Blogs from Ghana, Africa

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Africa » Ghana March 9th 2024

Firstly, can I offer some background and detail for those with only a superficial knowledge of this key element of West Africa’s history. It helps to explain why slavery is still an undercurrent of most aspects of life today in this region. The Transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The outfitted European slave ships of the slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route, and existed from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The vast majority of those who were transported were from West Africa, who had been sold by West A... read more
Locals paying homage at the Gate
St George's Castle at Elmina
View of Elmina from the coast

Africa » Ghana » Ashanti March 6th 2024

Soon after crossing the border from Togo into Ghana, we headed for Kumasi, Ghana’s second city and the ancestral home of the old Ashanti Kingdom. By way of background, the Ashanti people were one of the most powerful nations in Africa until the end of the 19th century, when the British annexed Ashanti country, bringing it into their Gold Coast colony. Originally from the northern savannah regions, the Ashanti people migrated south, carving farms out of the wild rainforest. The region was rich in gold, and trade in this precious metal developed quickly, with small tribal states developing and vying for control of resources. In the late 17th century, the Ashanti ruler had brought these states together in a loose confederation and the Ashanti Kingdom was born. Their social organisation is still very much centred on ... read more
Lining up to pay their condolences
A sacrifice to the gods
Plenty of colour amongst the Chiefs

Africa » Ghana August 12th 2023

Greetings from Ghana!? This morning I am thumping around on the computer and decided to take a moment and pop in here at TravelBlog. I am amazed to see that it has been FIVE YEARS since my last post! IT has changed a great deal in recent years. Personally, I haven't grown and kept up with the changes. It's just not my interest, yet it is almost necessary in todays world. I am considering what the best option and method is to reconnect or stay up to date with folks. Would you be interested in receiving a Blog update from me, here in TravelBlog? As this message, it would be sent to your email address. Please comment in the box below. Hmm ... I have some bugs to work out with this blog site... I am ... read more

Africa » Ghana August 11th 2023

Wow ... looking into this Blog Site ... I am surprised it has been FIVE YEARS since I last posted. Not sure how many of you are still using email. Let alone the same email. This post is kind of a test run. Leave me a message in the comments if you are interested in receiving future blog posts. Christine... read more

Africa » Ghana » Central » Ankwanda July 11th 2023

Ankwanda The ordinary seaside town has nothing to offer tourists other than the fabulous Beach House hotel, owned by Ghanaians living abroad. The bus driver missed our stop and dropped us off 12km away at 5pm. We hadn’t gotten any exercise all day, so we walked to Ankwanda. About half was on a dirt road toward the sea and the other half on the beach at sunset. We arrived just after dark. It really was Peggy's idea to walk, though probably only to impress me. Beach House Ankwanda towers over the town and the view from the delicious rooftop restaurant illustrates the contrast between two worlds - the locals and the tourists. But the town does benefit through its staff - local kids who climb the palms to get coconuts for guests (are we complicit in ... read more
View from the castle pulpit.
Elmina
Condemned Room

Africa » Ghana » Greater Accra July 10th 2023

Arrival Our miserable flights with no entertainment or reclining seats from Malaga via Casablanca landed in Accra at 4:30 AM. After Peggy’s herculean month-long navigation of the visa process, we were expecting more red tape at entry, but the 10-minute immigration process was efficient and friendly. But they were by the book when it came to the yellow fever vaccines. We would never doctor our 15-year-old yellow fever vaccine cards to enter the country - because that would be wrong. We walked the km to the Marriott booked with Peggy’s platinum status. This sort of thing is always Peggy's idea. I was exhausted. And I was embarrassed stepping over people sleeping in the streets on our way to luxury. The breakfast was magnificent but Peggy was denied entry due to rule following, which is pretty funny. ... read more
Shop
The Sludge
At Tudu Bus Station

Africa » Ghana » Volta » Wli July 7th 2023

Wli (pronounced Vlee, like glee) is in the highlands on the border with Togo, 137mi/212km north of Accra. Getting There The 2pm bus left Accra’s Tudu bus station half an hour late and we passed our airport hotel an hour and a half after that, so I was relieved when the traffic subsided and we hit the open road. This was short-lived, though, as there were more potholes than asphalt on the road to Hohoe, presumably caused by heavy rains, that the two rotating bus drivers somehow navigated without breaking an axle, which made for one of the worst long journeys I’ve ever been on. We finally made it to Hohoe at 9:30 p.m. and then found a taxi to take us the rest of the way to Wli. Accommodations We spent 3 nights in Wli ... read more
Memorials
Lower Falls
Anthill

Africa » Ghana » Ashanti » Kumasi December 31st 2020

After a 5 hour VIP bus ride from Accra up to Kumasi, we started asking questions and found out se had accidentally timed our northward trip to coincide with the Akwasidae! The Akasidae is a celebration of the ancestors held every six weeks by the Asantehene (King of the Ashante people). He enters the courtyard of the Manhyia Palace in the royal palanquin protected by the royal umbrellas and there he meets his subjects and the lesser chiefs. The Golden Stool (the traditional throne of the Ashante people) is displayed at the palace grounds and honor is paid as the people have the liberty to present themselves and their gifts. Drums, horn, dancing and singing are also a big part of the celebration! We were told to be there by 10 am to catch all of ... read more
Kpanlogo drums
The Royal Umbrellas
Royal Umbrella

Africa » Ghana November 28th 2018

This trip was jinxed, or so I thought, still recovering from a duo of lurgies as I lay in an MRI on a Saturday evening five days before my flight. Not to mention the saga of getting a Ghanaian visa, the moral of which is – to save you the gory details, not least of which was the size of my ’phone bill to the High Commission – if in doubt, pay more to get it done fast. You can’t lose, and it beats having the travel agent on standby and almost missing a friend’s Kenyan wedding. This is not a time to be Scottish. So it was with a major degree of self-pinching that I found myself boarding the right flight on the right day, and then, still glowing from the buzz of a spectacular ... read more
scenic football practice area
James Town lighthouse
fishing village

Africa » Ghana » Northern November 5th 2018

Things don’t always go to plan in Africa, or even as might reasonably be anticipated. The old hands have a couple of acronyms for this: TIAB (this is Africa, baby), or the more fatalistic AWA (Africa wins again). But this can go both ways, and the positives never seem to get much of a name-check. Seeing elephants in Mole National Park was definitely one of the latter. It’s the back end of the wet season here. Water and vegetation are everywhere, so animals disperse; no need to congregate around shrinking resources when there’s an abundance. The chance of seeing anything in the long grass – sometimes 10-12 feet just high at the roadside – let alone in a national park where only a small percentage of the park is accessible and then only when being driven ... read more
kob
shooting the breeze, Mognori village
your boat is waiting...




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