The Return Home

               For one of my last posts I would like to rate all my different experiences in Ghana. It should be interesting as well as extremely informative to future volunteers or tourists who want to know what were the most interesting experiences I had. Everything I did in Ghana was worthwhile and I wouldn’t take any of my experiences back for anything. But some parts were better than others so here are the ratings. 

Accra               B+

        I did not love living in a big city such as Accra because it is hectic and the very crowded. The worst parts are the traffic and the trash. However it does provide for plenty of places to explore and interesting things to do. Some of the places to definitely check out are Osu (although it is Obroni central), Tema station, Circle, Lascala, and Teshie-Nungua. Also try to check out Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum to learn about Ghana’s very influential first president. We did not get to go which I regret.  

        Labadi Beach Reggae night                    C-

            I went twice and did not really enjoy it. There is live music and often performances but it doesn’t start till 11 pm on Wednesday night which is inconvenient for most volunteers. Also it is flooded with Rasta’s enjoying some “herbs” and Obronis (often also there just to enjoy the herbs). 

      Accra Art Center                                      F

                I am not an art enthusiast but the merchandise here is very nice. Unfortunately all of the vendors are incredibly pushy and aggressive and the prices are outrageous. You can find the same quality things other places in Ghana although with a bit more effort. 

        Global Mommas                                      A

                An NGO started by some volunteers that teaches jobless Ghanaian women to make clothing and other crafts. The store then sells this high quality merchandise and a portion of the profits maintain the NGO. The prices are a bit higher but they have some very cool gifts that you won’t find anywhere else and it goes to a good cause. 

        Jamestown                                               B-

            Most guidebooks will tell you to visit the lighthouse and fort in Jamestown but it was pretty unimpressive. Go to Jamestown or Ushertown and walk around if you wish to experience extreme poverty and have a reality check but it is not a tourist destination. 

Volta Region              A+

      Volta region is amazingly beautiful with much fewer people and mountains all around. It is also the least visited region in Ghana, so you can escape all the tourists. The best parts are Wli (Agumatsa) Waterfalls, Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, and the Bead Market in Odumase-Krobo (trotro to Kpong). There are plenty of other places to visit that sounded incredible but I did not get the chance to do. Check out Likpe Caves/waterfall, and Amadwofe Mountain.

Eastern Region           A+

      Eastern region may have surpassed Volta region in its beauty. Go to the capital Koforidua, which is only a short 2 to 3 hour trotro from Accra (Great for a day trip!), and walk around the city a bit. Also a must is the Akaa village and Umbrella rock. The people are wonderful and the views can’t be beat. If you are willing to drive around a bit then check out the six-headed palm tree near Mamfe as well. There are 3 or 4 different waterfalls in this region as well including Akaa, Boti and   , which would be worth it as well although I only saw Akaa falls. 

Central Region                       A-

        The main attraction of the central region is Cape Coast. Definitely a necessity to go and visit the Slave castles in Cape Coast and Elmina. One of the main tourist attractions is Kakum National Park. It was an interesting experience but very busy and expensive so I don’t know whether it was worthwhile. More interesting was the Monkey Forest Resort located just down the street where you can see lots of African animals (although unfortunately not completely wild). Also a good time was Wassa Domama rock shrine although I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a full day and a burning desire for adventure. Lastly I didn’t make it to Hans Cottage but for about 5 cedi you can see crocodiles up close and personal which I think would be worthwhile. 

Food

      Fufu                                                               C (Akaa village Fufu though… A)

        Banku                                                          D

        Ground Nut Soup                                        B+

        Light Soup                                                   B

        Okra Stew                                                   B-

        Pepe                                                             D-

        Jollof Rice                                                   A

        Waakye                                                       A-

        Fried Plantain                                             A+

        Fried Ginger Plantain                                A++

        Redred                                                        B

        Grilled Street Corn                                     A

        Boiled Corn                                                B+

        Fried Yam                                                    A

        Bofrut                                                          A+++

        Alvaro                                                         A+

        FanIce/FanChoco/FanYogo                        A+

The Wonderful Akaa Village

I am sure that many of you reading this have heard of the Akaa Project but for those who haven’t, check it out (http://theakaaproject.org/). I finally made it to the Akaa village, located in the upper Eastern region of Ghana. I am so glad to have had the opportunity but I could not have imagined beforehand just how incredible this little village is.

                My adventure began when I met Rasta Tataguan at Tema station in Accra. He had on a bright green shirt with matching neon green headwrap over his enormous bundle of dreadlocks, and neon green sunglasses. Needless to say I didn’t really know what to think, but we boarded a trotro heading for Koforidua. After some jollof rice and a short taxi ride we arrived at Akaa falls. The falls are beautiful and definitely worth a trip if you make it to Ghana. We continued on another 20 minutes and finally arrived at the village. Akaa is spread out over a small valley, with around 20 or 30 houses in several small clusters. We went to the first cluster of houses which includes the Chief’s house. I met the Chief, the Queen mother, their son and several other people from the village along the way. After a short meeting with the Chief we put our stuff down in his house and went for a walk. We met some of the kids from the village along the way as they yelled out, “rasta, rasta”.

                We came upon Umbrella rock which was much more incredible than I had anticipated. It is in fact one giant rock balanced on a much smaller rock (see the pictures to understand). But even better is that you can climb up on top of the 30 foot tall umbrella rock and get a great view of the valley below. The ladder that leads up umbrella rock was handmade from bamboo and string. After I came back down we walked down a steep rocky path to the river that runs through the valley and some nearby caves. It was quite the hike back up and probably the hardest workout I have had in months. We headed back to the village and decided we would play some soccer with the guys. We played on a patch of dirt between some houses and a hill with rocks set up as our goals. But it was the most fun I have had in a long time. If a Ghanaian or any African for that matter ever asks you to a pickup soccer game, don’t miss out on the opportunity. They are all really passionate and talented. When it started to get dark we had to call it quits so we headed back to the house. I was soaked to the bone with sweat and so took a quick outside bucket shower before making dinner. We prepared a meal of noodles and meat sauce over a coal fire. The village people gave us some extra fufu as well. I don’t normally like fufu but this was amazing, it had the consistency of cookie dough but without much flavor. If I ate that fufu all the time I am sure I would love Ghanaian cuisine.

                The next morning we woke up and did a little work for the village. I got to take a machete to some of the weeds growing on the hill behind the Chief’s house and plant some flowers. It was quite fun until we ran into some fire ants that took issue with us cutting up their house. I was glad to do a small bit for the village since they had shown me such a wonderful time. Afterwards we took a walk to the other parts of the village and met everybody from Akaa. Unfortunately it was about time for me to go back to Accra so we walked the 5 miles back to the main road and caught a trotro. I spent a very short time, only about 24 hours, in Akaa but I can’t wait to go back.

Pictures of the Akaa Village

Rasta Tataguan and Myself at the Akaa falls. One Love

Akaa Falls

On top of Umbrella Rock overlooking the Akaa village

Part of the Akaa village from on top of Umbrella rock

Umbrella Rock

Taking the difficult hike back up to Umbrella rock. I might be a little out of shape

Akaa village

The Bamboo ladder to get on Umbrella rock

Delicious dinner made by myself and Rasta Tataguan at the Akaa village

Doing a little weeding with the machete

Planting some flowers on the hill behind the Chief's house in the Akaa village. Hopefully they will be in full bloom when the next Wooster students are there.

Taking a walk with some of the kids in the Akaa village

Sitting on this special rock in the Akaa village means my first child will be twins

The view of the Chief's compound from our room

The school built by Wooster students in the Akaa village.