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.

Rain, Red Red, and Retail Therapy

After a very relaxing and relatively uneventful weekend (save for a trip to the beach Saturday night where I dipped my toes in the other side of the Atlantic!), Monday hit with a vengeance. Firstly, Mondays are always difficult to handle; but toss in the unpredictability of transport and length of travel time to work in a new country, and it is a whole other experience! After waiting at the trotro station for an hour, Jessica and I decided we had to suck it up and take a cab. Long story short, we ended up not at Nkrumah circle (where we were going to get another tro), but at the Tigo headquarters (a cell phone/internet company). Needless to say, there was some miscommunication, and Jessica and I were discouraged, but managed to orient ourselves and get to work at a fairly reasonable time. The good news is, our colleagues are quite used to the traffic situation in Accra. It is common knowledge that traffic is almost constantly heavy, and some days it is much easier to find a tro than others. They are very understanding ladies!


Jessica and I have been spending this week looking through newspapers from January until the present, looking for human rights stories about Ghana that have some sort of gender lens. This is part of the baseline work for a new project the Gender Centre is starting in June which will focus on encouraging female leadership. We are finding it difficult to find stories with a gender lens - thus the point of this exercise. The hope is that after the program, there will be an increase in these kinds of stories in the newspapers as women are encouraged to be leaders and the media picks up on their involvement. Hopefully this will lead journalists and people in general to specifically consider gender issues when analyzing human rights issues. 


Tuesday was a better trotro day, and today was even better. So good in fact, that Jessica and I left for work at 6am, and got there at 7:40am. To put this in perspective, it took us 3.5 hours to get to work on Monday! Unfortunately, this luck came at a price - we were at work much too early! However, this is obviously better than being late! While we made it to work before the rain got too bad, once we were there it started to rain fairly hard, and continued until about 10am. Now, listen up fellow Canadians: rain is an interesting event here in Accra. Traffic slows to a halt, vendors gather their wares and seek shelter in which to wait out the storm, and the city ultimately seems as if it is on pause compared to what it feels like on a sunny day. The rains don't seem to last more than a few hours though, and when it starts to let up the city is once again teeming with life, with people repairing what the rain damaged and getting on with their busy lives. 


Since it was raining, causing our co-workers to be either trapped in traffic or their homes while they wait for small floods to resolve themselves, and we were also incredibly early, the office was locked when we arrived. Luckily, the maintenance man - who  greets us with a smile each and every morning - would not have us just stand under the overhang while we waited. He pushed aside his own chair and radio and let us wait with him in a small maintenance room. The three of us chatted somewhat, listened to the radio, read the newspaper, and some of us (i.e. yours truly) decided that taking a little nap was as good a use of time as any. With the arrival of Joanna and a call to Gladys, we finally got into the office mid-morning. Jessica and I made a bee-line for the tea, set up our stacks of newspapers, and spent a nice day doing our work. For lunch we tried a Ghanaian dish called Red Red; my favourite so far! The only way to describe it is as a kind of spicy chili, with strips of meat as opposed to ground. I am not sure what else was in it, but it sure disappeared quickly! 


After work Jessica and I made our way to busy Oxford Street, a 10 minute walk from work, and set out to go to the bank. Naturally, we became slightly side-tracked by the beautiful dresses for sale on the way (partly because our roommate Leah came home in such a beautiful dress this week - we figured we needed some too!). We found this nice little stall run by a sweet young woman with an absolutely adorable son named Prince. He was probably less than two years old, but already making his mother chase him and able to give a great high five! I broke down and did end up buying my first African dress - it is long, handcrafted, and beautiful! So excited to wear it out somewhere. 


On the drive home (which ended up being very quick as well), Jessica and I got yet another hankering for some FanIce. The woman in front of us had bought one, and we decided we needed our fix. When stopped in traffic in the trotro, we caught the eye of a maybe 13 year old boy selling FanIce on his head. He seemed to be rather new at the selling game, but was a pro nonetheless! He could definitely tell we were thinking about it, and he gave us a coy smile. We turned away to discuss how badly we wanted it (which was confirmed as quite badly), and then called him over. This boy could not have looked happier. We think it was either his first sale, or at least his first sale to an obruni (white person)! I gave him his money, and he happily went about getting 2 FanIce out for us. He carefully wrapped each one in a piece of magazine to use as a napkin, smiling all the while. I made sure to thank him greatly, and pretty soon he was selling to the rest of the back of the tro (FanIce cravings are definitely contagious). While he was about to walk away, I heard him yell, "Obruni!". Knowing he meant me, I turned around , thinking he maybe wanted to sell me more. I looked out the window at him, and he was smiling ear to ear and just gave me a big thumbs up. While I wish that he did not have to sell FanIce on the side of the road, his smile was infectious and meeting him was the cherry on top of a great day filled with amazing food, friends, dresses, and laughter! An absolutely great Ghanaian Wednesday.

Holidays and Summer Nights

Yesterday was the final day of the first week of work, as today is Africa Unity day which is a national holiday. After taking 3 hours to get to work, Jessica and I finished our preliminary readings and notes on the Gender Centre, its programmes, and the architectures of violence. This means that next week we will be starting a new work load, and we are very excited!
At lunch we decided to venture out to get some real Ghanaian food (with the help of some of the office ladies). We were told to go to this little alleyway where they sold various kinds of food - cramped and quirky! We got chicken and rice, deciding to play it relatively safe. The food was delicious, but SO spicy!! This was the hottest food I have had so far, but the nice thing about the spiciness of Ghanaian food is that it has quite a kick to it, but the heat of the spice does not over-whelm its actual flavour. As someone who has a very boring palette and so little tolerance for spicy food, eating is an adventure in itself! But I love branching out and trying the food, as everything so far has been great.
After work we met Leah and her Australian friend Nikki from her work at the mall. We were just going to take a tro-tro to get there, but when Joanna (a co-worker and our project leader for the week) saw us walking to the stop she told us to hop in her car! Apparently she was going that way anyway, and it was so unbelievably nice of her to give us a ride. On the drive over we laughed about the differences between Canadian and Ghanaian weather, birds, and bats and had a blast. 
After meeting the girls in the mall, Leah got a call from her boss that we should come to this spot called "+233" before a concert that we were planning on going to at the national theatre. We headed over there by taxi, asking people who looked "hip" where this place was, as the taxi driver did not know. 
+233 ended up being this amazing little outdoor bar and grill, with an indoor room where these fabulous musicians were playing. We got there before dark (which happens at 6:30, without fail as it is winter in Ghana) and ordered drinks and food. The group grew quite significantly as more of Leah's co-workers showed up, and we all ended up having a blast. I sampled Star (Ghana's favourite beer since 1937 according to the billboards!) and it was quite good! Very refreshing after having a long day. 
Being in this spot, surrounded by new friends and good food (the pizza was to die for) made me a bit nostalgic for Halifax summers outside on patios, but also made me feel so lucky. Here I was, listening to great music with great people, food, and drink, spontaneoulsy at the end of a long, hot work day. Just sitting at a bar in Africa. Not a bad way to spend a summer! I wake up everyday feeling so lucky to be here. I miss home of course, but I am so glad to have had this opportunity and even when it is difficult, I have great friends to laugh with at the end of the day; what more could you ask for?

FanIce and First Days

Hello all!

Monday was the first day of work for those of us living here in Accra, as well as for those in Cape Coast. It was an exciting day, as we really did not know what to expect in terms of our jobs or the traffic! Jessica and I started to head down the hill around 7am, and had a very hard time getting a tro-tro. Since we really wanted to make a good first impression and get to work on time, we opted to get a taxi part of the way in order to potentially save some time. We did end up getting a tro really easily to the next stop though, but since we did not recognize our stop we had to ask someone in the tro - luckily, this is not hard, as everyone is so friendly! We got off at Labone station, and the walk to work should only have been about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, Jessica and I are challenged in the navigation department! We had visited our workplace last week, but apparently this was of no help to us as our memories were not kind enough to retain the location of the office in a maze of quiet suburban streets. So here we were, in this neighbourhood that is quite nice, turning in circles, asking for directions, when we decide to just call our boss (despite the embarrassment). Dorcas just laughed and gave us directions. Long story short, it took us 2.5 hours to get to work on the first day!

The Gender Centre is amazing - full of just a handful of women who are so educated and passionate about what they do. It is amazing that such a small group of women can impact such big change.  The GC is partners with many local, national and international organizations and have published so much detailed research and led so many workshops, it is astounding. I could not be more impressed with the work that the Centre does on educating people about domestic violence and its link with HIV/AIDS, as well as trying to change attitudes and eradicate this destructive behaviour. Jessica and I have been assigned lots of readings for this week, about the theories of violence as well as the work that the GC is doing itself. Next week we will start actual work...excited to find out what this will be!

Getting home after our work days has been an adventure in itself - we went to get groceries yesterday and so we cabbed home. Our cab driver took this really unfamiliar route through town where we got to see everything from an industrial park, to cows, to a lovely neighbourhood! There is definitely a level of trust and faith you have to have when taking a cab in a new city - Jessica and I definitely just laughed at how lost we were and decided to keep an open mind and trust that our driver knew the way!

On another note:

There is this type of  ice cream that comes in a little individual bag called FanIce - in short, it is delightful and perhaps the only source of dairy we are getting on this trip haha. It comes in three flavours: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Jessica and I had a long day yesterday getting home and all we wanted was some FanIce. We scoured the streets waiting to hear the beeping of the horn that is attached to the FanIce carts for most of the ride home. When we had almost given up on the cause, a boy walked by the car with a box of FanIce on his head (a typical sight on the busy streets!). Jessica practically threw 5 cedi at the boy in a mix of desperation and excitement. We decided to branch out and try the strawberry flavour. We teared into the packages, take the first taste of the cold ice cream - and look at each other with confused looks. Sadly, the strawberry FanIce (in our opinion) is far inferior to the other flavours. Regardless, we got our happy fix of ice cream, and laughed all the way home. A good end to a long day!

Today was another good day at work, and tomorrow we are going to try some Ghanaian food (other than fufu, which is delicious!) on our lunch break! Super excited, and also excited for a long weekend that is coming up, because African Unity day is on Friday, making it a holiday! A holiday that will most certainly involve more FanIce.

The End of Our First Ghanaian Weekend

Today was our first day without our guides in the big city. It was labelled in our orientation schedule as a day of rest, but anyone who knows the three of us knows that that was never going to happen! We slept in for the first time since our arrival, and I woke up to the sounds of singing at the morning masses. Everyone says that Sundays, particularly before 1pm, are quite quiet in the city because everyone is in church, and this was certainly the case! We spent the morning curled up with our books on the balcony, with palm trees, the beach, and the beautiful city in view - it certainly felt like a vacation!

After eating a bit of breakfast, we ventured out to tackle the tro-tro system on our own. We walked down the shortcut hill the main highway, noticing our favourite goat friends and saying some hellos along the way. Since it is Sunday, there were far fewer tros. But we managed to get a tro to the circle, and make our way to Oxford street so we could get some errands done. We were immediately swarmed with people showing us their wares, complementing us, and asking if we were from Britain or the United States - typical question! When you answer that you are from Canada, most Ghanaians I have met have gotten quite excited and asked if we were from Toronto or Vancouver - they nod with recognition when we reply that we are from the east coast, but I am not sure that is registers as easily as the big cities do in the minds of anyone outside our continent! The vendors are very proud of what they have made, from bracelets to beaded jewellery, to bags and paintings. I did purchase a painting today depicting the many colours, one world concept that each of us is different but we all belong to the same  family - a great message, and a beautiful work.

Since our guides Nana and Philip have become friends, and since they worry about us constantly (which is quite cute), Nana asked us to meet up with her at her home to meet her family - one of my favourite moments of the trip so far. Nana's family was so generous, kind, and inviting (just like Nana!). It was great to meet a typical Ghanaian family, and I hope to be invited back soon!

From Nana's we went to the mall to get dinner and food which was great, and then we treated ourselves to a cab ride home. We came home to no power (which we lost during yesterday's very destructive storm) and waited for Ken, our caretaker, to come and take a look at it since we saw that many of those around us had regained power. He fixed it immediately, and we learned that we have a generator! We are so spoiled rotten. As is their nightly ritual, Philip and Nana called us each several times to make sure we got home safely. It is so unbelievably nice to have people in the city who care so much about us and our well-being.

Tomorrow is the first day of work, and none of us could be more excited. Jessica and I are hoping that since it is an election year in Ghana as well, that our job will be made that much more interesting. So excited to start learning not just about the city, but about our actual jobs!

Sending love to home, across this lovely ocean!