By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh.com |
Patrons who thronged Peki Adzokoe community on Thursday to go hiking the less-patronised or existing-but-undiscovered Mountain Peki-Adzokoe has expressed admiration and wondered why tours were not organised of the mountain for tourists to help open the community up to reap the full benefits of its tourist site.
The patrons, mostly people of Peki Traditional Area in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region went hiking the Peki Adzokoe Mountain as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Peki Yam Festival.
The climb to the mountain by residents of the various Peki communities including Avetile, Dzake, Tsame, Wudome, Blengo, Agbateh, Adzokoe among others coincided with UN World Tourism Day which is celebrated every September 27 to raise awareness on tourism’s actual and potential contribution to sustainable development.
The 1,510 ft Mt. Peki Adzokoe offered spectacular view of Peki communities and beyond from its summit which was accessed through a dense forest, plantations of palm trees and cocoyam, and about an hour’s climb, passing two levels of waterfalls along the way.
Intriguing traditional sites like ruins of buildings and fortifications used as defenses against warring tribes can also be seen at the wide-levelled summit.
Climbing and descending the mountain was a difficult task yet enjoyable and fulfilling. The path to the summit was slippery as rains fell in the forest every now and then forcing hikers to support themselves on a stick with the other hand on the ground for the most part of the journey.
Mt. Peki Adzokoe with its tourism potentials however, has not been well-developed to attract visitors just like the others, Mt. Adaklu, Gemi, Afadja and other tourist sites in the region which serve as tourist destinations to many and this, according to the people of Peki, needed to change.
Head of Avenui clan, Torgbui Amenu XIII in an interview with Voltaonlinegh earlier said the Peki area was replete with various tourist sites which remained unknown to the younger generation and those outside Peki.
He spoke of the Slave Cave at Dzake which used to be the resting place when Peki was the ancient 300-kilometre slave route linking the north and east Volta Region to the coast from Vakpo, and Wusuta in the era of the slave trade.
He mentioned other interesting places including a tunnel at Dzogbati, and caves at Peki Adzokoe.
Peki 2018 Yam Festival (Tedudu in Ewe) will be climaxed by a grand durbar of chiefs and people of Peki state with the Paramount Chief, Deiga Kwadzo Dei XII in state at Blengo.
To herald Saturday’s durbar, mini durbars were held on Friday in the various communities where farmers exhibited their yam tubers from their farms.
Traditional games like top spinning ‘tondoo fofo’ and palm frond bundle throwing known as ‘kpodada’ were also played in the streets by the local youth to mark the celebration.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
