The best thing about Christmas in Ghana is the Boney M Christmas album

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The past two weeks have flown by since I last updated my blog and started on the second leg of my Ghana travel adventures. In between returning from the North and travelling south to the coast, I spent about four days back in Agogo regrouping - laundry, internet, market, going to the tailor (by the way I found a MUCH better one), and unfortunately getting sick. I had been bragging that I had spent over 3 months in Africa without so much as a sniffle or the common digestive issues (who knows if it was due to my strong immune system or the concoction of vaccinations/drugs I was given before I left) but I succumbed. Granted, it could have been much worse - probably just something bad that I ate or a bug I picked up on my travels up north - but I got the usual nausea, digestive problems and a fever. I had ruled out a mild case of malaria when I found out that Shanti had come down with the exact same symptoms a day later. But it gave me an excuse to spend the next two days at Alison’s riding it out on her living room floor laying on piled up cushions and watching episodes of sex and the city. Nothing that a little tea, dry crackers, and Carrie’s escapades in New York can’t cure!

Rested up and ready to go a couple days later, I was on my way to meet up with Rabina and Shanti in Cape Coast - for the beginning of our Coastal/Christmas Vacation. Unlike travelling in the north, this part of my vacation was a little bit slower with a little less sightseeing and a little more relaxing on the beach. I won’t bore you with every detail of the past two weeks, but it included visiting the Kakum National park and walking in the canopy of the rainforest, visiting Cape Coast Castle where slaves from west Africa were held and then shipped from Africa to the Americas, spending Christmas at a resort on the beach, heading further west down the coast, and then heading back to Elmina for New Year’s eve. All in all it was a good mix of relaxing on the beach and seeing the sights.

Instead of detailing everything, I will just share a couple highlights or interesting experiences of my coastal adventures. The first occurred even before I could get out of the Ashanti region! I was starting out on Monday Dec 22 and planned to travel to Cape Coast to meet up with Rabina and Shanti who had left a couple days earlier (I was still laying on the floor at this point). I had made it from Agogo to Konongo (about a half hour away) just fine and went to the internet to quickly check my email for about another half hour before I was to be on my way. Little did I realize how difficult that was going to be during the Christmas craziness. People were lined up on the street and in the station trying to catch a tro tro to Kumasi - where I needed to get to first before I could catch another tro tro to Cape Coast. Over a hundred and fifty people were in a line (having bought advance tickets) snaking through the station waiting to catch the next tro tro that pulled in. In all the time I was there - I hadn’t seen one yet… The streets were lined with people who were rushing the tro tros that were heading to Kumasi from other towns and may have one or two seats available. Where to take my chances? - buy a ticket at the station and wait a couple hours in line knowing I would eventually get a car - or try my luck on the side of the road. Never being one who liked to wait - I decided to take my chances at the road side. I don’t know if it is my ability to pick the car that’s going to Kumasi - or just my obruni status - but I was in a tro tro and on my way in under 20 min. That is - until we broke down about 10 min outside of Konongo. What luck. I would either have to try to catch a tro tro now at the side of the road where there were fewer cars with available seats or head back to Konongo and start all over again. Not a good beginning to my holidays. As I was debating my plan of action I witnessed people from my broken tro tro rushing a car that had stopped by the road. Women in long skirts were attempting to climb through windows in order to secure a seat. If this doesn’t give you an idea as to how crazy people were getting to get a car - I don’t know what will. Convinced my only option was heading back to Konongo, I was in the process of collecting my things, when I met my guardian angel. This woman who had been in the orginal car was not the type to be jumping through windows (a little too refined I would say) had instead flagged a tro tro going back to Konongo paid for her fare and mine (to Kumasi!) and told the driver to pick us up on his way back to Kumasi. Ingenious! And no jumping/climbing required. The car that picked us up was the newest tro tro I had ever ridden in and we got to listen to a whole celine dion album! (A treat when often the only other option is Ghanaian radio…) Finally I was on my way to Cape Coast - the next couple hours of travelling passing by uneventfully.

So this year was the first time in my 25 years I had ever celebrated Christmas away from home, in Ghana, and at a resort. We had chosen to celebrate at Ghana’s premier beach resort - Coconut Grove - in Elmina over the 24th, 25th, and 26th of December. I figured, if I was going to be away from everyone over Christmas - might as well do it in luxury. I had not felt like it was the Christmas season at all until I arrived on the 24th in the hotel lobby and saw a Christmas tree and heard Boney M’s Christmas album playing. Just like Ghanaians love their Celine Dion, they also love their Boney M - as I heard that one album on repeat over the next 3 days. Luckily I was raised on the likes of “Mary’s Boy Child” and “Zion’s Daughter” over Christmas - so it definitely put me right into the spirit. On Christmas Eve the children at the resort decorated a tree which my dad will be happy to note we took ‘family photos’ around. In the morning Santa arrived from the ocean on a fishing boat to a beach full of people. I think the best thing about my resort holiday (beach and fruity drinks aside) was the food. Not that I don’t love kenkey and jollof rice - but I had been craving food from home. And I got my roasted turkey on Christmas day at the buffet dinner! All in all, my beach holiday was a good substitute for being away from home over Christmas.

Right now I am back in Agogo for a couple days before heading out to the Volta Region - my last unexplored area of Ghana. When I return it will be time to go back to school and I will be my last month before I leave. Crazy to think how fast it has all gone by. Anyway, once again I wish every one a happy new year and will update again soon!

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