, they grunt and run towards water.

However, the peoples of the region  utilize the cane rat as a food source as bush meat, considering the meat a delicacy.

                   Hungry children waiting for dinner. Sister Wilde chose not to stay for dinner.

                                                        These are a substantial meal.

                                             Mom with the family dinner for tonight.

                                    Two hunters selling grass cutters on the side of the highway.

                                                            Ready to cook. Yum yum.

Christmas Comes to Africa

Our ordinary apartment filled with Christmas joy today when we received a package from our children and grandchildren. Our friends Tom and Stephanie Curtis came to visit Jane and Lee Curtis and were kind enough to bring this present from Salt Lake. It SNOWED in Ghana today and we loved it.

Cape Coast and Elmina Slave Castles

‘Cabo Corso,’ meaning ‘short cape’, is the name the Portuguese called the area now known as Cape Coast. It is the home of the Cape Coast Slave Castle. Cape Coast Castle is one of about thirty "slave castles", built on the Gold Coast of West Africa (now Ghana). It was built for trade of timber and gold but the principle trade later became the slave trade. About 1000 males slaves and 500 female slaves occupied the castle at any one time in gender separate dungeons. Each slave would be locked up for 6 to 12 weeks or until they died, waiting for their turn to board one of the ships. The last door they went out from the castle into the ship is called the door of no return. The dungeons were unbearable with hundreds of slaves crammed in together and no toilet facilities. In many cases they were stacked and simply laid down in layers to save space. Above them the people had a chapel and held church each Sunday. As you walk into the chapel, there is a peep door where they could look at the slaves as they came and left. There were only a few windows to let in the fresh air in the dungeon and the urine and feces completely covered the floor of the dungeons and were left to accumulate group after group. Most of the slaves were shipped to Brazil and the Caribbean. About 10% of the slaves were shipped to the United States. Many of the slaves died on the voyages. This is one of those historical places that you want people to remember so that this will never happen again.