A Million Minutes in Africa

We returned to the hills of Aburi after hearing about Ghana Bike Tours from our friends. We selected one of about a dozen possible rides. Each ride was charted for elevation changes, distance and time required. Our ride was 11.5 km long. It began with a steep downhill plunge – whee! Then we turned onto a singletrack trail, actually a footpath maintained by locals. We went over plenty of rocks and roots as well as a stream. Our guide pointed out some of the plants we passed – corn (called maize here), cassava and cocoa. We passed a few pedestrians who responded warmly to our greetings.

At one point we passed a field that had been burnt to the ground. In the middle of it was a dead vulture tied by its feet, hanging upside down from a post. Our guide said it was a warning to stay away from this place. Okay.

It was hot, hot, hot, and we dripped with sweat as we pedaled uphill. Our guide suggested we take a break at the top.

All in all, it was a nice ride. Next time we’ll go earlier in the morning though, to avoid the worst of the heat.

Here are some sights we saw on the way back from Aburi. First, a rustic gas station. That reddish-orange stuff in the glass container at the top of the post is gas. Perhaps the car in the background actually used some of that gas.

This big square thing is the storage tank for the gas.

Further down the road, we saw this political mural on the side of a building. It’s a picture of President Kufuor. Interesting motto.