Elmina Time
I was just thinking that it has been a while since I last
updated my blog (I’m going to blame work) and I ought to get back to sharing
some of the comings and goings that I have recently experienced, only to
realize that my last update was just after a trip along the coast too. I’d like
to try and bit more positive this time… however….
We have spent the last three weekends at home, doing very
little. We have met some friends for brunch most weekends, we have caught up
with people over dinner and drinks and even managed one lunch date, but
generally the weekends have brought little our way in term of travel. I would
like to say that this has been down to the weather starting to feel hot, humid
and the rains coming more frequently, but that does only account for a small
part of the laziness and lethargy we have encountered. This weekend we decided
to make an effort. The rain that had poured down earlier in the week had
cleared and the skies were once again blue, clear and the sun was beating down.
What better weekend to get out of the city, away from the humidity and
pollution and head out to the coast.
Elmina was the destination of choice, the traffic is a chore
for the first hour of the trip, but then the road usually empties out, and the
second hour can be quite pleasant. It has been a while since I have come out
this far, possibly as long as nine or ten months; and I am constantly hearing
about how Ghana is a country on the up. The economy is growing, communities are
developing… there was significantly more traffic on the roads than I remember!
There were also a substantial number of dumper trucks carting sand and gravel
around, these were nearly as prevalent as tro-tros.
It is great that the economy is growing, and I have no idea
how much of this transportation is done legally, but a lot of this “sand
winning” or sand mining that goes on along this part of the coast is illegal
and causes damage to the coast line. The erosion in this part of Ghana is a big
problem, as is the damage it causes to local villages, houses, buildings and
roads. I guess the long-term potential damage is a price that some locals are
prepared to pay to make some money now, and in certain respects I can see that.
Why try and save for a future that you will never see if you don’t act now to
create some opportunities for yourself and your family. Nonetheless, with a
long-term tourist outlook it is a shame that this area is being destroyed.
I am going to avoid the inevitable whine about the hotel,
yes, it was ridiculously expensive for the jaded 1970s atmosphere, damp moldy
room, cracked light sockets, and wall in a state of disrepair. No, the food was
not worth the extortionate price we had to pay, of course the room was not
ready at check in time, yes they had lost the reservation and the prepaid
booking, and of course they tried to offer us rice and fish heads for breakfast-
but all of that was expected. As was the sound of me turning not my mother when
they asked us to pay again for a room we had already paid for. It doesn’t
matter how hard I try or how hard I tell my self not to, I suddenly seem to be
possessed by her thoughts and out of my mouth come all the phrases and tones I
heard growing up and swore to myself I would never repeat. I have to admit-
they so seem to be effective though.
Despite this, it was a relaxing few days, the coastal breeze
stock the stickiness out of the air, the sea crashing on the rocks a nice sound
to fall asleep to, the fishing boats and the trees are picturesque, and I am
remaindered about the parts of Ghana I enjoy.
