Crocodile Rock

Wow! An entire month since I have written.  Many things have happened in the last month but today I will concentrate on a pretty cool outing I was able to do while here in Ghana.  

I TOUCHED A CROCODILE!!!

(this is me examining and really taking the time to feel his skin.  I wanted to feel him breathing but he was so still)

(I am clearly really enjoying this) 

That's right, a living, breathing crocodile.  This is, believe it or not, a very popular tourist attraction in the small town of Paga near the Burkina Faso border.  In fact, it seems everybody I know has been there and has the almost identical photos of themselves holding up the crocodile tail, then sitting (without ever putting your full weight down of course) on it.  

(notice his friend in the background - I kept wanting to touch him more but the guard quickly told me to absolutely not touch his legs.  I was feeling adventurous but not that much.) 

When I posted the picture above on my Facebook page the reaction was incredible.  In fact, I think its the photo that has gotten the most comments and likes in the history of my Facebook life.  Obviously, I am very aware of the apparent uniqueness of this experience but since every person I know here has done it the impact of it has slightly lessened.  Don't get me wrong the animal was incredible.  Its stillness was discomforting since you felt like at any moment he could jump and snap you up in his jaws.  Luckily, we had bought 4 chickens for them, there were two who came out of the pond, to eat.  

(Elizabeth is not so sure)

(Still not so sure)

My surprisingly relaxed approaching of the animal most probably happened because this fantastic and mysterious creature had been photographed by so many of my friends that this experience seemed to be the regular thing, the norm, the "well of course I sat on the crocodile doesn't everybody?".  

(Eating a live chicken so it does not eat us haha - but seriously he is eating a live chicken)

Isn't it incredible how life so far from what you lived only a few months ago has become the regular thing, the norm, the "well of course there was a cow walking against traffic in down town Tamale", "well of course there is a shop called God's signature, no erasers enterprise", "well of course there is a motorcycle driving on the sidewalk going in the opposite direction of traffic", "well of course the item that I ordered int he menu is not available", "well of course I can buy water, tomato paste, ice cream, instant coffee, powdered milk, clothing detergent or whisky in a sachet", "well of course I can buy phone cards, passport holders, knives or a snack without leaving my car while being stopped at a stop light".  All of these things are part of my everyday life now. 

 (My friend Christine who came with us) 

(Christine's husband Peter who came with us)

I will admit that there is always something new that surprises me or a new combination of the seemingly normal things that will make me smile and remember that I'm on this incredible adventure and I am forever amazed by the ability to adapt.  During a radio interview I was asked what has made an impression the most and my answer, at the time, was EVERYTHING.  The things that are just like home I notice because they are part of my previous "normal" and the things that are different from home because, well, they are different from home.  I am constantly telling myself "oh i need to remember this" and hopefully a lot of them I will but even as I sit here I am trying to recall all of them and its hard.  

What I can say is that on many many occasion during leisurely walks around Tamale I have felt proud of myself, perfectly content, in awe of the beauty of this place, the sounds of this place, the rhythm of this place, the colours of this place - and the crocodiles of course :)