Ghana Tastes: Day 51: Akosombo Dam at Lake Volta

Akosombo: After a very soothing and restful night spent at Afrikiko Lodge, we got up the next day to take a tour of the dam. We had wanted to take a boat ride, but no one else from the Lodge wanted to share the expense with us. As the boatman wanted what was equivalent to $60 USD for a one hour tour, so we took a pass in favor of the dam tour.

We reported to the Public Relations Office up the road and paid about forty Ghana cedi (about 12 USD) to see the top of the dam. Again, stunning views from a most impressive dam that supplies 60% of the power in Ghana and supplies Burkina Faso and Togo as well. Our guide was finishing up her year of national service that all Ghanaian university students are obliged to provide. She was very knowledgeable about the depth of the water, the structure, and the overall process of power generation. She told us that since the dam was built in 1962, the population of Ghana increased from 5 million to 25 million and that their power needs have outstripped their supply.

After the dam tour, we headed south to the Shai Resource Reserve where we paid 77 Ghana cedi for a three hour tour. We explored the Dupi Rock, a large outcrop where female puberty rites used to be performed. Then we climbed to the top of the cave where the Shai Chief used to live and checked out the batcave adjacent to his dwelling place. Not too many animals to see this time of year but we did manage to see some birds and one antelope. Ishmael, our guide, told us the folktale of how the lion began chasing the antelope. We plan to post the story on YouTube.