We checked into a hotel in the town and went to find a TV in the village to watch the football. The only place with a DSTV reception was at the posh hotel a short walk up a hill and beside the river. The hotel was quite full but it sounded and looked like a construction site. The new Indian owners were busy making more rooms. We met Tim from London who was also watching the game and he was staying at a cheaper place next door to the hotel.
Tim is the CEO for a football academy set up by Craig Bellamy. Craig is a professional footballer and his foundation set up the academy in a village nearby and there is also one in Sierra Leone where Tim is based full time. I could have got a job teaching at the academy as he was short a teacher for his 50 young men between 14 and 18.
As we headed back to our hotel after the game there was a lot of thunder and lightning. As soon as we reached the hotel we had torrential rain. In no time our room was flooded and the power went off. I had found a millipede in our room when we first arrived and it must have sheltered there from the last downpour. Once the power came back on we realised the TV didn't work and some of the lights didn't go and when we discussed this with the receptionist/owner it turned into a major screaming match on her part. Eventually the 'real' owner arrived and John was able to talk to him about it although we were already in bed by the time he arrived. We haven't had as much trouble with accommodation as we have had in Ghana!
We later saw trees down about the town and the suspension bridge that was built by the British in 1957 was closed to traffic.
The next day we moved out and stayed at the lodge Tim was at and ended up staying two days more than we had planned because it was so lovely. The garden had lots of seating areas and little dining areas over the Volta River.
In the afternoons small groups of locals called into to have drink or eat beside the river.
Every morning the local fishermen would bring buckets of fresh water prawns to the restaurant. Behind the lodge restaurant were sheep, chickens, and ducks in small pens. The pond was full of small tilapia fish for the restaurant fish fingers.
There were several cocoa bean trees in the garden.
We took a taxi to see the dam at Akosombe but it became to complicated to fit in the taxi and his 'waiting fee' with the dam tour that wasn't happening for 90 minutes after we arrived. The Volta River dam is used to supply electricity and according to our guide book, it has created the largest man-made lake in the world.
Most of the guests at the lodge were young volunteers having a weekend away from their villages and aid projects. The week days were very quiet with only a couple of guests. Unfortunately we couldn't get an internet connection in the town, so we were not able to check emails and do some research.
