Amedzofe

4 FEBRUARY 2023

It was wonderful to be able to sleep without AC or a fan. Here a cool breeze naturally modifies the temperatures. This morning, I ate omelette and bread with the family, prepared by Saskia, one of the daughters.

All the children had specific roles and responsibilities to do and their parents gently guided them so that these were completed in a timely way.

I went off for the day to explore the surroundings. First stop was the tourist office, overseen by an advisory council of villagers and managed by salaried staff through the day. You pay a cost for each activity which goes towards the salaries and upkeep of the sights.

With a guide, Daniel, I hiked through the local forest as he pointed out trees, shrubs and bird life of interest. We walked on a trail which had originally been made for the German colonial settlers who lived in this area during the early 1900’s. A Japanese NGO had funded a few years of development to support its renovation from 2017.

I then visited a nearby waterfall and canary walk - a private investment which has caused some controversy amongst the nearest villagers. Nevertheless, it was bringing in an income for them and was well maintained. I joined a group of female students from a neighbouring medical college who were here for a weekend day trip.

Close to the village is Mount Gemi, a dombed shaped hill which was easy to climb. At the top, I met Francis and Florence who had come to escape the funeral ceremonies at the village. Florence did the climb in red high heels - very impressive.