Let me tell you about Ghana…
Even though it’s the same walk every time, walking down the Gangway from the ship to land never gets old. Each time it’s like surfacing into a whole new world. Because each time, it IS a whole new world that is as exciting, if not more, than the last. Ghana was the second of three places in Africa that we have the pleasure of visiting, yet it was the first that actually felt like the Africa that one would picture. To me, Morocco felt more like a middle-eastern country than an African country. Not only did the people look more middle-eastern – maybe because of the large Muslim population – but the clay houses, the arid climate, and the interactions they had among each other were not as carefree and lighthearted as the Ghanaians. The people of Ghana blew my mind as to how friendly and welcoming they were, especially knowing that we as Americans are descendents of the very same people that enslaved them a couple centuries ago. At the other end of the spectrum, maybe they are so responsive to us is because Americans and Ghanaians were both dependent on the British and now are Independent countries. Further yet, maybe their friendliness is simply due to the visible differences in the people. I learned quickly that the more different you look to them, the more interested they are in you.
Walking down the Gangway - as is the same with every port - there was a long walk along the port to any imminent civilization. Our first order of business was to find an ATM. It took us awhile to find banks that worked for everyone, but once everyone had enough Cedi’s (Ghana Currency) we continued walking to a large market off in the distance. Along the way people would unconditionally welcome us and shake our hands. There is a cool handshake that seemed universal in Ghana that I need to bring home and show everyone. Many of the women would walk with large bowls balanced on their heads and at first we would try and give them a lot of space to walk past us but we soon realized that they are professionals at balancing things on their head and as courteous as it may seem, we did not need to give them that extra space (us tall people sometimes had to duck though because the straw – or whatever it may be – would stick out three feet on both sides of the bowl). Upon entering this open-aired market, the smell of dried fish and meat mixed with waste filled our nostrils. It was a tight squeeze to walk through the marketplace and the passing children would touch our pant legs. As we looked down they would simply smile and wave happily. Live giant snails and crabs would catch our attention but we could not stop and gaze at anything for too long because the people behind us had to get through. It was a constant current of passer byers and balanced bowls of produce.
The second day I had a trip that I registered for through SAS. Brian signed up for this same trip, called the Cape Coast Historical Tour. We were fortunate enough to meet many new people on this trip, where in the end there was a group of ten or so we could all call our close friends. The trip consisted of a visit to the Kakum National Park - where we entered the rainforest and took part in a canopy walk, an overnight stay at the Coconut Grove Hotel located on the beach, and visits to two different Castles on the Cape Coast where the British, Dutch, and Portuguese held Ghanaian slaves. The castles where incredibly eerie and gloomy, yet they made you proud of these people seeing what they once had to endure and what they’ve come through. It would be exceptionally easy for Ghanaians to hold a grudge against the people of their past, yet they continued to be the most kind, warm-hearted, worry-free people I may have ever met. It was a very sobering and refreshing trip. The canopy walk was very cool. It rained the second we got off the bus and stopped the second we got back on. I guess they don’t call it a rainforest for nothing. And it wasn’t just drizzling, it was pouring. The rickety bridges we walked across were mostly made of rope and one plank of wood below our feet. Below the planks was a 140 ft. drop to the top of the canopy. With our raingear on and hoods over our heads, we each took hesitant turns to grab the ropes and walk across the 7+ bridges that were there. The night at the hotel, we had a nice buffet dinner consisting of bread, rice, and chicken and sauces that was very delicious. As the sun set behind the palm trees and beach, a group of Ghanaians started pounding on some drums. As the amount of drummers increased, three acrobatic dancers came out in grass skirts and started dancing before us. They were small yet incredibly strong. One of them even started playing with fire and eating balls of fire. Some of the things they were doing seemed straight out of Cirque Du Soleil. After the show, we walked to the beach where there was a giant bonfire. We all had a few drinks at the bar and brought our beers to the beach, sat in front of the fire and talked about life while watching the moonlit waves crash up against the shallow rock beds that littered the beach.
I wish I had more time to write about every little detail, because these experiences I just tried to explain only begin to scratch the surface. If people have specific questions about anything, please feel free to email me at trvanderboegh@semsteratsea.net I would love to hear from you.
You will hear again from me after South Africa. Some students are skydiving and going on a shark dive, whereas I’m only going on a 3 day African Safari, poor me. I love you all and stay classy!
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