Good Bye Beyin, 3 Tro Tro/One Fan Ice Kinda Day, Big Blue Yutong Short Bus, Big Boobs and Yutong Preacher (Beyin, Ghana)

AND ANOTHER NEXT DAY

good bye Beyin

There are two choices for leaving Beyin.  There is a direct tro tro to Takaradi at 4am.  What, 4am, hell no.  I would rather take 5 tro tros and accidentally end up in Cote d’Ivoire than leave at 4am. 

As you might have guessed I choose the long way.  I had to take a tro tro to the ‘cross roads’ so I headed out with my pack in that direction just waiting to flag down the next tro heading my way.  Some guys at a chop bar told me to grab a tro going the other direction into the next town where I would get on another to Takaradi.  Apparently it takes longer to get to the town as you are backtracking but there is more chance of catching a ride.  Decided to kinda hang out and to just jump on the next tro no matter which direction it was heading.  The longer way won. 

The first tro took maybe 45 minute to get to somewhere.  There I jumped off and jumped on one going to Takaradi.  As usual the locals on my first tro made sure I was set up on the next one before they left.  It’s an entire country of nice people.    The next ride was a couple hours and I asked then to drop me before the station if they saw rides heading to Cape Coast along the way. 

I got dumped off on a street corner where there was a Big Blue Yutong Short Bus almost full.  Yippee for me and all on board…between myself and one other  and the beast was full.   This mini Yutong is actually going to Accra but will pass through Cape Coast.  Hope they remember I wanted to get off. 

A heavyset woman with a baby was sitting next to me.  Her boobs were gigantic.  Granted I am a wee thing and a C cup seems big to me.  Her baby was fussing because he was hungry and she was having trouble in the crowded bus with breast feeding so I helped her out a bit.  Just gave her my elbow to rest her tatas on to make things easier.  I felt so needed at that moment.  The Yutong had some ac and was only a One Fan Ice Ride. 

Oh, just remembered on big thing.  The Yutong Preacher singled me out to yell Amen.  Everyone was quite amused but I do what I am told.  It very well may have saved our lives that I did that plus I sill had my Good Luck Preacher Stone from that Big Yutong back in Kumasi.  Get me there safe and I will give you all the Amens I can muster.

Got back safe and sound, grabbed a cab to the Prospect were there is still no water and grabbed a bit to eat with Obehi.  He is like family now, the Nigerian brother I never had.

Beautiful Church, Machete Wielding Coconut Dude, Relaxation and Amazing Arcitecture!

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Prospect Printing Press, Cape Coast, Ghana (now a middle school)

Wandered the market today but it isn’t Sunday so not brilliant for finding good stuff like fabric and scarves.  I did see mummified lizards and fish…not sure what they are for (will find out that these mummified critters are put into soups and stews for flavor and can be several years old).

Uneventful day just wandered and talking with people.  Nothing to write about but I wish my eyes had little cameras in them so everyone could see what I do.  Amazing.

In the evening back at the Prospect I met a Canadian in his late 20’s-early 30’s who was here on my last go at the hotel.  I thought he must have been working here or volunteering as he had been so long in Cape Coast (at least 2 week or more).  As it turns out he is just traveling but apparently not making it too far later found out he never left Cape Coast or the Prospect Hotel on his six weeks in Ghana…WOW). 

Oh good God! It’s Celine Dion…. shoot me now please.  That crazed Canadian follows me all over the Third World I swear it.  I don’t get the fascination.  If you talk bad about her or F#*!ing Kenny G people take offense.  I guess I will have to continue to puke a little and keep my mouth shut each time one of them tries to poison my ears.

(In another week while waiting for a bus to Mole National Park I will be inundated with Kenny G and Celine Dion CDs from vendors…oh the horror!)

Next Day

fishing boasts along Ko-Sa beach, Ghana

My friend Obehi and I went to Ko-Sa; a small fishing village about 20-30 minutes from Cape Coast via Tro Tro then shared taxi (maybe 2 Cedi total). 

There is a beautiful Catholic church that really showcases the village.  The stonework has beautiful ornate flower design and the shutters and doors were a soft-medium blue that looks amazing against the whitewashed exterior.

Walked about 15 minutes down the beach to the Ko-Sa Beach Resort.  Nice, clean beach lined with the colorful fishing boats that are all Ghana.  There were fishermen repairing nets along our route.

Ko-Sa Catholic Church between palm trees, Ko-Sa, Ghana

 Arrived at the resort and got a couple coconuts.  In Ghana a machete wielding Coconut Dude finds a coconut and serves it to you for 1-1.5 Cedi.  The coconut process is as follows: 1.  The Coconut Dude cracks top with a machete so you can drink the water.  2.  He then comes back and breaks it open and creates a spoon out of part of the shell to eat the meat 3.  When you are done he retrieves the shell to dispose of…. not bad for under a buck. 

The resort is amazing and looks very expensive.  There is a huge covered outdoor restaurant with beautiful comfortable sitting area.  It is the kind of place you could spend all day enjoying.  Later I would look it up in the guidebook and it is actually very reasonable.  In fact, it is cheaper than my hotel in town.  The downside would be that you have to walk to village that has very little to offer or take spend 30 plus minutes getting to Cape Coast.  If you had your own car here it would be the ideal spot. 

My friend from Nigerian and I had a long conversation about Voodoo and how prevalent it is in Nigerian as well as in Togo and Benin.  Very excited to experience it first had; I hope.

MTN USB Internet stick:  Decided to get a MTN USB Internet stick that allows me Internet where ever MTN works (most places).  The stick was 49 Cedi and came loaded with 4G of data time.  If I don’t download or upload much I could live on that for rest of trip easy.  (In the end I will end up needing more as I did upload a bunch of pictures).

Fishing on Poo Rock, Sunburn, No Fish, Village Kids! (Butre, Ghana)

fishing / Butre, Ghana

Nice, long breakfast and coffee with my beach before I head out to walk to Poo Rock.  There are few if any toilets in Ghana so each village has an outdoor spot for 'Taking Care of Business' and here it is a large rock outcropping on the beach.  We have kindly named it Poo Rock and it is now a geographical meeting point.  Read for a bit before Obehi met me to do some ‘Poo fishing’.  I am trying to keep myself covered today and to find any bit of shade I can after yesterday...ouch.  Talked to mom on the beach too which is still a crazy, bizarre act .  So use to not having contact when I travel; at least not without effort.

We found a nice large poo free area on the big rock outcropping that separates the 2-kilometer of Butre beach from a tiny fishing village on the other side.  I hung out in the shade taking pictures of sand crabs and various shells while Obehi fished.  A group of six kids from the fishing village joined us in various degrees of dress.  Some of the kids naked for swimming and others in swim trunks.  I did take note that the kids with cloths tend to speak more English and thus have been to school.  I assume to a degree it is socioeconomic.   The kids were between the ages of 8-10 I would say. 

The couple kids whom spoke English and I talked about school and if my friend was actually going to catch any fish.  The kids seemed to think anyone can catch fish at Poo Rock but in the end Obehi went home with nothing….LOSER! (Obehi says it was actually because he loves animals and didn’t want to kill a fish…he is lying)

Sent some of the kids to buy us water and snacks that we shared with them of course.  Even after all my travels the vast differences in how people live and interact still amazes me.  I guess that is why I am still addicted to travel.

Next Day

Hideout Lodge / Butre, Ghana

Even though I tried my best to stay out of the sun yesterday it didn’t work.  The walk to and from Poo Rock alone takes more than an hour.  Not leaving my sleepy shaded beach today.  Leisurely breakfast and catching up on my journal and reading I think.

Well, I ended up totally distracted by a huge church school group playing and picnicking on the beach today.  Loved watching everyone interact.  Playing soccer, gossiping and swimming.  A couple girls sat to talk to me and I made the mistake of assuming that since they were in high school I could be honest about my religious beliefs.  I told them I was spiritual but did not believe in one specific god or religion.  Not what you say in a predominantly Catholic country.  They were very sweet but went on and on about how I need to embraces the bible and read it.  I have read quite a bit of the bible actually.  Lesson learned.  Like my fake husband and fake children I must remember to have a fake religion here. 

Obehi leaving today to head back to Cape Coast but I just can’t seem to pull myself away yet.  I will take off tomorrow if my soul can manage leaving here.  One more quite night with my beach and dogs. 

Walk to Busua, Dixcove.....Shark Fins, African Heat, Beaches and Banku! (Ghana, Africa)

Path to Busua, Ghana

Must have walked close to 8 miles today.   The walk from Butre to Busca was a long, hot one but well worth it.  Once you reach the top of the hill you can see the sleepy town of Busca with its beautiful beach. Busca is a larger village/town about 4km over the hill from Butre.  Busua’s beach is just as nice as Butre but there are actually people on it.  If the Hideout Lodge weren’t so amazing I would for sure have stayed in Busua. 

Once we finally hit the town we decided to take a break (we had been waking for an hour in the scorching African heat) for a Fanta and to play a game of pool at the African Rainbow Resort.  Met a couple older Canadian men traveling around Ghana.  I have meet very few travelers.  All the Westerners I meet are volunteers.  For a few seconds I was so excited as I thought one of them was Willie Nelson.  To my disappointment it was not Willie Nelson….I will have to keep waiting for that dream to come true.

Next stop on our journey was to eat Banku with fish at a tiny street stale.  I am not a fan of Banku…I think it is because it has the texture of a banana, which is my most hated food; but it’s cheap and does the trick. 

Dixcove / Western Ghana

Next stop, Dixcove.  Dixcove is another 20 minutes walk from Busua through another tiny village.  Dixcove is full of run-down alleys and a bustling fishing area.  We wandered around the maze of boats, nets, and huge metal bowls of fish.  I wish I could have taken a bunch of photos but it is just so obvious to do so.

 Walking the streets I saw fish of all kinds and the one thing I didn’t expect to see…. shark fins and lots of them.  I have always thought of this practice as an Asian thing not African.  Looking at all those fins (there must have been 30 at one location) I wondered where the meat had gone, as I have never seen it on a menu. 

We eventually ended up at Fort Metal Cross, which had great views of the town on one side and children swimming in a cove on the other.  Must admit I am getting over done in the mid day heat at this point but we still need to walk back to Busua.

Caught a taxi to Agona about 15-20 minutes away so we could catch a tro tro back to Butre.  Before we jumped on a tro tro back we wandered the colorful market of Agona for a bit. 

Beach at Busua / Western Ghana

The tro tro back took maybe 30 minutes (1.3 Cedi) and stopped at a few small villages along the way.  I did grab a couple bags of water and papaya out the window.  After a long day in the African sun I ended up drinking two bags of water like I was taking a breath of air. 

Ended the day with a well-deserved beer and chilling in the shade back at the beach. 

Lazy Beach Walk

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Poo Rock / Butre, Ghana

Decided to walk to a huge rock outcropping I see a few kilometers down the beach.  In the end it turns out to be about 3 km each way.  Brilliant walk.  This beach is clean and pristine.  Very little trash and no one is using it as a toilet that I can see.  Once you get to the large rock out cropping that changes.  I will end up naming it Poo Rock.  The fishing village on the other side of it does use it as their facilities.  As long as you watch your step it’s all good.   If you are into fishing the fact that it is Poo Rock means the fishing is fantastic (gross but true).

Walking the beach (which took hours), writing in my journal and simply staring at the ocean took up most of the day.  Had a nice dinner of chicken and rice with a beer before falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.

Off to Beach Destinations on West Coast, Ghana

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The Beach

Heading to destinations further West toady.  Had to go hit up the ATM before leaving and unfortunately it would only let me take out 400 Cedi, which is about 190 US dollars.  Hate it when I can’t take out the max allowed. 

Going to the Hideout Lodge near the tiny fishing village of Butre.  I get the impression the only reason Butre is even known to tourists is the Hideout Lodge and the nearby town of Busua.  (later on my travels I find that no one I meet has actually heard of Butre).

We took a taxi to the Tro Tro station for points West (end point Takaradi).  Waited about 20 minutes for our tro tro to fill (2.5 cedi).  It took about 1 1/2 hours to get to Takaradi (large town that is an in-between for many destinations…. one of those places you end up in to change buses, tro tros etc).  We jumped off the tro tro a bit before the main station and grabbed a cab (30 cedi total) to Butre, which is about 30 minutes away. A good bit of the drive is a rough, dirt road through the jungle.  The trip was made much easier having Obehi with me as he has done the trip several times before so I didn’t have to go all the way to the main station and what not or ask for direction to the Hideout Lodge which got it’s name for good reason.

Once we turned off the main road and hit the dirt path that leads to Butre I knew why you have to pay a bit extra for the taxi.  Can’t be good on a car and the dust alone would require an inside and out clean out. 

Tro Tro to Butre

We past a couple small settlements along the way.  One thing that I have noticed in these smaller villages is that various aid organizations have come in and build toilet blocks for the community to use.  They are simple mud huts with drop toilet.  Ghana has come along way in the past years especially compared to most of their neighbors but the human waste sanitation is one that is still in the works.  Going to the beach or to a nearby space to take care of business is standard practice here, as most home have no toilet facilities.  The sight of these community toilet blocks has to be improving health here greatly.  The name of the organization that provided the toilets is painted on them. 

I can’t imagine Butre even being found by a traveler.  The town of Busua about 4 km away must be the only reason.  Butre is a very small fishing village with only a couple little makeshift stores that are really just someone’s home.  You can get basic things in these shops like water, snacks, even flip-flops if need be. 

view from Hideout Lodge

As everywhere I have been in Ghana so far goats and skinny dogs roam far and wide here.  Our taxi dropped us down by the rickety old footbridge that leads over a small lagoon to a beautiful, long beach.  Over it we go.  We pass a tiny lodge run by a couple Rastafarian guys with what looks to be three tiny rooms to rent and a wee restaurant.  Obehi says he hangs there often drink coffee or Milo so he can get the phone signal which allows him to use his Internet. 

Less than a half-mile down the beach we come to the Hideout Lodge.  It is a peaceful, palm tree covered space with a lovely ocean breeze.  One of those places you can sit for hours writing or reading a book.  Actually after a day I realized it is the ideal place to sit and stare off into the expanse. 

There are probably 6-8 self-contained huts with private bathroom and fan and several tree house set ups with shared bathroom.  The tree house accommodation looks to be simple rooms with wooden stairs up to the trees house.  Very cool really.

My room is lovely, it is an oblong hut painted a soft orange/pink color.  The fan works perfectly especially with the breeze from the ocean.  I do love falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.  The bungalows have a small deck area too which will be great to chill at when the beach is too much…yeah, that won’t happen. 

The grounds around the Hideout Lodge are full of comfortable chairs and tables for relaxing and the best part is all of them are shaded which thrills me.   I am quite certain I could stay here for a very long time. 

Wandering Cape Coast, Ghana

View of Cape Coast Castle

I am staying in the older part of town and decide as I usually do the first day in a new place to simple wander.   It is smallish town with a bustling market and active vendors.  There is a statue of a Crab about a ½ mile down from the hotel on the way to the beach.  This Crab statue will before a location device and meeting place on my stays in Cape Coast. It seems to be the central area and a bit of a round about to boot. 

If you turn left you go over London Bridge that leads you to a road that lines the fishing area.  This area is much more interesting to watch as lots of kids are about playing in the streets as the smell of fresh caught and drying fish permeates the air.  Love that smell.  After less than a mile you end up at the Cape Coast Castle. 

I decided to wait until tomorrow to check out the Castle.  While watching the waves crash against the rocks around the castle a street artist approached to chat.  Often I will try to get out of talking to sellers but decided to see where the conversation went.  In the end my new friend Evans and I talked and walked the beach and town for hours.  He had been hanging in front of the Cape Coast Beach Restaurant waiting for a tour group to finish so he could try to sell his wears.  

Along the beach in Cape Coast pigs rule the manor.  They root around for food and dig down to wet sand to nap in.  I guess the saying here would be ‘Happy as a pig in sand’, not mud.

Walking around fishing areas has always been a highlight for me wherever I am and Ghana is no different.  Actually, the smells here are much fresher than in most of Asia. 

The fishing boats here are long, large and canoe like.  Many are brightly colored with blues, reds and yellows.  All are in varying degrees of disrepair.  When you look across the expanse of 10-20 of these boats it really is quite majestic. 

Red Red

I ate my first Red Red at the Cape Coast Castle Beach Restaurant. Red Red with Chicken is my  new favorite dish ever!!!!! it consists of black eyed peas with a red, palm oil based Ghanaian curry like sauce with fried plantains. For sure my new favorite food ever.    The restaurant’s menu will satisfy anyone.  It ranges from Western  breakfast foods to local dishes and everything in between.  Several pages long in fact.  There is also an excellent selection of spirits.  The spacious, open sitting is amazing especially with that ocean breeze coming in.  One could hang here for quite some time. 

I managed to get myself back to The Prospect to meet Obehi for a tiny dinner.  Nothing on the menu made me happy as my head was filled with visions of Red Red and chicken.  (I am writing this a week or two after I ate that Red Red for the first time and I have had it several times since…and yes, it still makes me as happy as when Bev sends me my 2 minute Thai Noodles from New Zealand). 

Off to Cape Coast

Before I left I ran into Jesse and Ben yet again.  Lucky for me Ben was heading to MTN to fix one of Jesse’s phones.  I still had to register my phone so I tagged along.  Back an hour later with my Ghanaian Burner phone ready to go.

Talking off for Cape Coast today.  It should be about a 3-4 hour journey but I have no clue what time the buses leave so will be heading to STA Station about noon (I think it is one of the nice bus lines). 

As I was checking out I ran into Jesse for a final goodbye.  He definitely showed me a side of Accra I would never have discovered as a tourist. 

Taxi to STA station (15 cedi) took maybe 20 minutes as it is on the outer ring of town.  Had no clue what I was doing of course but as is Ghanaian style a guy working for STA showed me where to go and what to do.  Easy as pie.  A ticket from Accra to Cape Coast was 8 Cedi.  STA buses are comfortable and have AC.  I did have to suffer through a Nigerian movie but hey that’s how you roll here right.

As it got closer to the time on my ticket to depart I noticed action around the corner from where I had been waiting for an hour.  I figured it was time to do something so I followed the crowd to luggage tagging area.  It was 1 cedi for my bag.  As usually I hung within view of my bag until it was loaded. 

I have to say that the whole public bus thing works very well here.  I am use to Asia where buses leave minutes to hours late and you just never know until its happening.

We arrived at Cape Coast at about 6:30 pm as the sun was going down.  Straight off the bus I got a taxi to Prospect Lodge (10 cedi but hotel said it should be 8 cedi).  I have noticed the price changes a bit if you take a taxi at rush hour times which is fair enough.

I arrived in the middle of a blackout (one of many to come on my travels around Ghana) in Cape Coast but the hotel had a generator, which gave one light and the fan for each room.  I had a simple dinner in the dark along with a beer.  There was a beautiful church across the lot from me and some kids had a bonfire going (I assume because of the power outage).  It gave an amazing glow to the steeple. 

Prospect Lodge is situation on a hill, which gives great views of the city and ocean.  There was a beautiful mosque across for the hotel too.  The call to prayer was reminiscent to staying in the Medinas of Morocco.  It is centrally located to the market, beach and attractions.  Before I went to bed the electricity was back on and I actually got a bit chilled with the AC on. 

Recover from Jet Lag

Didn’t sleep much last night but that is nothing new for me.  The included buffet breakfast is very nice at the Afia.  Items included eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, porridge, crepes and an assortment of hot drinks and juice.  I loaded up and took my time with a couple cups of coffee. 

I lovely German man joined me for breakfast.   He has been coming to Ghana for 20 years with his work.  He works in Sustainability Research; it all sounded quite fascinating.

I did nothing of importance the first day, very lazy.  Enjoyed the beach and comfort of nice hotel to get over my jet lag.