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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jan 11, 2009 07:00 PM Departing Ghana...
It is time to say good-bye to this friendly country. This afternoon I am departing to Liberia. Since Cote d'Ivoire is not safe to travel and this is a long way I decided to take an award ticket for Kenya airways flight to Monrovia. It is hard to predict, how will be the situation in this civil war-destroyed country. I do not know about internet access... Just keep you fingers crossed, dear friends!
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Jan 10, 2009 07:00 PM On Volta River - Ghana
Coming back from Hohoe/Wli Waterfall area I decided to make a detour to Akosombo Dam on Volta River. Is is just 10 km off the main route.
The best view of the Dam, the artificial lake and the mountains is from the Volta Hotel located on the hill. The view was nice but hazy -you should come here in March to have a clear sky. Hotel is expensive - from 98 USD per room but the access to the terrace is free. On the weekend days you can jump on the cruise ship departing at. 10.30 am - returning 4 pm. They charge 30 cedi pp and the lunch is included.
River Volta at the bottom of the dam is picturesque and there are few hotels just on the bank. It is possible to hire a boat...
I had a problem to find onward transport to Accra in the afternoon - all passing minibuses were full. Tro-tro - as they call them are cheap - 2.50 cedi to Accra but packed up, so if you have long legs it is the challenge to travel in it.
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Jan 09, 2009 07:00 PM Highest waterfall of West Africa
You know that I am the waterfall fan. In Eastern Ghana there is Wli Fall - in the distance of 4 hours drive by holed roads from Accra. I decided to go there and to see it...
Public transport require in Africa a lot of patience. I was waiting more then 2 hours at Tudu bus station in Accra with other black passengers until the minibus will be full.
OK I paid 6,50 cedi to Hohoe and we started at 10 am. Many checkpoints on the road but the police do not control passports.
From Hohoe there is shared taxi to Wli - 14 km on the dusty, partlu gravel roads. Nice hilly landscape, baobabs. Then you pay 7 cedi entry fee and you can walk to the bottom of the fall. It is 2km - like 30 min walk.
Wli Fall has few drops - most of people see only the lower one - 60 m high. Very nice place and worth the effort.
I spent a night in Wli Lodge (24 cedi per clean chalet with bath) - this place has nice mountain view and is worth to recommend! Tiring but lovely day!
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Jan 08, 2009 07:00 PM I have the second visa!
Ghana introduced new money two years ago. One new cedi (the notes are quite dirty alredy :)) is worth 10000 old cedis and worth 1.23 USD.
It is confusing because the people still in their minds use the old currency units. So, they will tell you thet the papaya at the street vendor costs 4000. You have to convert it - it is 0.40 new cedi or 40 pesoes. Nine years ago when I was here for the first time I did not heat abous pesoes. Now I have to know that bottle of coke costs 40 pesoes, one banana 10 pesoes, the pineapple - 50 pesoes.
In the centre of Accra there is nice park with the mausoleum of well - known politician - Kwame Nkrumah. Can you imagine that they charge 6 cedis for the entry to the park? An it is forbidden to take the pictures through the fence...
I got my second visa! It will open my way to Sierra Leone!
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Jan 07, 2009 07:00 PM Ghana. Walking around Accra...
The capital of Ghana is spread wide so I have to walk quite a lot to reach my destinations. Taxis are plentiful but rather expensive if you want to use them privately.
The white means rich here so the taxi drivers always push the horn passing me... Almost non-stop. -Why this white in the blue jeans is walking in the heat and dust, he should take a taxi!
Well, in the morning I reported to the Liberian Embassy with a hope to receive promised visa. The lady iat the window said that I should give them also 2 photos (yesterday she forgot about that, because she was thinking only about the bribe). Thanks God I had a supply of photos with me, so it was not a problem.
The problem appeared because there was no authorised person to sign my visa. Wait again! His excellency arrived finally at 11.40. I got my Liberian visa! Hurrrah!
The High Commission of Sierra Leone (that's how they call the embassies of Commonwealth Countries) is 25 min walk away. It is quite different, friendly embassy - they collected 1 form, 2 photos, 80 USD, passport and promised visa to be ready in 24 hours (update your info, Kris...). I trust them!
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Jan 06, 2009 07:00 PM Another lesson of African corruption
I have been in Ghana 9 years ago. Accra changed a little. People are still nice ang speak English, they built also few high buildings. But now the reason to be here again is to get visas to the next countries on my trail.
Embassy of Liberia is located in the Airport Residential Area - I took tro-tro (cramped minibus) to get there - the ride costs only 0.30 cedi. Embassy is located in the litte and dirty house. At the beginning I went to next pivate villa thinking "this can't be the embassy!".
9.00 - no staff in the embassy. I was waiting in the shade. They arrived at 9.40.
The visa cost hefty 90 USD. But... You have to fill one form and... supply a letter to the embassy. Here is the trick. It must be typed! (I did not see any computer in this embassy) Where can I find the typewriter in the residential area??. -We can write it for you but you must pay. Show me how much money you have! OK. 10 USD extra. But we must send somebody with the papers far away! ??? Another 10 cedi will be OK...
Normally it takes 3-4 days, but since you have a birthday today the visa will be ready tomorrow!
Thanks God! That's Africa! Nothing new, I know from previous voyages that especially the West is well corrupted!
Thanks to all my friends who sent me their birthday wishes!
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Jan 05, 2009 07:00 PM Back to Africa!
The flight from Gdansk to Warsaw was on time. In Warsaw there was minus 20 deg Celsius at the sunrise when I started to Amsterdam. Why? I use in this voyage again raoynd - the world ticket offered by KLM and partners - that's the best solution... Flight from AMS to Accra Ghana took me 6.5 hours. They serve even wine and beer but their MD-11 is crampy and packed-up to the last seat. It was black on the plane - 90% of Passengers are Africans...
We landed at 8 pm in the dark. 28 deg. Celsius! Almost 50 deg difference in one day! Hot and humid... Bus to the junky terminal, a lot of waiting - they are nice but pretty well disorganized. Long waiting in front of the immigrations and then for the luggage. I was happy to get finally my backpack. Thanks God money change desk is in the baggage hall, they pay 1,20 new cedi for 1 USD. Plenty of private cars works as a taxis - they will cheat you - the ride to the center should not cost more then 10 cedis. Smell and noise of Africa. It is my 9th visit to the Black Continent, isn't it? We started driving in the darkness.
It was 9.40 pm when we arrived to the Calvary Methodist GH - it was full. I was lucky to find the room nearby - at the Holy Spirit Cath Catedral. They charge 25 cedi for clean single with shared bath and continental breakfast. It is good to know - they are not in the guidebooks! Uff! Shower! Welcome back to Africa!
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Jan 04, 2009 07:00 PM 8th time around the world - why not?
Is this possible to chart on the map eight route around the globe via new, unknown places that fascinates me? Yes, it is! Just now I am listening to the Nat King Cole's lovely song "Around the World" and I am packing again my old backpack. The new adventure starts tomorrow... It is hard to predict if I will be able to follow all this route marked on the map. Especially the first - African segment could be difficult, but I'll try anyway... The preparations and planing took me more then half a year. It will be more then 3 months on the road across 6 continents. Regarding the lenght of the route it will be probably the longest of my eight round-the world voyages.
I will be sorry to leave here my 2,5-m high christmas tree - it still stands in my sitting room. But all this exciting world is waiting for me and I am ready to go and put into effect my next drem. My friends, keep the fingers crossed, please...
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Oct 25, 2008 02:00 PM My book is launched!...
Finally I got the first package of my books. Just look at the picture... What do you think? Too many photograps? My idea was to use also the margins to expose photos in the big size.
It is interesting to me what will be the opinion of the readers...
For those of you who know Polish and want to have the book (30 chapters, 304 pages, full color) - you can order it from this page:
http://www.kontynenty.net/zamawiam.php
Enjoy!
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Oct 17, 2008 02:00 PM My book has been printed!
It was a huge work and took me few months. 304 pages, B5 size, more then 240 pictures. It is of course about my travels and the adventures during the 40 years of my traveling. Kilimanjaro and Everest trek, Sahara and Antarctica, remote islands of the Pacific and Grand Canyon. Sorry my friends - it is only in Polish but I do hope that you will enjoy the photos. Be tolerant please - I am the beginner author and the target was to print it at a minimal cost... They bind the book now and it will be for sale in November... Enjoy!
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