The happiness of the earth...

Time just flies by here. My last week here in Aduamoa has already begun. We spent the last weekend on a wonderful day. Ranch on Bosomtwe Lake. This lies within a meteorite crater. At just 1.07 million years old, it is one of the youngest crater lakes in the world.

This time almost all volunteers were on tour and the whole thing almost felt like a school trip. On the way to the ranch we had to change trains in Kumasi, so we took this opportunity and visited the largest market in West Africa. This is located in a former parking garage and extends over four floors. From fish to fruit and vegetables, shoes, cosmetics and fabrics, you can find everything here! It's quite a hustle and bustle and there's a lot of activity on the streets. Even taxis and trotros still squeeze through the crowds. The market is definitely impressive, but I ended up buying all the little things I purchased at two stalls next to our parking lot. Sometimes the best things are just around the corner.

After we were all a few souvenirs richer and Cedis poorer, we took the trotro to the ranch. I've often talked about the poor road conditions here, but this route was a new level. The term street is not worthy of the piles of dust and dirt. It went from one pothole to the next and with 20 minutes for 6 km we set a new slow record. But as is often the case, in the end the whole ordeal was worth it. The ranch is located directly on the lake and, with a few cabins and a huge terrace, is a really rare gem here. The whole area with lots of banana trees, fishermen on the lake and just a few isolated villages exudes a wonderfully calming atmosphere.

In addition to hiking, swimming in the lake and relaxing on the terrace, the biggest highlight was the horseback riding. Eight horses can call the ranch home. So on Saturday there was a short ride with the whole group and then another for me on Sunday at sunrise. Both times the horse Omega rode and despite the name I was allowed to lead the group. Despite the occasional snack interruptions, merchandise management quickly became a well-rehearsed team. She knew the way and I was able to fully enjoy the scenery. Above all, enjoying the beautiful sunrise on horseback made the morning the best in Ghana so far.

All in all, it was a great weekend and I was definitely able to recharge my batteries a bit. While we're dealing with the heat here, I hope it's not too uncomfortably cold for you.

Best wishes from Omega and me!

Veronica