Entering Ghana was a smooth experience; the police were friendly, and no bribes were asked for. The change in scenery was quite drastic, with everything becoming much greener. One noticeable aspect was the presence of tuk-tuks and I learned later from our Ghanaian host that it’s called Tro-Tro in Ghana. We headed straight to the ATM at the border, which is unusual because Ghana does not use the West African Franc, known as the Cefa. The border crossing went smoothly, and we were able to withdraw money from the ATM. However, when it came to getting a SIM card, the first shop informed us that they couldn’t sell to foreigners, only to locals. Despite my best efforts, there was no chance to get one. The MTN service didn’t make sense to me, so we had to continue without a SIM card. We arrived late at night at Ankassa National Park. The staff allowed us to pitch our tent for 50 cedi, which is about 3 euros per person. We enjoyed some local food—fufu, fish, and rice balls with dried fish—before taking a cold shower coming from above.

We woke up at 5 AM to be ready and start our day before the first light to increase our chances of seeing animals. We walked 10 kilometres before visiting an 800-year-old tree and then another 600-year-old tree. We tried to find an elephant spoor but had no success. We hiked deep into the jungle for a total of 25 kilometres and returned half-exhausted. The tour costs 20 cedis per hour per person, and camping is 50 cedis per person. Everything is clearly shown on the price list, making the tours very transparent, which is quite unusual in West Africa.
no elephants were spotted and leopards are anyway very hard to spot, Samuel told us that people sometimes spend 4 weeks camping in the jungle just to spot leopards.. a little bit sad but happy that we moved our walking/hiking muscle again.

The highlight of the experience was when I got stuck in the mud with my cheap shoes, and Sandra jumped in to help me, only to get stuck as well.
We had a good guide Samuel. who doing National Service.
National Service in Ghana is a one-year compulsory program for all university graduates. After completing their studies, graduates are posted to various public or private institutions across the country, where they contribute their skills to national development. The scheme helps young people gain practical work experience while serving the country. Participants receive a small stipend, and the service is seen as a crucial step for graduates before entering the job market.,

We spent the rest of the day resting, washing, and cleaning our clothes. We took full advantage of being in a location that wasn’t overly touristy, free from constant questions like “Where are you from?”, “What is your mission?”, “Where are you going?”, “Give me money!”, or “Take me with you!” We were able to truly enjoy a calm time in nature.

We are now referred to as “Oburoni,” and the kids are once again asking for money, shouting, “White people, give us money!” I would say that the kids in Sierra Leone and Liberia were the most non-annoying kids in the whole journey till now. However, Morocco and Guinea Conakry still hold the title for the most bothersome kids.
we had a nice encounter yesterday evening when two children who we met brought us two coconuts while we were eating at a local restaurant. This kind of gesture makes me really happy, whether it’s from adults or kids. It shows that the person is genuinely interested in us as individuals, rather than just seeing us as wealthy white foreigners.

we started the day by meeting some park visitors from Germany. After that,we cycled around, continuing the mission of finding a SIM card since we entered Ghana yesterday. We’ve tried a few places, but the prices are outrageous—up to 25 times more because, as a foreigner, you can’t purchase a SIM card easily.
We took a short midday break and had some local food before continuing our search for a SIM card. At one point, someone offered me his SIM card for 100 Cedis. In the afternoon, we arrived at Paul Beach, which was okay. It’s listed on iOverlander as a place where you can pitch a tent as long as you eat at the restaurant. We spoke with Paul, the owner, and he seemed welcoming. After setting up our tent, we looked for a big fish—he wanted 200 cedis for it, while everyone else had said the highest they’d pay was 100 cedis. Anyway, we wanted a relaxed day, so we agreed without negotiations. Then, we sat down with some German overlanders. An hour later, Paul came back and said the fish was for someone else. He offered us another one, but it cost 350 cedis. It was frustrating because we hoped for a peaceful day without these money issues and negotiations issues but it’s West Africa. We told him we had 100 cedis and just wanted something to eat for that price. To compare, on the previous day, we had eaten the same dish with fish at Ankasa National Park for only 15 cedis. Despite these challenges, the food turned out to be really good, and we had a nice sleep that night.

Since our time in Liberia, I’ve noticed the shock and fear that children, in particular, exhibit when they see someone with a different skin color. Marrey Divvy and Glades sell bread on the side of the road where they live. We stopped to ask them about the price of the bread, but they dropped everything—the money and the bread—and ran away from me as if they had seen a ghost. I tried to comfort them, and their brother also came over to reassure them. We shared many jokes together, and it turned out that the name of the brother was Leon too, just like our German cyclist friend, Leon. I took a photo of them together.

The search for a SIM card stressed us out significantly due to the negotiations, heat, and noise, especially for Sandra. She wanted a moment to breathe, but the kids quickly surrounded her and started asking for money. I tried to get them to leave her alone for a bit, but it didn’t work. So, I had to play a game with them or take their photo to distract them, allowing her some peace while keeping them entertained with me.