Molè, Molè, Molè!

Molè (Mole-ay) National Park is in the top right corner of Ghana, and is the largest National Park in Ghana. It covers 4840km² and we decided to go mainly in the hope of seeing an elephant in the wild. Bit different for Kez, as she'd spent the last month volunteering in Malawi on an elephant project, but we were all happy to see whatever we could. Molè Motel was where we stayed, a few kilometres into the park, high on a ridge overlooking two watering holes. There are viewing platforms to watch the animals from a distance, but we'd heard that the best thing to do was go on an early morning walking safari, where we'd have the best chance of seeing wildlife up close.

Our guide was called James Labere, and had been a guide at Molè for 27 years. We were only allowed down onto the plains below (around the watering holes and into the forests) with an official guide who carried a gun just in case. Saying that, there was a crazy Japanese guy, who looked like he'd been roughing it round the world for a few years, that was just wandering around one afternoon by himself! Labere (guide) gave a group of about ten of us a small prep talk about taking water and not leaving rubbish, before we set off at about 6am.

The walk started with the descent to the National Park, down the steep ridge, and into the bush (no laughing boys). Labere was a really good guide, stopping and explaining things along the way, but had a habit of saying "Yes" in a kind of hum after everything he said. Like Yoda. Very funny. The first animal we clapped eyes on was a warthog that was burrowing in the ground, using its' tusks to dig. We stood and watched it for about 10 minutes, and at some points it looked straight at us, trying to figure us all out. Labere explained that they can be very dangerous, especially when they are close to their young.

We saw tonnes more animals, including kob and bush buck (from the antelope family), green monkeys, crocs in shallow lakes, eagles, vultures and elephant.... footprints and dung. Still no sign of the elusive giants. One of the bush bucks appeared out of nowhere right in front of us, where else, in a bush. We were only about a few metres away and stood there for a while, as he nonchalantly looked us over before sauntering off! Incredible! The walk was only about 9 cedis (four pounds - no pound sign on this keyboard), and took us about three hours over streams, through forests, across salt flats that were dried up lakes, and a couple of huge watering holes. We were shattered by the time we got back up to the ridge, and the sun was beginning to burn.

After a breakfast, which eventually all came, bar the beans, we saw a few buses of people arrive. It turns out that a huge group of Jehovah's Witnesses had booked the whole motel for that night for some kind of conference or something. We therefore organised an overnight hike with the rangers to a tree hide overlooking a watering hole. After a swift dip in the pool overlooking the watering holes, and getting some jollof rice [spicy] and beef we were all set. We even saw our first glimpse of an elephant from one of the viewing platforms - moving across a gap in the trees before having a swim in a watering holes. I couldn't spot him at first, thought he was a tree! Eye test needed.


Labere took us on the trip back out that afternoon and joining us were Olly and Maric, surfing brothers from down under. They'd been doing a trip along the Ghanaian coast before coming up to Molè. Bit awkward as I thought Maric was South African as I shook his hand and almost asked about being World Cup hosts! Strong handshake too, must improve on mine! We walked the 9km to Brugbani camp, which was pretty uneventful as we stuck to the dirt road the whole time. Saw plenty of signs of buffalo, elephants and hyenas - plenty of footprints and disturbed long grass - but it wasn't that interesting. The Tetse flies were incredibly annoying. Years ago they had spread the notorious sleeping sickness that had stopped explorers venturing down too far south in Africa. There is no cure for the virus, but luckily the ones in the park did not carry it. They just bit every bit of skin that was showing, quite painfully as well! Barney and Dree solved the problem by ripping a piece of grass up and using it as a swat.

Arriving at our hut just after dusk, and another GORGEOUS African sunset, we were disappointed to not find a tree hut, but a few concrete barrack-like buildings by the side of the road. Turns out that there'd been a mix up between some of the rangers and they thought we wanted to stay in the barracks. Labere was very apologetic, but nothing could be done about it now. He started a fire and we ate our rice while he regaled us with stories of other people he had taken to the camp we were at. One woman had been pestering him to take her on a midnight walk, against rules because of the nocturnal dangerous animals, but he relented and she screamed and turned back after a minute, after hearing a roar close by. Another story was about a fight between a warthog and a goat. Very funny way of telling stories. "Hmmm".

After a little while we headed for bed, as the ten km walk as well as the early start had really taken it out of us! Our 'bed' was a space on the concrete floor of one of the buildings. Hanging from the ceiling were dozens of bats (Labere called them vampire bats, but I think he was pulling our leg), and in the corners hid spiders and other creepies. Trying to put up a mozzie net was really difficult as there was nothing to tuck it into - i.e. a mattress - and so we had to use rocks from outside to hold it down. Was pretty ineffective as things wandered over me all night, and the whole night's sleep was a bit of a pain, literally, with the concrete giving no respite to our tired backs or hips! All part of the adventure though folks!