The Green Ranch – Horse trekking around beautiful Lake Bosumtwi with our wonderful host Abena on July 12, 2012
WORLD’S BEST WAY TO SPEND A MORNING
Life just doesn’t get any better than a horseback ride around a beautiful lake and through fascinating villages with your best friends six degrees north of the equator. Top that with an incredibly interesting host and a home cooked vegan lunch and you have absolute bliss!
LIVING THE DREAM
Some people are brave enough to manifest their dreams and in so doing, create sweet dreams for many others. Our host Abena (Twi for Tuesday-born) is a French woman who created paradise based on her love for horses and vegan food. Trekkers be advised that you can also get a room at The Green Ranch.
ABENA
Our host was delightful company and an accomplished conversationalist. Abena was happy to tell the story of how she got here and shared insights about Ghanaian culture.
THE TRAIL AROUND THE LAKE
We chose the two-hour ride which took us along the road and through several villages. We walked the horses right into the lake near several women and their young children and Abena had a playful exchange with them. There were friendly greetings all along the ride. We saw a man drying cocoa pods and another making a huge basket which Abena promised to buy when he was done.
BLISS
Bliss is sitting astride an animal in a beautiful place with good company. We posed for a photo with a giant Ceiba pentandra a.k.a. Kapok or Silk Cotton tree in the distance behind us. The Ceiba can reach 200 feet in height and the wood is well suited for making dugout canoes and coffins. The cotton is used to stuff life preservers and bedding.
PALAVA SAUCE, SWEET POTATO, COCO YAM AND AVOCADO
Our first taste of palava sauce which Abena made from fresh nkontomire (cocoyam leaves) tomatoes, onions, ginger, palm oil and agushie (dried melon seeds). Being a vegan, she left out the smoked fish, crabs and boiled cow hide. I do believe this is our favorite sauce so far. We’ve since ordered the palava at other vegetarian restaurants and have purchased agushie seeds so we can make our own. Now to find the cocoyam leaves…
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