Three-time WT Adventurer Donovan Wong has been enamored by West Africa since his first journey to Mali in 2004, and was thrilled to expertise a brand new area of this nice continent with our Tribal Ghana, Togo, and Benin journey. Check out a few of his colourful and unbelievable images.
This journey was actually a journey by means of a land that also has to discover a foothold on the planet of mass tourism. We began in bustling Accra, Ghana and took a round loop heading west to the Cape Coast after which north to the distant elements of Ghana earlier than heading east to Togo and Benin. Whereas the landscapes and historic buildings had been spectacular, it’s the individuals interactions that shall be my lasting reminiscence from this journey. This picture was taken at a village described because the “castles of clay.” We had been greeted by the village elders in entrance of their house they usually loved seeing us strive on some hats!
This platform is 120 ft above the forest flooring and fairly a preferred attraction in Kakum Nationwide Park, Ghana. A number of of us on the tour had a contact of vertigo however all of us mustered up the braveness to sort out our fears and ensure we checked off this expertise within the itinerary. Credit score goes to our Journey Chief, Sena, for coming to the park early earlier than the varsity children arrived, as a result of they’re recognized to shake the bridges whereas operating throughout it and screaming frantically. Children shall be children!
The phrase “funeral” conjures up ideas of a somber second, however within the Ashanti tradition it’s a time of celebration. As soon as we had been accepted as company, it was doable to take images of the attendees. These younger girls had been ready for his or her flip within the ceremony as reward bearers to the chief, village elders, and relations to honor the deceased.
Through the Akwasidae Competition in Kumasi, Ghana, the Asantehene (Ashanti King) is seated on his throne awaiting the receiving line from his topics and native chiefs who’re there to bid him honor. It was an amazing spectacle with hours of pageantry and rhythmic drum beats from the native bands surrounding the courtyard. Whereas the king appears to be like stern on this picture, his face was filled with smiles on the finish of the ceremony when he began dancing together with his company earlier than returning to his palace.
The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ghana is on the way in which to Tamale within the North. In sure areas, monkeys are thought of as brothers and sisters to the village and subsequently handled as co-inhabitants and never pests.
On the way in which to the floating village of Ganvie, Benin, we got here throughout these younger males. I didn’t understand that Ganvie was the biggest stilt village in West Africa with a inhabitants of round 25,000! The village is barely accessible by boat. Whereas cruising alongside, the pair of boys joined us within the channel for a fast hiya and race!
To interrupt up one of many lengthy journey days, our Journey Chief, Sena, stopped at a small village market on our technique to Dassa, Ghana, to indicate us a number of the native wares to get a greater understanding of what daily life is like. The extent of curiosity was excessive on each side the place locals stopped what they had been doing to eye us whereas attempting to entice us to make a purchase order of their native dialect. Fortunately some features of signal language are common! Throughout our strolling tour, a reasonably shy woman approached me from a distance. With a pleasant gesture to my digicam and an affirmation nod that it was OK to take her picture, I used to be capable of seize this picture earlier than she skirted off out there labyrinth to promote her wares.
The Yoruba tribe in Benin schedules annual ceremonies in honor of the lifeless generally known as the Egun Masked Competition. The costumed figures are generally known as the Egun and every character represents a special side of the ancestor’s life. The id of the masked individuals is a fastidiously guarded secret and it’s thought of dangerous to have them contact you exterior of a blessing. This twirling particular person seemed to be below a trance.
Recent seafood was a delight on this tour throughout lunch and dinner, and each day the fishermen head out in pirogues (fishing boats) to usher in the every day catch. My favourite had been the langostines. When the boats return within the afternoon, they’re lined up for cleansing and upkeep till the following day.
For many who want to go to a singular place that has but to be tainted by the massive, impersonal bus excursions, I recommend you take into account this journey prior to later. Because the creator Anais Nin acknowledged, “we journey, a few of us without end, to hunt different locations, different lives, different souls.”
