A journey, after all, neither begins in the instant we set out, nor ends when we have reached our door step once again. It starts much earlier and is really never over, because the film of memory continues running on inside of us long after we have come to a physical standstill. Indeed, there exists something like a contagion of travel, and the disease is essentially incurable. - Ryszard Kapuściński

15 October 2019, Busunu to Larabanga, 56.03km
Bulu Guest House 60GHC (R171)

Maps.Me last night declared the overall distance to Larabanga to be a manageable 40km. When we got to 30km, the total was shown as 45km. At the 40km mark, it read 55km total. So frustrating, especially in light of the intense heat and Charl not feeling well.
We stopped for an early lunch of chicken, rice and cabbage salad, on the outskirts of Damongo, a sizeable town. Here two children took a shine to Charl, the boy showing him a cut on his toe and showing off thereafter, the girl nestling between his legs and refusing to budge.
At a later softdrink stop at a small pharmacy manned by a “licensed seller of over the counter medicines”, we fell into conversation with the owner. He told us that the December election is, in fact, a referendum to decide whether the president should continue to appoint local officials or whether these should be elected. (We were amused to see a sign earlier in the day, an act of open revolt, that read: “No Light, No Vote”.) He also said he was operating in a small village because getting a license to operate in Damongo required the paying of bribes and “knowing someone”.
Our room in Larabanga is overpriced, but large and cool enough with two windows and a fan. We need to keep the curtains closed during the daylight hours to keep curious children from peering in at us, but can leave them open at night. The bathroom is shared, never my favourite. Why can fellow guests never complete the job of flushing their own poop away?
Our host, kind and helpful, flagged down a friend on a scooter and the two of them drove us to a local restaurant, opened just three months ago near the Mystic Stone, which we will visit tomorrow. They collected us again at 19:30, driving us home under an enormous yellow moon after we had enjoyed our dinner while watching the lightning flash in a storm away across the forested plain.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…