Umbrella Rock & Boti Falls

This past Saturday we went on a team building excursion with the Mentors to Boti Falls. The day started with the Keep Fit Club at the YMCA at 6am then we mobilized are troops and set off to the falls around 10am. The day consisted of a roughly 45 minute hike up to the umbrella rock which literally is a rock in the shape of an umbrella. The hike to the rock was a little challenging in certain spots as there was some hand over hand climbing involved but all in all it was a nice trek. The top of the umbrella rock is flat and they've build ladders so that you can climb to the top for optimal viewing/picture taking! With a little hesitation on climbing this wooden ladder, eventually we all concurred our fears and wrote our names on top of the rock.

Me on top of the Umbrella Rock

After this break we continued on to see a three pronged coconut tree, nothing to exciting here except for the fact that when I suggested we take a group photo here I ended up standing on a rock that apparently if you stand on it it means you will have twins. When Solomon told me this I immediately gasped and jumped right off that rock, needless to say I didn't stand on it again!

We trekked back to the beginning of the trail and descended the 250 stairs that take you to Boti Falls.

	Boti Falls is a 30m high waterfall within the Boti Forest Reserve about 30 minutes east of Koforidua. A small hike down some stone steps takes you to the waterfall with a pool at the base, which is safe for swimming. Guided walks of the forest and some caves can be arranged. Boti falls is actually made up of two waterfalls. According to the local people the big one is the male and the smaller one, a female. When the two merge, it is said that they are mating. The merging forms a rainbow. Within the vicinity of the falls are summer huts and other visitor facilities. Our timing couldn't have been any more perfect. As we reached the entrance coming back from Umbrella Rock a big huge crowd of people were just on there way up and running into them on the steap climb would have made the trek a lot harder. Also on the way back up from the 250 stairs/Boti Falls it started pouring rain! Thankfully at this time we were under shelter and just waiting for out tro tro to pick us up.

Watch your step!

So my worst nightmare came true...I fell into a gutter!! Ok, that's a bit of a overstatement but falling in the gutter was one of the things that I was paranoid of happening and I'm so clumsy that I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later...I was just hoping it was later, or never for that matter!

I guess there were two things that caused this event, 1) it was dark out and 2) I was too busy talking and not paying attention to where I was walking! I went out for night stroll with one of the mentors and on our way back to they YMCA we went on a "short cut" which resulted in my right foot in the gutter! Daniel was soooo apologetic and felt so bad....I just felt totally embarrassed!!! On the bright side I'm glad it was dark out and no one saw me make a fool of myself. I'm also glad that this particular gutter was relatively "clean" compared to some of them! There was only a few inches of gutter sludge instead of it being knee deep, so that I'm grateful for! I have a few cuts here and there and my jeans got dirty to say the least!.. Hopefully no fungus starts to grow from the nasty sewer water but other than that, I’m ok!! oh and a slightly bruised ego of course! But I came home and washed up in Steph and Kelly’s room and we had a good laugh which made me feel slightly better!!

On a brighter note, Sunday turned out to be a great day! It started off not so good but the evening was a blast! Of course there was worship in the morning but we snuck into the YMCA office and did some work/used the internet! The we went out for an early lunch and by the time we got back worship was finished but then there was a bus load of people that pulled in about half an hour later, not sure what it was about exactly but they didn’t stay long, thank god! Freddy (our amazing dance/drum instructor) came around 3:30ish with a few of the Mentors, Teddy and Eunice, who were equipped with stereo and drums for lessons! It was so amazing! Drumming is the best and I can actually hold the rhythm (probably thanks to countless hours playing rock band drums!) After drum lessons Jenna and I learned the rest of the dance moves to the dance we had started a few weeks ago. A great weekend is one in which you dance Friday, Saturday AND Sunday, which has been the case for the past 2 weekends!! I have pleanty of pics to upload but I’m so afraid to put my new memory card into my computer so it’ll have to wait unfortunately. 

Hope everyone is getting to the Christmas spirit! I'm not so much, at all actually. It's hard to remember that it's Christmas season when it's so hot hot out...which, I think I'm totally fine with!

YCI and YMCA Mentors after our last workshop

Bead Market in Koforidua

 

Tech Problems

I did have an awesome blog saved on my computer but unfortunately a virus has taken over all things technology in my live right now. My usb stick must have got infected with the virus at the internet cafe and since then everything external that I've plugged into my computer has also got the virus. I had to leave my computer with our tech guy in Accra...between the 5 of us we've certainly given him a lot of business over the course of 6 weeks! We had 2 cameras that needed to be fixed and my computer.

The blog I did have planned was about the wedding we attended not last weekend but the weekend before. While working with the Rotaract Club we met an amazing girl, her name is Mensima and she invited us to her friends wedding the weekend before the event! In Canada this would be a BIG no no of course but here it's just expected that guests will invite their friends and family. Mensima was the Maid of Honour so we didn't get to spend much time with her but we did however get to spend the afternoon with our wonderful tailor, Sammy (whom Mensima had introduced us to!). Here our our wonderful outfits

It's not often you get to pose with your tailor!

I took so many other great pictures that day but unfortunately I can't access them right. Hopefully I will have my computer and picture back next week and I will be able to upload some more photos.

On another note, we have successfully made it to Koforidua and we are looking forward to starting our work here. We will be working with youth mentors from the YMCA, it should be a nice change to work with people our own age. On an even better note, we have a cooking lady here and the food she has been making us over the past few days has just been absolutely amazing! We're definitely over eating but it's sooooo good! Yesterday she made us Red Red which is friend plantains with beans and fish (or chicken) then today she made us some amazing groundnut soup with rice balls. We've tried both of these dishes on various occasions at restaurants in Takoradi but there's something about a home made dish that makes it just that much more delicious!

Well, stay tuned for more pictures and updates from Koforidua!

xox