My version of the Canopy Walk

We got on another bus this morning at 7:30 AM to go for a 90 minute ride to the Kakum National Park for a canopy walk. There was a lot of activity on the streets today as the people were on their way to work and the school children were on their way to school. The school children wear uniforms and they are very colorful and the kids look really cute and neat. The guide told us that all children are required to go to school from age 6 to ninth grade and then if they are good students they go on to high school or a technical school to learn a trade. It makes me wonder when the kids are working in the cocoa factories if they are required to go to school. We were told that the government pays for one uniform and one meal a day for the children, but it is political and some schools do not comply and then the parents have to pay for the uniforms and that is something they cannot afford.

While driving along we saw a lot of people setting up stands and selling stuff on the roadside. The shops do not have doors and they move their products right outside for all to see. It seemed odd to see sofas and chairs for sale out on the grass.

The gas stations have a big open area and when they are working on a car they do not put it up on a hoist like they do in the USA. I saw one taxi that they had turned on it’s side so they could work underneath it.

Our 90 minute ride to the Kakum National Park took more like 2 ½ hours. We pulled into the parking lot and the bus had to pull in and back up to get parked just so to satisfy the attendant. There was a sign in the parking lot that said “Do not urinate here. Use the restroom.” The path to the start of our hike up to the top of the hill was very uneven rocks and it was difficult to maneuver. We finally reached the end of the rocks and still had to be very careful where we stepped as there were a lot roots and steep banks to navigate. We got to the top and climbed some steps into a tree house type structure and that is where the swinging bridges started. We walked across seven swinging bridges with six platforms between them. It was pretty scary but I decided this was something that I was going to do and I succeeded, but don’t know if I care to do that again. There were many pictures taken to prove that I did this.

After coming down from the canopy walk we sat on the veranda and tried to cool off, which was not accomplished by me. My legs were pretty shaky when I got down to the sitting area.

We left the park and drove a few miles to a hotel where we stopped for lunch. It was buffet style and they served chicken, fish, beef and green beans, salad, rice, French fries, fried plantains and two different types of tomato sauce. One spicy and one not so spicy.

After we finished eating we walked out into the courtyard where they had set up rows of folding chairs under a long canopy so we could watch a Bamboo Orchestra and dancers. They were very colorful and very energetic for such a hot and humid day. At the end of their performance they wanted all of us to dance with them and many people did, but it was really uncomfortably hot and it was a relief when they told us it was time to go back to the bus. Unfortunately the air conditioning on the bus could not cool it down when all of us hot bodies got on there, so we were glad to get back on the ship and take showers.