Paga

Today is Good Friday and a holiday here, so Dr. Hewitt graciously agreed to take Christy #1 and #2, and myself to Paga after rounds. We also took along Sister Kate, a nurse who is from a town near Paga.

Paga is a town, right on the Ghanian border with Burkina Faso. Why would someone travel there? To see the sacred crocodiles, of course!

The legend, according to my Bradt's Ghana guide, is that in 1670 an important chief died. His son, Paniogo, lost succession and was forced to flee. He was being chased, and when he got to Tampala, he was blocked by a raging river. He desparately asked a crocodile to help his party across the river, and in return they would never harm a crocodile. The crocodile beat his tale so hard that the water parted, and they were able to cross, but the water rolled back when those in pursuit tried to cross. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Then years later, the son of Paniogo, Naveh, fell into an aardvark hole, and the entrance collapsed. He was trapped for 2 days, but then a crocodile living in the hole found him and showed him an escape path. He reaffirmed his father's pledge, but when he made it back to his village, he realized they had killed crocodiles. Naveh decided he needed to find a new home, so he went to the crocodile pond, and declared it his new home. He was the first chief of Paga. It is said that no one in town has ever been hurt by a crocodile.

So you pay about $5, which pays for your access to the crocodile ponds, as well as the fowl that will be sacrificed to the crocodile, after you have your photo-op. They told us there are over 200 crocodiles in the pond, and that they go swimming with them. I'm not sure I believe that.

Sorry Dad, I believe you technically told me no crocodiles before I left. But you said it was ok, if you didn't know till AFTER I went. And I still have all my appendages! :-) I'm home safely! Therefore, I don't think I broke any rule.