Trouble in paradise

After we left Accra we made a beeline for the much reputed Green Turtle lodge. The GT lodge, located in the south west of Ghana, is a sedate environmentally friendly backpackers haven which is almost always full to the brim with young volunteers and intrepid travellers. The lodge is nestled in a paradise setting of palm and coconut trees and lies just inches from an untouched picturesque beach. It’s the kind of place where civilisation ceases to exist and days melt away into weeks as you breeze through your time on a diet of card games, body boarding, swimming and beach volley ball. All fueled by some very tasty food prepared by the lodge’s great staff. There’s no Internet there (you may have noticed), no phone reception (unless you go to the two magic bamboo sticks) and no mains electricity. All of this is very roughly connected to the rest of the world by a 10km rugged old dirt road.

When we arrived at the lodge we coincidentally arrived at the same time as three fellow travellers who we had briefly bumped into as we were leaving Ougadougou. Rich, Sach and Kru are back-packing through west Africa and have followed a route very similar to our own.

On one of our days in the lodge we decided that we were all pining for Internet, fan ice (the best ice-crean in Ghana), and some phone time too. Jeremy, Kru, Rich and myself went twos up on the bikes and rode out to Takoradi, the closest thing to civilization around these parts. We had a great day but on our way back a storm was brewing. The storm broke just as we passed Dixcove and hit the aforementioned dirt road. We were trying to go slowly but Jeremy and Kru came off as Jeremy tried to negotiate his way out of a slippery rut. Both the guys sustained minor skin injuries and both have received two bad knee injuries. Thankfully no bones are broken but both of the guys have been in a lot of pain ever since. Luckily Rich is a doctor and he promptly put the guys on a killer cocktail of antibiotics and pain killers.

For the last week the lads have been taking it easy waiting for the swelling to come down and their wounds to start healing. The latter has been tricky as a humid beach atmosphere isn’t very conducive to healing injuries. Yesterday we moved on from the lodge and Jeremy thinks he’ll be able to get back on the horse by tomorrow.We’ve finally created a Ghana gallery and added pictures from our adventures here thus far.

8 Comments

  1. Ouch, that does look painful. Hope you’ll recover quickly — performing some voodoo here to assist you!

  2. owww!! looks nasty! all this travelling looks like such hard work – sittin around on beautiful beaches, playing card games, eating ice cream and drinking beer – sounds terrible – bet you both wish you were back in Reading 馃槢

  3. Get Well Soon Jez

  4. Jeremy=Ride!

  5. wouw, looks heavy! Is bigger than you said.. take care, Jer 馃檪 bless you

  6. No Fun! That looks painful. I collect scars so this would add to my collection but for you… OUCH!

  7. actually,that was terrible,ooowwww how i wish you stayed indoors that very day. get well soon guys.

  8. “minor skin injuies”….. I resent that. That is completely understating the pain/agony of this event. I have nightmares where im riding my bike towards the Fanmilk guy and I wreck right before i get to him. You made no mention of the emptional trauama either.

    Please re-write this part of the blog.

    Thank you.

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