Visas for Togo/Benin, Well Endowed Generator, Back to States for The Bean Dog, Rollin Business Class (Accra, Ghana)

Bella Bean Dog

Of course I met up with Obehi again and yes he was still in the room next to me.  A new café run by a super nice German woman opened on the main drag while I was gone. It’s on the way down to the beach and called the Hayford Lounge.  Over the next couple days I would spend quite a bit of time here eating amazing food and getting out of the heat which is on the rise. 

Only back in Cape Coast for a couple days then heading back to Accra so I can get a visa or two and to cross the border into Togo.  I will miss Cape Coast.  I absolutely recommend a visit here.  I think it might be required when you visit Ghana.

A short taxi ride or medium walk is a place that has Ford Mini Vans with AC and comfy seats that head to Accra.  The price of a Tro to Accra would be 6 Cedi (US$3) and the mini vans are 15 (US$8).  The lap of luxury for me today; this would be considered a No Fanice Ride.  The people who take the mini vans are businessmen, students at university, and a couple well-dressed women.  Instead of basic cell phones they all have smart phones too I noticed.  One other interesting thing about this nice ride is that there are no Road Evangelist for a safe trip.  I guess it is no necessary to be blessed if you ride in a vehicle that meets safety standards.

I didn’t end up making a reservation in Accra and the couple places I called during the ride were full.  Oops.  These mini vans drop off a bit further from the city center.  I found a taxi and got a price set a bit higher than usual because I will have to have this guy drive me around and wait while I run into places until I find somewhere to rest my head. 

I want to stay in Osu this time.  Osu is the heart of the city dinning, shopping and nightlife.  There are a lot of expats living here because of all the food options I am assuming.  The hotels are also about 20-30% higher.  I did find a place for 60 Cedi (US$30) a night and I can’t remember the name of it at the moment.  Great rooms with bathroom and killer ac, flat screen and breakfast in the morning.  The great thing and what I have learned you look for is how big their generator is.  Even though the power is on more regularly now that Nigeria turned the power back on it still goes out a lot.  The place was well endowed in the generator department.

I will hang in Accra for about four days in order to pick up a visa for Benin and Togo.  I plan to enjoy the bustle of Osu District and maybe do a day trip somewhere…but for now it is off to bed for me. 

Oh, and I did go ahead and have dinner at the hotel…the only thing they had was chicken and rice but as it turned out it was delish.

NEXT DAY

Today I just wandered around Osu and had a long lunch with a couple coffees as the cutest little café while I watched the world go by.  Honestly nothing to write about. 

It was around 7ish when I got back and I decided to write in my journal and do some photo stuff while I kicked back with a couple beers.  There was a guy the night before having the same dinner as me but we didn’t chat.  I assumed he has working in Accra or Ghana in general as he just had that air about him…. looked to be late 40’s or early 50’s.

Tonight we decided to have our beers together and I was right late 40’s and has been working in Africa; mostly Ghana for about 20 years.   Like many Brits that have  spent a long time in Africa going back to the UK always takes adjusting to.  It seems a lot of expats just end up staying in Africa in the end.

Over the next couple days we hang out quite a bit wander Osu and Accra in general.  I did check out his new pad once and meet a couple of his friends that are also living there.  The apartments are pretty big…. huge living room, 2 bedrooms and bathroom and big kitchen…Paul’s apartment is on the second floor so he has a wrap around balcony too.  All these places are gated communities that you have to be buzzed into and an outer gate opens for you.  There is also a killer pool and bbq area.   That’s the life.  You would think that even a place like that would be reasonable in Ghana but no…. I think Paul said he pays 2,000 to 2,500 for it

Paul and I spent the next couple of days hanging out eating and chatting. 

Bella Bean at rest

I talked to my mother today and she said that Bella is super skinny and hasn’t eaten in a couple days.  After some time thinking about it I have decided to try and get back to Colorado so I can be the one to put her down.  She is my baby and knowing that I have time to get to her and maybe even spend a bit of quality time before the end makes it an easy decision especially since I have done a number of flights with frequent flyer points so far.  I will have to buy a ticket to come back and continue my journey but for now all I am thinking about is getting out of Accra and to my dog.

I found a frequent flyer flight in business class leaving tomorrow and after lots of talk on the phone with a representative (I had to trade in my Congo ticket and use most of the rest of my points) I got booked for tomorrow night’s flight.  I won’t know that I have a seat for sure until morning but there you go.  I spent the rest of the day wondering if I did the wrong thing by doing my trip when Bella was getting so old.  I realized that I couldn’t beat myself up about it.  Bella has had a spectacular life and it’s not like I left her at a kennel for two months…she has been with loving family.  I just hope I get at least a few days with her.

Paul and I went out for delicious Indian food tonight.  Actually one of the best I have had anywhere.   If I get back to Accra I have to hit this place up again.

The next day I just killed time until my flight.  Paul drove me to the airport.  It is a very odd feeling to be leaving.  I am almost two months into my trip and I am not ready for it to end but I want to get back.  Sometimes I am ready to head back from one of my big Sabbatical for several reasons.  I do love and miss my family and I am usually out of money. 

This time I am going back for only one reason; to end the life of my beloved dog. 

Rolling Business Class again.  Note to self:  I need to write a entry on how to get Business class for less than Economy when using Frequent Flyer points. 

I must admit that rollin back in business class does make the hurt a bit easier to bare.  Sipping champagne in a fully reclined position while stuffing my face with gourmet food gives me time to think about how amazing my dog is and how lucky I am to have found her.  Instead of dwelling on the fact that I am about to lose her I decide to think about all the  awesome times and how much fuller she made my life.  She is 15 and old age is unavoidable.

I am back and I will get several beautiful weeks with my baby dog.  Taking a break from my trip and losing a chunk of money is nothing to me now.  I would have been absolutely heartbroken if I had not come back. 

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.

See Ya Mole, Water Shortage, and Heading West

The only bus out of Mole National Park leaves at 4am.  Not thrilled about it but it is what it is.  Five of us walked in the dark to the pick up spot with sleep still in our eyes.  So the story is that the bus leaves at 4am if the driver wakes up at 4am.  We did get lucky and he woke up by 4:15 and we were off. 

It was dark out, raining and cool.  Actually managed to get a wee bit of sleep.  The ride back to town was uneventful and we were lucky to be the first stop.  The bus to Tamale was full and standing room only by the second stop. 

Chill day in Tamale.  We were back in town about 10am; I bought my ticket back to Kumasi for the next day and headed back to our hotel.  It was a catch up on writing and photos kind of day for me.  Sorry no baboon attacks or crazy Swedes to mention.

Did dinner at a chop bar a block from the hotel and our ‘hotel cat’ was there waiting for us.  Met a Ghanaian woman who had been living in DC suburbs for past 11 years.  She was there to introduce her children to the rest of the family.  It was apparent that her 7 and 10 year old were American (well at least Westerners).  They were freaked by the fact they had to jump over a drain ditch to get to the chop bar and they were sick of chicken and rice.  The woman on the other hand was desperate to move back to Ghana after her two-week visit.  She shad that for the past nine years she has been on high blood pressure medicine and within 10 days in Ghana she was off it.  Us Westerners tend to think those in the third world and developing world want to move our way…. not true.

Chicken and Rice at that joint were only 3Cedi and wicked good.

NEXT DAY

Got up early to get my 7 am bus to Kumasi.  STC buses are always nice; ac, big seats and safe.  We did have a blow out but the bus made it to a rest area so everyone could eat and pee while it was getting fixed. 

Got to Kumasi only an hour late and checked back in to Treasureland for one more night before heading back to The Coast. 

The ride back was on a STC again so very comfortable and uneventful.  I check back into The Prospect to find out that the whole of Cape Coast was out of water and had been for days.  No rain so the river was empty and there is no back up plane for things like that in Ghana.  Turns out that the edges of Cape Coast had been out of water for weeks and it had finally hit the city center.

Daily water supply

Thankfully The Prospect brings a bucket and a huge container of water each day, which is enough to bath and flush the toilet once maybe twice a day.  Someone on the staff has to gather all these huge containers and go somewhere for hours each day to get us water.  I have no clue how far or how much they pay to get the water but they are gone a good half day.

I was back in room 116 with the bed bugs again and yes, I was eaten alive again.   This time I spoke up and they sprayed my room and Obehi’s room as they were next door to each other.  I spent the next couple days in comfort without a single bed bug bite…. Nice.

So, Obehi and I took bets on when the last time people had showered.  We based this not only on odor but on the level of scratching people were doing.  Oh, what becomes entertainment when the water drys up in Ghana. 

I am heading further west tomorrow…Far West. 

Bloodsucking Road Demons, Tro Tro Evangelist and 'A Tro Tro Killed my Kindle'

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Heading to destinations North today.  The STC is a super nice way to do a trip to Kumasi but as it starts in Takaradi my chances of getting a seat are limited, as they don’t do pre-sales for the Cape Coast to Kumasi leg.  The tro tros leave from Tantri station not far from my hotel and right next to the Indomie Lady

Me and My Tro Tro, Takati Station /  Cape Coast, Ghana

Got a nice cramped spot at the back of the tro tro and began the waiting for it to fill.  As we waited a very round woman with a bright turquoise dress began chanting and praying on the bus.  It was so loud it actually hurt my ears.  I came to find out that the ‘dodgy’ forms of transportation in Ghana (maybe all over Western Africa) bring a religious person on to pray for our safe journey.  I have no clue what she was saying as it was in Twi but I am thinking it was something like ‘God will protect you from the blood sucking road demons…. and on and on’.   After about 15 minutes of praying for our safety on the crappy tro tro our Tro Tro Evangelist prayed, asked for donations and left.  I will experience this again and again and again.

The 3 1/3-4 hour ride to Kumasi was fun.  The driver was channeling Mario Andrei and weaving in and out of Mac Trucks and passenger buses as the rain pounded us (leaking into the cab and into my pack).  We made good time and because of our Spiritual Healing back in Cape Coast we survived. 

Arrived in Kumasi around 5, jumped in a taxi and got to the Treasure land Hotel in no time.  As usual the power was out but the hotel turns a full on generator on at dusk that even runs the ac.  Pretty cool. 

I had a small dinner and a beer in the Summer Hut (a little outdoor hut with a table and chairs).  I decided to open my Kindle to unwind as a gift to myself after a long travel day…as it turns out the tro tro ride was a bit bumpier than I thought.  ‘A TRO TRO KILLED MY KINDLE’.  I keep my important things like my camera and laptop on my person when I have travel days but didn’t really worry much about the old Kindle.  The inky, computer generated goo that makes your screen look like a book broke (I guess that would be an LCD screen). Very sad state of affairs.  Looks like I will be reading crap ass books I find along the way.  As it turns out I was right…High School Musical 2 Exercise Book is about as good as I have found.

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).

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.