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?

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."

Then and Now: A Morning in the Life

Sydney, Australia:

8 a.m. I dried my hair with a ten-speed salon dryer and rolled it into Velcro rollers for added oomph after taking a long, hot shower.  All made up, shoulder bag clasped under my arm, I marched out of the house dressed in a suit and high heels, clacking along the footpath to the bus stop. Neither the old lady walking her poodle nor the young man huffing along in the latest aero-dynamic jogging ensemble said hello when we passed each other. Rounding the corner, I approached the dozen passengers standing strategically, like pieces on a chess board, willing the bus to stop in front of them. When the bus finally arrived four minutes late, we each jostled for position, squeezing out all others ever so politely—using briefcases for leverage. No one made eye contact and no one acknowledged each other; only ‘weirdos’ said hello to strangers on the bus. 

Cape Coast, Ghana: 3.30 a.m.

Cock-a-doodle-doo crows the damned rooster, no doubt chuffed to be a rooster. I hold my watch up to the moonlight. It's not bloody daylight for another two hours, I think, kicking the mosquito net over my feet.  In this pre-dawn darkness I hear the foot steps and the quiet murmurs of people trudging along the dirt track beside the house; the coolest time of the ‘day’, a good time to start work.

A chain of cock-a-doodle-doos suddenly echo around the neighbourhood like talking drums. In my half-sleep delirium I imagine the roosters crowing in my father’s voice: ‘Cockadoodle-twooooo more hours fellas, look at all those lazy buggers still sleeping,’ Damn roosters. I have visions of pinging them with the security man’s sling shot and fall asleep thinking the whole crowing at sunrise thing is a myth.

I awake again around six a.m. For a few minutes light creeps across the bedroom wall like an animal stalking its prey. And then, as if the chase is on, the sun shoots up and away, and light floods every surface.
We’re a ‘stone’s throw’ from the equator, as Ghanaians would say; one minute it’s dark, the next it’s light, every day, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year.

I sit up and notice that several new bites have appeared on my legs overnight even though I sleep under a net. Malarial bites are rumoured not to itch. These tiny red dots do not itch. I decide not to think about malaria now. Most Ghanaians have a fairly laissez faire attitude towards the whole thing. ‘Oh, it is just like catching a cold.’ Malaria shmalaria I think and get up and clip the mosquito net over my bed.

Geckoes scatter across the glass window slats when I pad into the kitchen. I cut off a couple of hunks of bread and toast them on a small fry-pan over an old gas stove with only two working burners.

Next, I take a ‘shower'. That is, I let a trickle of water drip over my body from a rusted shower head. There is no hot water. It is too hot for hot water anyway. So, first, I splash the trickle over my shoulders, chest and legs. Then I turn the tap off. I take a bar of soap and lather up all over, peering out the bathroom window at the dirt track where kids in uniform trudge by on their way to school.

If it’s one of the two days a week I wash my hair, I’ll use a bucket instead of the trickle (I’m tempted to grow dreadlocks). Then I turn the trickle on and do the shower hokey pokey – moving one body part after another under the drip, taking turns to wash the soap off. I have to remind myself not to swallow water from the tap – that’s just asking for trouble. I manage to use a tenth of a bucket of water during these washes, saving that which drips off me to throw over whichever vegetable Appiah is growing; now, it’s maize. My hair dries in ten minutes, curling into ringlets in the humidity. No more whiz-bang dryer or Velcro rollers for this obruni.

The sensation of squeaky clean skin, a luxury, lasts for the hour I potter about the house before stepping outside into the ninety-nine percent humidity.

 “Good morning/how are you?/I’m fine/thank you,” chorus the women and men, legs spread apart in the dirt, breaking rocks with rocks to earn a pittance of a living, when I walk out the front gate at eight-thirty.

“Good morning,” I reply, once more in awe of their cheerfulness in the face of endless, sweaty labor and no prospect of an easier life anytime soon. 

“Good morning,” greets the man walking past in suit and tie, swinging his briefcase, headed to an office in Elmina, probably.

“Good morning,” I reply.

“Fine,” smiles the lady carrying small pastries in a glass case on her head.

“Fine,” I reply, smiling. The baby wrapped on her back bounces in time to her footsteps, head lolling backwards. He’s fast asleep.

I stand at the junction in the morning glare and do “the hitchhiker,” pointing towards the Atlantic Ocean just over the rise. My aim is to get to the office by nine o’clock. I’m hopeful. You’ve got to be hopeful—there ain’t much else to latch onto when it comes to transport in Ghana.

A share taxi pulls over. I squeeze in the back seat next to two fat market ladies cradling baskets of smelly, silver fish on their laps.

“Good morning,” the three passengers and the driver greet me.

“Good morning,” I reply.

It’s fair to say that Ghanaians place great stock in greetings. A simple rule is to do so when you enter a room or a vehicle, and always return a greeting, wherever you are. 

Different lives. Different mornings.

Culture for beginners in Ghana

For those just about to arrive in Ghana, and those treading the waters for the first time right now, you might enjoy learning the basics of Ghanaian culture with this short story:

Greetings

Ghanaians will always take at least five minutes inquiring about each other's family, work and health before getting down to business. No matter how pressing the matter at hand, priority is placed on the other person and the family, and there is an obligation to ask after the well being of the others’ family before anything else.

When traveling, if help is needed it is polite to first at least inquire “How are you?” to whomever you meet before asking for the help.

Shaking Hands

 

Like many international cultures, shaking is done exclusively with right hands. In Ghana there is an addition to this. In informal or friendly situations the middle fingers are clicked together to make a sharp “snapping” sound. In formal work situations or when meeting elders the snap is left out.

No left hands

Also, like many international cultures, never use the left hand for anything of significance. It's considered dirty. Do not use the left hand to eat--Ghanaians eat with their right hand--to handle money, to wave, to shake, or in any intereaction with other people.

The topless insanity of itchy appreciation

You may want to read the whole post over at G-lish. Here is an excerpt:

"I’m a woman on the brink of insanity with itchiness. It’s a painful, prickling itchy. I have heat rash across my back, my neck and ears, just like this time last year, but worse. It feels like the chicken pox, or a bee sting, or the reaction I get to insecticide-treated malaria nets. I want to scratch my skin off. I can’t touch my face as it hurts, as though my fingers have tiny razors in their tips and microscopic glass shavings have embedded themselves in my lips, forehead and nose.

 

This comes as I receive an email from a reader of This is Ghana which made me worry about how I’ll make peace with all this life when I return home.

We’d corresponded on and off and I wrote to her that adjusting to life at “home” can often prove more challenging than adapting to a foreign culture like Ghana. Returning home is “reverse culture shock” I said.

She replied:  Going back home was very difficult…just being shocked at how we live in Australia- how much we have, how much we waste, and how much we take for granted without being appreciative or even realising that not everyone in the world is as privilleged as we are.

This has been my fear for the better part of my time living and traveling abroad for the past five years. Back after Japan, when I struggled for months to re-adjust after one year on the island of Shikoku, it was just cultural and I was young. Now it’s much more than that.

I struggled with affluence before I experienced life in a poverty-stricken country. I knew something was very messed up with the wholesale brainwash of Christmas gift-giving years before I arrived in Ghana.

This is my fear. How to integrate. How to pretend. How not to go mad. How not to lose a lot of friends. How to reconcile the two?"

It's all here at The Topless Insanity of Itchy Appreciation

Ghana survival essentials: Do you have these three qualities?

Ghana would flash alongside despots and endangered gorillas on the international media’s Africa radar if peace and friendliness were newsworthy. But Ghana, a nation where followers of all faiths—Christians, Muslims, and Traditionalists, all—work, eat, joke, and vote together, displaying a remarkably high level of mutual acceptance as they enjoy their constitutional right to Freedom of Worship, is still a bit of a secret. If there’s one thing we’re not good at, though, it’s keeping secrets that really ought to be shared, which is why we decided to write this story.

The idea took form during one of many spontaneous trotro journeys. I had been “sweating like a pregnant toad”, as Ghanaians say, in velvet-heavy humidity on the hot side of an old, rusting lorry-bus (trotro), while a lay-preacher shouted a revival-style sermon above my head for three hours before we set off on a four hour journey that unfolded, like a market lady’s wrap skirt, to seven hours, because we broke down. It was while five men were simultaneously shouting at the driver who was banging on a piece of smoking engine, and every other man stood peeing along the road facing the jungle halfway to Kumasi, and one proposed for my hand in marriage, that the three Ghana survival essentials whacked me over the head. It was a perfect Zen-coma-trotro moment, a state you must enter to endure and rationalize the numerous near death experiences and delays that every road journey absolutely guarantees. I thought I best mention these survival essentials now, before we get started; you might want to find another country. Although, this advice applies in varying degrees to travel across all of Africa and most developing nations.

Right. So, when a man (or woman) peeing along the side of the highway proposes marriage to you midstream—the eleventh in two days (granted, the other ten weren’t peeing)—and all you want to do yourself is pee (but you can’t because all eyes are on you), and get where you had to be—three hours ago, you need Patience, with a very, very capital P. You might point out that there is no middle road when it comes to capitalisation, and that’s how it is with this most important of attributes. In fact, since you made it to the end of this paragraph, you might actually have what it takes.

Now, if you’re over thirty you’ll remember waking up early to catch the best cartoons, and how much Boy George wanted to be Madonna, and how much Jon Bon Jovi just wanted their hair, and all the chores you did to save up for those feather hair-clip thingies and stone-washed denim jeans. Well, Whoa-oh! We’re halfway there-ere…Whoa-oh!...because the second most important survival attribute is (not an ability to spout useless 80s pop trivia but, rather) a Scooby-Doo-like, Dogged Determination. (By the way, if you’re under thirty, you’re probably not still singing “whoah-oh, living on a prayer-er…” Anyway, whatever age, you’ll be saying your prayers in Ghana—especially on the road.)

The determination is because you will encounter many obstacles along your journey. This is a good thing. It may be locating the vehicle (among thousands) to take you where you wish to go (which may not necessarily be where you end up), or finding the office that processes the twenty-third piece of paper you need to legitimize your stay, or finding a copier to copy the twenty-third piece of paper since the office (now you have finally located it) has a photocopier but it’s “finished” (not working), or not giving up when the internet crashes for the fifteenth time in an hour and you still haven’t opened one email.

It’s more a tortoise than a hare kind of determination, if that helps, because nothing gets done fast, except switching channels to the UEFA Championship, or the English Premiere League, or any Blackstars game.

And, finally, the third and final attribute, which is as much about survival as preventing malaria, is this: A-Steve-Martin-meets-Billy-Connelly-meets-Queen-Latifah-who-meets-The-Queen-of-England, royally-bonkers, whacked-out Sense Of Humour; after the fifty-fifth, breaking-down-pee-copier-email incident, you will need it.

In fact, your journey’s sub-theme could be: Learning How to Laugh No Matter What. Because there is the poverty you’re not going to believe when you first encounter it. Poverty is not “funny haha”, but life is, and the ladies selling strings of beads from shiny aluminium bowls balanced on their heads, and the elderly woman selling freshly charred plantains from her smoking brazier by the open sewer, or the children who shout “obruni!” when they spot you every few feet, or the men or women you promise to marry if they agree to be husband/wife number seventeen, will be shaking with laughter.

If you are not naturally blessed with the three attributes, you have two choices:
1. Cultivate them very quickly, or
2. Try Europe instead. Apparently the London underground only keeps you waiting an hour on a bad day. It’s up to you. Look. I don’t know much, but I do know that life in Ghana is nothing if not wildly unpredictable. It is certainly not “neat” or “conventional”: Japan is neat; France is conventional; Ghana is anything but.

Right? Now we can begin. Although, this is not exactly the beginning. And it’s definitely not conventional. Patience, trust me.

And so your journey begins...

Everything But Ghana: Top Global Travel Bloggers Part 2!!!

These awesome blogs will deliver a killer blow to hit the road. In here we cover Cambodia, Switzerland, Malta, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Japan, China, Vietnam, Green travel, recipes and England. 

Just Wandering

Focus: Budget travel in the Philippines, Southeast Asia and Australia

@evilmartian

My thoughts: If Cambodia is on your radar, read this. Having lived and traveled a little there, I know this blog is on the money. I can vouch for the Australia section too! I miss the same things about Sydney and I never thought of the trains as double-decker, but hey, they are!

Travel with Denden

Focus: About Europe, mainly Switzerland with a focus on Malta too

My thoughts: Breaking the Swiss stereotypes. Providing a window into Malta too.

Destination Anywhere

Focus: Sshiksa blog is a travel and photography blog, covering so far Mexico, Cuba, UK & Ireland and Morocco. I'm a 27 year old Estonian woman and i write about my travels the way i experience them, not so much as a guidebook on "how-to".

My thoughts: Lovely intro to Morocco as well as Mexico, Cuba and Ireland.

Lex Paradise

Focus: South Korea

@lexliang

My thoughts: This is the Korean equivalent of our blog, This is Ghana. Want anything Korean, come here.

Los Diaros De A Bordo

Focus: Spain and Worldwide

My thoughts: Oh I love how this looks. Mexico and Japan!

Travelling Naturally

Focus: Green Earth Guide author writing about green/eco traveling mostly in Europe and the USA

@travelingreen

My thoughts: I love this site. Green travel, recipes and great layout.

Uncommon Travel

Focus: World Travel: Traveling, writing, being human in quirky vignettes.

@uncommontravel

My thoughts: China, Vietnam, and simplicity in design at its best. 

Lets Do Something Different

Focus: A site mainly about travelling with children 

My thoughts: Sweet and simple and makes me want to go to England again, damn it! If you have children, check this out.

Cherry Blossom by Jason Dunn Turtle by by whl.travel

A-Z of everything I wish I'd known about Ghana before I left home

Like your average trotro journey, this list went on forever…and here it is.

Akpetushie: Pronounced “Appehtooshie” is the local moonshine and could forgivably be confused for nail polish remover mixed with pure alcohol. Drink with caution. It will give you the best/worst hangover of your life.

Books: There was a good second-hand bookshop in Cape Coast called Blackstar Bookshop near the castle (and next to the Baobab Café which, by the way, has great banana bread and supports a good local café.

Birkenstocks: You can find original ones in Accra Mall for the usual price, second-hand ones all over the country for about 10-20 GCs, and rip-offs for about 10 GCs.

Caning or “beating” students: Caning students is common practice at schools. Many Ghanaians still believe this is how you “correct” poorly performing students. I was not warned about this when I went to volunteer at a school and it was quite shocking. The caning was quite violent, not “soft”, as if teachers were acting out some kind of abuse they’d experienced themselves (which they probably had). If you protest against it, Christian teachers will invoke the Bible: “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” Worse still, parents might urge you to beat their children. If you want to oppose it, you have to remain strong. Ghanaians have virtually no knowledge of learning disabilities. Dyslexia is almost unheard of. Consequently, struggling children (much as they have been elsewhere) get beaten and verbally berated and made examples of for not being able to complete some task that requires reading and writing. The teachers have no idea that their violence doesn’t help. So, brace yourself for this if you plan to teach as a volunteer. There are a handful of schools where teachers don’t beat: the difference is startling. A teenage girl died recently after a beating at school which put the issue on the national radar for a few weeks. Opinions were roughly divided between for and against. I was very against. I shall write a separate post on my experience as well as potential strategies you could use at school to stop or reduce beating. Look for “caning” as a key word.

Clothes (second-hand): Obruni wawu means “dead white man” and is used to describe the prolific second-hand clothing sold everywhere. There is a myth that no citizen of a developed country would wear the clothes of a dead person, so it’s dead obrunis’ clothes that are sent to be sold as second hand clothes—they couldn’t possibly be from the living. This, often very good quality, second-hand clothing is a bargain: T-shirts for 2-5 GCs, gypsy skirts for about 10 GCs and new jeans for 10 GCs. Trying them on over sticky bodies beside open sewers is another story…

Condoms: Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant. While the rate of HIV/Aids is about 2.9% across the country, it’s much higher in urban areas. Use condoms. You can buy them in pharmacies, supermarkets and gas stations from 10 pesewas to a few Cedis.

Drinking Water: You can buy “puuure watah!” just about anywhere for 5 pesewas—look for the blue ice boxes sitting all along the streets. Just how pure it is, however, is anyone’s guess. You can buy bottled water at shops everywhere too for about 50 p.

English: It is the official language and is spoken almost everywhere, except in the most remote villages. And, while it’s the official language, it has its own idiosyncrasies. Written standards are pretty poor, even at university. If you’re coming to teach, anything related to literacy or the basics of grammar for the level you’re teaching would be helpful. Children love colourful story books. You can buy mass produced ones here or bring your favourites from home.

Feminine Hygiene: Tampons/tampax are not widely available other than in supermarkets in Accra so bring your own. Pads are the norm and are available everywhere. Due to environmental conditions and some malaria medication, a few women suffer from longer or more painful than usual periods. Ensure that you’re prepared for this. Due to humidity and antibiotics, it’s not uncommon for women to suffer from yeast infections. Fortunately, treatments are available in pharmacies everywhere. Don’t be shy asking for personal items in shops or pharmacies—Ghanaians are not embarrassed by such things.

Flip-flops/thongs: called “slippers” in Ghana. You can buy them everywhere for one GC or so. Still, having one good quality pair to support tired feet is worth it.

Food: In a nutshell, the standard dishes are heavy on the carbs—yam, plantain, cassava, rice—and light on greens, if at all. There is usually pépé (chilies) in dishes, but you can avoid it. I have IBS and was super cautious of everything, but I have had less stomach troubles here than at home—possibly because most food is unprocessed; it’s a challenge to find “junk” food. I’ve eaten salad everywhere except off the street. Sunshine Salads in Osu (just ask anyone near Koala supermarket) or in Labone are heaven sent if you’re craving great salad. You can buy all the basic garden vegetables at most markets. Bean dishes are plentiful. It’s easy to be vegetarian or vegan—ask for soups without meat or stick to the non-meat dishes.

Football: You know how Canadians are with ice hockey; Aussies/Indians/Pakistanis are with cricket; Kiwis with Rugby; and North Americans with basketball? That’s how Ghanaians are with football. Chelsea, Manchester and Liverpool are the teams of choice. Some also support Barcelona. Kids, especially boys, love anything football related as gifts. You can buy footballs and team paraphernalia on the streets everywhere.

Friends: It’s easy to make friends with Ghanaians. However, quite a few Ghanaians I know could talk all four legs off every donkey on the African continent. So if you approach someone for a chat, make sure you have time to kill because Ghanaians almost always live up to their friendly reputation. And they always ask for your number. Be selective about handing out your number unless you don’t mind two a.m. phone calls. Ghanaians like to take advantage of free or hugely discounted calling rates and call each other at all hours of the night without a second thought, and you will certainly not be denied this honour.

Fruits: Oranges (green in colour and the tastiest ever), pineapples, bananas and coconuts are abundant all year round, but coconuts and pineapples are grown in the south and trucked up north. Mangoes are bountiful in season too (now).

Gifts: Aside from football and stationery mentioned elsewhere, people love colourful stickers. Also, several friends brought bubble liquid and blew bubbles to the delight of children and adults everywhere, and handed out bottles out to the kids. Old clothes: many Ghanaians value clothes you leave behind or clothes from home you no longer want. They’re good to give to family/friends when leaving.

Greetings: (also see Language). Ghanaians will spend the first few minutes upon meeting asking after the other, then family, health and work, before getting down to the issue that they have come to discuss. No one ever responds in the negative and says they are not fine (or I am yet to hear it anyway), even if they’re clearly suffering. Ghanaians make the best of it, which keeps things moving and people smiling, no matter what. If you need to approach people to ask for help, it’s more appropriate to say, “hello, how are you?” and wait for a genuine response and then ask your question, rather than walking up and saying, “how do you get to…?!” without first acknowledging the person.

Hair cuts: The last time a hairdresser cut my hair was early 2007 in an excellent tiny salon in Phnom Penh. I cut it myself now. I usually use nail clippers—I figure I can’t do too much damage that way. When I’m feeling brave I use sewing scissors. If you’re not ready to take that leap of faith, there is a woman at Labadi Beach Resort in Accra who cuts Caucasian hair. Ask for the “Madame”. If you have African hair—lucky. There are salons literally everywhere! Braiding is relatively inexpensive and costs about $5 for a head of braids. Extra if you want fake hair braided in! (Although I cut my own hair, I’ve never had it braided…pain!)

Hospitals/clinics: It’s very hard to find quality medical treatment outside of Accra. In fact, it’s not easy to find it in Accra. You can get some kind of treatment in other cities, towns and villages, of course, but I’ve had many issues with doctors defaulting to malaria, no matter what you present, and just not caring. If you’re coming for more than three months, have all important check-ups before leaving. Cocoa Clinic in Accra was probably the most organized and reliable clinic I’ve been to. You still have to wait, of course.

Jeans: Contrary to recommendations, jeans are OK in Ghana. They are nothing if not sturdy, comfy, and you can wear them for a week without washing…if you have to!

Kokrobite Beach gets a special mention as it’s notorious for robberies. While Ghana is very safe overall, everyone I know who visited Kokrobite, bar one person, got mugged on the beach or their room was broken into—or it was attempted. Usually a group of young boys surround you on the beach and demand your backpack. Most people hand it over. So, if you go, don’t take anything you will mind giving up.

Language: The official language is English, but most Ghanaians speak the language (or two or three or four) of their home area. Learning simple phrases in the local language of your area will create a connection with and respect among local people. Ghanaians place great stock in greetings, by the way, and it’s a safe bet to always greet everyone when entering a room or vehicle and always return a greeting, wherever you are.

Laptops: It’s safe enough to bring one, but exercise caution. Don’t carry it around in a flashy laptop bag; use a backpack with a laptop compartment instead. Always unplug them when not in use to protect them from power surges. (See: Power.) Finally, the environment is harsh on laptops: salty and/or humid and/or dusty. Keep them covered when you’re not using them as they sometimes protest and just stop working.

Malaria: It’s so common that it’s “like catching a cold,” as Ghanaians say. Unfortunately, this is true. It is common but avoidable. I recommend bringing mosquito spray to prevent bug bites and always sleep under a mosquito net. Certainly obtain one of the standard anti-malarial medications from your health provider before coming to Ghana and take it as directed. The various medications have their pros and cons and I know people that have gotten malaria on all the main ones (Larium, Doxy, Malarone, etc)—none of them are failsafe. If you run out while in Ghana, they are widely available in pharmacies everywhere and much less expensive than in your home country (although made in India or China—if you’re ok with that). If you fall ill (although it’s unlikely), please inform someone immediately. Malarial symptoms are any or all of: extreme fatigue, hot or cold fevers, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness. Virtually everyone I know who had it felt the extreme fatigue—a tiredness that you cannot imagine if you haven’t felt it before. Many had a sensation of feeling “sunburnt on the inside”—radiating heat even if you’ve been inside all day. You can have tests for malaria at clinics or laboratories which are common in major towns and cities for anywhere between 2-10 Cedis. Even if you have malaria, the tests can be faulty and come out negative. The lesson in this is that the tests are often wrong so if you are presenting the symptoms, please strongly insist on receiving treatment. The treatment is widely available and you can get it over the counter at pharmacies—ask the pharmacist. It is best to have it recommended from a doctor or specialist.

Mapouka: Is both the name of the bottom shaking dance originating in The Ivory Coast now hugely popular in Ghana and the local version of rather alcoholic Irish cream. Not bad for a $2 bottle.

Men: If you’re a woman, be prepared for lots of attention, especially if you’re on the curvy/large side. My favourite strategy for deflecting marriage proposals is the one guaranteed to get laughs: “Well, I already have seventeen husbands, but if you don’t mind being husband number eighteen, yes, I will marry you…” Men and women alike will shake with laughter. Warning: Using this in a moving vehicle where the driver may swerve into oncoming traffic as he shakes can be dangerous. Now, some men will actually agree to be husband number eighteen. To which I say: “Ok, but you have to wait for the first seventeen to die.” This invites more laughter. Sometimes I offer to give some of my husbands to other women in the vehicle which invites great guffaws. Ghanaians have a great sense of humour and find any excuse to laugh. Some men will just walk up to you on the street and propose. On one occasion a world-weary old man came up to me and said, “If I were to be a younger man, I would like to marry you…” He looked so sad! And, some will hassle you more than is comfortable, but not often. Just tell them you’re waiting for your “husband”. If they ask where your wedding ring is, say you left it at home. Most women I know used these tactics at some point and they work.

Money: US dollars, Euros, Canadian and Australian dollars are easy to change at the numerous large and small exchanges dotted around the major cities. It’s reasonably safe to bring cash and keep it locked up somewhere in your room or in a safe, if you have one, and exchange it when you need it. You cannot use Mastercards. NO MASTERCARDS!! You can use Visa cards and withdraw cash at ATMs. Make sure you know your PIN. Now, do NOT use your credit card to pay for anything anywhere if you can help it. Indeed, there is no “plastic” culture here. Although you can use your credit cards at certain guest establishments, restaurants and retailers, I would try to avoid it. Credit card fraud is a huge problem. Someone may copy your card number and details if there is an imprint or record of the card left where you paid for the product or service. Traveller’s cheques are accepted although the rate is not as good as changing cash and banks can be very pompous about handling them. The easiest option is to bring cash and change it and/or a card you can withdraw with.

Obruni: This has become synonymous with the idea of “foreigner”, and is shouted at you almost everywhere in the south of Ghana. It means “white person” and can understandably annoy African American or Asian visitors who get the Obruni treatment as much as any other foreigner. I had one British African friend with long gorgeous braids who was called “Rasta ‘Bruni!” She had a sense of humour about it—useful in Ghana. In Tamale and Bolga you’ll get called “Solomia”, in the Volta: “Yevu”, and in Bawku or Hausa speaking areas: “Nasara”. There is no ill intention behind this, Ghanaians are just pointing out the obvious as far as they’re concerned, not being rude or racist, as the same treatment might be perceived at “home”.

Pens: School children value pens, pencils and notebooks very much. Instead of hauling them all the way from Australia, though, I could have bought them for a fraction of the cost in Ghana, which would have supported local traders and freed up space in my luggage. There are little stationery stalls everywhere.

Petty Crime: While reports of bag snatching, mobile phone snatching and break-ins are on the increase, Ghana is still very safe. Basically, have your wits about you. Don’t leave your bags wide open. One thing that my former boss alerted me to was bag slashing in crowd situations. A thief might slash the bottom of your bag or its straps and grab the contents, so if you’re in crowds hold it tight. Pickpockets are common in crowded areas. Don’t be afraid to get physical if someone tries to pickpocket you.

Pharmaceuticals: are readily available over the counter all over the country, again, for a fraction of the price you’d pay at home. A strip of 10 tabs of doxycycline is about one dollar. Cypro, general antibiotics, Immodium, and candidiassis treatments—tablet or creams—are widely available and inexpensive.

Photographs: Ghanaians are fascinated by photos of you, your family, friends and home. If you’re staying with a family, they will love to see an album of photos from home. They will also love to show you theirs. People love to be “snapped”. If you have the means, giving people photos of themselves is a popular gift.

Power: I’m not talking about the type mining companies like to wield around small African nations. I’m talking about the type that tends to cut out several times a day when you’re in the middle of something important. Here’s a tip: Unplug all electrical equipment when you’re not using it, or turn the power point off. A few weeks ago a surge hit the whole country. I awoke to the smell of burning rubber. The surge protector itself had blown up. Fortunately, it protected the electrical equipment. Countless times I’ve written a long email only to lose everything when the power cuts. Another tip: open Word or Notepad alongside the web browser, save in Word as you type, and then paste it into the browser. If the power cuts, it’s still there in Word or Notepad when it comes back on. Alternatively, I type it on a laptop at home, take it by pen drive to the café, paste and send it.

Power plugs: The British type. You can buy multi-socket thingamajigs in towns and villages.

Socks: You can buy socks cheaply on streets everywhere. Ghanaians do really like socks as gifts—or turn them into hand-puppets for kids at schools.

Sunblock: You can buy it in Accra, but it’s probably easier to bring your own.

Telephones: Mobile phones are everywhere, as are the "chips" (sim cards) you need to make calls. New basic mobiles cost anywhere from 30 GCs and up. Vodaphone and Nokia have deals going most of the time. Chips cost 1 GC (yes, one) for most networks. It costs about the same to call an overseas mobile as it does within Ghana, and most calls are cheaper late at night. You can text virtually anywhere in the world for as little as 5 pesewas.

Time: Forget everything you know about time and “how things work”. Life in Ghana rocks to its own unpredictable rhythm and has its own way of working itself out—which can be exceedingly frustrating at times. I have occasionally felt as if I were participating in a chaos theory experiment with malaria and upset stomachs thrown in just for fun. Long waits for buses scheduled to leave hours earlier and slow responses to anything bureaucratic are normal. It’s life. It will teach you to go with the flow. If you need to learn patience and inner calm, just come to Ghana and buy a ticket for anything with a start time. There’s nothing you can do about it so my advice is to leave assumptions and presumptions at customs, and you’re more likely to enjoy one of the friendliest nations on earth.

Toiletries: Face cleansing wipes are brilliant for not only removing dirt from your face, but for “washing” during water shortages. You can buy “obruni” shampoo at shops in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi and Bolga.

Toilets: Well, I write a lot about toilets. If you had IBS, you would too. Overall, they are conspicuous by their absence in public settings. Metro TV recently stated that twenty-million Ghanaians live without access to modern toilets (they use drop toilets). Of those, three million have no access to any at all. There are twenty-three million Ghanaians. So much for the former government’s “Ghana at 50” pledge to build more “public places of convenience”. They were going to build toilets every fifty kilometers on the main roads. It’s more like every five hundred kms—if you’re lucky. Basically, don’t expect to find any at trotro stations—although there are a few. Fortunately, STC now has really nice toilets at all its stations (not long ago it was rather distressing). Most hotels have facilities that you can “borrow” if you have to—be nice to the reception people and pretend to be interested in a room.

Transport: Ghana has one of the highest incidents of road accidents in the world. I can’t count the amount of times the vehicle I’ve ridden in has almost crashed. (Touch wood!) Trotros, the crowded minibuses, are the worst. However, it’s virtually impossible to avoid trotros and taxis if you plan to travel around, so take a few precautions. Try to travel during the day. Try only to take coaches like the STC (State Transport Company) or the Metro Mass Transit (the orange buses). If the driver is taking dangerous risks, Ghanaians will often shout at the driver. Don’t be afraid to shout out yourself or ask someone next to you to do so. In taxis I’ve often told the driver to slow down or not overtake into oncoming traffic.

Vegetables: You can buy cabbage, carrots, eggplant/aubergine, lettuce, potatoes, avocadoes (called “pear”), tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, green beans, onion, ginger, garlic, and many other veggies besides, at markets all over Ghana, some only in season.

Viruses: the IT type; Internet café PCs are riddled with them. Many cafes still do not use anti-virus or, if they do, they’re often not up to date. So, if you’re planning to stick a pen drive into a PC, you need protection. I recommend downloading a free antivirus programme before you leave home and store it on your pen drive. It sounds like overkill, but you only have to lose everything once to understand the value of having antivirus on hand that you can upload as needed. Internet connections are still quite slow, at least to download anti-virus, and power is so erratic that it often cuts out half-way through a download. So bring it with you.

Visas: You may receive a one year visa in your passport from the embassy in your country, but this is irrelevant in Ghana. At immigration you will get a 60 day visitor stamp no matter what your visa duration. You must extend your stay before the end of the 60 days by applying for an extension for the amount of time you need at an immigration office in a capital city. You need evidence of a return air ticket to do this, two passport photos, and I think it’s about $10 per month (although it may have increased to just under 20), and a sponsorship letter from an NGO or supporting org, if you wish to renew. Be nice to the immigration staff no matter what. You can get visa on arrival in Accra, but I know some people who were refused boarding on Delta in New York because they didn’t have a visa before they departed. I had no problem with Emirates. The process need not be as precarious as crossing Kakum ropeway bridges outside of Cape Coast.

Vitamins: are also available everywhere. Those chewy orange vitamin C tablets sell for 20 pesewas a strip. You can get iron syrups over the counter which helps to build up strength after a bout of malaria.

Volunteering: If you’re looking for a serious volunteering organisaiton, it’s best to plan before you leave. Idealist.org has an excellent database of projects. You can also go here. However, you can find projects when you arrive by word of mouth or online—but it’s kind of nice to have someone meet you when you arrive.

Water: The water supply is erratic in many areas: on and off at will, it seems. Having some set aside in a bucket is always smart. Bucket baths are normal in regional areas where many people don’t have plumbing. In some places children have to carry water in buckets from a distance to fill up a larger reserve in the house where you’re staying so you can use it. Be mindful of that.

Zip/pen/jump drive: Bringing a 1G drive is invaluable. Use it for storing or transferring photos, writing email in Word and uploading it at a café later. You can buy a 1G drive for about $10 in Ghana.

If you have any brilliant tips of your own you would like to add, or corrections, or anything at all, please write a comment!

Packing image above courtesy of Stuart Frisby at Flickr , Kakum National Park image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 travel moments in the past 4.5 years

Top 10 travel moments in the past 4 years

 1. I was dancing in a Vietnamese disco with my workshop trainees (we were in the middle of a 6 day workshop—they made us go). Right there on the dance floor they spontaneously broke out into the game dance we made up that day as part of a workshop energizer. It was truly fun and not what I was expecting to experience during an intensive training schedule. They were such a fun and friendly group to work with.


2. On my first trip to Mole our trotro broke down halfway between Kumasi and Tamale. We were busting to pee and asked a young girl in a kiosk if there was a toilet nearby. She led us behind the roadside buildings into what turned out to be a sprawling, shaded village that was hidden from the highway. It was my first walk through a real village. There were men and women weaving cane baskets, like the type you find in Asia, under old trees and it was very clean and tidy. It was one of my most memorable moments in Ghana.


3. When I was teaching at school in Kumasi the rain suddenly pelted down right on the final bell one afternoon, breaking the dry season. We couldn’t go anywhere and it was the first rain in months so the children were splashing in the mud and others made up a dance forming a large circle on the verandah. They pulled me in the middle and I ended up doing the split finger over the eye thing from Pulp Fiction (remember Uma Thurman and Travolta?). The kids copied and there we were doing that scene in a big circle in the rain. When I came back to visit after leaving, the first thing they did when they saw me approach was run up and start doing that scene again!


4. Making it to the top of Wli waterfalls. By no means an arduous climb by mountaineering standards, it was still exhausting and tough and one of the most rewarding travel experiences I’ve ever had.

Courtesy of http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/184741555_25c941de10.jpg

 5. The day the preacher removed a huge wooden dildo from a sack and asked my friend to help demonstrate condom rolling techniques on a 4 hour journey between Accra and Hohoe. You just never know what you’re going to experience in a trotro in Ghana. I was actually speechless. We both declined, but the preacher did hot business that day. Young and old, the passengers were throwing notes at him for both the femdoms and condoms.


6. Same Vietnamese workshop, the participants took myself and my co-trainee out on a surprise dinner (I think it was the next night) to an ethereal park-like garden restaurant in the Hue countryside, about 30 minutes out of town. It was decorated with dozens of lanterns glowing in the night and it was actually cold—I hadn’t felt cold for 20 months. We wandered among gorgeous trees and bridges over ponds to our table where they treated us to a raucous evening of laughter, jokes and authentic, delicious local Vietnamese cuisine and endless Hue beers.


7. The day I realised I could direct visitors around Cape Coast. I remember thinking, I’m directing people around an African town! I couldn’t believe it.


8. On a trip to northern Cambodia my friend and I decided to try the “bamboo railway”. We found the railway man in a shack by a train track about 10 minutes out of town. He assembled the train on the tracks (not before an actual cargo train passed us) before our eyes, helped by his tough little son or grand son. First they put the two sets of wheels on the track. Then they laid a bamboo tray on the wheels. Then they put a mat on the tray. Then they put a generator motor on the back. They started the motor. The two of us piled on and a few local kids climbed on the back. He gunned the motor and we started to roll along the tracks! We gathered speed and were hooting along on this less than double-bed sized tray train when I asked my friend what would happen if a real train came along. Would we jump off our train? The whole area was still heavily land-mined and I didn’t fancy any stunt diving into the bushes. As it happened, we came upon the train that passed us about 15 minutes up the track after we crossed an old bridge under which we could see the river way below beneath the tray…and that’s where our few kilometres journey came to an end—one of the most memorable travel experiences in the last few years.

Image courtesy of flickr.com

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/2684725393_8cefee4a15.jpg.

9. The day Godwin and I managed to pull off a game of football between two sides of the conflict in Bawku. We did it of our own volition for Peace One Day in September 2008. Our efforts had been terribly sabotaged the days before by powers that would only allow it to proceed on their terms and cajoled us throughout the preparations—not because of safety concerns (that was never mentioned), but rather political point scoring. We did it anyway and succeeded. We had two otherwise bitter and warring groups play a game of football together that, when it came time to blow the whistle, they begged to continue even though it was Ramadan and most of them were fasting and unable to drink in that heat. It brought a day of happiness, at least, and some hope to the people in that town.

10. This is possibly my most personally embarrassing moment of the past 4 years and one that I’ve only told a few people—until now. My friend and I traveled to northern Cambodia (2007—same trip as train track moment) during a couple of days break off work—we were working on the same project in Phnom Penh. In town there was a massage centre set up for blind people called Seeing Hands; they had offices around the country. It was a great organisation and we decided to treat ourselves to a massage since we’d worked pretty hard. The blind masseurs were both men but we didn’t think anything of this. I was just getting comfortable on the table when I felt something poking me in the head. It was just a light poke, but it was about crotch height for the masseur. I froze. I kept telling myself to relax but this thing continued to poke my head while he was massaging my shoulders, then my arms and then my waist. I thought to myself that I should sneak a peek, but I was too afraid to move at all lest he guess my thoughts so I stayed dead still. I felt very uncomfortable the entire 2 hour massage. Shortly before the 2 hours was up I heard a beeping sound. I looked up to see the masseuse remove a small gadget from a loose pocket sitting in the front of his smock—at crotch height. It was his beeper, a timing device letting him know when the 2 hours was almost up. The beeper has been hanging in his pocket, swaying and….poking! I hadn’t enjoyed the massage at all and as soon as we were outside I explained my mistake to my friend. She broke into laughter and explained she had exactly the same thoughts and experience. I really should have opened my eyes when I had the chance. That particular trip was a farce of hilarious experiences.

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.

17 Ways to Start 2010: Ghana Style

Join us for a pictorial journey through Ghana and prepare yourself for the new year!

You can read the whole post over at our new site G-lish.org or click on the link to the post: 17 Ways to Welcome 2010: Ghana Style

Here is a sneak peak!

1. Take stock of history.

Goodbye 2009...and thank you

With the sun-setting on 2009, I couldn’t help but post this stunning photograph taken by a friend, Tina on the beach in front of Oasis Beach Resort in Cape Coast.

Thank you once again to everyone for reading, contributing and staying in touch.

Stay safe tonight wherever you may be. And “Afehyia pa”: May a Good Year Come to Meet Us.
And join us at our new blog G-lish.org.

Christmas in Bolgatanga, Ghana

I did a guest post over at Ever The Nomad about Christmas here, in Bolgatanga. And we just posted it to our new blog site G-lish.org here: Christmas in Ghana.

You can read the whole post at Ever the Nomad by clicking on this link Guest Post Ghana.

Here is a short excerpt:

There are no gifts. There is no roast turkey or goose. There are no chocolates or puddings or trees or tinsel. The aroma of mulled wine floating from the stove top is absent too. It seems like any other day.

I only notice that something is different when I cross the fallow maize fields to the highway to buy some eggs.

The sun is already high in the sky. I look along the highway. A faint haze blurs the baobabs in the distance. This is the Harmattan season, a two-month period during which dust from the Sahara Desert settles across West Africa producing foggy scenes and intense lava-red sunrises and sunsets.

Top 10 fair trade holidays

We have a new site www.g-lish.org where you can read all articles from This is Ghana in a much more organised fashion. Read Top 10 fair trade holidays there.

This article was published by The Guardian, UK, in February 2008. If you're looking for a fair trade holiday, or want to know a little more about taking a break that helps sustain the communities through which you travel, you might want to check it out.

Here's an excerpt:

In other developing countries, there are lots of holidays that qualify, informally, as fair trade, but to find them you have to do the homework. One option is to stay in locally owned accommodation, such as homestays and community-run lodges, where the money you spend goes into the hands of local people. Another is to visit some of the Fairtrade coffee farms and tea plantations whose workers are opening up their homes to tourism to supplement their meagre income. Most are small-scale farmers who are passionate about their countryside and culture, and welcome you into their life.

In Ghana, one of the places that would come closest to qualifying as a fair trade destination would be Green Turtle Lodge. Check them out here.

Lodges at Green Turtle. Photo courtesy of Green Turtle Lodge.

Food, glorious food...you miss!

We have a new site www.g-lish.org where you can read all articles from This is Ghana in a much more organised fashion. Read Food, glorious food...you miss! there.

When a package arrives from home I become all irrational (some might say “controlling”) about how to divvy up the spoils and make them last as long as possible.

Me: “Look. I’ll be honest. You don’t appreciate olives as much as me; you didn’t even like them until yesterday. I’ve loved them since around 1987—so don’t eat them!”

Godwin: “I will pretend I do not know they are there.”

Me: “OK. And don’t eat all the marshmallows either. Yeah, don’t give me that look. Imagine if you hadn’t had bananas since 2007 and there were no prospects of getting another bunch until 2011. But right now you have a whole bunch. Imagine I ate half of them even though I don’t really like them.”

Godwin: “They are not my favourite.”

Me: “Hmmm. I’ve seen you chase banana ladies along the road for a good bunch of bananas. That’s how it is for me and marshmallows—we have a history! Like coffee and olives. I’m going to make something special with them anyway…not altogether. Quick, watch this.”

I light the gas-burner and stick a marsh-mallow on a fork. I toast it over the flame. I pull off the hot sticky bit and eat it. I offer Godwin some.

He squidges a bit between his fingers and brings it gingerly to his lips. “Mmmm…..”

Me: “Wait ‘til we have hot cocoa, but don’t eat them all, or else we won’t get any.”

(Don’t you talk. Yes you, reading. If you hadn’t had olives and marshmallows since sometime in 2007, you’d turn into a control freak too!)

But this is what I really enjoy about the surprise packages from home: sharing—yes, I do share. I have the privilege of sharing these treats that are fine to gorge on if you only have them every two years. I gave away several Caramello Koalas and Freddo Frogs around home this week. I believe a liking for chocolate is universal and the smiles make the sacrifice worthwhile.

And then there are Tim-Tams, Australia’s unofficial favourite biscuit. I got to show Godwin how, if you bite off each end, you can suck (real!) coffee through the chocolatey middle between the two biscuits.

Aside from introducing the art of sucking hot beverages through cream-filled biscuits, I have the privilege of introducing friends to all sorts of sugary malarkey. Since it’s as close to winter as we’re going to get (around 25 C), I’m off to make hot cocoa with marshmallows…

I’d love to know what foods you miss.

If you’re a Ghanaian living abroad, what foods from Ghana do you miss most?

If you’re an Obruni living in Ghana, what food do you miss most?

If you’re a Ghanaian who lived abroad, what food do you miss from the country where you lived?

I was speaking to a twelve-year old Ghanaian boy who spent his early years in London. I asked him if he missed any of the food and he said, “I miss fish and chips!”

You can add your “miss-list” by clicking on the comment button below.

Cheers. And if you eat any of my marshmallows, you’re dead meat man!