Trip Report 5-26th Feb 2013

Sandra writes:

We (German couple, 41 and 52, journalist/university prof) visited Ghana for three weeks in February 2013 and found the guide very good and valuable (and – this for Germans who are preparing for Ghana -  far far better than the German one from Jojo Cobbinah, this one gives just lots of wrong and more of useless information.)

Here a couple of updates to the Bradt guide and highs and lows as we have experienced them (prices are usually for self-countained doubles or one of those big-bed singles, with fan)

Accra, Pink Hostel (100 GhC)

nice staff, full of young volunteers, feels a bit in the middle of nowhere, okay but nothing special.

Accra, Afia African Village – also called: Afia Beach, Accra (120 US Dollar)

the bungalow was nice, although the AC did not work, for being in Accra the beach looks very good, pay attention when you call to make a reservation: The guy I asked how much it is confirmed the figures, 100 for a standard bungalow, 110 with balcony and 120 with ocean view, but he didn’t say that it was in Dollars although I was talking of Cedis all the time. At the end Helen, the boss, proofed to be very professional: she charged us the 120 Cedi. In fact 120 Dollars seems a bit too much and 6 Cedis for a beer is double of what you pay elsewhere.

Ada Foah, Brightest Spot Guesthouse (25 GhC)

great value for the money! nice courtyard with very good tilapia & banku served.

ferry Ada Foah to Akuse (5 GhC)

the MS Sogakope left on time -  Friday 6h in the morning – and this is a great trip to do. Women are selling food and there are lots of little villages to see (even if I some times felt a bit like in a zoo).

Atimpoku, Adomi Hotel (35 GhC)

room was okay and quite – what you won’t expect, because the Hotel is right on the main traffic circle. The owner is half-german and has been living in Hamburg for most of his life, good opportunity for an interesting chat on Ghanain-German cultural differences.

Koforidua, Erdrec Hotel (34,50 GhC)

the Hotel description fits just perfectly! one feels a bit like in USSR already entering the reception Hall and for sure once touched the dark red carpeted floor – quite unique. still: good value, just a bit out of town, but plenty of shared taxis on the street.

Boti Falls didn’t have any water in mid February, even if the man at the Trotro-Station in Kof-Town was sure there was, they still want the full fee.

Kumasi, Sanbra Hotel (44 GhC) and Fosua Hotel (60 GhC with AC)

both okay, but alltogether not too friendly or nice, just okay. We didn’t find the coffee shop or the cocktail bar in the Aseda House though.

Tamale, Catholic Guesthouse (33 GhC)

very nice place to stay, we particularly appreciated the quiet garden after downtown trips, plenty of shared taxis to get into town.

Visiting the Mosque and walking up is worth and also walking along the Zongo Hausa to the leather workers, on the rooftop bar of the Crest Restaurant do not worry if a couple of young Ghanains take a seat at your table, they are just curious and want to talk and they will leave immediately if you just tell them friendly to do so!

There is a ForEx in Hospital Road now.

Bobiri Forest Butterfly Sanctuary (30 GhC)

this is a wonderful place to stay! Agnes prepares good diner even if you arrive without reservation and a very nice breakfast with lots of fruits, take it both on the terace of the main house. The walk though is for sure a bit longer than 3km, but still it is worth walking from Kubease. And: Jonathan does a great job as a guide through the Forest (4 GhC).

They told us they are open year round, but still maybe it is better to phone: 020 8094709 or 0236 464520 (the numbers Agnes gave me)

Winneba, Lagoon Lodge (35 GhC)

the first room somewhat stylish (in our sense) room for decoration and colours, huge bathroom – very nice. Food is good, somewhat ridiculous that there is no smoking allowed in the garden though. The guys at the reception/at the bar were friendly but totally clueless, it took them nearly half an hour to copy, re-copy and re-copy again the same invoice. Be patient!

Winneba itself seems poorer than other small cities, the beach is okay but nothing compared to the ones farer west and seeing the University Campus is worth – like a wholly different, elitist, world.

Green Turtle Lodge, (60 GhC)

it is (still) a great place to stay, what a wonderful project! But we had the impression that things are changing and that this might be related to the fact that the original owners have left (we talked to the caretaker who said the place is still for sale, but an American might buy it within short time). The huts could easily be in a better shape: for example the electricity didn’t work properly when it got humid at night, because the connecting wires were ‚connected’ in the most unprofessional way – though the staff managed to fix it after a while; time to buy new matrasses and pillows, and for sure to wash the cushions. The evening turtle tour now seems to be done only if tourists ask for it, at least the documentary book on the daily turtle watch tours stopps in february 2011 or 2012 (sorry can’t remember the year). The staff is friendly, the food is good and a bit different in style from what we had most of the time, but the reception looks a little bit like there was no-one there for the last two years.

Still the beach is great!

The canoe tour (10 GhC) with Jimmy at 6h in the morning in the mangroves behind Akwidaa (poor little village 25minutes west from the Turtle walking at the beach) is everything but exciting and Jimmy didn’t have a good day, he hardly said a word and after 35minutes he seemed only happy that is was over.

Butre, Hide Out Lodge (50 GhC)

Another great beach and another nice lodge. in comparison with the Green Turtle the food here unfortunately is done in some ‚western style’ kind and this is not a good idea at all: I had a bad banku which was cut into slices like Italian polenta, the pepper sauce wasn’t hot at all and the fish was just a fried slice – what a disappointment in comparison to so many great grilled tilapia, banku and pepper I had on the streets elsewhere. The advantage on the other hand is Butre itself, which is just around the corner – over the bridge to be exact – and a very nice little village, with fishermen who that morning we were waiting for a Trotro had exposed what to us looked like little sharks and dolphins!

Elmina, Coconut Grove’s Bridge House (110 GhC, 85 GhC when AC does not work!)

the idea was to go to the One African Guesthouse – but do not try to walk their from the main road where the Tros between Takoradi and Cape drop you off, it is just too far and it is all walking along the busy road. So we ended up in the Coconut Grove’s: the building is very nice facing the bridge and the castle, but for the room itself it is definetely a bit overpriced and the breakfast is ridiculous – every single street egg bread was a lot better.

Elmina was the only city we visited which had a square place and spots around – being from Old Europe that was what we missed elsewhere – thanks to the Portoguese!

the fish market is definetely worth the 1 GhC entry fee – quite an impressive quantity of tunas and even more impressive the way slight women cut them into pieces with machetes.

Cape Coast, Mighty Victory Hotel (40 or 50 GhC)

Oasis Beach seemed to us a bit too much an all-Obruni/volunteer meeting place, the Mighty Victory is worth the walk through town up the little hill and it isn’t far at all, a quite and nice place to stay with gazebos in the garden-kind entrance. Don’t miss the Market day on Sunday.

Sandie & Ian’s trip report

My husband and I have lived in Ghana for almost a year, working on a voluntary basis with a chain of low-cost private schools west of Accra.  In our free time we have travelled to different parts of the country, and I believe we have seen all the major points of interest.  We have used your Guide extensively (our copy is well-worn!) and found it immensely valuable.  We have noted just a few points where we believe it is out of date or inaccurate, and now that we are returning to the UK I have listed these, hoping that you may find then useful for a future edition.  They are not in order of importance, just in the order they occur in the book. 

Comments on the Bradt Guide to Ghana

p.69f: Buses may be the safest mode of travel, but we would hesitate to say they are the most efficient.  The STC seems to be on the verge of folding: it now runs seldom on some routes, never on others.  Some newer bus services are excellent, notably VIP which runs frequently between Accra and Kumasi.  They are certainly more comfortable than most tro-tros, although the same is not true of the Metro Mass buses (seating 5 across instead of 4).  But the long distance tro-tros are (in our experience) as fast as buses, and a lot more convenient.

You rightly point out that buses will drop passengers off along their route.  The problem is that they will not pick passengers up along their route – you have to buy your ticket at the original point of departure.  For example, we live some 15 miles west of Accra, in the direction of Cape Coast.  But to get to Cape Coast (or beyond) by bus, we would have to first go to Accra, in the opposite direction!  With traffic hold-ups, this can add hours to your journey – we speak from experience, having done this soon after arrival in Ghana, before we knew better!

The other problem with buses which run to fixed schedules is the difficulty of getting information about timetables.  Websites do not work; emails are not answered; phone calls may be ignored, or switched through to a fax machine.  If by any chance you do get through, you will probably be told that your query cannot be answered (‘we don’t know yet’) or given information which is later proved to be incorrect.

So we quickly learned to take our chances with tro-tros, and found it amazing that (as you state on p.70) you can just turn up at a station and be assured  that there will be a vehicle going where you want to go; no need to find out about times, just go when it suits you!

On the subject of tro-tros, we do not agree that it would be better to wait outside the vehicle until it is ready to depart (p.70).  The earlier you board, the better your chances of choosing the optimal seat.  We were usually quite glad to have just missed a tro-tro if this meant being first to board the next one.  Yes, you would be waiting a while for it to depart, but you would be able to choose the most comfortable seats – if you were really lucky, you might be able to get the ones at the front, beside the driver.  Not only do these offer the best views, they are generally more comfortable – and you do not have to get up to let people on and off!

p.76: As a vegetarian, I have lived in Ghana for a year, eaten out frequently, and experienced no problems at all. You paint an unnecessarily depressing picture.  It’s true that most local Ghanaian food is meat- or fish-based, but you can usually get red red (bean stew with plantains) or jolloff rice (cooked with tomatoes and onions).  And if you go to restaurants advertising ‘Continental’ (i.e. western) as well as local cuisine, you will find that pizzas and other vegetarian dishes are common.  Indeed, many of the restaurants where we ate had a specific ‘Vegetarian’ section on the menu, with at least 3 or 4 options.

p.77: June 4 has not been a public holiday in Ghana since 2000!

p.117: The Hotel Shangri-La is now called the Western Sun, but is currently closed for refurbishment.

p.126: The Tribes restaurant at Afia African Village is excellent, but you cannot see the sea!

p.129: The Centre for National Culture does not close at 3pm on Saturdays.  We visited between 4.30 and 5pm.

p. 138: It’s not really true that the National Theatre is ‘host to regular plays and dance performances’.  Plays are in fact very rare: the theatre is used more often for events such as religious rallies, graduation ceremonies, beauty contests etc, but most nights it is not used at all.   Finding out what is on is not easy.  When we first arrived in Ghana the website was not working, we could get no information by telephone, and even visiting the theatre in person (twice) got us nowhere.   The website is now functioning, but only gives information about the coming week.  There is no way of booking other than going to the theatre in person – difficult if you do not live in Accra.  However, I doubt if there is ever a problem about buying tickets on arrival; when we finally managed to see a performance there were no more than 30 people in the audience.

On that same evening, we planned to eat in the theatre restaurant, recommended in the Guide.  We found that the ‘International restaurant’ offered drinks only, no food, not even snacks.  It was too late to go elsewhere, so we went hungry!

p.150: In Winneba, the cemeteries mentioned are overgrown, especially the Settlers’ (European) cemetery – we could not get anywhere near the graves.  But there are a couple of interesting towers in Winneba which are not mentioned in the Guide.

p.151: The map of Winneba is unhelpful; it does not show the lorry park (tro-tro station), so we struggled to orientate ourselves on arrival.  The road to Lagoon Lodge is shown in the wrong place (unless the road on the map is meant to be the footpath from the Lodge to the beach).

At Lagoon Lodge itself, it is impossible to see the sunset from the bar (which is surrounded by a high wall).  And even if the wall was knocked down, the bar would not overlook the Muni Lagoon.  We walked some distance looking for the lagoon, but found only dried up mud.  If the lagoon still exists, it must be some way from the lodge.

p.153: In Mankessim, we managed to find the famous posuban shrine, but it is not on the same road as the tro-tro station.  In fact, it is about 500 metres up the road to the right from the roundabout, coming from Accra.

pp.164 and 178:  We could not find shared taxis between Cape Coast and Elmina at the places mentioned, but dropping taxis were cheap.

p.173: The Canopy walkway at Kakum National Park now costs 30 cedis each – a big increase on the 9 cedis mentioned in the book.

p.196: The map is misleading.  The scale indicates that it is about 2km from Agona to Busua, but in fact it is 10 (as stated on page 197).

p.207: We were disappointed with Ankobra Beach (‘almost breathtaking perfection’): it is so narrow, there is very little sand between the resort and the sea.  We thought the resort was quite expensive too.

p.226: It is possible to get a tro-tro direct to Ada Foah from Tudu station in Accra (there is a booking office specifically for tickets).

p.227: The Manet Paradise Holiday Resort is closed (for refurbishment?)

p.228: In one respect the facilities at the Maranatha Estuary Beach Club have improved on your description – they now have some flushing toilets!  Our problem (not stated in the Guide) was that there is nowhere at all to wash, shave etc.   The other beach camps were all closed when we were there in August.

p.263: We were not impressed with the Kekeli Hotel in Ho.  There was no water at night, and no mirror in the bathroom for shaving etc.  It was very noisy on Sunday morning, even before the church service started!  There were lots of children running around, and one even burst into our room.  We had chosen to stay there partly because the Guide mentions that car rental can be arranged for a fixed and apparently very reasonable price.  When we enquired, the receptionist said that we would have to negotiate with the taxi driver.  She arranged for him to come and meet us, but was otherwise not involved.  We had to return to the hotel to meet him (and he was nearly an hour late).  The price he asked was extortionate, but by that stage we had no alternative.  We bargained, and he agreed to lower his price, but not by much.  What we paid was far in excess of what we paid anywhere else.

The Freedom Hotel is now called the Bob Coffie.

p.264: We tried two of the Ho eating places listed in the Guide.  The Mother’s Inn offered only banku and fufu; the White House had no food at all.  We ended up having lunch at what we believe was a new restaurant; it was called the Royal Farm, it was close to the Kekeli Hotel, and the food was excellent.

p.268: At the welcome office in Amedzofe, the local guide said that there were two options: the waterfall walk and the mountain walk (as per the Guide).  He that we would be able to climb Mt Gemi, but would find the waterfall walk ‘too challenging’.  We are in our 60s but very fit, and as we had gone to Amedzofe mainly to see the waterfall, we insisted.   The guide was not kidding!  The first part of the walk was flat and easy, but then it plunged steeply downhill, and lost all semblance of being a ‘path’ – it was a long scramble over slippery rocks, clinging to a rope.  We managed it (with help from the guide) but both the descent and the climb back up were very difficult.  We wondered why there was no hint of this in the Guide – surely a warning would be appropriate?  Re-reading it afterwards, we wondered if we had in fact done a different walk, since we did not ‘come out at the three knee-deep pools separating the upper and lower falls’.   We ended up at the base of the lower falls – the ‘more ambitious’ walk mentioned?  But if there is an alternative (easier) walk, why did our guide not offer this – especially as he felt the waterfall walk would be too challenging for us?

p.284: The Wli Water Heights Hotel is a lot more than 50m from the turn-off for the tourist information centre.    A sign at the turn-off says 300m, and having walked it several times, we would say it is at least that.

p.291: We had to laugh when we read that the road between Accra and Kumasi ‘follows good surfaced roads in its entirety’.   On the contrary, much of the journey is on rough dirt roads; the bus has to travel slowly, with much jolting, and the trip takes 6 hours.  We found it amazing that the road between the capital and second biggest cities was in such bad shape; some people we talked to maintained that this was a deliberate political decision to keep business and finance in the south.

p.307: The book says there are 8 STC buses daily between Accra and Kumasi.  There are now hardly any (STC seems to have declined considerably, with few buses going anywhere).  But there is an excellent new company called VIP, which has a bus station not far from the main STC station.  You buy a ticket which specifies a bus and seat number.   Buses leave as soon as they are full – generally about every half hour.

p.312: On the map of Kumasi, the Sambra Hotel is in the wrong place, as is the Manhyia Palace (it is much further from the town/market than the map suggests).

p.313: The Four Villages Inn was pleasant enough, and the breakfasts were excellent.  But we considered it very expensive compared with what we usually pay in Ghana.  On our second visit to Kumasi we stayed in the Sambra Hotel which cost about a third of the price, and was more conveniently located.  It also has an excellent restaurant.

p.315: We were not able to find Aseda House, but there was a large hole in the ground where it is shown on the map, so perhaps it has been demolished.

p.320: We went to the Adae Festival in Kumasi, and it was certainly worth seeing.   What you said about photography was accurate, but the time given was not: the ceremony started well after 12 and was still in progress when we had to leave about 2pm.

p.355:  Entrance to Kintampo Falls now costs 7 cedis for non-Ghanaians.  We were there at Easter, and could not get near the Falls owing to the crowds of people wading, dancing and generally having a good time in the water.  The atmosphere was amazing – it’s obviously the place for locals to go on public holidays!

p.377:  We thought the Larabanga mosque was beautiful, and we did not suffer any of the problems reported by your readers.  We enjoyed a brief but hassle-free visit.

p.397:  The Hotel Myaga at Navrongo was very limited in terms of food.  It amused us that the price for a double room included only one breakfast!

Sandie & Ian

Turtle viewing in Winneba

Phil Allman, an Assistant Professor in the Florida Gulf Coast University’s Department of Biological Sciences, writes:

“I have partnered with the GWD officer in Winneba, who has already established a strong relationship with fishermen and the schools (one school has an environmental club centered around protecting turtles). We are working now to establish a protocol for conducting sea turtle tagging research and offering sea turtle ecotourism along the beaches in Winneba (primarily leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles) starting with the 2011-2012 nesting season (Sept. – March).

I encourage all of your readers to support the program in Winneba by simply stopping over for a night or two to witness the amazing nesting behaivor of the gigantic leatherback sea turtle (6′ in lenght). Winneba is located along the main road between Accra and Cape Coast so it is easy to access for anyone travelling to Kakum National Park. To organize a sea turtle walk in Winneba, please contact the GWD officer at 012934928. The officer in Winneba was recently invited to join the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (Ghana’s first member) in recognition of his knowledge and efforts for sea turtle conservation in Ghana.”

Walking Ghana’s coastline

I thought that some people might like to do an uncomplicated walk along Ghana’s beautiful coastline. I say uncomplicated because you can start and stop where you like and carry very little on your back.
I walked from Winneba to Takoradi. Every fishing village has a path to the next one. There is always an old canoe acting as ferry to cross the occasional lagoon and river. I was accomanied by a Fanti speaking friend which helped when we frequently had to leave the shore line and to find our way through fishing villages on rocky headlands. But this is not essential, there is always someone who can speak a little English.
We carried a small tent, perhaps not neccesary in the dry season. Basic food can be found in the larger villages and cooked on the shore. ‘Pure Water’ sachets can be purchased in many villages. So the back pack need only contain a change of clothing, cooking pots, some food and water and lunch, for us bread and tinned sardines.
You can camp just about anywhere. But there are now so many lodges/guest houses along the coast (many very recent arrivals) that it is possible to avoid camping altogether. But it is difficult to know where they are before starting – there are no official lists – and I have yet to find a decent map of Ghana.
This walk took me six days, walking 6 to 8 hours a day including a rest day at Cape Coast.

James

New Guesthouse in Winneba

Shown on the map,next to Sir Charles Tourist Center in Winneba, is Manuels Bar. He has recently opened a small guest house of two rooms with shared bath room. cedis 10 or 15 nightly. It has a small private garden and is very clean. If a room is wanted near the beach or the excellent Lagoon Lodge is full this place is a good alternative.

James Fraser

Lots of updates from Kristin & Megan

ADVENTURES IN GHANA: We traveled to Ghana in July of 2008 through the University of California Education Abroad Program and registered as students at the University of Ghana, Legon for the Fall 2008 semester. Since the University system in Ghana is not completely up to par, we spent most of our time traveling the capital city, Accra, and various villages from every navigational direction within Ghana. Throughout our five months in Ghana we received death threats, offers to instate us as Queenmothers of villages, dozens upon dozens of marriage proposals, and many calabashes teeming with palm wine.

However, throughout our travels our one constant was the Bradt guide: our beacon of hope that we would be able to make it out of the bush and into safety. Now that our trip is finished and we are safely back in the arms of America, we thought that we would complete a commentary to the people who made many of our adventures and mishaps possible. Below you will find i) our indication of logistical errors and outdated facts within the Bradt guide, ii) our personal input on villages, cities, and lodges within Ghana to expand on the advice already given in the guide, and iii) a few stories of our personal experiences in Ghana that we think might be useful for future readers of the Bradt guide to consider when traveling in Ghana.  

ERRORS WITHIN THE GUIDE

First, we would like to point out that the introductory map has an error: Busua is indicated as being to the east of Takoradi; however, Busua is to the west of Takoradi.

 

Second, under the headline “Media and Communications” in the section “Traveling in Ghana” several phone companies are listed, but MTN is not. MTN is a major – if not the most – prominent cell phone provider in Ghana. Ghanaians proudly sport their bright yellow jerseys with the headline “MTN” and below it “024″ (the prefix of all MTN phone numbers) in bright blue-green lettering. People take pride in their cell phone providers, although they all are pretty unreliable.

 

Thirdly, on the map titled “Greater Accra” there is a new mall currently not listed by the Tetteh Quarshie Circle. The mall is called the Accra Mall. It has a Game (similar to a Target with a variety of different goods) and a Shoprite (your regular grocery store). The stores in the mall tend to be overpriced and expensive. A reasonable food court sits in the center of the mall area. Additionally, a new movie theatre has opened recently. The movie theatre is completely westernized, comparable to an American movie theatre, and even includes the American price of movies. When getting to the mall by tro tro, you have to tell the mate “Shoprite” if you want to be dropped off at the Accra Mall. If you say “Accra Mall” the mate will not understand what you are saying. Coming to the mall may be shocking to someone who has been spending most of their time in Ghana under the hot sun, without air conditioning, and in the markets. The mall is very modern and stepping into the mall is not dissimilar from stepping back into America – tiled floors, clean bathrooms, and all. When approaching and leaving the mall, you will be accosted by Chadian refugee children. The children are incredibly cute with their perfect skin and radiant eyes, yet incredibly annoying when they persistently grab onto your shirt, arms, legs, and whatever other limbs are available to beg for change.

 

Fourthly, the US Embassy listing is incorrect. It is listed that the US Embassy is in Osu; however, the US Embassy is in East Cantonments (near the W.E.B. Du Bois center).

 

Fifthly, under the section “Accra Nightlife” we believe that the club Aphrodesiac should be listed. It is a very popular place for Ghanaians and foreigners both to hang out, especially on Thursday nights when ladies get free entrance.

 

Sixthly, the entrance price for the National Museum under the section “What to See” is more than $1. The price is $5 for non-Ghanaians, $3 for students. Additionally, the restaurant is more costly than $4; in fact, it is quite pricey. In the same section, it is listed that there is the Accra Zoo. The zoo is finished. It has moved to Kumasi. In its place is the new palace.

 

GUIDE INPUT – TRAVELING IN GHANA TOWARDS CAPE COAST In Fete there is a wonderful little bed and breakfast that is owned by a man and his wife. It is called Emily’s Place. The cost is $40 for a double bed or two twin beds and the price includes breakfast. The rooms are attached to a house with a cozy kitchen and living room. In the backyard there is a lively garden and stairs that lead to a second-level porch that overlooks the inland of Fete. Separately, traveling to Winneba left us unimpressed and disgusted by the dirty beaches. There is trash everywhere and black bags constantly wash up on shore. We initially planned on staying for two nights but when we saw how horrible the beach was we hauled ass out of there immediately.

 

SEKONDI-TAKORADI AND THE WEST COAST In Butre, we stayed at the Hideout Lodge. The staff was both unfriendly and slow. The water was out the entire time we were there and the staff continued to be unaccommodating. I would only recommend staying here as a last resort – and even then you might want to think twice. Further down the beach are two or three much cleaner lodges to stay at, at the same reasonable price. The outlay is that you will have to carry your luggage fifty yards further down a sandy beach. The benefit is that the beach gets cleaner as you travel further down and you will actually be able to relax and enjoy your time in Butre.

 

THE EAST COAST In Ada, we stayed at the Maranatha Estuary Beach Club for two nights. On one side of the camp is a lake beach; on the other side is the ocean. It is a beautiful place to relax. The staff is slow but not unfriendly. The village surrounding is also accommodating and friendly to visitors although many children will run up to you shouting “Two tou-sand!” wanting twenty pesewas. The food at the beach club can be pricey, so I would recommend bringing some of your own food for the budgeting traveler. Also, I would recommend placing an order for all three meals in the beginning of the day: each meal can take two to three hours to prepare. There is no running water or electricity, and the bathrooms are wooden boxes with a hole in the ground. The price for the huts was extremely reasonably: $10 for a hut with a double bed. However, the huts smell like shit, rotting faeces, stale urine, or a combination of all three. The smell does not become incredibly noticeable until you’ve been lying on the sunken-in mattress for a little while. I would still recommend staying here, but I would also recommend taking your own sheet to put over the sheets provided for you as extra protection from the smelly mattress.

 

EAST OF LAKE VOLTA In Biakpa, we stayed at the Mountain Paradise Lodge. The lodge is gorgeous with an absolutely flawless view of the mountains. It comes with clean sheets, friendly service, a knowledgeable owner, and tire swings in the front yard. The food is good at a reasonable price and the cook will ask you to order in advance. Many hiking trails surround the lodge which you can go on independently or with a guide. The lodge offers a guide to take visitors to some surrounding waterfalls. We wanted to go to the waterfalls and asked if a guide was available. Our request was answered with the response, “The guide is traveling.” However, the next day we found out that the guide had actually died. We don’t know if “traveling” is a popular euphemism in Ghana that we don’t know about, but in that instance “traveling” meant that the guide was taken by the undercurrent of the river when trying to fetch a baseball cap from the water and he drowned. Also, biting ants march throughout the hills. I suggest you wear tennis shoes and long pants when hiking to avoid these little monsters. Around Hohoe, we stayed at the Waterfall Lodge. The lodge was at full capacity when we arrived and so we took up the option to camp out on the front yard. The lodge was efficiently run and a pleasure to stay at. The food was also very good. Wli Falls were possibly one of our favorite scenes that we saw in Ghana. The lower falls are just a quick and easy walk from the visitor center. However, the upper falls can be quite challenging. If you plan to hike to the upper falls, do not combine the adventure with drinking a bottle of palm wine and rainy weather. The combination is not good.

 

KUMASI The National Cultural Center was a very pleasing experience. The people are extremely friendly, not too pushy, and give good deals.

 

TAMALE AND MOLE NATIONAL PARK Teenage and twenty year-olds hang around where the STC buses arrive late at night. They grab foreigners and lead them to the Al Hassan Hotel, claiming that all they want to do is help Americans. They continue to say that all seats on the Metro Mass the next morning are sold out, but their relative is the manager and they can pull some strings to get you a seat — all out of the goodness of their heart, of course, they would never ask for money. They bought us a seat, but in the end they do ask for money. We paid $1, but he asked for more and we ended up giving $4 before he would leave. Other people who we have spoken to said that they paid up to $10. Every person who had taken the morning bus from Tamale to Mole said that they had had the same experience.

 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Corruption in the American Embassy: A Story of Small Small in a Big Big Country Upon learning that the US Embassy offered a research library complete with free Internet and free laser printing, we thought that we should take the opportunity to utilize the resources available to us. The first two times we visited the library we had absolutely no problems. The third time we went the Ghanaian guards made a hassle about letting us in. The fourth time was hell. The Ghanaian guards told us that the man who had to escort us had just left. When we ask when the man would return we were told, “He will come soon. Sit and wait.” After waiting twenty minutes we got tired of waiting and asked for someone else to be called to let us in. Any Embassy worker can let you in. The guards were extremely unfriendly and unaccommodating and continued to speak to each other in Twi (malicious things about us, your demanding Americans, no doubt). We were given the run-around for the next hour. Finally, we asked to be able to speak to someone who works inside the Embassy. They called someone inside and we were given the phone to speak to an American employee. We explained our situation: we wanted to use our library, we need an escort, we’ve been waiting an hour and a half, and we haven’t been getting any straight answers. Shortly, the man told us, “Just pay the guards small small, they’ll let you in.” The employee of the US Embassy wanted us to bribe the Ghanaian guards to be allowed to use the free library at the United States Embassy. The Bradt guide says that Ghanaians do not accept bribes, but this experience makes me think otherwise. Luckily, as we angrily and tearfully trudged away from the Embassy we met a Drug Enforcement Agent from Alabama who worked in the Embassy and he was able to go inside and find someone to escort us in. He was appalled that we had been asked to bribe the guards. Turns out, there had been a man in the library the entire time who would have been available to escort us into the library. It was a bitch of a situation. It is very normal and accepted policy to give someone a “dash” in order to get a good table at a restaurant, be escorted somewhere, etc. There are signs scattered across the highways that warn that to bribe a Ghanaian police officer is a crime. We have been fortunate that no situation arose where we were forced to submit bribes; however, we have heard stories of people who had to give bribes to get past highway checkpoints and various security set-ups.

 

Eye Contact: To Look or Not to Look As a foreigner (obruni) in Ghana, standing out is unavoidable and everyone will look at you. People often say “hello” as a command rather than a greeting. It can become quite testing on one’s nerves to be yelled “obruni” at all day and to be asked for twice the price of something because of the assumption that all foreigners are rich. If you do not want to stop and chat, avoiding eye contact is the way to go. People will still yell “obruni” at you and say “hello,” but avoiding eye contact with people can drastically reduce your chance of being hit on, proposed to, taken in for an hour-long conversation, or even be given the seductive up-and-down look. Walking down the street at a fast pace with sunglasses, earphones, and a hat while looking down sullenly at the road will not discourage someone from attempting to shout “obruni” at you or trying to get you to make eye contact with them. Separately, people love to read any text that lies on your shirt. Be warned, a shirt that says “Obama” or “MTN” will be read over and over again by each enthusiastic Ghanaian.

 

The Volta Region: Or the Heaven of Ghana, If You Will We all agree that Volta Region is the favorite of all places to travel in Ghana. The area is green and beautiful. The Ewe seem to be the most genuine of people we have met in Ghana and are always willing to lend a helping hand at no cost. The Volta Region is also one of the most eco-friendly regions in Ghana, offering many environmentally aware and friendly activities for the tourist to do. It is easily accessible from Accra with many tro tros leaving from Madina hourly. People who choose to volunteer in this region will certainly have a rewarding experience and fall in love with the area and culture.

 

Battle of the Sexes: Bargaining Men always try to get as much out of you as they can; women are much more willing to bargain in a non-aggressive manner. As a bonus, you will not get a marriage proposal from a woman seller. Our experience has taught us to always choose the female seller over the male: the man will always tell you that you are not being fair to him while the woman will be grateful for the sale made and appreciate your business. If you want to get on their good side, the women will really be impressed if you are a repeat customer.

 

Trading: An Alternative Trading is widely accepted if you have extra stuff you want to get rid of. They accept anything from used clothes and shoes to anti-diarrhea pills and hair straighteners. The sellers get really excited that you have things to trade with them and they will be anxious to see what you have brought. Often they will ask you to give a sum of cash on top of the traded goods, but the price will be reduced. Rastas, Rastas. Accost Us, Accost Us. Rastas are all over the country and are usually young men in love with Bob Marley. The rasta culture in Ghana is humongous. The rastas who hang out at the La Badi beach in Accra are well-known to be visa-seekers, seeking out women, young and old, pretty and unfortunate, to wed and gain a visa to a first-world country. They are incredibly persistent in approaching women: they will continue to hit on someone even after having met the husband, seen the wedding band, and been told numerous times to back off. On the plus side, if you want some cheap pot or a quick husband, you’ll adore these talkative, ganja-loving, beard-wearing, lone-dancing rasta men.

 

Hitting People: How Kristin Keeps Her Sanity AKA I am an American woman, which basically makes me a man Kristin stepping into the keys to tell you about one of my favorite Ghana activities: hitting frisky men. Before coming to Ghana I highlighted in my Bradt guide that it is OK to smack away a hand that grabs at you. Most “obrunis” here don’t know this and so they seem surprised that when a hand wraps around my right wrist I smack it with my left hand like a reflex and add a “fuck you” in there for emphasis. However, I have learned to at least look at the person first (and only smack away the men). I once was waiting for a tro tro at 37 station when I felt a hand reach from behind and in-between my legs. In this instance I did not look and ended up smacking a small boy who had been caught in the crowd. So do look, but most of the time smack away. People have no business touching you, especially with such force. Saying You Are Married/Have a Boyfriend The best advice I can give a female traveler in Ghana is to lie: always say you are married. In the beginning I was honest to everyone I met and said I was single. BIG, BIG, BIG mistake. You then have three options: figure out a way not to take their number and quick, take their number and never call, or give them your number and expect 30 calls a day starting at 5 AM. Listen ladies, either buy a wedding ring (1 cedi at any market) or say that you have a boyfriend. Most men will then leave you alone, though some may demand hearing the story of you and your lover. Some will still persist, and you actually have to become forceful, be straightforward, and use the tone you would use to punish a four-year old to get the point across. If nothing else works, alert the crowd: the crowd has huge power in Ghana and they will get the man away from you. Just make things easy for yourself: travel with a male friend or buy a band. Bra: The “Come to Me” Command One of our first weeks in Ghana we found ourselves on an expedition to the STC station in Circle to buy tickets in advance for traveling. We happened to pass a Ghanaian police officer stationed in a kiosk who extended his arm to us at a ninety-degree angle and, with palm faced down, extended his fingers in and out commanding, “Bra, bra, bra.” Confused and afraid of this unusual gesture we continued to walk past. The officer then called our attention and began to lecture us saying, “I was calling you. If an American police office called you, you would come. Why did you not come to me?” We explained to the man that we did not know what his gesture had meant, so we didn’t know how to react. We began to feel guilty for ignoring the police officer when he finally got to the point of calling us over and asked us if we had boyfriends and if he could have our number. The moral of the story is that police officers are not resistant from hitting on you, just like all other Ghanaian men. What we learned from the experience and continued to practice for the next four months is that “bra” is the correct way to call someone over to you (although if you are being called you do not always have to respond). To call a taxi, tro tro, or person, extending your right arm with palm facing down and drawing your fingers in and out of the fist position will do the trick.

Kristin Bietsch & Megan Graves