DAY 7

            Our ride from Tarkwa to Gyapa was unbelievably fun for me. The road was broken. It verged between dirt and pavement with patches of pavement on the dirt sections and vice versa, along with the occasional car, tro tro, and truck that needed maneuvering around. You had to swerve to miss the potholes, it was all about finding the line. I am an addicted skier who could spend the whole day on the slopes skiing moguls and between trees, doing nothing but looking at lines as they quickly come to you.

            This day started out misty on a dirt road.  The feeling of cold was in my bones on this warm December day.  We put bandanas over our faces to prevent breathing in the dirt, generously kicked up from the mining tucks, not just to bike on, but seemingly, through as well.  The trucks’ loud horns and beaming headlights created obstacles for adrenaline as I watched the bumps and lines of the road appear like a game before me.  At one point, when the dust had settled in the day’s dampness, Frazer, Armando and I almost got run off the road by a big truck. I was following Frazer, Armando following me, all of us very close when the truck angled in such a way that it was apparent we needed to either stop moving, jump into the bush or under the truck. I lost my balance behind Frazer, suddenly stopping and Armando got an image of horror as my bike fell sideways and my back hit the side of the truck.  I remember seeing the tire roll behind me while the truck moved along my camel back as I was leaned against it. I used the momentum of my fall and the truck to jump forward into the clear. 

When we arrived in Gyapa, I was so excited about the terrain; this was a day that I wanted to keep biking. The road had been mostly through dense green forest with some hills that beckoned speed on the incline and decline. I led the ride for a good portion of this day.  The rest of the group had mixed feelings about the road and did not get the same thrill that I did.

Gyapa was a small town on hills.  As we rolled in and stopped for a quick snack I remember talking with some locals about the mining of the area, the Chinese illegal mining. We went up a hill for food and found the usual rice stand on the side of the road.  I left the group and went searching for shelter for the night.  Margarita was always stellar at finding us a place to stay.  Still, I figured I would search. I wandered into a church that had a football field and housing for workers. It was peaceful but not adequate because the minister was not around. After waiting for a long time, I left and asked the woman selling something in front of her store if we could stay at her place.  The excitement and fame of the cycling Obruni’s made it easy for her to accept my request. I walked back to the group to find that they had eaten, found shelter and watched some young kids create delicious food. The story goes something along the lines of… this little boy gathered the kids together and then started directing them: “you get this and you get that”. I came upon the kids jumping and screaming and running. Their energy and strength is something you could only find in little boys.  Meanwhile, my cohorts had found shelter from Joe.  The bond was over the fact that he has siblings studying in the U.S., and had invited us into his home.  He had two rooms for us to stay in and a wife that cooked delicious food for us.  She made us rice in the evening for dinner and red-red with fried plantains in the morning, upon Frazer’s request. We bathed in the local showers that we each had to pay 50 pesewas for, the outhouse being a few houses away. Each time we found shelter, we were encouraged to bathe, and I found it always crucial to know where I could go to the bathroom.

The most significant thing about this day was that it was December 24^th, Armando’s Birthday!  At a local bar, we drank a few beers and celebrated the way any good college student should enjoy a birthday. It was great! Especially, riding around town in the back of Joe’s moto-trike, leading the Oburoni Parade!

That night was hot! And the house was directly next to a place that sold beer and played music loud enough for a Jimmy Buffet concert. 4 am came way too early, but the breakfast beans were worth it.

By

Evelyn Masoner

The state of our team after the road from Tarkwa to Gyapa...one of the dirtiest days.

Morning beans and plantain to fuel the day ahead.