First Impressions - Pumbaa or Vinnie Barbarino?

:: Posted on 14 Jan 09, but backdated to account for the chronology of our travels over the last three weeks ::

If you're not old enough to know Vinnie Barbarino, one of the "sweathogs" in Mr. Kotter's High School class of miscreants, don't rub it in. But it was John Travolta's breakout role if you want to know.

In any case, our first safari at Mole National Park was a bit rocky. We arrived at the information center at about 7:20 AM, having been told that safaris are at 7:00 and 3:30. We took that to mean "starting at 7:00" and "starting at 3:30". NOT so! In typically efficient Ghanaian style, they wait until all the tourists have arrived, then if there are not enough guides they call some more, and everyone waits until the additional guides arrive before anyone starts off. The explanation for this (the following day when we arrived at 6:50 and didn't leave until 8:00, the grumpy "process engineer" asked why the groups didn't just go out first come first served in the order in which they arrived at the information center) was that unless everyone goes at the same time some people get upset. Better that everyone gets upset I suppose.

OK, so where was I? Oh, right - we arrived at 7:20 on the first morning and everyone was gone. Our arrival threw everyone for a loop but after much discussion the senior guide rode along with us to the staff housing compound where we picked up an on-call guide. That was pretty efficient I suppose, going to him rather than waiting for him to come to us. He got in and directed us to continue driving straight through the compound on a dirt road that became trashier and trashier as we progressed. Finally he directed me to stop - so we could look at the warthogs in the staff garbage dump.

THAT was our introduction to Mole National Park, one of the treasures of Ghana. I wonder if they get special training to start a tour out like that. Our guide had been at it for 15 years, yet he still rested the butt of his shotgun in the floorboard with the barrel over his shoulder pointed at Pam's head. I would really love the opportunity to bust some process and customer service moves on this whole country.
Oh, oh, oh, oh! Pick me! Pick me!
XO