A New Home in Ghana

After 4.5 months of backpacking, not staying at one single place for more than 5 days, I was ready to have a semi-permanent home.  My 6 week volunteer program in Ghana couldn't have been timed better!  I didn't quite know what to expect as I arrived at Accra's international airport.  I had no idea what to expect from a lady that I had only met once in my life! After getting my luggage, I went outside looking for someone and luckily saw Laura’s nephew, Noah, holding a sign for me.

Initially, I was a little disappointed to hear that I was the only volunteer working with the program but it definitely allowed for a truly unique African experience as the only "Obruni" (Ghanaian word for white person) in town!  When we arrived at Laura’s home I was instantly greeted and welcomed! She had been expecting me for quite some time and later on I found out that she cancelled her plans to return to the U.S. so that she could be around while I was in Ghana.  Since things in Africa are never prepared ahead of time, my room was being worked on the day I arrived!  After setting my things down, I met Laura’s 9 year old twin grandchildren, Deborah and Desmond.  They were so cute and I knew I would have lots of fun with them!

Within 30 minutes of arriving at Mama Laura’s home I was fed! This was the beginning of Ghana’s “Operation: Fatten Lisa”.  They made me a delicious egg stew with yams, which became my favorite Ghanaian meal that I eventually learned how to make.  If you are not able to fatten up guests in Ghana, it is as if you have failed as a host!  And if you do not gain weight while living with a host family in Ghana then you are essentially defying gravity!

By the end of the day I was shocked at how nicely my room was prepared.  First off, the room was massive, and second, there was a bathroom inside with a proper western toilet and a shower head.  But, during my entire stay in Accra the water had not been connected to the bathroom so every day I fetched water to take a bath from a bucket and to flush the toilet!  Since then, I have had a new found appreciation for running water in a bathroom!

Before heading to Cape Coast the following day for a weekend trip, Deborah and Desmond took me to their school next door.  At the school I met Auntie Gladys (the school cook) and an adorable 18 month old boy named Adom, which means blessing in the Ghanaian language.  Adom was instantly drawn to me (possibly because he never saw a white person before) and he melted my heart! He would just cling onto me and always make me hold him!  I hung out with all of the kids, played soccer with some of the teachers that were at the school, and then was off to Cape Coast with Noah to do some sightseeing.

Noah and I took my very first tro- tro (public van transport in Ghana) to the bus station.  I was amazed at all of the things that Ghanaians carried on their heads! Literally, anything and everything you could imagine could be found...nothing is off limits!  The strangest thing that I saw for sale on a vendors head was a huge metal bowl filled with at least 10 live ducks for sale.

Upon arriving at Noah's home on the Cape Coast I was shown such African hospitality.  Noah and his wife gave me their room and laid out a mattress for them to share in the living room.  I tried to refuse their room but they insisted! Then, after cooking dinner, I received such a massive serving of food.  It could literally feed an entire family!

I thought this was for the three of us!

On Saturday morning I went to watch Noah’s soccer team do a scrimmage match and then we prepared apicnic before heading to Kakum National Park.  I was taught how to make the egg stew that I loved so much and his niece came along with us.  The main attraction at the national park is the canopy walk about 50 feet above the ground and it was packed given that it was the weekend.  The canopy walk was fun although it was quite annoying because the employees at the park were rushing us to walk quickly across the bridge.

Right when we finished the canopy walkway it started pouring rain which provided the perfect opportunity to sit down under some shelter and have a picnic with the lunch that we prepared.  It was so delicious!   Although it was still pouring, we made our way back to the entrance of the park where I tried some palm wine.  It was actually really good and the first sip of alcohol I had had in quite some time! The rest of the day was spent just relaxing, and of course eating!





The next day we visited the famous Cape Coast castle.  Since I never bought a guidebook for Ghana I honestly had no expectations for any tourist attractions.  On the way to the castle we walked through the town which was busy with all of the market goods and vendors.  The castle was very beautiful despite the unfortunate history behind it.  I couldn’t believe how well organized and massive the trade route scheme was in Africa.  It was very strange being at a place where people were sold to the highest bidder and shipped off into the slavery.

     



By the time we completed walking through the castle, we stopped at a local beachside bar before catching the bus back to Accra.  It was a great weekend getaway but I was looking forward to further settling into my new home.