Friday, December 12 – An Unexpected Encounter
Good day. Friday, December 12. I realized I had omitted an encounter from the day before, one that ended up shaping the direction of my day. After stopping at an ATM to withdraw some money using my wife’s card, I returned to find my car blocked in by someone trying to take a picture of it. This kind of interest isn’t entirely new, so it quickly turned into a conversation rather than a confrontation.
Ash, Yao, and the Treehouse BnB
The man introduced himself as Ash and asked if I knew a Dutchman named Yao—spelled Y-A-O. That didn’t ring any bells at first. Then he mentioned the Treehouse Bed and Breakfast, about an hour north of Accra. I’d heard of it before as a popular stop for overlanders, though I hadn’t planned on going there. Ash’s enthusiasm, however, made me reconsider.
Ash immediately called the owner, Joe, and soon I was speaking with him directly. After a short conversation, I committed to heading there later that same day.
Meeting Israel Wuresah at Vida e Café
Earlier that Friday morning, I had a scheduled meeting with Israel Wuresha who is an intern with www.bridgestodevelopment.org. Israel has taken on a new role called Wings, and I was really looking forward to meeting him, asking a few questions, and possibly making a recording.
We met at 10 o’clock at Vida e Café, a popular coffee spot in Accra and other locations. The meeting turned out to be a very worthwhile endeavor and gave me a much clearer understanding of what Bridges to Development is doing, especially in Ghana.
Visas, Dutch Travelers, and Ambitious Plans
After the meeting, I went to pick up my visa for the DRC and ran into the Dutch guys once again. They soon went on their merry way, entertaining the idea of traveling through Nigeria in a single day. Probably not realistic—but it’s a nice idea.
Heading North to the Treehouse
By around 3 o’clock, it was still a good time to leave the city. Traffic wasn’t too bad, but it still took over an hour to actually find the Treehouse BnB. In the end, it was a very good decision to go there.
There were several other overlanders staying at the Treehouse, and it’s always enjoyable to hear other perspectives on routes, plans, and travel experiences.
Overlanders and Shared Stories
One standout was a German couple who have been traveling for three and a half years. They work about 15 hours a week virtually and somehow make it all work. They’ve covered a large part of Eastern Europe, are now finishing up Africa, and are heading back to Germany.
There were others as well who may come up later, but overall it’s just fun to be in a place like that, surrounded by people on similar journeys.
Looking Ahead
Yao himself wasn’t there that day, as he was picking up his kids from boarding school where they stay during the week. I’ll be meeting him tomorrow.
Thanks for coming along. It’s a fascinating journey.
