Ghana: Mole National Park

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Edition 11: Spring 2000 In the north of Ghana lies a wilderness seemingly untouched by civilisation. Difficult to reach, it has a charm and beauty which is infectious. Alan Graham visits Mole National Park. In the north of Ghana lies a wilderness seemingly untouched by civilisation. Difficult to reach, it has a charm and beauty which is infectious. Alan Graham visits Mole National Park. When thinking of Mole National Park, I suppose the question is not what sort of place is it, but rather, what sort of person are you? For, as any traveller who has already set foot in Africa will know, this huge continent is remarkably diverse, and there is always a special place for everyone, somewhere just around that next bend. Mole is one such place. It's not particularly pretty, but it is isolated. No wide open plains-tall grass and close trees dominate the landscape. Strange creatures roam about, unlike those usually associated with African imagery. It's bold but unpretentious, a place where one can truly experience the fragrance of timelessness. Yes, this is Mole. Unique it certainly is, first considered a haven in the 1930s by European hunters. A few dormitory-style chalets were constructed during the '50s in a flat area covering just a few acres on the edge of an imposing ridge. To this day it is relatively unchanged. Perhaps a little cold and uninviting, those rubble stone and concrete constructions, with only the merest hint of welcome-yet strangely appealing to the weary wanderer. Rudimentary living quarters, indeed, synonymous with rough and ready hunting parties of decades past. You get a hard bed and a cold shower, you get tough times and small mercies-but you do get a view. And what a view! This is why you came to Mole! Of all the wondrous places in Africa, few can equal the sheer simplicity of Mole, perched there, high up on a ridge overlooking the surrounding wooded savannah. It is not that there are more animals than elsewhere, nor that there is a wider variety. No, Mole Game Reserve is no more abundant, but what it does have is a certain magic, an atmosphere of bygone days untainted by tourism and the effects of commerce. This place will whisk you back 50 years in an instant. A stunning panorama awaits you. And, in places, a wicked drop to the savannah floor. As if carved out of the hillside just for us, the ridge extends in a crescent from southeast to southwest; in all about a quarter of a mile. Just long enough for a leisurely stroll in the cool of sunrise, or at mid-afternoon as you dash from one shady tree to the next with a pair of binoculars in one hand and a cold drink in the other. One hundred feet down to a waterhole below, crocodiles cruise, antelope graze, elephant bathe and monkeys play. Then, without fail, at dusk a glorious sunset will drop into the infinity of beyond and awaken humble thoughts, as "African lights" are lit on your verandah to welcome the blackness ahead. Early morning, shall we say 6 o'clock, and your chance to investigate. Some may prefer the 4x4 vehicle, a short safari into the savannah to view the endangered western kob, the beautifully-painted bushbuck, or the roving herds of waterbuck. Easily seen because of their apparent disregard for motorised vehicles, the kob will descend with you to the plains, having spent the night up on the ridge in small herds, just a few hundred yards from your room. There is, however, a more awesome way to experience the African wilderness: on foot. Booked the day before, a guide will lead you down into the plain. Take a two litre water supply, full length clothing and good boots. Dawn is most comfortable in the cool of a waking breeze; whereas evening, which may yield more wildlife encounters, is sticky and sweaty and mosquitoes are more prevalent. Your choice! The waterhole has been dammed, as have many rivers, to capture precious water during the dry season. Small river tributaries trickle in from all sides and make trekking hazardous close to the waterhole. However, an old log or thick branch will be gathered up in no time by your guide and the stream will be bridged for your safety and comfort. Birdlife is powerfully present. The golden oriole's flute will penetrate your dream at dawn and the Abyssinian roller, darting to catch an insect, will stimulate your visual senses with graceful aerobatics. Down in the plains a variety of kingfishers prey in silence, ibis, egrets and stork perch precariously in tree tops and flocks of bee-eaters dig nests in salt banks bulldozed by elephants. You must not miss a visit to the smaller waterhole, a mile to the south and just in view from the ridge. Here you will surely encounter bathing elephant (January/February) and an approach to within a few metres, on foot, will take your breath away. The giant monitor lizard is also present, its young often seen creeping within the overhanging branches to the surprise of sleeping night herons. There are no herds of buffalo and no big cats, so danger is unlikely to come your way. The leopard and the lion, now practically poached to extinction, hunt only at night. You may, however, encounter a large number of tsetse flies down on the plain. They don't bring a straw to lunch, they bring a pair of pliers. They also wear gas masks and so don't care what you smell like. Carry some netting and drape it over your hat and over your shoulders if you are unaccustomed to such things. They are a nuisance but nothing more. Above all, don't seek shade, stay in the sunshine where you will avoid all carnivorous insects; wear light-coloured, baggy clothing, which also helps to keep you cooler. A long haul by vehicle will take you into the interior of the reserve. This is a trip for the adventurous. You can stay a night in the interior at a number of camps especially adapted for visitors, though amenities are non-existent. These camps were designed primarily to secure the sanctuary of species within the reserve. Poaching and raiding of park resources has long been a battle for wardens, and it is only with continued financial support from visitors that their efforts may succeed. Caves too abound the ridges to the north of the park. Only accessible in the dry season, the journey is arduous but worth it if you are so inclined. Many species of duiker may be spotted if you're lucky. The smallest of antelope, no larger than a dog, they will usually be seen diving (from which the German word 'duiker' was given) for cover. Also in the interior you may come across hartebeest, or even the very rare roan antelope-the tallest and most magnificent of ungulates in these parts. The timid white-thighed colobus monkey may greet you with a call of alarm, then disappear before your camera has reached the chin. But you must realise that wildlife in the interior, so far removed from human intervention, is fearful and elusive. Poachers are the only humans these creatures are likely to see, so they quickly disperse at the slightest scent of our approach. At midday, after a gruelling three-hour foot safari, relax at the pool, or take a walk around the rustic grounds and meet the relatives. Every noon, a troop of baboons passes through on its way to the waterhole below. Though dangerous if threatened, this troop is accustomed to humans and will often walk down the verandahs in front of the rooms. If you stay still they may walk right up to you. Keep your eyes open for a young patas monkey within the troop: he was orphaned and then adopted by the baboons-now there's primates for you! Around five in the afternoon, troops rise up to the ridge because, it is considered, they feel security in proximity with humans and sense protection from predators. Green monkeys (vervets) will spend a moment at sunset, foraging along the ridge, careful to avoid close contact with humans but unafraid of observation. By nightfall there is little to do but relax. In Mole there's no piped music, no native entertainment, no raucous shouts-no point! Just the absolute sound of Africa, the glorious hum of forever. There will be few travellers around, perhaps a dozen at peak season; but stories there are, especially of an evening. A government official, visiting one December, told us a curious tale of Mole's past: During the 1930s and '40s, local inhabitants were issued rifles in a vain attempt at eradicating the tsetse fly. It was thought that by killing the herds of wild animals, their livestock would be freed from the serious infestation. Rifles had the name of the animal which was allowed to be shot by that person engraved on the butt. Today, wardens at Mole still carry a number of those rifles, the engravings still visible. Now no longer used to kill animals, the rifles instead are used to protect them-from poachers. What is it about Mole that has us return time and again? More than likely, it's the very fact that we are so isolated from tourism there, so real is the adventure, the rustic charm, the laid-back lazy way of life. More than likely, it is the kind of people we are rather than the kind of place it is. If you want to get lost for a while, then Mole is the natural choice. But hurry-development is never far away. Mole factfile Mole is pronounced "molay". Access: Roads are terrible. Stop off in Kumasi to break the 12-hour journey from Accra. Small aircraft can land at a nearby airstrip-a charter service now flies with some local tour operators. Entry: A nominal fee is required at the entrance to the Park. Accommodation: Lodging is cheap, on average US$12 per person per night. One ceiling fan and window netting. Multiple beds mean a large party can take one room. Some newer, detached chalets have air-conditioning, though this is not always working. Camping is acceptable and much cheaper. There is a swimming pool. The water supply is pumped up from the waterhole, but NOT FOR DRINKING, only for bathing. A diesel pump throbs all day. There are flushing toilets and baths, with cold water only. Sewage flows in open drains in places, though this is soon to be fixed, apparently. Services: There is a hospital one mile from the Motel, and a newly-installed telephone at the reception desk. The service is ever-so-slow and often lacking a smile. This is customary and no offence should be taken. Food in the restaurant is low standard and bizarre, but simple things like scrambled eggs can be prepared. Delicacies range from chilli fish to stewed guinea fowl. Local cuisine like foufou or kenkey is available. The electricity supply has been a generator, on for four hours in the morning and in the evening. Thus, beer is always luke warm. By the time this article goes to print, however, the national grid may have arrived. When to Visit: Temperatures up to 40oC all year round; humidity very high in the south and very fine dust in the dry season. It rains heavily from April to October, with intermittent downpours in July. Best to visit between November and February, but the atmosphere is heavy with Harmattan winds and bush-burning that a haze blankets all until the rains come. March is to be avoided as temperatures soar. Wildlife and conservation film-maker Alan Graham has spent three years working in Ghana. Published in Travel Africa Edition Eleven: Spring 2000 Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)

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