The Fat Kid Diaries: Week 58. Fan Milk and Chilli Yam Fries. Not the most massively eventful week of the Fat Kids expedition to date; struggled with some mental and physical lethargy, heavy legs and a little too much its all about the bike type focus on just covering the miles to get to Accra. This urgency brought on mostly by the motivation of a proper bed for a few days, and a concern about securing a Sierra Leone visa before the arrival of a few guests later in the week - so not all negative! On a very positive note however, two unbelievable new Fat Kid snacks have been discovered...Fam Milk (basically ice cream sachets) and Yam French Fries with chilli sauce - both cheap, plentiful and new staples...just cant believe it took so long to discover them. Ending: Sat 09 Aug 2014 Starting point: Wa, Ghana Ending point: Accra, Ghana Approx. Kms covered: 680km Some selected highlights: 1. Once again meeting some very cool and interesting people en route - an Italian American studying Ashanti culture and history, a generous Danish Zimbo engineer with a penchant for fine Spanish wine, 2 very entrepreneurial Ghanaian ladies going big places; among many others. 2. Cooler temperatures...and the rain kept mostly away...during the day at least! 3. Some truly incredible scenery - especially the Volta Lake region of Eastern Ghana, and cycling along the base of the mountains there...I will definitely be back to visit the lake itself one day. 4. Outside of the major centers, mostly quiet good roads, and some great rolling hills to keep the legs honest. 5. The ease of (almost) everything of being in an English speaking country...one realises and remembers just how mentally exhausting it is when every communication, even asking the most simple things, takes an age. 6. Discovering Fam Milk and Yam Fries - compliment my Racefood perfectly to keep the snacking well balanced! 7. Exploring Kumasi...a truly full on experience! Some challenges: 1. Dealing with the after effects of the pre-mentioned Danish Zimbos heavy handed wine pouring. 2. Continuous nights of very wet camping. 3. Battling various aches, pains and lethargy - a meeting is needed with myself to toughen up a bit. 4. Almost continuous headwinds for the entire week...negating many of the positive weather changes. 5. Cycling in and our of Kumasi, and into Accra - death defying when the traffic is actually moving. Big African city cycling not good for the Fat Kids blood pressure! African #HumanSpirit moment of the week: 1. The passion the people of Ghana seem to have for life - nothing seems impossible, and smiles abound...really another example of Africa at its best. Particular thanks to (as always, in no particular order, and apologies for the inevitable omissions): 1. John in Wa for the friendship, and his and his colleague Franks generosity and kindness. 2. Once again another week in which I was never turned down for a place to pitch my tent - thank you to the people of Ghana for continuing where your African brothers and sisters of the last 35 countries left off. 3. Gerald on his motorcycle for seeing my obvious confusion and bewilderment on the side of the road, and offering to guide me into Accra through the rush hour traffic. Something random I learnt (aka a FFF or Fascinating FatKid Fact): 1. Ashanti is the largest tribe in Ghana - and Kumasi the capital of the Ashanti region of central Ghana. What I will try never take for granted again: 1. Shelter - here in the rainy season in West Africa youre reminded almost every day just how easy it is to take decent shelter and a roof over ones head for granted. Keep in touch: Website fatkidonabike Facebook facebook/afatkidonabike Twitter @RonRutland
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 07:40:00 +0000
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