So, Ghana made it through to the quarter finals, with much thanks to their goal keeper. If Kingston's not man of the match, then I'll eat my smock hat.
Australians colloquially call their country: "The Lucky Country." Frankly, the Blackstars ought to adopt this title for their country and call themselves the lucky team since they were dependent on others to make it to the next stage of the world cup. I hope someone learns how to kick a goal during play between now and the USA match.
Anyway, Ghanaians are incorrigible and it's been exciting, once again, to be here during a football tournament. 4 years ago the excitement was when Ghana beat the Czech Republic. Then there was the African Cup of Nations in Ghana, then in Angola...now the World Cup in South Africa. Either way, there is much "jubilating" when Ghana scores and advances through the competitions.
4 years ago I accidentally overstayed my visitor visa by a few days. I'd been so good at being on time up until then, but my date fell on a weekend and everything was football...I totally forgot. I remembered, however, on the morning of the day Ghana played Brazil. I decided that if I didn't face immigration before the game, I'd miss out on riding the high that had hit the whole country, and would quite likely face a depressed, grumpy office. I figured it was better to face the happy music, than the grumpy music.
Flag wrapped around my head, flags painted on cheeks, Ghana T-shirt on, I approached and handed over what would have caused some issues any other day. But, it was football. Hopes were high. The woman stopped eating her rice during lunch time, no less, and promised to help me renew...not a problem. I was grateful.
Ghana did not beat Brazil, as you may know. Moral of the story: If you have to take care of difficult business, do it before the world looks like coming down from its high.
I love this post 10 Unusual Ways to Wear a Ghana Flag. If you wonder how this crazy country looks when it celebrates and supports its team, check that post out. Love th Pres's wife and also the Trio.
Here's an excerpt:
"For those of you who are not president's wives, and have no hope of ever becoming one, I pity you. But do not despair. As long as you have a little bit of Reggae in you, you could still do the shawl thing like Kwesi Selassie here and look all pseudo-"conscious" doing it too. "
Ghana v Australia Sat 19 Jun
When I go to the market, I overhear the male traders talking about how appalling Australia is and how “Ghana will score them!” And I cannot disagree based on the last game each team played. Australia look liked they showed up for cricket. Or badminton. Or Aussie Rules. Not football. Ghana look like they showed up to put fear in the hearts of the best of the South Americans.
Today I’m a Gozzie: Ghana Ozzie. Either way, I can’t lose! But I’m kind of really going for Ghana, in case you couldn’t tell. Australia wins half of everything else they play on the world stage; they don’t need to win this as well. That’s my logic, anyway.
Where’s my popcorn?!
Kangaroo photo by André Gustavo and Blackstars supporters by manbeastextraordinaire.
Ghana Tour including Wa, Upper West Region
Continuing on the Ghana tour theme, this next tour of Ghana is what could be called “All Over Ghana to the Upper West: Wa and Hippos”. 14 Days minimum.
Where does this Ghana adventure lead?
Accra— Cape Coast (Central Region)—one of the beaches past Takoradi—Kumasi (Ashanti Region)—Techiman—Wa—Mole National Park—Tamale—Lake Volta Ferry to Akosombo—Akosombo back to Accra.
This is basically a circuit that can be traveled in either direction. But, travelers may want to start out easy by heading first to Cape Coast rather than the other way around, and that’s how we’ve outlined it here:
1. Depart Accra and head to Cape Coast, about 3 hours by public transport, depending on traffic. Enjoy Cape Coast for a couple of days. See Cape Coast Castle, take a tour of town, visit other historical monuments, travel to Elmina. Elmina is about 20 minutes from Cape Coast (15 kilometres), west. Visitors are divided about the Castle visits. My preference is Elmina, but Cape Coast Castle has an excellent exhibit.
2. Travel from Cape Coast to any of the beaches along the coast like Green Turtle or Axim for a day or two. This takes about 3-4 hours on public transport, depending on the traffic, in each direction.
3. Return to Cape and travel north to Kumasi—which is crazy so be prepared. However, there is a lot to see, particularly from an Ashanti history point of view. Visit the Cultural Centre and the museum. Perhaps visit the Kejetia Market in the centre of town for a truly shocking market experience.
4. From Kumasi travel to Techiman, 3 hours north, and stay at Operation Hand in Hand in Nkoranza for a day. It’s one of the most inspiring places in Ghana—an orphanage on sprawling, Eden-like grounds for mentally handicapped children who produce some of the most beautiful beaded products I’ve seen in Ghana. You can interact or just hang out.
5. From Techiman you can travel directly to Wa, which is the capital of the Upper West Region and the jumping off point to visit the Hippo Sanctuary. However, right now, during the rainy season, is not the best time to visit as hippos are hidden by vegetation and extremely hard to see. If you want to see them specifically, wait until October or later when everything dries out and they are more visible.
6. From Wa travel via bus to Mole National Park where you can spend a couple of days looking at elepehants, wart hogs, monkeys, baboons, and other animals and birds. I have read of a few people unable to see elephants at this time, but most report seeing them—as I also did during an August, rainy season visit—it was awesome.
7. Head to Tamale from Mole and then catch a tro to Makongo from where you can catch the Lake Volta Ferry all the way down the lake to Akosombo in the Eastern Region. This can take a day or two, depending on various issues like lake water levels and how many stops the captain makes.
8. Stay at Akosombo on the River Volta—Aylo’s Bay is my fave—and then head back to Accra, an hour away by trotro.
This tour of Ghana was based on one of the maps in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana. Our guide includes 15 maps showing routes all over Ghana for different themed tours. We outline the map in markers, with the stops noted, and the best order in which to travel. This is more or less the textual version of those tours.
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana.
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana travel guide here.
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
Where does this Ghana adventure lead?
Accra— Cape Coast (Central Region)—one of the beaches past Takoradi—Kumasi (Ashanti Region)—Techiman—Wa—Mole National Park—Tamale—Lake Volta Ferry to Akosombo—Akosombo back to Accra.
This is basically a circuit that can be traveled in either direction. But, travelers may want to start out easy by heading first to Cape Coast rather than the other way around, and that’s how we’ve outlined it here:
1. Depart Accra and head to Cape Coast, about 3 hours by public transport, depending on traffic. Enjoy Cape Coast for a couple of days. See Cape Coast Castle, take a tour of town, visit other historical monuments, travel to Elmina. Elmina is about 20 minutes from Cape Coast (15 kilometres), west. Visitors are divided about the Castle visits. My preference is Elmina, but Cape Coast Castle has an excellent exhibit.
2. Travel from Cape Coast to any of the beaches along the coast like Green Turtle or Axim for a day or two. This takes about 3-4 hours on public transport, depending on the traffic, in each direction.
3. Return to Cape and travel north to Kumasi—which is crazy so be prepared. However, there is a lot to see, particularly from an Ashanti history point of view. Visit the Cultural Centre and the museum. Perhaps visit the Kejetia Market in the centre of town for a truly shocking market experience.
4. From Kumasi travel to Techiman, 3 hours north, and stay at Operation Hand in Hand in Nkoranza for a day. It’s one of the most inspiring places in Ghana—an orphanage on sprawling, Eden-like grounds for mentally handicapped children who produce some of the most beautiful beaded products I’ve seen in Ghana. You can interact or just hang out.
5. From Techiman you can travel directly to Wa, which is the capital of the Upper West Region and the jumping off point to visit the Hippo Sanctuary. However, right now, during the rainy season, is not the best time to visit as hippos are hidden by vegetation and extremely hard to see. If you want to see them specifically, wait until October or later when everything dries out and they are more visible.
6. From Wa travel via bus to Mole National Park where you can spend a couple of days looking at elepehants, wart hogs, monkeys, baboons, and other animals and birds. I have read of a few people unable to see elephants at this time, but most report seeing them—as I also did during an August, rainy season visit—it was awesome.
7. Head to Tamale from Mole and then catch a tro to Makongo from where you can catch the Lake Volta Ferry all the way down the lake to Akosombo in the Eastern Region. This can take a day or two, depending on various issues like lake water levels and how many stops the captain makes.
8. Stay at Akosombo on the River Volta—Aylo’s Bay is my fave—and then head back to Accra, an hour away by trotro.
This tour of Ghana was based on one of the maps in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana. Our guide includes 15 maps showing routes all over Ghana for different themed tours. We outline the map in markers, with the stops noted, and the best order in which to travel. This is more or less the textual version of those tours.
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana.
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana travel guide here.
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
Spain v Switzerland & World Cup Ghana
I confess that I didn’t give much weight to Ghana before the first match, and boy was I proven wrong. And I gave a lot of weight to Australia—and boy was I proven wrong too. I don’t know if it’s overdosing on popcorn that fries your smart cells, but mine were seriously stupid before the World Cup began.
Then again, I bet that Spain, Brazil, Argentina or the USA will play in the final final. (I’m so confused about the use of the word “Final” in reference to these World Cup games). Obviously the first three don’t take too much smart cells to figure out, but the USA v England match proved my “dark horse” selection wasn’t so stupid. After their showing in South Africa last year, I couldn’t dismiss them. Come about 2018 they may be up there with the best of them.
I truly hope Ghana does not have to face the USA down the line in this tournament if they make it into the next round of finals—quarter finals? (So many bloody finals. Sorry for swearing.) Then again, I’d rather they face the USA than Spain. Ohh, I can’t wait for Spain’s match today. They are my favourites. It’s a Barcelona thing. I can’t wait to see if Spain faces off against Argentina. How are those Spanish Barcelona defenders going to handle Messi? With kid gloves you’d think…we’ll see if it comes to that.
And didn’t North Korea give a surprise performance against none other than Brazil? I mean, unknown quantity just put themselves on the beautiful game map. They may not have won, but they weren’t a walk over by any means.
While I love Africa and am overawed and moved by the support of all sections of South Africa for all the African teams, the Asian teams are looking good here in Africa. It’s not that surprising if you think back to the Korea/Japan tournament some years back. But I wasn’t expecting it in Africa.
As for Africa, I watched the Ivory Coast match yesterday and it really didn’t inspire, unfortunately. Don’t understand why Drogba was kept off until the last quarter. So far, Ghana is the only African team to have won their first group match. Let’s hope the second round of group matches brings more African victories.
“Come on Black Stars Ghana!”
Oh, and Saturday: Ghana v Australia. Sheesh. (For new readers, I’m Australian and I live in Ghana—in case you’ve been eating too much popcorn too.)
I need some more popcorn—but we ran out of gas. There is no gas in Bolgatanga at all. We’ve had to eat food that doesn’t need heating or buy cooked food from town for a few days. I actually collected firewood to light a fire to make popcorn. I think that makes me a popcorn junkie. And a bit of a football junkie too. But I don’t smoke or drink—except tea. So, hey, pass the popcorn would ya!
Image courtesy of Shine 2010 - 2010 World Cup good news.
Coastal Highlights Tour of Ghana
Minimum 9 days
Continuing on the Ghana tour theme (we did the All Over Ghana 21 day tour and 7 Day Essential Ghana tours already), this next tour of Ghana is what could be called “Coastal Highlights” of Ghana. If you want to feel the crunch of sand between your toes for 9 days, then this is the tour for you.
Basically, beaches, beaches, and more Ghana beaches. And some castles and culture too. Beach hopping. This is the tour that takes you west from Accra to Cape Coast, then past the best beaches in the Central and Western Regions, and then back to Accra again. You can mix and match this tour with any of the other Ghana tours mentioned, time permitting. But if you just want to chill on beaches, then this is it.
Where does this Ghana adventure lead?
Accra— Cape Coast (Central Region)—Elmina—Kosa/Brenu—Green Turtle/Busua/Butre—Axim—Nzulezo/Beyin—Accra
1. Drive west from Accra to Cape Coast which takes about 3 hours, depending on traffic.
2. Hang out in Cape Coast for a day and visit the Cape Coast Castle.
3. Head on to Elmina where you can visit Elmina Castle or tour around town, and then onto either Brenu Beach or Ko-sa Beach Resort, situated off the same junction, 20 minutes past Elmina.
4. From there, head on past Takoradi to Agona Junction, and then decide whether you want Green Turtle Beach Resort (eco), Busua Beach (variety of lodges including Alaska for backpackers and African Rainbow—classy) or Butre Beach (Ellis Hideout).
5. From here, head on to Axim Beach Hotel, in Axim. There you can laze on one of Ghana’s most beautiful beaches and enjoy the truly stunning atmosphere and perhaps walk into town and visit Fort San Antonio.
6. Head to Nzulezo Stilt Village, the village in the Amansuri wetlands, accessible only by canoe, about an hour from Axim. You can even stay at Beyin Beach Resort, a grass-roots eco-lodge right by Nzulezo stilt village.
7. If that’s too exhausting, just stay put at your favourite beach for a week!
This tour of Ghana was based on one of the maps in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana. Our guide includes 15 maps showing routes all over Ghana for different themed tours. We outline the map in markers, with the stops noted, and the best order in which to travel. This is more or less the textual version of those tours.
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana.
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana travel guide by clicking the buttons on the right.
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
Minimum 9 days
Continuing on the Ghana tour theme (we did the All Over Ghana 21 day tour and 7 Day Essential Ghana tours already), this next tour of Ghana is what could be called “Coastal Highlights” of Ghana. If you want to feel the crunch of sand between your toes for 9 days, then this is the tour for you.
Basically, beaches, beaches, and more Ghana beaches. And some castles and culture too. Beach hopping. This is the tour that takes you west from Accra to Cape Coast, then past the best beaches in the Central and Western Regions, and then back to Accra again. You can mix and match this tour with any of the other Ghana tours mentioned, time permitting. But if you just want to chill on beaches, then this is it.
Where does this Ghana adventure lead?
Accra— Cape Coast (Central Region)—Elmina—Kosa/Brenu—Green Turtle/Busua/Butre—Axim—Nzulezo/Beyin—Accra
1. Drive west from Accra to Cape Coast which takes about 3 hours, depending on traffic.
2. Hang out in Cape Coast for a day and visit the Cape Coast Castle.
3. Head on to Elmina where you can visit Elmina Castle or tour around town, and then onto either Brenu Beach or Ko-sa Beach Resort, situated off the same junction, 20 minutes past Elmina.
4. From there, head on past Takoradi to Agona Junction, and then decide whether you want Green Turtle Beach Resort (eco), Busua Beach (variety of lodges including Alaska for backpackers and African Rainbow—classy) or Butre Beach (Ellis Hideout).
5. From here, head on to Axim Beach Hotel, in Axim. There you can laze on one of Ghana’s most beautiful beaches and enjoy the truly stunning atmosphere and perhaps walk into town and visit Fort San Antonio.
6. Head to Nzulezo Stilt Village, the village in the Amansuri wetlands, accessible only by canoe, about an hour from Axim. You can even stay at Beyin Beach Resort, a grass-roots eco-lodge right by Nzulezo stilt village.
7. If that’s too exhausting, just stay put at your favourite beach for a week!
This tour of Ghana was based on one of the maps in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana. Our guide includes 15 maps showing routes all over Ghana for different themed tours. We outline the map in markers, with the stops noted, and the best order in which to travel. This is more or less the textual version of those tours.
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana.
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana travel guide by clicking the buttons on the right.
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
Essential Ghana Tour: 7 Days
“Essential Ghana
Continuing on the Ghana tour theme (we did the All Over Ghana 21 day crazy tour already), this next tour of Ghana is what could be called “essential Ghana Ghana
Where does this Ghana
This is basically a circuit that can be traveled in either direction. The trip to Lake Bosumtwi
- Depart
- Travel from
- Travel to
- Travel from
- Home James.
This tour of Ghana was based on one of the maps in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana Ghana
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
Ways to Travel Free Around the World
I recently wrote a couple of posts at Suite 101 that show you how you can travel for free around the world. Pretty much, anyway.
In How to Travel Around the World for Free, three major ways of traveling free or reducing travel costs were suggested for budget travelers including couch surfing, volunteering, and how to hitch-hike or cut transport costs.
Here's an excerpt:
Volunteer for Free Around the World
One of the most reputable organizations in this field is WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. WWOOF “links people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.” They have farms all over the world from New Zealand, to England and Italy, to name a few of the diverse locations in which travelers could spend time living for free.
The way it works is that “in return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.” Potential volunteers contact the farm or garden directly and arrange their placement with them, after paying a token registration fee to join the WWOOF network.
More Ways to Travel Around the World Free includes links to a few great organizations that help reduce your lodging costs to almost zero.
Here is an excerpt:
21 Day Tour of Ghana Route Plan
You could do it faster if you wish, or as slow as you like. Please don’t panic at the word “tour”; I’m not suggesting this is “touristy,” Contiki for Ghana
This is, rather, a plan that will help prospective travelers understand what is possible, what destination connects to which, and what they can do along the way.
Where does this adventure lead?
- From
- Head on to Fume, half way along the highway from Akosombo heading towards Hohoe. Stay at Mountain Paradise Lodge for a few nights and enjoy complete peace and quiet.
- Head on to Wli via Hohoe from Fume. Wli is where
- Take the adventurous route and cross
- Cross
- Next day head towards
- From Adowso, catch a trotro that will be waiting over the hills to Nkawkaw, a major stop between
- Hang out in
- Head on up to Techiman, about 3 hours away, and stay at Operation Hand in Hand in Nkoranza, a Dutch-run orphanage and gorgeous grounds in which to spend a day or two.
- Or, go straight to Tamale, the capital of the northern region. To get to
- Hang out at Mole for a couple of days and watch the elephants splashing around and baby warthogs snorting away. (By the way, did anyone notice that Hogwarts (Wizards) is Warthogs switched?)
- Return to Tamale the same way as arriving, but on a 4 am Metro Mass (you get the feeling the hotel doesn’t want you to warm your bed for too long).
- From Tamale, take a trip to Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region, and visit the basket makers, smock makers, Sirigu Arts and Pottery, about 30 minutes out of town. You could also head up to Navrongo and Paga—crocodiles—easily for a day from Bolga.
- If you really want to be adventurous, you could head to Wa from Bolga, but via Tamale, unfortunately, especially now as the rainy season has begun and the roads are worse than ever. However, hippos are notoriously hard to spot in the rainy season so it’s probably best heading to Wa when the rains finish, sometime from October onwards.
- Scoot back down to
- Head west from Cape Coast, stopping at any of the sites or beaches along the way like Green Turtle Resort, Axim Beach Hotel, and on to Nzulezo where the village on stilts is located in the Amansuri Wetlands, in Ghana’s far west bordering The Ivory Coast.
This super tour of Ghana was based on the first map in our Ghana guide which shows this route around Ghana Ghana for different themed tours and trips of Ghana
We’ll be posting the other travel routes, in writing, over the coming weeks so readers can get a sense of what is possible when traveling in Ghana
If you want to match these explanations with the maps, you can buy our Ghana
Let us know if you have any experience traveling these routes and what you’d suggest others to look out for.
Thanks for reading!
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Impressions of Busua Beach, Ghana
Busua Beach lies in the Western Region, about half an hour past Takoradi if you’re coming from Accra or Cape Coast. I visited Busua with volunteer friends quite a few times over the years. It was our beach of choice for a while there.
Getting to Busua on public transport from Elmina was not too difficult. It was easy enough to stop a trotro from the main highway heading to Takoradi by simply standing on the side of the road and waving at all the Takoradi trotros whizzing by. Problem was I hated the front seat as it was akin to a death sentence should we have an accident. In retrospect, all seats are probably doomed if worse came to worse. Often, though, the front seats were the only ones left by the time we jumped in at Elmina.
The problem with trotros was that they belted along, overtaking on dangerous corners, and generally breaking all the rules most of the time. Worse if it was raining. But we did it anyway. We changed vehicles at Takoradi for a new one directly to Agona junction where we changed for a taxi to Busua.
The road to Busua from Agona was flanked by forest and palm trees. It reminded me of the mid-north coast of New South Wales - Coffs Harbour.
Frank the fruit salad man was one of my first impressions of Busua Beach. Middle aged and persistent as hell, he started hassling us to buy fresh fruit salad almost the moment we arrived at Alaska and intermittently throughout the day and the next morning. It’s hard to resist the lure of fresh fruit and coconut on the beach in Ghana. Frank did a decent trade.
The village was like most coastal villages in Ghana: multi-coloured, gelato-hued, single and double-storey concrete block buildings, shutters hanging, walls stained by dust and rusting in the salt air. A dusty road extended from a protected cove to the west, all the way east parallel to the beach. The beach was about 2 kms long and finished at a promontory upon which a couple of fancy looking round huts had been built.
Visitors and local children splashed in the wavers every hundred metres or so along the beach. It seemed to be one of the calmer beaches in Ghana—waves flatter than elsewhere.
Behind Alaska, where we lodged, sat African Rainbow, a fancy mult-storey lodge hosted by a lovely Canadian Ghanaian couple and their children, who oozed personality (whipping our butts at pool, for one thing). Busua Beach Resort was about half-way along – a sister to Elmina Beach Resort.
Alaska was a backpacker favourite: A hut with a bed, a fan and a net, 10 metres off the beach. The compound sat on a large thorny patch of grass dotted with about 10 round concrete huts with thatched roofs. Tiny windows let in fresh air and the sound of waves crashing. For ten bucks a night it was fine by me.
The first time I saw goats, sheep and chickens roaming along the beach I was quite amused. That happened at Busua.
On one occasion, when we wandered along the beach to a tiny shack staffed by a few rastas and a German girl, I discovered The Upsetters – dance hall reggae. I was hooked: raunchy, old fashioned funk mixed with reggae and what sounded something like the Charlston. I’d never heard this before. I made a ring with the little girls who’d followed us there and we danced around and around in the sand together.
All the kids from around the village of Busua converged on the beach, playing in the waves like seal pups and playing football in the sand like future black stars.
We spied an older couple strolling along the beach just as the sun was setting over the hill and ocean. They both had weathered faces and appeared to be perhaps Indian or African American—dreadlocks reaching their backsides tied in a scarf. They had a blanket wrapped around their shoulders and wore long flowing robes. It was such a picture of peace that we all just sat and stared. They came and sat on the table right behind us, facing the sea with the blanket still wrapped around their shoulders together.
Turned out they were our British-African neighbours from Elmina and we never knew.
We sat quietly having a drink and enjoying the waves crashing and goats and children running along the beach as the sun set.
Getting to Busua on public transport from Elmina was not too difficult. It was easy enough to stop a trotro from the main highway heading to Takoradi by simply standing on the side of the road and waving at all the Takoradi trotros whizzing by. Problem was I hated the front seat as it was akin to a death sentence should we have an accident. In retrospect, all seats are probably doomed if worse came to worse. Often, though, the front seats were the only ones left by the time we jumped in at Elmina.
The problem with trotros was that they belted along, overtaking on dangerous corners, and generally breaking all the rules most of the time. Worse if it was raining. But we did it anyway. We changed vehicles at Takoradi for a new one directly to Agona junction where we changed for a taxi to Busua.
The road to Busua from Agona was flanked by forest and palm trees. It reminded me of the mid-north coast of New South Wales - Coffs Harbour.
Frank the fruit salad man was one of my first impressions of Busua Beach. Middle aged and persistent as hell, he started hassling us to buy fresh fruit salad almost the moment we arrived at Alaska and intermittently throughout the day and the next morning. It’s hard to resist the lure of fresh fruit and coconut on the beach in Ghana. Frank did a decent trade.
The village was like most coastal villages in Ghana: multi-coloured, gelato-hued, single and double-storey concrete block buildings, shutters hanging, walls stained by dust and rusting in the salt air. A dusty road extended from a protected cove to the west, all the way east parallel to the beach. The beach was about 2 kms long and finished at a promontory upon which a couple of fancy looking round huts had been built.
Visitors and local children splashed in the wavers every hundred metres or so along the beach. It seemed to be one of the calmer beaches in Ghana—waves flatter than elsewhere.
Behind Alaska, where we lodged, sat African Rainbow, a fancy mult-storey lodge hosted by a lovely Canadian Ghanaian couple and their children, who oozed personality (whipping our butts at pool, for one thing). Busua Beach Resort was about half-way along – a sister to Elmina Beach Resort.
Alaska was a backpacker favourite: A hut with a bed, a fan and a net, 10 metres off the beach. The compound sat on a large thorny patch of grass dotted with about 10 round concrete huts with thatched roofs. Tiny windows let in fresh air and the sound of waves crashing. For ten bucks a night it was fine by me.
The first time I saw goats, sheep and chickens roaming along the beach I was quite amused. That happened at Busua.
On one occasion, when we wandered along the beach to a tiny shack staffed by a few rastas and a German girl, I discovered The Upsetters – dance hall reggae. I was hooked: raunchy, old fashioned funk mixed with reggae and what sounded something like the Charlston. I’d never heard this before. I made a ring with the little girls who’d followed us there and we danced around and around in the sand together.
All the kids from around the village of Busua converged on the beach, playing in the waves like seal pups and playing football in the sand like future black stars.
We spied an older couple strolling along the beach just as the sun was setting over the hill and ocean. They both had weathered faces and appeared to be perhaps Indian or African American—dreadlocks reaching their backsides tied in a scarf. They had a blanket wrapped around their shoulders and wore long flowing robes. It was such a picture of peace that we all just sat and stared. They came and sat on the table right behind us, facing the sea with the blanket still wrapped around their shoulders together.
Turned out they were our British-African neighbours from Elmina and we never knew.
We sat quietly having a drink and enjoying the waves crashing and goats and children running along the beach as the sun set.
Testimonials: Insider's Guide to Ghana
Here are some testimonials from readers of our Ghana travel guide: Insider's Guide to Ghana, in case you're wondering if it's any good or not.
Your guide has been a great help finding my way around the country so far. I love the little details that you write about, I recognise so much of it when I'm out and about! I have been recommending it to my friends here, and I have been hearing good things from them also. Really, I consider it a must-have if you really want to get to know Ghana in a fun and easy way!
Your guide has been a great help finding my way around the country so far. I love the little details that you write about, I recognise so much of it when I'm out and about! I have been recommending it to my friends here, and I have been hearing good things from them also. Really, I consider it a must-have if you really want to get to know Ghana in a fun and easy way!
Céline, the Netherlands Wed, Jun 2, 2010
Preparing for my first visit to Ghana, I found the Insider's Guide very useful and I kept it with me during my visit. It helped me to have a wonderful time and since I came back I have recommended it to several friends. i hope to be returning to Ghana in November and will certainly be taking it with me.
Peter Halliday from the UK. Sat, May 29, 2010
A fresh and original guidebook that entertains as well as informs. The conversational style makes you feel that you're sitting down with Godwin and Gayle as a welcome guest in their home while they pass on all the travel tips and information you could possibly need. Their passion for Ghana and their enthusiasm for opening its vibrant and colourful culture to other travellers is infectious and they share inside knowledge which only someone who lives in a country can provide. Best of all the personal touch extends to free updates and an invitation to contact them with any questions or suggestions you might have. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot more out of my trip to Ghana as a result of reading it.
Catherine, Spain. Sat, May 29, 2010
Not keen on the personal stuff, b ut the info on Ghana is up to date and Gayle is sooooooooooo awesome at answering any questions and so helpful above and beyond guide. Recommend Sat, May 29, 2010
I was thrilled to hear this guide was available and it has lived up to my expectations. It is current and relevant to my needs and interests. It covers everythign your average guide does, as well as including useful information such as the currency conversions and personal tips from the authors, recommending where to eat, visit, etc.Although the authors worked together, their ideas are listed separately and this helps me to see an idea from the Ghanaian point of view as well as from a visitor's.
It is the best guide book I have ever read and I will refer to it each and everytime I return to Ghana. Thank you Godwin and Gayle!
Sarah from England Fri, May 28, 2010
Hi Godwin and Gayle,
We had a very good time with your guide. It helped
a lot with timely information while I was in Ghana
with Ghanian friends in Feb. and Mar. 2010. They
also found it useful.
Thanks again,
Don Majors USA Fri, May 28, 201
Read a review at Go Backpacking--we didn't pay them, we promise!
You can buy it by clicking here for Paypal.
Read a review at Go Backpacking--we didn't pay them, we promise!
You can buy it by clicking here for Paypal.
Then and Now: A Morning in the Life
Sydney, Australia:
8 a.m. I dried my hair with a ten-speed salon dryer and rolled it into Velcro rollers for added oomph after taking a long, hot shower. All made up, shoulder bag clasped under my arm, I marched out of the house dressed in a suit and high heels, clacking along the footpath to the bus stop. Neither the old lady walking her poodle nor the young man huffing along in the latest aero-dynamic jogging ensemble said hello when we passed each other. Rounding the corner, I approached the dozen passengers standing strategically, like pieces on a chess board, willing the bus to stop in front of them. When the bus finally arrived four minutes late, we each jostled for position, squeezing out all others ever so politely—using briefcases for leverage. No one made eye contact and no one acknowledged each other; only ‘weirdos’ said hello to strangers on the bus.
Cape Coast, Ghana: 3.30 a.m.
Cock-a-doodle-doo crows the damned rooster, no doubt chuffed to be a rooster. I hold my watch up to the moonlight. It's not bloody daylight for another two hours, I think, kicking the mosquito net over my feet. In this pre-dawn darkness I hear the foot steps and the quiet murmurs of people trudging along the dirt track beside the house; the coolest time of the ‘day’, a good time to start work.
A chain of cock-a-doodle-doos suddenly echo around the neighbourhood like talking drums. In my half-sleep delirium I imagine the roosters crowing in my father’s voice: ‘Cockadoodle-twooooo more hours fellas, look at all those lazy buggers still sleeping,’ Damn roosters. I have visions of pinging them with the security man’s sling shot and fall asleep thinking the whole crowing at sunrise thing is a myth.
I awake again around six a.m. For a few minutes light creeps across the bedroom wall like an animal stalking its prey. And then, as if the chase is on, the sun shoots up and away, and light floods every surface.
We’re a ‘stone’s throw’ from the equator, as Ghanaians would say; one minute it’s dark, the next it’s light, every day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year.
I sit up and notice that several new bites have appeared on my legs overnight even though I sleep under a net. Malarial bites are rumoured not to itch. These tiny red dots do not itch. I decide not to think about malaria now. Most Ghanaians have a fairly laissez faire attitude towards the whole thing. ‘Oh, it is just like catching a cold.’ Malaria shmalaria I think and get up and clip the mosquito net over my bed.
Geckoes scatter across the glass window slats when I pad into the kitchen. I cut off a couple of hunks of bread and toast them on a small fry-pan over an old gas stove with only two working burners.
Next, I take a ‘shower'. That is, I let a trickle of water drip over my body from a rusted shower head. There is no hot water. It is too hot for hot water anyway. So, first, I splash the trickle over my shoulders, chest and legs. Then I turn the tap off. I take a bar of soap and lather up all over, peering out the bathroom window at the dirt track where kids in uniform trudge by on their way to school.
If it’s one of the two days a week I wash my hair, I’ll use a bucket instead of the trickle (I’m tempted to grow dreadlocks). Then I turn the trickle on and do the shower hokey pokey – moving one body part after another under the drip, taking turns to wash the soap off. I have to remind myself not to swallow water from the tap – that’s just asking for trouble. I manage to use a tenth of a bucket of water during these washes, saving that which drips off me to throw over whichever vegetable Appiah is growing; now, it’s maize. My hair dries in ten minutes, curling into ringlets in the humidity. No more whiz-bang dryer or Velcro rollers for this obruni.
The sensation of squeaky clean skin, a luxury, lasts for the hour I potter about the house before stepping outside into the ninety-nine percent humidity.
“Good morning/how are you?/I’m fine/thank you,” chorus the women and men, legs spread apart in the dirt, breaking rocks with rocks to earn a pittance of a living, when I walk out the front gate at eight-thirty.
“Good morning,” I reply, once more in awe of their cheerfulness in the face of endless, sweaty labor and no prospect of an easier life anytime soon.
“Good morning,” greets the man walking past in suit and tie, swinging his briefcase, headed to an office in Elmina, probably.
“Good morning,” I reply.
“Fine,” smiles the lady carrying small pastries in a glass case on her head.
“Fine,” I reply, smiling. The baby wrapped on her back bounces in time to her footsteps, head lolling backwards. He’s fast asleep.
I stand at the junction in the morning glare and do “the hitchhiker,” pointing towards the Atlantic Ocean just over the rise. My aim is to get to the office by nine o’clock. I’m hopeful. You’ve got to be hopeful—there ain’t much else to latch onto when it comes to transport in Ghana.
A share taxi pulls over. I squeeze in the back seat next to two fat market ladies cradling baskets of smelly, silver fish on their laps.
“Good morning,” the three passengers and the driver greet me.
“Good morning,” I reply.
It’s fair to say that Ghanaians place great stock in greetings. A simple rule is to do so when you enter a room or a vehicle, and always return a greeting, wherever you are.
Different lives. Different mornings.
8 a.m. I dried my hair with a ten-speed salon dryer and rolled it into Velcro rollers for added oomph after taking a long, hot shower. All made up, shoulder bag clasped under my arm, I marched out of the house dressed in a suit and high heels, clacking along the footpath to the bus stop. Neither the old lady walking her poodle nor the young man huffing along in the latest aero-dynamic jogging ensemble said hello when we passed each other. Rounding the corner, I approached the dozen passengers standing strategically, like pieces on a chess board, willing the bus to stop in front of them. When the bus finally arrived four minutes late, we each jostled for position, squeezing out all others ever so politely—using briefcases for leverage. No one made eye contact and no one acknowledged each other; only ‘weirdos’ said hello to strangers on the bus.
Cape Coast, Ghana: 3.30 a.m.
Cock-a-doodle-doo crows the damned rooster, no doubt chuffed to be a rooster. I hold my watch up to the moonlight. It's not bloody daylight for another two hours, I think, kicking the mosquito net over my feet. In this pre-dawn darkness I hear the foot steps and the quiet murmurs of people trudging along the dirt track beside the house; the coolest time of the ‘day’, a good time to start work.
A chain of cock-a-doodle-doos suddenly echo around the neighbourhood like talking drums. In my half-sleep delirium I imagine the roosters crowing in my father’s voice: ‘Cockadoodle-twooooo more hours fellas, look at all those lazy buggers still sleeping,’ Damn roosters. I have visions of pinging them with the security man’s sling shot and fall asleep thinking the whole crowing at sunrise thing is a myth.
I awake again around six a.m. For a few minutes light creeps across the bedroom wall like an animal stalking its prey. And then, as if the chase is on, the sun shoots up and away, and light floods every surface.
We’re a ‘stone’s throw’ from the equator, as Ghanaians would say; one minute it’s dark, the next it’s light, every day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year.
I sit up and notice that several new bites have appeared on my legs overnight even though I sleep under a net. Malarial bites are rumoured not to itch. These tiny red dots do not itch. I decide not to think about malaria now. Most Ghanaians have a fairly laissez faire attitude towards the whole thing. ‘Oh, it is just like catching a cold.’ Malaria shmalaria I think and get up and clip the mosquito net over my bed.
Geckoes scatter across the glass window slats when I pad into the kitchen. I cut off a couple of hunks of bread and toast them on a small fry-pan over an old gas stove with only two working burners.
Next, I take a ‘shower'. That is, I let a trickle of water drip over my body from a rusted shower head. There is no hot water. It is too hot for hot water anyway. So, first, I splash the trickle over my shoulders, chest and legs. Then I turn the tap off. I take a bar of soap and lather up all over, peering out the bathroom window at the dirt track where kids in uniform trudge by on their way to school.
If it’s one of the two days a week I wash my hair, I’ll use a bucket instead of the trickle (I’m tempted to grow dreadlocks). Then I turn the trickle on and do the shower hokey pokey – moving one body part after another under the drip, taking turns to wash the soap off. I have to remind myself not to swallow water from the tap – that’s just asking for trouble. I manage to use a tenth of a bucket of water during these washes, saving that which drips off me to throw over whichever vegetable Appiah is growing; now, it’s maize. My hair dries in ten minutes, curling into ringlets in the humidity. No more whiz-bang dryer or Velcro rollers for this obruni.
The sensation of squeaky clean skin, a luxury, lasts for the hour I potter about the house before stepping outside into the ninety-nine percent humidity.
“Good morning/how are you?/I’m fine/thank you,” chorus the women and men, legs spread apart in the dirt, breaking rocks with rocks to earn a pittance of a living, when I walk out the front gate at eight-thirty.
“Good morning,” I reply, once more in awe of their cheerfulness in the face of endless, sweaty labor and no prospect of an easier life anytime soon.
“Good morning,” greets the man walking past in suit and tie, swinging his briefcase, headed to an office in Elmina, probably.
“Good morning,” I reply.
“Fine,” smiles the lady carrying small pastries in a glass case on her head.
“Fine,” I reply, smiling. The baby wrapped on her back bounces in time to her footsteps, head lolling backwards. He’s fast asleep.
I stand at the junction in the morning glare and do “the hitchhiker,” pointing towards the Atlantic Ocean just over the rise. My aim is to get to the office by nine o’clock. I’m hopeful. You’ve got to be hopeful—there ain’t much else to latch onto when it comes to transport in Ghana.
A share taxi pulls over. I squeeze in the back seat next to two fat market ladies cradling baskets of smelly, silver fish on their laps.
“Good morning,” the three passengers and the driver greet me.
“Good morning,” I reply.
It’s fair to say that Ghanaians place great stock in greetings. A simple rule is to do so when you enter a room or a vehicle, and always return a greeting, wherever you are.
Different lives. Different mornings.
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