Akwaaba! While the dust has settled on a U.S. election that captured the world's imagination and interest, the excitement in Ghana for its latest round of democratic, multi-party elections, is just hitting a fever pitch. Everyone is talking about the election (except on tro-tros where public debate has been banned due to intense passions in closed quarters!) as we move into the final week of campaigning, and it seems as though things will work out. African elections are always a little tense and the continent, if not the world, will be watching Ghana, to see if it really is as stable as everyone seems to want to believe it is. I know that "seems" is a rather loaded, ambiguous word, and my use of it is deliberate as democratic elections are only as good as they are just and fair. 
There seems to be few rules about posting election materials and the faces of Nana Akufo Addo and Professor John Evans Atta Mills, thought to be two front-runners, are everywhere. The ruling party, the National Patriotic Party, (outgoing) President Kufour's, is said to be the favourite and my sense is that they are a right-leaning party. Nana Akufo Addo is their candidate and his main press shot is so grandfatherly and cheerful it makes him look like the black Wilford Brimley (minus the moustache)! Their close rivals and opposition, the New Democratic Congress, are represented by the all-inclusive, rather liberal, umbrella, and they are pitching themselves as the party of change (this isn't the only parallel with President-elect Obama's campaign). There are eight other candidates (I think), each with its own party, but I think the only hopeful is the far-left leaning "Jack Layton" of Ghanaian politics, the Convention People's Party and their candidate Papa Kwesi Nduom. His party was formed by the father of independence, Kwame Nkrumah, but it doesn't appear (to my untrained eye) that they will win.
There is a great deal of concern of the voter registry and the carrying out of fair elections. When we first arrived here, there had been some turmoil in the north connected with the elections and while it made for a tense few weeks, it did settle down. Every party has been promoting their "manifesto" (this is the term they use for their platform) and they organize parades that march and sing around the city and the town. There are cars with big speakers and propaganda that drive around town extolling each party's message. The sellers flog fans, tissue boxes, t-shirts, calendars, scarves, flags and a host of other goods with the party logos on it, and debates can get pretty fierce, though not usually violent. The big issues are traffic, economic development (particularly around the recent discovery of oil), poverty, policing, corruption and the cost of living. Needless to say, there will be a lot of eyes on Ghana this weekend, as the voting takes place on Sunday (that's right...Sunday!). Perhaps now, you too will be watching--I sincerely hope that what you see is yet another peaceful display of the growth and progress of democracy in Ghana. 
The day after I posted this entry, the following arrived in my inbox from the Canadian High Commission in Ghana:
"The High Commission of Canada would like to remind Canadian citizens that presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for December 7, 2008 and if necessary, a run-off election will be held on December 28, 2008. There is the potential for gatherings of large crowds, demonstrations and political rallies in all parts of the country; these should be avoided. We wish to remind Canadian citizens that even demonstrations and rallies intended to be peaceful can lead to outbreaks of violence. Canadians are advised to avoid circulating near polling stations and political offices and if possible, Canadians should remain at home on Elections Day (s). As a normal precaution, the High Commission of Canada recommends that Canadians keep extra supplies of food, water and batteries at their homes."
More to come?
Her birthday just about coincided with a Winnie the Pooh event at Accra's National Centre, and being the loyal corporate licensing fans that we are (not to mention the fact that a good number of us were born in the city after which "Winnie" was named), we decided to cough up the 15 Ghana cedis per person to attend. It was not without some (rather discriminatory) trepidation that we did so, as the event was rush seating, we had never been to the National Centre, and our tickets were for 2:00 p.m., with the first show at 12:00. We wondered how they would get the first crowd out in time for us to see the show, but we also felt the 2:00 p.m. show would give them time to work the bugs out. Of course the thought also occurred to us that the power has a tendency to go out in the mid-afternoon every day. 
On the Sunday of the performance, we had a small family birthday party at home (homemade, Ghanaian cocoa, chocolate cake--hooray for mom!--and FanChoco ice cream) and then we left. We arrived about fifteen minutes early after a brief pit stop at the Pizza Inn, to find that our timing was perfect and they were just letting the next wave of "fans" in. The trouble was that the last group of people were still in the building and they were just starting the on-stage pictures with Pooh and Friends. There were about 150 people waiting and I commented that it was at least a two hour line up. To the credit of the event organizers, they moved the pictures into the lobby, to make way for the opening acts (we did not know that there were any!), which consisted of a child modelling agency fashion show (Bronte knows exactly what she wants to be now...imagine her father's delight) and a youth dance troupe. Both were a pretty decent way to wait out the start of the Pooh performance, which did not begin until just after 3:30 p.m.!
All in all, it was a pretty darn good day and the kids were excellent. This, despite the fact that the performance lasted just over fifteen minutes (yes, your math is correct, that is 6 Ghana cedis a minute for our family!) and they had to wait so long. There were a few moments where Carmilla and I shared a giggle as the whole exercise of seeing Winnie the Pooh in Ghana was surreal and a little disjointed. We are not surprised though, as people are pretty quick to embrace western goods and consumption habits, and the CEOs of corporations such as Disney must get goosebumps thinking about the market potential of a largely untapped African consumer population. Of course the English teacher in me thinks it can't all be bad as Pooh's creator, A.A. Milne, is a literary giant who deserves a posthumous readership well into the future. To paraphrase Eeyore, who celebrated his "tail-aversary" in the performance, with a bit of literary license: "It's not much of a blog, but I'm kind of attached to it." I hope you are too! 
Of course with a large concentration of 
What brings us back to 
This last picture doesn't so much tell the tale of 
We spend the first hour or so of any trip simply getting out of Accra, and this trip was no exception, taking more than an hour and a half to escape the city. One or two wrong turns, some good ol' family tension, more than a half a dozen hours on the road, and we pulled into the Busua Beach Resort, which was to be the reward for our perseverance. While one does not have to stay at the resort to enjoy the beach, we could not resist the urge to enjoy all of the ammenities of an ocean-front suite with a view of the ocean. For a three-room suite (living room, bedroom, and small kitchen), it cost us a mere 125 Ghana cedis and this included a full English-African oceanside breakfast, use of the pools, playgrounds, and tennis courts, and access to one of the most incredible stretches of beach we've laid our toes and eyes on.
Most resorts seem to make a good deal of their money in the restaurant and in the bar, and despite the fact that the food was quite good, this location was no exception to the rule. It is not generally uncommon at such locations for us to pay more 5 Ghana cedis for potato fries or fried rice, which is pretty steep by any standard, and outright theft by Ghanaian standards! Having noted this, there was a seaside barbecue on Saturday night, complete with a Ghanaian jazz band. The band was led by what I believe to be the world's oldest saxophone player, who also took the vocals for a few jazz standards. With the smooth jazz, the generous pile of lobster tails, and the steady, soft crashes of the ocean waves to accompany us, it is hard to complain about prices that are still mostly below what we'd pay on the prairies for anything comparable.
The ocean was the safest and most accessible we've seen because the beach is in a natural cove, and because a small island and rocky ledge provide for a breakwater (and scenic eye-candy!) just offshore. I woke up at five a.m. and watched the sunrise while the small village of Busua started to begin its work for the day. The small fishing village is pretty friendly, though I didn't venture too far at that time as I had read warnings about muggings and I like my camera. A couple of children who spoke no English, tagged along for my walk and insisted that I take pictures of them which, to be honest, I was happy to do because I'm quite shy about taking pictures of people here. It can often lead to conflict, an argument, or an intense negotiation. 
There is a lot more to explore in the area and we have already vowed to return to explore the village, and the surrounding area on foot. One can walk to the next village and there are even a couple of old forts within hiking distance. Again, we have been advised to take a local guide, as this is one of the few areas in Ghana where robbery is said to be somewhat frequent. We also want to spend some time in the twin-cities of Takoradi and Sekondi, bustling market towns that we passed through along the way. There are supposed to be a few good restaurants in the area so we'll keep you posted when we return.
Before I close this entry, I have to give specific mention to the African Rainbow Resort, which sits just before the gate to where we stayed, and will likely be where we will stay next time. The co-owner and operator, a Canadian and former resident of Maidstone, Saskatchewan, has put together the sort of retreat that conjures up dreams of Casablanca, or an Ernest Hemingway novel (minus, of course, the bull-fighting, and misogyny), complete with a rooftop bar that must have one of the nicest views in Ghana. We went there specifically for the pizza and we were not disappointed, as the consensus was that it was the best pizza we have yet to have in Ghana. While I'm sure everything tastes better with a saltwater breeze in your nostrils, this pizza could have stood up against some of the best that Corydon Avenue and Little Italy have to offer.
There is no doubt that we will return (and soon!) to Busua Beach as we have covered many sandy spots along the Ghanaian coast, and this is the hands-down winner. We are thinking about staying at the African Rainbow, where we can get day passes for the pool area at BBR. I would not be at all surprised as this becomes a traditional Land family monthly excursion and it will be near the top of the list of "Things We Miss About Ghana" after we return to Canada. Of course sitting on a beach sipping a Star and being misted by ocean spray, while watching the children frolic in the ocean, does not turn one's mind to Canada very often, if at all.
I had, in some deep, dark recess of my mind, a vague notion of the idea that chocolate and trees are somehow connected, but I must admit that I could not have elaborated further. in fact, you could have just as likely talked me out of a belief that chocolate actually grows on trees. I mean, who'd a' thunk it? What next...money? The cocoa tree bears, in two distinct seasons, just about as many cocoa pods as an apple tree bears apples and the pods are ripe when they turn to a bright, pumpkin-coloured orange. The harvesters use a long pole to clip the ripe pods off of the trees, then the pods are collected and taken to the next phase of processing. All of this, like so many things in Africa, is still done traditionally, by hand rather than by automation.
The pods are then split and the beans are separated from the placenta of the pods. We were given a few of these (surprisingly) sweet, soft, white beans to suck on and the outer skin tasted like lemon drops. The kids were reluctant to try them at first and were soon asking for more! Of course their parents exercised tasteful restraint, modelling decorum and tact for their offspring (and besides...our cheeks were full!). There are a few important plants that are planted alongside the cocoa trees, not the least of which are the cocoyams. Their leaves (I do hope I've got this right!) are laid out and the beans are placed between them to dry. The drying takes about seven days and the eventual outcome are beans that are covered in a peanut-like skin and are much darker in colour. Actually, they looked a lot like very large coffee beans but I may be projecting here (don't get me started on coffee again!).
The tasting of the dried cocoa beans was an even bigger hits than the taste test of the ripe ones and we were allowed to take a few for the road. These beans tasted like dark chocolate and (again, I may be fantasizing) had the texture of coffee beans. We bought some Cadbury Richoco (Cadbury, not by coincidence, is one of the bigger corporations in Ghana...and British Cadbury chocolate, dear readers, kicks the pants off of Canadian Cadbury chocolate--sorry!) for home and we have yet to have it as there are just not very many moments in the span of a day where we crave a steaming cup of hot cocoa! Of course as I type this, most of our Canadian friends and family are longing for just such a thing as they look out their windows and contemplate another (a-hem) "couple" months of winter. Whatever this entry has you longing for--the slow, painful death of its writer, or a marshmallow-laced mug of chocolatey goodness--we thank you Tetteh Quarshie!
Akwaaba! Recently, the children’s school had a Saturday evening event called The Lantern Walk. It is relatively new to us, although I think we participated in one in Victoria, B.C. some time ago. The children had been learning songs, bringing home notes, and making lanterns for a couple of weeks leading up to the walk. So, as you can imagine, anticipation was running pretty high in the Land house, especially since there was talk of something called a “toffee shower.” It turns out that the history and practice of the event are not altogether unlike Halloween. 
Traditionally, the festival would take place on November 11th in a number of European countries (the director of Tall Oaks is part German and the school is very international) to honour Martin of Tours. Apparently Martin, a Roman soldier who later became a monk, famously tore his cloak in two and gave half to a beggar. In some places, children make lanterns and light candles and walk around their communities to receive gifts and candy, hence the “toffee showers” that our children received. The walk was also meant to represent an opportunity to come together in unity and put our differences aside. 
On a more selfish note, it was an excellent opportunity for Carmilla and me to firm-up a couple more “grown-up” connections with a couple of parents we had met, and to meet some new people. I suspect this is also one of Tall Oaks’ ulterior, generously-placed motives. There were a few words, a few songs, and a short play prior to our departure. Following what was likely intended to be St. Martin on horseback (I wasn't sure), the walk lasted about an hour and we sang rounds of a half-a-dozen songs while the children carried their lanterns (and some of the parents carried some of the children!). The songs included a couple of lantern-specific ditties and a few old favourites such as the hokey-pokey “Ghanaian style” which was about as much (sober) fun as you can have walking down a public street without getting arrested! 
This entry’s parting shot has to go to Cuyler. The look on his face as we lit his lantern with real fire says it all. The Lantern Walk was a wonderful event to be a part of and we will not soon forget the sing-song walk, the toffee shower, or the warm glow of the lanterns, under African night skies. Oh, and in anticipation of your next questions as you consider the following picture: Yes, Cuyler still has all of his skin and his hair, and, No, no children were seriously burned in the walking of these lanterns!
The hike in to the falls was not too difficult and it afforded us the sounds and sights of a lively little stream fed by the falls. There is very good flow at this time of year, as it is the rainy season, which is why we wanted to make this trip before the dry season sets in. The man who guided us (I'm still not sure is O.B. was his name or if that was his title) explained that his family is trying to develop the site to make it more of a tourist attraction. While this would undoubtedly be very good for his family and for the village, the eco-tourist in me shuddered when he suggested that they want to alter the base of the falls to create a swimming pool for visitors. Unfortunately, I cannot argue against his thinking that this would probably bring more people, even if we would not likely be among them!
From there, we decided we had enough time to dash up to the better-known and highly recommended Boti Falls. This site is more developed, but it is so remote that it maintains a degree of rural charm. It has apparently been sold to a developer of some sort, so time will tell if it improves or not. There are 250 steps down to the base of the falls, and on the way down there are several signs warning visitors not to swim. This makes more sense when you realize that the falls open to large, shaded, sandy beach and the water appears both shallow and calm. The fear may stem from the fact that we have met very few swimmers in Ghana and we frequently see people thrashing about in the pools we visit. There was a young European couple wet and on the way up as we walked down, so unless there were more than two of them swimming, it might be safe. The big concern is usually that the water may contain bilharzia, a water born, disease-bearing parasite found in much of the fresh water in Ghana. Needless to say, we did not go for a swim.
A guide was not really necessary, but they are always "included" (for a small "dash" or tip) when people see our smiling white faces. Actually, I can't complain because the going "dash" rate is generally 50 pesewas to 1 cedi and they often end up carrying one of the children! Our faithful companion for this trek told us the story of how the falls were named. Apparently a white man asked where the falls originated, and the local man gave him the obvious and literal answer: the ledge up there. The man heard only the word "Boti" and thus the falls were named. As a citizen of "Kanata" I had to chuckle and share my own country's naming story, and we all had a good laugh at the white man's folly (Hey! Turnabout's fair play...isn't it?!). There is also a local legend attached to the falls that says one is a man and one is a woman, and while they will come very close together in the rainy season, they will never touch. Few memories will touch the ones that are being afforded our family by the beauty of Africa.
The price for braiding, was a very reasonable 3 Ghana cedis, so I expect we'll be doing it again, especially since the girls have to have their hair tied back for school. This, coupled with the harsh truth that hair-brushing is not one of our favourite morning rituals (visions of Maisy from Uncle Buck leap to mind). The event consumed the better part of an hour on a lazy Saturday morning, but you won't hear me complain as I was happily slouched into a cozy chair in the air-conditioned salon, chewing my way through the rather excellent DeNiro's Game by Rawi Hage. After we returned home, it was now time for Cohen and I to seek out a barber, as Kiss Kess doesn't cut for men.
After driving around for a while and passing dozens of barbers that were too busy, we stumbled on the above shop, a tidy and quiet place down a side street in th Manet Cottage area. There are hundreds of barbers and hairdressers in the city and (not surprisingly) very few of them have any experience cutting obruni hair. This became evident in the degree to which the barber's hand shook as he steered the clippers over our shining white heads. There was a rather comedic moment after I sat down where he motioned to a poster of dozens of African men's haircuts so that I could choose one. Lucky for me (and for him), all I wanted was the #1 guard head shave. All Cohen needed was the #2 guard but that was lost in translation, at least at first. When the barber stopped to reveal Cohen's cut and get my approval, Cohen looked like a cross between a punk-rocker, a recovering brain surgery patient, and a Hasidic Jew. I saved him the indignity of snapping a picture at that moment.
We could pay more and go to higher end salons in Osu, in the diplomatic areas, in a resort, or in the mall, but we are cheap and head shaving is head shaving, wherever you live. I think Carmilla will have to splash out a few more cedis as the head shave is not really this season's look for women in Ghana. Cohen's haircut and mine cost a whole 2 Ghana cedis (yup, that's about two bucks) and judging by the way the price was suggested, I was expected to negotiate. I didn't barter, although it was tempting to have real-life grounds for singing "Shave and a haircut, two bits!" I will leave you with an excellent snap, taken by my excellent son Cohen, with his new birthday camera.
The hotel would probably be a good choice for someone who didn't have to compete with traffic during morning rush hour because it is close to the airport and reasonably close, by car, to the heart of Accra. It is also within view of the Accra Mall and there is a bustling collection of market stalls outside the mall where you can usually find goods and prices that rival or beat what the mall has to offer. We pass it every day on the way to and from work and school, and after a botched attempt to drive to the region north of Aburi, it became a welcome consolation prize for us and especially for the kids!
Oddly enough, the hotel is as well-known for its pizza as it is for its pool. For about 10 Ghana cedis you can get a large pizza with a few toppings. The above selections were our kid-friendly choices, but the last time we ordered, we got a Neptune that had shrimps, tuna and olives, and was pretty darn yummy. As I've mentioned before, a lot of hotels have "pizza huts" by the pool that do not feature the official corporate branding or menu of the chain, but do usually offer stone ovens that can turn the average Ghanaian cook into a pizza master. We have eaten at the Chinese restaurant found inside the hotel and while it was satisfactory, I couldn't really recommend it.
The pool, as you can see, is massive and mostly deep. There is, however, a decent sized kiddie pool but it is a little out of the way and unless you can get chairs between the kiddie pool and the large pool (which is not likely), the average parent will spend most of their time in the kiddie pool or on high alert. There is a swim up bar and restaurant service under thatched roof patio tables. The rooms look to be chalet/cottage style and are spread out around the gardens, just like the resident cats that are found "sunning" all over the place (Finn was thrilled!).
Also of note is the the small art market that is adjacent to the parking lot of the hotel. It is a very reasonably-priced and accessible one-stop-shop for the average tourist or non-local because--unlike the National Cultural Centre market--people let you browse and then give a price that you can hardly argue with. We usually just pay the price we're told and now that we're practically regulars, the prices seem to be getting even better. We have bought baskets, paintings, wood-carved products, pottery, a brass candle holder, and hand-painted cards there. Each seller is usually knowledgeable and some of them are the artists themselves, or are from the village where the goods are produced. Shopping, swimming, stone-fired pizza, and the balmy West African sun...it would be hard to complain!
But enough about me…this is entry is about The Amazing Race: Halloween in Ghana Edition. We are pretty big on family traditions, particularly as they have been an important touchstone when we travel to a new home. One of our traditions has been to watch The Amazing Race together. This last year we even had a family pool wherein we picked our favourite pair and then cheered them on. What’s really important about this is the time spent together (does it still count if it’s in front of a TV?!) and that we had fun. Oh, and that I won this year’s selection pool. Well, to make a long story at least a little shorter, we decided to plan a Halloween scavenger hunt, Amazing Race Style.
Challenges included recounting the ring tone of our driver Douglas (“You are blessed in your family…you are blessed in your relationships…you are blessed in your finances…”), balancing a pillow on your head like a street seller, eating a banana like a baboon, doing African drumming and dancing (the kids take this at school), counting in French or German (also at school), or doing an impersonation of a tro-tro driver. 
Clues were hidden throughout the house and the race concluded with each of the kids having to throw together an impromptu costume and say “trick or treat” to their parents. For the trick, they had to bob for an apple, and for the treat, they each got a big bag of candy (of course!), much of which was given to us recently by the Manitoba school inspection team, the Manitoba hiring agent, and because some care packages arrived from home. The festivities culminated in a family movie night (usually Fridays, with popcorn and pizza…though this time with KD from a care package—woo-hoo!) viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Fat Albert’s Halloween Special. (A special shout out to Graboid Video!)
Those who know us best will also know that there is a certain other family celebration that happens on this day: our anniversary! I continue to be the luckiest spouse I know and I have been enjoying the excellent company of my fabulous partner Carmilla for sixteen years (“unofficially” eighteen from the very beginning) today. Our tradition always includes an evening of trick-or-treating, followed by Chinese takeaway and a movie, after the kids are in bed. This year, I am relieved to report, was no exception.
