What Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger?

So I have just returned from my little trip this weekend. Well, not just returned, I spent about an hour in the shower trying to scrub the dirt from my day in the rain forest off, and i think it is here to stay.
By last Wednesday, not a one of my near dozen classes I was sampling had started, so my roommate, two other girl friends and I headed out Thursday morning for a weekend of adventure up the coast. We decided not to waste another minute waiting for classes that just would not be happening, so we returned to Cape Coast, the place we had visited the previous week. We all had not felt satisfied with our day trip there, and wanted to spend more time in the area. Also, we had found out about this village on the boarder of the rainforest, about two hours from Cape Coast that welcomes a small number of tourist to stay in their village, learn about their lifestyles, and SLEEP IN A TREE IN THE RAINFOREST!!!
Let me preface the rest of this with the fact that I had an amazing time and would not really change anything, for the experience would have been very different. However, one lesson I have learned after the fact is that when traveling on a whim, you have to expect that things are not going to run smoothly, obviously because not much thought or planning had gone into the trip. So when we arrived at the bus station for our noon bus to Cape Coast, after arguing with several different taxi's to take us to the station for no more than 6 cedi, only to discover that we were at the wrong station, and the next bus from that location would not be until three. We realized that waiting just may be the trend this weekend. But let me tell you, ever since I have been here my threshold for patience has reached an all time high. (And yes parents you did hear me right, patience).
Three short hours after boarding the bus, we arrived in Cape Coast. Of course none of us knew where the hotel was or if there was any vacancies, but this is an adventure right. When is doubt take a taxi, but be careful, some people claim to be taxi drivers when they are far from. It appears we almost fell for such a scheme, but luckily some onlookers warned us not to go with the "taxi" driver that was very pushy. Don't be alarmed, we learned our lesson and now always look for a valid licence plate and such. When we arrived at our hotel, I must admit I was a little worried. Where the cab driver dropped us off was in the middle of just a regular neighborhood street, lined with vendors and stinky gutters, with the hotel perched up the hill a bit. If you are a five star traveler, hotel Sammos may not be for you. However, for four foriegn college with jut a few dollars to their names, it was perfect. Outside appearances are not everything, and this four story old structure was comfortable within. Another lesson learned, flattery can get you practically anywhere in Ghana. Example: We happened to arrive about the same time two other groups of four travelers did as well. Both other parties were very huffy with the manager, who claimed that he never took their reservations. As they were deep in argument, my friends and I were just chatting and laughing, and the next thing we know, he suddenly has the perfect room for us, which he claimed that was no longer available. Everything was smooth, minus the request of the manager for me to take him with me to America and make him my husband. The room was nicer than I thought it would be, it had a fan that was hanging by a thread from the ceiling and our own balcony, perfect for people watching and grooving to the music that was blasting at all hours of the day and night. We had to share a bathroom with the rest on the floor, but this is nothing new to any of us, I mean at least there was running water! And the grand total for our Oasis, was six dollars for two nights. I doubt you could find anything like that in the US.
The next day we spend exploring this relaxed beach town. I felt very much at home in Cape Coast, it reminded me a bit of home and it was such a nice break from the hustle and general dirtiness of Accra. I have now made it my mission to escape from Accra as often as possible! In the morning we ventured out to find a place to eat called Dynasty that we read about in the guide book, and we could not believe it once we found it. It was down the street from the hotel and it was literally a stand with a table to the side covered in lacy curtains, and a woman with one pan and stacks of eggs just waiting to be fried. We just found it so charming that this was listed as a restaurant in the guide book. Let me tell you though, those egg sandwiches were the best I have had yet! We showed the lady that her "restaurant" was in the guide book and her friends fell over with laughter. That may have been a little surreal for them. The rest of the weekend we found many more establishments like that, a Rastafarian vegetarian "restaurant" and a local "bookshop." Each time we would show the owners that they were in the book and they too were so pleased.
The beach in Cape Coast is beautiful, but the waves are very violent. My theory why no one can swim in there because of the dangerous waters is because of the slave castle that is perched above the shore. I believe that all the souls lost there haunt the beaches, and anyone who dare venture out into the water would be dragged off, much like those were decades ago. Okay, maybe this theory is a little out-landish, but it made me feel better knowing I could not go into the water like I would back in San Diego. We were totally content because we played for hours with little children on the beach, many of which were very freaked out by us, but none the less curious. I whipped out my soccer skills for the first time in a while, but those kids were just to fast. That evening we spent at a local hang out, complete with live reggae music and dancing into the wee hours on the beach. It was the perfect relaxing day that we all needed, especially for what was to come.
The next morning we got an early start, hoping to get to the village Mosamogor by early afternoon. After asking people on the streets how to get to the village, be hopped on a tro-tro that was heading to Kakum National Park, the place I had done the canopy walk before. When we arrived 45 minutes later, we were dropped off in front of the same entrance as the canopy walks, figuring we would have to take a taxi from this point. But no, no no no, we were at the complete wrong side of the park. Mosamogor was apparently two hours onto the east side, where no tro tro will take you. So taxi drivers were trying to convince us they would take us there for 80 dollars, which we just laughed in their faces, because most of us don't even have that in our possessions ever. We did not fall for it and were determined to find another way. Our only option was to take a tro tro all the way back to Cape Coast, catch another tro tro to the station on the other side, then take an hour taxi ride up to the village. However we were warned that the next tro tro may be hours. So after waiting on the side of the road for 5 minutes and gorging ourselves on bananas for we had no breakfast, I hear the engine of some beat up car coming our way, realizing this belonged to that of a tro tro, we jumped into the road, flagged it down and the next thing we knew we were heading back to Cape Coast. Then we caught another taxi to the Asain Kumasi station(spelled wrong for sure so do not quote me). When we got off we were literally swarmed by people and taxi drivers practically playing tug-of-war with us. Once we agreed on a low price with one, the whole crowed of people began cracking up. We could not understand why they were laughing at us until we saw the taxi we were to take. It was being held together by tape, with a windshield super glued so that the cracks will stay together, so old that it could hardly run. Yes, everyone was laughing because this was the taxi that was to take us to a village an hour away, on the worst windy dirt roads you could imagine.
Luckily we arrived in one piece. We were greeted by some of the villagers, welcoming us to their town. We had a couple hours to kill before we were to head out into the forest, so Stevo, as we were told to call him, took it upon himself to take us about town. We saw how they harvest the coaco and the palms they grew on their farms, sampling some of their goods. We met some town elders and children galore. The kids followed us everywhere, we felt like we had a posse. A few of them were scared of us though, and Elizabeth, a fourteen year old girl from the village, explained to us it is because they thought we were ghosts because of our white skin. It was quite an interesting interaction! Also, the town laughed as they watch us learn to pump water from the well. We were all a little worried about drinking the water, because we had been warned specifically not to, but we had no other choice. Oh, and guess what Melissa, we saw a monkey!! I got a picture just for you. We rested after we ate some food prepared for us by some local women. We needed that rest, for at three we departed into the rainforest.
It took us one hour to walk to the boarder of the rainforest, through all the farms and a another village, before we made it to the edge of the rainforest. Once there it took about another hour to hike to the tree where we would spend the night. Mind you these are four California girls hiking into the rainforest, in shorts and flip-flops, with a man with a gun and another with a machete, so the night could have taken us anywhere. Once we stepped into the rainforest, the change in environment was so dramatic. You could not see the sky because it was blocked by all the trees. I was tripping every other step over all the foliage and vines that grow wild. I have never seen so much green in my life. Also, I have never seen or heard so many bugs in my life, complete with massive spiders! Along the walk my legs felt very itchy. I simply figured that it was because I was wearing long pants for the first time in a while and I must be hot. But the itches got worse and I was in pain. Yeah, I was not just hot, there were ants in my pants, and I totally did the bogey dance. I am still covered in big red bumps from those little #%@^*%$! Finally we got to the tree platform, which consisted of a wooden platform 30 feet in the air, on which we were to sleep. We climbed the longest latter I have ever seen and curled into the fetal position at the top as it began to get dark. There were bugs everywhere and six of us were us on this SMALL platform in a tree in the rainforest. On top of everything, us four idiots forgot our mosquito nets, so we were fair game for every king of crawling thing. Needless to say, we did not sleep, but were kept awake by all the noises of the forest. We could hear all kinds of bugs, birds and monkeys (to bad it was pitch black so we could not see any of them.) The next morning we rose at dawn and headed out of the forest, kind of in once peace, and all of us had never been so happy to get back into a falling apart, broken down taxi. Don't get me wrong, the rainforest was an experience of a lifetime, and I enjoyed it all!!! I just wish I was a little more prepared is all. We wanted an adventure and we definitely got it! I will cherish that experience forever, reminding myself when things get tough, "I slept in the rainforestt, I can do this."
The adventure didn't end there. When we got back to the STC bus station in Cape Coast, after taking baths in the sink in the restroom, we discovered that all buses were booked full. We did not realize you had to book your ticket back on the same day you arrived. So while we thought we were going to be stranded another night and miss Monday classes, we heard across the way a tro tro driver yelling Accra Accra Accra!!!! Yes, we took a cramped tro tro all the way back to Accra, one of the biggest no no's from the study abroad center. But hey, we got back. So again, note to self: what does not kill you makes you stronger. Or at least exhausted!