Adventures in Akosombo

 

This week Jessica and I kept up with the newspapers and their gender articles as always, and were also asked to write feature articles for the Gender Centre's newsletter - very exciting! My article discussed the links between gender based violence and politics, and compared certain aspects of this with Canada. My supervisor Lena has not yet returned it to me with notes, so I could be way off base, but I will share with you what I chose to write about. Political violence is a risk in Ghana with upcoming elections causing inevitable ideological tensions in the country. The papers constantly have articles which encourage keeping the peace, and Ghana has had success doing so in the past; however, it is a very new democracy and so one can never know for sure. In my article I discussed how political violence can affect gender based violence, and hinder women's participation in politics. I looked at gender based violence not only from a physical perspective, but also from an economic and mental one. I took time to consider the efforts being made to encourage women to participate in politics in Ghana compared with that in Canada. For a little perspective, women's representation in Ghana's parliament is at 8% compared to Canada having almost 25%. (Though, anyone who knows me knows that I still think Canada's is not high enough and I make that clear in my article!). Writing the article was extremely interesting. Getting to sit in an office and research issues in women's rights in Ghana is really a great way to spend a summer!

Today we met up with one of our orientation leaders (and now friends!) Nana, and Jessica and I set off with her to Akosombo, in the Volta region. The trotro ride was 2 hours long which is not bad considering it takes that long to get to work each day in Accra! We went to the Volta Hotel first, and went on their balcony in order to get a view of the Volta Lake, which is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and is home to the Akosombo Dam. The views were incredible. Then our taxi driver took us to the Adome Bridge, the only suspension bridge built in Ghana. He even let us stop and take pictures which was nice. The bridge and lake were impressive and beautiful.

 We then made the short trip to Sajuna Beach Resort, owned and ran by obrunis and situated on the Volta River. The resort was alive with Ghanaian youth swimming, eating, playing sports, and relaxing. Nana's mother had made us a huge lunch for the day - jollof rice and chicken. Best meal ever. Nana opened the container and Jessica and I just about died of happiness. We finished our meal (quickly!) and then just relaxed and drank fruit juice, watching all the activity. We also ended up in a foosball tournament somehow which predictably ended with us losing terribly but I was able to get some remarkably good goals in regardless!

We went on a boat trip down the Volta River which was wonderful! I am such a pro at being in tiny boats in big rivers now. The views were spectacular, especially those of the bridge! It was nice that we got to go on it as well as go under it. The Volta region is so lush and full of hills - I just loved everywhere I looked. The lake is man-made and was created only in the 1950s - however, it has become such a source of life for the people living on its shores. Even though many boats go by there in the run of a day, the kids on the banks still did not lose an opportunity to wave to an obruni! The excursion on the river was brilliant; those are the views I came to Ghana for. A great and cheap way to spend a day. Tomorrow is relaxing at the beach, and then another work week begins! Can't wait to see what is in store.

Have TroTro, Will Travel

 As always, too much time has passed since my last post. Luckily, this post should be long enough to make up for that!

This past weekend, Jessica, Leah and I traveled to Beyin to see the Stilt Village, Nzulezu. For those of you keeping track, we were going to go to the Volta Region; however, that trip has had to be post-poned due to some instability in the area regarding two local groups. As lovely as Accra is, we did not want to stay in the city on a weekend that we had set aside to travel, especially since we had already booked time off, and we are eager to see more of the country. As such, we decided to organize a trip to Nzulezu, a village situated about six hours away by tro tro (though as many of you have guessed by now, timing is not a concrete thing here in Ghana). 

Planning the trip on short notice proved to be less difficult than we thought. We consulted our ever trustworthy Bradt guide to Ghana to figure out what there was to see and do in the area, and where we could find the best places to stay. The guide lead us to the Beyin Beach Resort, which is situated next door to the Wildlife Society where we would start our canoe trip to Nzulezu. This seemed convenient, the price was right, and the online reviews had nothing but good things to say about the place, so we decided to take a leap and book two nights there. Other than that, it was just a matter of figuring out how to find a trotro to take us to Beyin - luckily, the resort's website was very helpful in this regard and since we live in the capital, we can pretty much get tros to anywhere fairly easily. 

We began our journey around 6:30am on Friday when we stepped out onto the porch only to be immediately drenched in one of Ghana's unpredictable rainstorms. Deciding that the weekend could be cursed, we took a chance and waited it out. This ended up being successful, and we were on our way only an hour later. Having heard that it can take anywhere from 7 minutes to 7 hours for a trotro to fill up before it takes off, we prepared for the worst; luckily, we were treated with a best case scenario in which it only took one hour before we were on our way. The ride to Takoradi took about 4 hours (one of which being dedicated to just getting across the city). Once we saw glimpses of palm tree forests lining white sand beaches, we became very excited and the trip did not seem too long. From Takoradi we got a trotro straight to Beyin. This trip lasted another 2 hours, and was fairly terrifying as we were weaving through forests in a rickety van full of people, going well over any speed limit that would be set on such a road in Canada. We of course ended up unharmed, as expected, and so could do nothing but laugh about the experience. This nervous laughter continued as the tro just kept going farther and farther down literally deserted roads, but little did we know our tro driver was not only stopping in Beyin, but bringing us right to our resort! We settled in for the night, shaky and giddy with the travel experience after a delicious meal in the resort's restaurant.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast and headed over to the Wildlife Society to begin our day touring the 600 year old Nzulezu. The story goes that the people who settled there were originally from Mali and were lead to Nzulezu by a snail! We met our guide, Charles (who liked to be called 50 Cent), climbed into a narrow canoe, and set off for the village. The ride lasted 45 minutes, and I think I must have been smiling the whole time. While the wetlands and jungles looked still and empty, the sound of the creatures which call them their home was almost deafening in some places. At the same time, it was one of the most peaceful experiences I may have ever had. Our canoe slid through the black, reflective water without a sound, and seemed to cause no disruption. This is significant as people have been using this route to get to the village for centuries. Where there was evidence of man, it was still natural-looking, such as the fish barriers made from bamboo that were visible in some areas. 

The river opened onto a large pond which was again very still and this time more quiet. A few strokes of the paddle and you could see the village - even though people say it is built entirely on stilts, you almost have to see it to believe it. About 500 people live there, but the village looks quite tiny. Each row houses a separate family, and each child (of which there were many, all eager to say hello and have their picture snapped), has their own boat by about the age of 10; this means that all are very comfortable in the water. Walking around the village was eye-opening. Electricity had only been installed in April of this year, but already stereos were booming inside many homes. Though there was not wealth by any monetary means, there was a sense of community that was palpable. The village was worth the long journey, as was the canoe journey itself to get to the village.

After we reached land (narrowly missing the rain), we finished the day with a tour of Fort Appollonia, owned by the British and then the Dutch, which provided us with some history of the area as well as a chance to see small rooms where female slaves were held. The fort itself was almost beautiful, and the views from the top were worthwhile as well.

The fort, it turns out, was situated on the same beach as our resort and so it was just a 10 minute walk back "home". On the way, we ran into a boy of about 10. I said hello, and with a very serious look, he asked me "Do you like coconuts?". I replied in the affirmative, and he asked if I wanted one. On a high from a relaxing and fascinating day, I said sure and followed him to a tree almost right on the beach. He and his brothers got us each a large coconut and opened them up for us so we could drink from them right away. What a way to try my first taste of coconut water! It was sweet, delicious, and filling! We gave them a cedi each for their trouble, and continued our walk on the beach to the resort. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach and ate dinner at the restaurant again, splitting some wine and finishing a great vacation with stories, laughter, and brownies. Perfect end to a perfect weekend in paradise! 

My New Normal

It amazes me how almost anything can become normal. 

I have neglected posting in my blog for most of this week because I just thought that nothing of note had really happened. Yes, I rode in trotros, experienced another stormy day, did some work, tried some food, and our water ran out...but all of a sudden these things are not of note as they once were. This is not to say that everyday is not thrilling - it has just become very (strangely) routine!

While everyday does have the same general structure, it does not mean that I have stopped learning from this trip by any means. This week alone I have learned that if there is not mate in the tro to take the money, passengers will work with the driver to secure everyone's contribution to the ride and make certain that everyone gets the correct change. I have learned that I am more partial to the darker plantain chips (the ones that were riper at the time of cooking). I have learned that while each and everyday I think I cannot physically make it up the last hill before home, I always manage. I have also learned that Mondays are the busiest transit days in the whole week, and leaving an hour earlier than normal is sometimes necessary. 

I continue to be amazed at the tradition mixed with modernity that Accra embodies as it attempts to make its name among major world cities. On Fridays in particular, when 'African dress' is encouraged in the workplace, it is always a bit funny to see people dressed so traditionally, talking into their modern cell phones with purpose. Though it may sound strange, there is also a tree (that I keep meaning to take a picture of) on the way home that I think is a good example of this phenomenon. Its roots wind among themselves before entering the ground, and it looks as though it has seen many lifetimes. This tree is not in a major city centre, but it is surrounded by shops and vendors which make it look as though it is the one out of place, even though it has most likely been there at least decades before the concrete structures that surround it.

Though they have become "normal", there are occurrences that I look forward to everyday. The sweet yet unidentified smell that always fills our nostrils as we exit one tro on the way to another on the way home. The smile and wave from the lady that sells us mangoes near our work. The smiles and waves we receive throughout the entire day, and those awesome moments when you find a trotro with ease. While these experiences, though small,  were once jaw-dropping, they have now become the simple pleasures of life. I am now enjoying this trip in a new way because of that, a way that makes me see beyond the things that are initially shocking (like children darting through cars or women carrying enormous tubs of fruit on their heads with incredible balance), or at least consider them in a different way. 

Next weekend we are planning a visit to the Volta Region, and I am so looking forward to seeing a whole other side of Ghana. Accra is a bustling city which I do love, but I am eager to compare the attitudes and lifestyles of those here to those living in the Volta, let alone to experience an entirely new landscape.

Beaches and Bureaucracy

Does anyone else have trouble believing that we are already into June?!

In some ways it seems as though I have just landed in Accra because everyday is a new experience. On the other hand, it also feels incredibly, amazingly, normal to wake up in Africa day after day. Apparently one can really adjust to anything! It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating our one week anniversary of being in Ghana, and now we are on the cusp of the three week mark.

Since last weekend was so relaxed, we decided to keep very busy this weekend. On Friday we spent a very "western" night with our friends Desmond and Abel at the movie theatre in the mall, where we went to see The Avengers. Despite having a flat tire driving out of the parking lot, it was a good way to end the week and typical me, I even managed to squeeze in a bit of a nap during the movie!

On Saturday, we had to go do some errands at Oxford Street and of course ended up doing a little shopping. We were supposed to be meeting Abel and his brother Ambrose at the beach later in the day, but since we finished our errands early and did not feel like going all the way home, we decided to take the short trotro ride to La Beach. What a way to spend an afternoon! The sea spray was subtle while still refreshing, the water and air were crisp and clear, and we were treated to lots of entertainment (intentional and otherwise) from fellow beach goers as we lay in the sun. Laying out on a comfy lounge chair with the water brushing against its legs, all while catching up on my reading was not a bad way to spend the day! When our friends arrived, we walked up and down the beach a bit before heading to a neighbouring beach to have dinner. It got dark very quickly, and rain clouds were definitely coming in. The clouds and rain made it quite cool, but luckily the spice of the food kept our bellies warm! We finished the day attempting to watch a movie at home, but all of that fresh air could not help but make us all drowsy, so we turned in for the night rather early.

On Sunday, Leah had a meeting at 3pm in Jamestown, so we accompanied her in order to look around that part of Ghana. Jamestown is a fishing village not far from the heart of Accra, but has a totally different atmosphere. It is very community-based, and you can tell that everyone knows everyone else which is quite nice. When Leah went to her meeting, Jessica and I headed down the main road out of Jamestown, and ended up in an area where many of the government buildings can be found. This part of the city, while only maybe a 10-15 minute walk from the Jamestown lighthouse, is very different yet again. High Street has lovely brick sidewalks, is very clean, and very "capital city-like", due to the huge government presence in the area. The more we walk around the city on our own, the easier it is to orient ourselves. Here we were, walking on High street, and we ended up right next to the Cultural Centre, where we had visited our first weekend in Accra with our tour guides. Jessica and I ventured in and were invited to play the drums with some shop owners in their shop. It was very fun learning how to make these amazing, hand crafted drums make music, and I was surprisingly pretty good at it! The Cultural Centre is a place for learning, not just buying and selling; to me, this is what Ghana is all about. I have learned that Ghanaians want nothing more than to share their culture with you, and there is a sense of national pride and unity perhaps unlike anything I have ever experienced. Their wish to share their stories with you is genuine, and you cannot help but make friends here.

In fact, our drumming friends took us to Independence Square, as that was originally where we were headed before our musical detour. The square is large and impressive, equipped with grandstands, statues, and flags. I can just picture it being filled to capacity on Independence Day as parades wind their way through the area. Perhaps I will be back in March someday to see this exciting event.

Seeing the arch that represents Ghana's independence was very exciting. It is remarkable that this independence was only acheived in 1957. When Ghanaians ask when Canada was founded and you reply with 1867, there is always a look of shock. We consider Canada a young country, but the Ghana of today is much younger and is still under-going significant changes as it strives towards a "mature" democracy (as some of the papers say). Especially with the upcoming elections in December, Ghana is definitely a country to watch and discussing politics with the locals has been a very valuable experience to me.