The Amazing Race Ghana

 For those planning to travel to Ghana for the first time, you may like to check out clips from a recent episode of the Amazing Race when it hit Accra, the capital of Ghana. I've just had a chance to see the clips for the first time myself and can vouch that there is nothing unusual in the experiences that the contestants had in Ghana.

That is, this is the Ghana I know and that you will encounter when you arrive. Some Ghanaians are annoyed by a "dirty" representation of Accra but, frankly, that's how Accra is.But we all have to deal with it. As did the racers.

You'll see inside a real market and also check out the famous coffin makers. Of course, you don't need to visit these places when you come to Ghana but you'd be missing out. We do cover how you can visit the coffin makers and markets in our Ghana Guide.

Ghanaweb is hosting the clips here.

The photo of the coffins at Teshie is by Walt Jabsco. A little explanation on the coffins. They're mostly "patronised" by the Ga people of Greater Accra. I say Ga, but I'm sure someone will disagree with me. The deceased may have expressed a desire to be buried in a coffin that represented their occupation in life, but also their vices or hobbies. You will see coffins shaped as cigarettes, bottles of beer, Coca Cola, pens, rockets, lobsters, and the lovely cow you can see in the photo above. Personally, I'd like to be buried in an Egyptian mummy with a bellydance coin motif coffin as well as some Adinkra symbols, kente designs, mud cloth prints and ancient Japanese text. Surely that's not too much to ask?

Excellent Photos of Ghana

Ghana Photos

If you are traveling to Ghana, I am sure you will enjoy this simple and quick way to find great photos of Ghana. Basically, head to Google Images and begin a search.

A search of "Ghana" brings back a colourful array of images.

A search of "Wli", which is in the Volta Region and a popular traveler's stop, brings back lots of waterfall pics as well as some from the hike to the Upper Falls.

"Kumasi" gives you both a view of downtown--especially crazy Kejetia trotro and market area--as well as traditional ceremonies.

A quick click on "Accra" gives you a strong sense of the capital.

The photos of "Bolgatanga" are actually very representative and give a strong sense of how the area feels.

Shoot me if the photos of "Cape Coast" don't make you want to visit! And it's sister, Elmina, is just a 15 minute drive away.

Ghana Videos!

You can do the same thing with Google Videos. Here is the link to view videos relating to "Elmina". And videos for Accra, Cape Coast (President Obama in Cape Coast) and Kumasi. There are even some for Bolgatanga!

So, you get the idea. Hit Google images search and type in the name of the place you're coming to visit in Ghana. You will get a sense of the place before you even leave home.

Elmina Castle and fishing photo at top by chris_wilson.Black and White fishermen in Cape Coast photo by See Wah.

Ghana Bloggers Mature

The blogosphere in Ghana has been growing steadily. You can read a lot of the regular bloggers at www.ghanablogging.com.

I was checking out some of my favourites and found some fun and thought-provoking stuff going on.

Accra Conscious Forever posted a brilliant poster of Adinkra symbols. If you visit Ghana, especially along the coast from Accra to the Ivory Coast and inland to Kumasi, and everywhere in between, you'll see Adinkra symbols on pretty much everything that's not moving, and much that is moving too--especially vehicles. You will certainly see a lot of batiked cloth printed with the more popular symbols. If you want to know what they mean, check out Adinkra Cloth Symbols.

Interestingly, here in the far north of Ghana most people have no idea what Adinkra is. It's simply not part of the culture as it's unique to the Akan culture, those areas described above.

Accra Conscious Forever also did an awesome post on music called Blending Visuals into Music - M3NSA

"No.1 Mango Street – the international debut album by MC, singer and producer M3NSA. The single is a cocktail of eclectic Afro sounds infused with Nu-jazz and High-Life delicately underscored with sweet harmonies of rhythm and blues."

Holli at Holli's Ramblings wrote a thought-proviking post about the issue of witches in Ghana. Both the post and the comments are worth reading. This is one of the things you're unlikely to notice while traveling through Ghana for a short time, but if you happen to pick up a newspaper on most days you'll find a story about witches. I live in the far north and hear about these problems often. It's hard to listen to and accept.

I was teaching a young girl how to use a computer and using a Harry Potter excerpt that was nicely formatted to show how the Indexing works in Word and "document map" button and she happened to flash across the mention of witches. I had to explain the history of witches in western culture and the Harry Potter phenomenon. She couldn't believe people wanted to "be" witches. One word, totally different connotations.

Here is a small excerpt from Holli's story:

"Northern Ghana is home to over 10 massive witch camps – each housing up to 1000 people – the majority of these are young children. Soak that in. THERE ARE STILL WITCHES CAMPS IN GHANA IN 2010. All of these people have been banished from their villages for all sorts of crimes, including allegedly killing people who died from ‘mysterious illnesses’."

And Betumi wrote about culinary entrepreneurship in Ghana. Betumi, by the way, is the BEST place to read about food in Ghana online. I was intrigued by this post detailing Fran's recent trip around Ghana collecting more data and researching food prep in Ghana in all its forms. I'm interested to see if she finds the 17th Century translation!

"Over lunch I challenged a couple of the English faculty to begin looking at the portrayal and symbolism of food in African literature, a shockingly neglected area, and especially to examine any gender differences between men and women writers. My sense is that women are more intimately connected to food preparation and socializing around the cooking pot and hence their memories (especially when exiled from their homelands) may be different. I'm curious to see if Helen and Kari take up the challenge. I also have the exciting promise of receiving a 17th century translation (from German) of a document describing the preparation of kenkey. I'm still trying to track down dokono's origins and history. Suggestions made at the luncheon were that, unlike "dokono," "kenkey" is a Malay word, that Northerners have always fermented millet, so they just used the same technique on corn when it arrived in Ghana. I welcome anyone's comments on his subject."

One Basket = One Tree

Another positive aspect of the recycled Bolga basket project is that for every basket sold the producers plant a tree in the community. Currently they are planting mango trees, the most popularly requested, since mangos provide excellent shade during the extremely hot season and have a natural cooling effect. They are the coolest places to be when outdoors during the hot season.

A basket maker in the cool of dusk. You can see how barren the Upper East is. We need trees! 

Of course, they also provide fruit and nutrition which are much needed in the Upper East where the average diet consists of cornmeal porridge and soup—not at all meeting daily nutrition requirements.

For the record, the price of the Ghana guide will increase as we also have a campaign to plant one tree for every guide sold—increasing the tree-planting scope so that thousands of trees will begin to grow across deforested parts of Ghana where they are badly needed.

Trees are valued and precious in Bolga because of the need for shade and wish for fruit to supplement the very bland diet. The basket makers and producers are very excited about this.

This is a long term vision, inspired by Wangari Maathai’s Greenbelt movement.

So, when you buy a recycled Bolga basket, you’re not only providing livelihoods to Ghana’s poorest men, women and youth, but also providing shade, shelter and sources of food for many years to come and greening Ghana too.

Trashy in Name Only

I referred to an article written by Emily Bowers in the first of this series about the plastic problem in Ghana. I encourage you to read the entire article, Burkina Faso Women Spin Trash Into Exports. While the article refers to Burkina Faso, it could just as easily refer to Ghana. There’s not much difference in the circumstances she describes.


Here’s a little more of what she wrote, in case you don’t read the whole story.


Across Africa, women are becoming more involved in environmental initiatives, spurred on by role models such as Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement, which started in Kenya to encourage women to plant trees and expanded into other African countries.


In 2004, Maathai brought environmental activism in Africa to the forefront, winning the Nobel Prize for Peace and encouraging other women and girls to take the lead in environmental protection. She also created economic opportunity for women as she paid them to reforest Kenya.”


The women began crocheting plastic bags into dolls and they now export the dolls and other products to the USA from their cooperative in Burkina Faso, as well as selling to local tourists.


“Lamizana also showed off a washing board, formed from melted plastic and molded into a typical, if old-fashioned, board. At their booth in the Village Artisanal de Ouagadougou, their main clientele are browsing tourists, who will pay a few dollars for the smaller items and $20 or more for a large bag.”

The same type of activities have been happening here in Ghana for some years now. Trashy Bags in Accra are selling “recycled Bolga baskets” in their store in Accra made from woven, recycled plastic bags and cloth. These baskets use traditional basket making techniques but use recycled materials.

Each basket uses 170 pure water plastic bags on average, and about 1.7 yards of recycled cloth, that would otherwise be burnt along with the plastic.

You can visit their show room in Accra and buy recycled Bolga baskets and Trashy Bag’s products like shoulder bags and purses by catching a taxi to Dzorlu and visiting the showroom. Click our header image or the side bar links for directions to the Trashy Bags showroom in Accra.

The Rubbish Monster

I read an excellent article a while back. It’s about the plastic bag problem in Africa.

Plastic bags are to the Ghana landscape what fallen leaves are to Autumn landscapes in cooler parts of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a seasonal phenomenon; it’s a 365 day a year phenomenon.

Plastic bags are simply everywhere, fluttering from high tension wires, scattered across fields and between rows of maize. They are piled high in drains and burning in piles by roadsides everywhere, emitting noxious gases in close urban quarters.

In fact, it was the “burning rubbish” smell that I was yearning for when I returned to Ghana in 2007. That’s what I couldn’t wait to smell when I alighted from the belly of the airplane in Accra. That’s the smell of Ghana.

The writer, Emily Bowers, wrote:

Traveling across West Africa, it's easy to tell when you're coming to a town or city: the spindly brown trees become decorated with plastic bags like Christmas tree tinsel. Caught in shrubs and on fences, the bags clog sewers and water sources. They are ubiquitous; simple plastic bags are handed out with practically every purchase at a market stall or container shop.

I have been told that plastic bags only became common in Ghana around 1995 or 1996. It’s not as if there is a long history with the bag. There is a long history with the cloth, the bowl or the basket however, traditional means of carrying goods in Ghana.

But the plastic bag thing caught on like the flu. And it seems like it’s going to be just as difficult to shake. Here, the bag is called a “rubber” and it’s almost always black. And then there’s the pure water bags. Everywhere.

Statistics released by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other waste management bodies indicate some 270 tonnes of plastic waste is generated each day in Accra alone. “Pure water” sachets represent 85% of this waste. 40,000 sachets are discarded daily in Accra and take 20 years to degrade partially; they will never fully disintegrate. While the Ugandan Government banned plastic bags in 2007, in Ghana pure water sales provide considerable employment and it is argued “the economic implications of a ban would just be too significant.”

TO BE CONTINUED.

Meanwhile, check out one business doing a brilliant job at combating this problem: Trashy Bags in Accra. You can visit their showroom and buy brilliant products made exclusively from recycled plastic rubbish. The directions are on their web site.

Trashy Bag image by Trashy Bags.I read an excellent article a while back. It’s about the plastic bag problem in Africa.

Trashy Videos Woo

We're starting a series here about recycled plastic products that you can find at Trashy Bags in Accra. They're brilliant. 

This is what CNN had to show about Trashy Bags (hint, click the link for brilliant images about the problem):

When British entrepreneur Stuart Gold saw Accra's plastic problem he recognized an opportunity for a business venture -- an NGO that could clean up the streets and create jobs in the community.

His idea was to collect discarded sachets, clean them up and stitch them together to make brightly colored, fashionable bags.

Two-and-a-half years later, Trashy Bags makes around 250 items a week and produces 350 different designs of bags, wallets and raincoats.

Aaaaand, watch Trashy Bags brilliant own video here. It's fantastic. Don't miss it!

For directions to Trashy Bags shop and showroom in Accra, click this link.

Ghana Highlights Part 1: Accra to the Central and Western Regions

Ghana Highlights Part 1: Accra to the Central and Western Region, or the coast.
I’ll cover major attractions in each part. After I have posted each part, I’ll provide a few simple itineraries in a fourth post. Click here for all the Ghana Highlights on one page.

In Ghana, every region has something to offer. Culture, history, beaches, flora and fauna, you can sample it all over the country, from the tropical jungles of the south to the savannah plains of the north. If you’re a beach or history lover, you’ll enjoy this tour along the coast.

Accra. Historical monuments; Shopping

Intro: Unlike many capital cities, Accra is missing a ‘focal point’ which can make it difficult to know where to head first. It is more like a cobbled-together series of districts in which there may be something of interest in each, but no one area that stands out above all the others. Tourists tend to frequent Osu and its main street running from Danquah Circle all the way towards Ministries (where government buildings are) area and seeing a few highlights is a twenty minute taxi ride from here.
My highlights:

Nkrumah Mausoleum
National Cultural Centre which is somewhat underwhelming, located in a dusty field on the ocean. They sell a good range of arts and crafts but the hassle factor is extremely high. However, you can find some interesting surprises in the small shops behind the main shed including intricately carved camel bone beaded necklaces and other crafts from all over West Africa.

Global Mamas shop beside Koala in Osu is good for souvenirs and Christmas gifts that make a direct difference to the women producers.

Osu Castle. You can’t go inside, as it’s the President’s official residence, and photography is forbidden, but it’s worth passing by if you’re interested in historical monuments.

Greater Accra. Chilling out.

Aburi: About an hour north of Accra by trotro is Aburi Botanical Gardens. Aburi is a great day trip from Accra or a good weekend away. The day I visited was overcast and drizzly which was perfect. The gardens were misty and magical; you could almost imagine fairies hiding beneath the ferns and behind hundred year old towering trees. It’s a great respite from the bustle of Accra. There are plenty of places to sit and have a picnic. We stocked up at Max Mart near 37 on Lebanese bread, hommus, falafel, cheese and other goodies and had ourselves a feast. You can catch a trotro from 37 directly to the town and walk 5 minutes to the entrance from there.

Cape Coast. Beaches; Historical monuments.

Fanti name: Ogua Koto. Koto means crab, appropriate for this fishing town, and you will probably pass the crab statue on the main road at some point.

Intro: The crumbling gelato-coloured decaying colonial facades give this regional capital character.
My top choices:

Anomabo Beach. This fantastic beach is half an hour from Cape and great for a day trip. You pass the turn off to Anomabo as you arrive in Cape from Accra. From Cape, catch a Mankessim trotro from Kotakoraba taxi station (Cape’s main one) and hop off at the Anomabo junction.

Cape Coast Castle: Located at the ocean, or southern, end of the main street, this UN-listed historical monument, the former British trading stronghold, is not to be missed if you only have a day or two in town. See Elmina below.

Global Mamas workshops: They offer half-day batiking, cooking, and drumming and dancing workshops in town. Book at the shop which is located up the hill from Melcom on Jackson Street, or the road that runs perpendicular to the main road at the one traffic light. The Global Mamas shop is worth visiting too. Incidentally, there is a FOREX in the same building as Global Mamas.

Baobab Café: On the main street serves real plunger coffee. Ask for it strong. Their banana or coconut muffins, and their wholesome pizzas, are a welcome change from rice and beans. And it’s for a good cause.

Black Star Bookshop: Next to Baobab and a minute from the castle. English, French, Dutch and German second-hand and new titles. I found several gems here.

• Kakum Canopy Walk: You’ll be disappointed if you’re expecting ‘forest elephants’ or even monkeys, but if you’d like to know how it feels to sway in a rainforest canopy, it’s worth a trip. If you have limited time, don’t worry if you miss it.

Elmina. Historical monuments; Beaches.

Fanti name: Edina. The name Elmina came from the Portuguese for 'the mine' because of the abundance of gold they found traded here.

Intro: A town alive with colour and bustle that often frightens first-timers. But it’s worth walking through. And check out the market: step inside the corrugated tin doorway, opposite the castle, and meet brightly-dressed women sitting on upturned crates around platters of fish in every stage of guttedness: an alley cat’s dream. And buy a bag of rock salt for 5 pesewas.

Elmina Castle: I felt more awed by Elmina Castle than any other in Ghana. Also a UN-listed
historical site, it has the distinction of being the oldest standing European building in sub-Saharan Africa. It was built in 1482, but it has been built on many times over the years. The pillars still standing in the sand in front are what remains of the pier that ships used to moor to. Fort St Jago, a smaller fort built by the Dutch in 1665 to protect the castle against an ambush, sits on the hill behind. The Dutch, you see, ambushed the Portuguese from that hill to take control of the castle in 1637. It was in the late eighteenth century that the British acquired the castle from the Dutch in a monetary exchange.
Brenu Beach: Only twenty minutes from Elmina, this is one of my favourites for a day trip. Just catch a trotro or a share taxi heading towards T’di. Get off at the Brenu junction. Catch a share taxi from there to the beach. You only need pay 50 pesewas to enter the beach area for the day (although it might have gone up). The meals are very good. Return the same way, but don’t leave it too late as it’s tough to get one back late at night.

Ko-sa Beach Resort: This laid-back, German-owned establishment has a fantastic menu. Take the same turn-off that takes you to Brenu. I stayed four days here; I didn’t want to leave and ate my way through the best yam balls and stew (aside from Eli’s), lobster in tomato and garlic sauce, delectable salads with olives and Balsamic, pancakes and coffee…the beach is good too and you can take walks to Brenu beach from there.

Coconut Grove Resort: If you want to spoil yourself, stay a weekend here. It’s in the same price range as Elmina Beach Resort and ten times lovelier. Swim all day in the pool or on the beach. Rooms have scalding hot water, air-con and satellite TV. Food is ok (hotel resortish), but Ko-sa’s is better.

Past Takoradi. Beaches; Nature.

Intro: If you keep heading west past Elmina you hit the twin cities, Sekondi/Takoradi, capital of the Western Region. I didn’t find much to excite in T’di itself, but the area past here, all the way to the border, is fantastic. You only need to head another half hour by tro to get to Busua Beach, Butre Beach, or Green Turtle Lodge. You change tros in T’di. From its main station catch the one heading to ‘Agona’ Junction. This junction connects you to all these beaches. Busua is easiest to get to. Catch a share taxi from the junction straight to the beach. For Butre, ask for the Butre tro. For Green Turtle take a tro heading to Akwida. It can take a while to fill up, but it only takes twenty minutes to get there.

Butre Beach. The place to stay is Ellis Hideout. You get there by walking through town and crossing a small river by canoe and walking along the beach for about fifty metres. The beach is all yours for miles.

Busua Beach. I liked staying at the old backpacker favourite, Alaska. Rudimentary rooms in a concrete thatch hut: bed and net were about 10 Cedis a night. And, best part, it’s a ten metre walk to the beach from your front door. But there are about a dozen guest houses to choose from so go check them out. The beach here seems to be safer than many others, perhaps because of the cove at one end. Kids playing soccer on Busua Beach.

Green Turtle. Almost always booked out so book far in advance. Very similar ambience to Ko-sa. Food-wise, Ko-sa wins. Beach-wise and cocktails-wise, GT wins. I love the set up under the main hut in the sand and all the areas to hang out—and the shower under the palms! They also have eco-tours in a canoe along a river and seeing turtles lay eggs and hatch.
Sleeping on the beach at Green Turtle.

Further past T’di. Beaches. Nature. Culture. Historical Monuments.
Intro: The area makes a good weekend trip from Cape or Elmina, or even Accra, if you’re tough!
Axim Beach Resort: This is my
favourite for beach, location, and views in Ghana. If it had Ko-sa’s food, I’d never go anywhere else. And, it’s owned and run by a Ghanaian man called Jonas. His story is unique: he saved money teaching English throughout Asia which he used upon his return to build Axim, and he’s done an amazing job, seeming combining some of the best characteristics of South East Asian guest houses with African style. Situated on a hill overlooking a rocky beach to the west and the Awangazule Beach to the east, what I love most is that there is a range of accommodation and room styles to cater to all budgets, but you don’t feel as if you’re roughing it even in the cheapest room. The décor and even bathrooms are quirky with seashell mosaics and tiles adorning almost all walls.

I spent many a weekend chilling out on the beach. There is a great restaurant and bar on the beach, a park area, BBQ, and even a flying fox! There is another restaurant on the hill by the guest rooms with several tiers of tables down the hill. Breakfast is a spread of eggs, toast, lemon grass tea, the usual Nescafe/Lipton/Milo, and fruits and is included in accommodation. The main menu has fresh fish, plenty of good Ghanaian dishes, and good drinks. And there is even an internet room with about 5 computers and a decent connection.• Fort Sao Antonio is the second oldest fort in Ghana after Elmina and worth a walk into Axim town, reminiscent of Elmina, to visit if you have a free half day. Umbrellas along the beach at Axim.

Nzulezo Stilt Village. This is one of my Ghana highlights, an experience in itself. This village, as the name suggests, is built on bamboo stilts and sits entirely above the lake in the Amansuri wetlands. There is even a school room on stilts at the edge of the forest. The one-hour canoe trip to and from the village, across lilly-pad studded waters, and through jungle growing in the wetlands, is quite special. I stayed overnight there and swam (brave or stupid—both I think) in the lake with the locals. Staying overnight, I sensed how life is in this isolated, secluded village.

One family had a generator and what was everyone gathered around one TV watching? Football, of course. It occurred to me then that the kids who lived there had no where to play football. They would have to canoe the hour to land to play. When I arrived it was Friday afternoon and school had ended. There were about a dozen kids each in their own canoe, still in uniform, spread all over the lake gazing into the dead still water, looking for fish. Most people visit for half a day from Axim Beach or even T’di. If you’re staying in Axim, ask the staff how to get here as it can be tricky. Otherwise, check the Bradt Guide or its web site for latest updates. It lies along a long dirt road off the main road between T’di and Elubo. I advise getting a trotro or share taxi from the junction to Nzulezo.


Tipping guides: I have learnt that guides don’t get paid a salary for guiding at most attractions. They survive on tips. That includes Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle, Nzulezo canoeists, and, in Part 2, Wli Waterfalls. Keep in mind the minimum wage is 2.65 Cedis a day. I tip commensurate with the effort made—great, average, bad—and what I gauge they might make that day. I’d probably tip 2 Cedis at the Castles if it was an informative tour and I could hear their voice because they’re likely to do a couple of tours a day and have more than one person on it (I’ve done about 5 tours of Elmina castle and the guides varied greatly). I’d tip more for the canoeists as they might do that one tour a day, likewise the Wli Waterfalls.

For what it’s worth, most drumming and dancing groups don’t get paid by the venue for their performance, including at 5-star hotels. They also survive on tips so when they hand around a hat, it’s good form to tip a Cedi or two if you enjoyed the performance.

 

Next: Part 2: Accra to the Eastern Region, Brong Ahafo and Volta Region, or the mountains and lake. Following: Part 3: Accra to Kumasi and the three northern regions, or the savannah.
Final, Part 4: Itineraries for short and long trips.

Accra accommodation: Rising Phoenix and photos

On this cloudy morning the only sunlight to break through shone a golden line over the horizon. You may just be able to see the glow.

On our recent trip to Accra we took these photos from the verandah of our room at The Rising Phoenix. The Rising Phoenix is the former Akuma Village that we refer to in Ghana Highlights Part 1 and which we've updated in the Insider's Guide to Ghana. For those living in Accra, Rising Phoenix will hold free yoga and meditation classes daily from 7 a.m. They also hold reggae nights on Fridays with a 5 GHC cover charge. And, they have an excellent vegetarian menu with Greek Salads ranging from 3.00 GHC and, for example, Ghanaian dishes with a twist: Jollof rice with tofu. It's very good value and the view is spectacular. It's also just a 5 minute walk to Kwame Nkrumah's mausoleum and the Cultural Centre and there is an excellent Vodaphone Internet Cafe directly behind.

Rooms sit on a cliff overlooking the ocean--the views from this photo--and cost between 20-30 GHC per night. A great budget option in the centre of Accra. We have this and plenty more in the new guide. Subscribe on the right if you would like to be updated upon the release. Discounts for the first 24 hours and a fun competition with prizes for travelers in Ghana.

When the sun finally broke through the clouds it cast a heavenly glow over the ocean and the fishermen pulling in their overnight haul.