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A client travelled on our 'Ghana - Picathartes' holiday and submitted this entry to our writing competition.
Picathartes by Chris Farman
Our tenth Naturetrek destination is the West African Republic of Ghana. Bordering Togo, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast it is a land of fascinating contrasts, from the southern coastal strip of lush equatorial rainforest to the vast savannah and dry forests of the north.
At Accra International Airport we are welcomed by Francis Ntakor, our guide for our journey. We are driven first to the Shai Hills Reserve and take a gentle walk to a peaceful lagoon to commence our bird list.
Day 2 we head for the Kakum National Park where we are to spend two nights at the Rainbow Lodge. En route for the Kakum we come to the Port of Tema with its massive oil containers. Wedged in by countless lorries we hit a traffic jam and crawl through the bustling streets. People are everywhere. The roads are flanked by shops - just everything you can buy from coffins to cookers, refrigerators, clothes, 3-piece suites, food - all out in the open. ‘What happens when there is a downpour?’ I ask Francis. ‘You just wait for the sun to come out,’ he explains. Finally we are out of the turmoil and on our way.
Next morning, before sunrise, Francis leads us to a track leading into Kalzun. It is so amazingly peaceful. We are remote and away from it all. The tranquillity is almost overwhelming. Then we become aware of sounds around us: shuffling, movement in the dense vegetation, twigs snapping. Then from the bushes or overhead, here and there, a twitter or two. Surprisingly and rapidly, as the sun starts to rise, more and more bird song like an orchestra tuning and warming up for a grand overture. It is wonderful and extraordinarily liberating. Francis’ eyes are everywhere - from the bushes just metres away right up to the tall branches reaching high up into the blue, blue sky.
In Ghana there are some 750 species of birds. Francis has one to go. When it stays long enough Francis will focus that bird in his scope for us to get a better look. We pass a smiling girl carrying a huge basket of cocoa beans on her head. Then a very young woman grappling with a small boy spread-eagled on the ground and kicking out. ‘He doesn’t want to go to school,’ Francis tells us. Little boys are the same the world over!
Over the next seven days or so we work our way down through the forests, staying at remote lodges each day, continuing to rise with the sun and be with nature. It is enchanting. The bird list of my husband, Bill, is growing spectacularly. We head for Cape Coast and on the road. We give a lift to (as it turns out) a mother and daughter who are walking between villages, selling shoes. The mother climbs into the vehicle and sits beside me. When our eyes meet she gives me a huge, dazzling, toothless smile. ‘What are those letters written on her arm?’ I ask Francis. ‘They spell the name of her village in case she gets lost,’ he says.
At Cape Coast we eat an enjoyable lunch at a raised restaurant with the waters of the Gulf of Guinea lapping at our feet. Then we tour the historic fort where we see the notorious Gate of No Return through which in the 17/1800’s slaves passed to their cruel and awful fate.
We are now heading north towards the Mole National Park and possibly, as far as bird life is concerned, the ultimate highlight - the nesting ground of the rare and secretive Yellow-headed Picathartes. We stop at a scenic village. As the walk to this very special bird is to be rugged ground and lengthy, I decide to stay in our vehicle and catch up with my book. Bill and Francis set off. Within minutes I am surrounded by the entire village - most of whom are fascinated by my handbag and its contents. Suddenly there is a tropical downpour and my newfound friends vanish completely only to re-appear when the rain stops. It is growing dark just as a triumphant Bill and Francis return. After waiting in silence for some three hours under a rock, just as darkness was falling, the wondrous Picathartes finally appeared.
Staying overnight in Kumasi we were watching the European Champions League final football match on television. Just as the game was getting exciting there was a sudden power cut. All round us in total darkness came loud and thunderous groans of despair. When, some minutes later, power was restored - great shouts of joy and happiness. Africans love football. Even in the most remote of villages, small boys will come up and tell you that David Beckham and Wayne Rooney are their idols!
In Mole National Park, Bill’s bird list continues to grow. We also see elephant and antelope.
Day 14: Return to Accra to take our return flight to London. We are sad to leave Ghana and its warm and friendly people. We are also sad to say farewell to Francis Ntakor. Like most of Naturetrek’s guides he has been an attentive, thoughtful, kind and unobtrusive companion on our memorable journey. He is certainly also an exceptional birdman. We shall think often of him and wish him well in the future. We also hope he gets to see his remaining target bird.
Read more about our 'Ghana - Picathartes' holiday.