Ghana be Fun!

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.