Butterfly Forest

Friday, December 3, 2010 PM

It was wonderful to be in the forest today, hearing the birds, the insects instead of the cacophony of beeping and blaring car horns, and loud voices and smelling the clean “green” smells, instead of car exhaust, dust and burning garbage. I was in heaven. I do have to say, though, that it was apparent I was still in Ghana, with its developing country mentality with its natural world. The guided tour was even focused on the ethnocentric attributes of the trees (apparently it is not the season for butterflies as they are further north now; they are here May-September, although we did see some), as in their medicinal properties (which I enjoyed) as well as how they are used in the lumber industry (i.e. house frames, tools, furniture) which turned me off somewhat, along with the fact the guide insisted on hacking off a piece of bark of each tree to show us. It was also interesting to note that some of the uses on the signs for the trees were a little antiquated, as in, from the time the reserve was first opened in the 40s or 50s: i.e. for carriage frames or horse-drawn carts. Apparently they have some 60 acres of reserve shared between research and lumber, which makes me think that their parks are more like the US parks rather than Camada’s; seen as resource allotment and use rather than for preservation or conservation. Too bad as Ghana is quickly losing what pristine wilderness it has at a break neck pace, only to be accelerated with the emphasis on increased agriculture and emphasis on exportation to boost the economy.

Besides just being in the peacefulness of the wilderness today, I have to say one of my favourite parts of the day was hearing the story told by our guide about one of the vines called Dalbergia Lactia. He prefaced it by saying that you when you have a crazy person, you can give them medicine. I asked for clarification on “crazy person”, really wondering is he was talking about mental illness or what. It turns out he was talking about someone who is highly agitated. You can apparently give them a sedative medicine which calms them down (cures them apparently) from this vine. BUT get this… if you don’t follow these specific instructions exactly, the person will die from the liquid drawn from the plant. Here are the instructions: you must come between 4:30-10pm, with 2 eggs and schnapps to offer as libation to the ancestors at the base of the vine. You then have to pray to them for the use of the liquid, draw the liquid and then walk away, WITHOUT looking back or else, here is the best part, the DWARVES will see you and make you lose your way and you will never be seen from again or you will end up poisoning the person. I forgot to ask Fei what he thought of this story, being a Christian and not believing in libation, but both Elisabeth and Appiah believed it completely as did a friend of Julianna’s I spoke to tonight!I then asked Julianna about her take on dwarves, which seem to be as part of the mythology of the people here as witches and witch doctors. She said that “seeing is believing” and that she has never seen a dwarf, so could not say she entirely believed in them, but she has heard many stories and accounts of people who have been taken by them who return to their village to become shamans or herbal doctors. Apparently the dwarves live in the deep woods and take children for 2-3 months, to teach them the ways of the herbs. One man, according to Julianna, who became his village shaman, accounted getting lost in the woods as a child, and then, hearing giggles, turned to see these small people whose language he could not understand. They crushed leaves and put the liquid in his ears and he then could understand everything they said and was able to learn from them. Wild or what?!

I stepped outside tonight to hang up my washed clothes (I wash every day the clothes I wear as they are full on red dust and sweat) and gazed at the stars. As happened last night, I could hear the shrieking of a pastor from the church down the road from the guest house (beyond the backyard and farm acreage). It wasn’t as dramatic tonight, but still made me shudder at its almost irrational fervor. Last night’s tirade was scary, in fact, like I was listening in on a cult gathering. It sounded like he was hitting something over and over to make a point and then jabbering and shouting I would imagine an exorcism would sound like. It reminded me of Bill Graham and the evangelical southern services I’ve seen glimpses of on television, healing people and slapping their foreheads so they faint and fall backward into the waiting arms of disciples. This, and the sound of families shouting at each other, (like the sounds wafting down the back alley in an Italian neighbourhood), and children being slapped and crying, are not sounds I will miss. At these times I find myself longing for the silence of the Canadian country-side or backwoods at night, especially the silence only winter can offer, a heavy, crisp, velvety silence. 

I will, however, miss the glowing smiles of the children, and the embracing warmth of the people, especially the women. I think I function somewhat better on “Ghanaian time” then the North American anal-retentive, “have it done by yesterday” mentality or the philosophy of arriving 10 minutes before a deadline as professional etiquette. 

BUT- I will NOT miss the ever-present focus on God and religion that clings to everything here. I know that I am only experiencing the Christian perspective here and will go home without the Islamic or “Fetish” experience, but, those, too, have the same pressure of conformity and suspended belief or faith that I don’t share or support. I do think that the formal religions have afforded positive progress to this culture of people in their ways of behaving and supporting one another and in their capability to function in today’s global village. During our hike today Fei and the guide were giving credit to God for the attributes of the trees and making nature the way it is,  and I found myself feeling cynical and rather judgmental, to be truthful. I think one has to be here to experience the sort of blind ignorance that seems to accompany this perspective that, to me, is so irksome.  Charles stopped by this morning (by 8:30 am I had had 4 visitors)  For such a solitary individual as myself, I think that the privacy and quiet of home will be a welcome change from this reality’s incessant flow of visitors from daybreak to bedtime (I had to send a group of 10 youngsters away tonight at 9pm after water and candy were doled out, they had given me some Twi lessons and I had pointed out some constellations and Jupiter). I have to eke out time for myself here to reflect and write and get rest. 

Oh yes, what was I saying about Charles? He stopped by today on his way back from getting water for his workers (building a barn, I think, for his animals. He is starting to raise animals for food to add to the three or four other responsibilities he has (he owns a business consulting company, a cement or brick-making company (or something like that), a roadwork company, and one other I can’t remember. Anyway, he asked me if I believed in God and I had to answer him with a tactful, careful answer. At first, when I said something like “not the way you do”, he began to preach to me, so I quickly began to explain myself (back-paddling basically) and made amends. Here is a guy who has lived in London,  England, has a place in Dallas Texas, has worked in government and now a prominent businessman, past rotary president etc… he talks in the same breath about how it is alright for men in Ghana to have a wife and a mistress and then about how you owe your life and good fortune to Jesus and God and that, they alone, an protect you from the devil ???  If any of these people knew my true beliefs about all this, I doubt I would be as welcomed and as appreciated as I am now. It is too bad, but this, too, shadows my experience somewhat and when I am asked if I will return to Ghana, as much as I think I would love to, for all the wonderful aspects and the way I can be positively involved, I feel like I am living a bit of a lie or at least an untruth while I'm here, almost pretending to be something I am not, which is uncomfortable at times, to say the least.

Enough ranting about religious “fanaticism”.  I am off to bed after a glass of Milo (I am in love with this cacao, B vitamin mixture I hope I can track down at home).

Achina (until tomorrow)

Link to latest pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/20101203?feat=directlink