Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to Ghana

Happy birthday to you

Ghana at 50. That’s the slogan plastered onto billboards, product advertisements, t-shirts, hats, posters and various and sundry other objects. Yes, of course, I bought a t-shirt.

The trip to Ghana was occasioned by my post-mate, Emily, having to take her LSAT’s. I merely took the invitation of traveling companion for the sake of visiting another country. Several other volunteers have been to Ghana and all recommended a visit.

After some difficulty in getting a visa for Ghana (I think the Ghanaian embassy staff here in Benin don’t want people visiting Ghana. But, no bad stories here, all is well.) and the usual (although unusual to most of you fortunately) problems in traveling around West Africa (The windshield of one of our taxis shattered for no apparent reason as nothing hit it. Our speculation is that it was too hot, but then we always think that.) we arrived in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Accra is much more like a large western city than Cotonou. There are tourist areas as well as shopping districts, mass transit, real supermarkets, movie theaters and the like. Most of the taxi drivers know where everything is (unlike here in Benin). And, best of all, everybody speaks English. OK, not everybody, but almost everybody. The vast majority of the population at least, enough to make it easily possible to get around with only English. Good thing too because not too many people speak French (former English colony don’t you know). The dominant local language I n the southern part of the country is Twe (twee), nothing like anything I’ve ever heard in Benin.

As Emily studied (diligent as always) I had two days to wander around Accra by myself. Getting lost, and eventually found, in strange places is my favorite past-time. I got lost trying to find the Peace Corps Ghana office but found it with the help of people at the Ghana Disaster Management Bureau, appropriately enough. They actually gave me a ride in one of their trucks. I got lost looking for a supermarket (I was told they sold Ben & Jerry’s, never found it though) and found, instead, an army base. With very friendly and helpful soldiers, a public mess open to the public with very good food and the trees on the surrounding streets filled (covered?) with bats. Not small insect eating bats. Large (4-5 ft. wingspan) noisy, fruit eating bats. I counted over three dozen trees with uncountable numbers of bats in each tree. They were also in trees in other places on the base I could not go to (for obvious reasons). Neither, unfortunately, could I take any photos because of the proximity of the military installation.

After Emily completed her test (she won’t know her score for some time, but I am certain she did very well) we went to a sushi restaurant for a congratulatory dinner. (Even if we could find sushi in Benin, I don’t know if anybody would trust eating there.) The next days were touristy stuff together.

First, to Kakum National Park and the canopy walkway. This is over 1000 ft. long and over 100 ft. high in places. It is divided into several sections, each one anchored around a large tree which serves as a viewing platform. There are said to be elephants and several types of monkey in the park. Unfortunately, they are not generally seen near the walkway due to the noise of visitors. (Although we were a small group of just five the animals didn’t alter their ways for us.) Although there were a number of birds in the area we could only catch glimpses of them as they flew due to the thick rainforest foliage. Along with the forest (ground level) hike (both guided) it was still well worth it.

Other trips were to Elmina and Cape Coast to see former colonial forts that have been restored. Tours included history of the forts and the area and were quite interesting usually. Also interesting were the (unguided) walks around the towns and market areas we took afterwards, especially the colorful (in many ways) seafood markets. These trips were sandwiched around a night at Onamabo Beach Resort. Very nice, air-conditioned (Weather in coastal Ghana is similar to that of Benin. Right now, dry and hot.) rooms and the ability to survive swimming in the ocean (unlike Benin). Also, very good food and although more expensive than going into town, not actually expensive. The lobster thermidor and seafood spaghetti were delicious.

Then it was back to Accra for one last night of good (Indian this time) food (yum) and meeting some Ghana volunteers (fun) before heading back to Cotonou. No exploding windshields at least but still not really fun with several hours in two different taxis and two border crossings to negotiate. But, all is well. Just waiting for the next adventure. We still can’t go to Timbuktu so maybe Togo. We’ll see.