A Weeekend in Decline, yet a Weekend Worthwhile

Sunday, Septermber 17th

One third of the way through my stay here in Ghana, I decided it was time for some independent traveling. I was hoping to meet up with David Ahenkora – the leader of the Jewish community – but considering my prior luck with him, my hopes were not high.

I woke up early, hoping to catch an early bus to Kumasi. When I asked if there was anything available, I received a common answer here in Ghana: “It is finished.” I knew that I could get to Sefwi from Takoradi, which is on the west coast of Ghana, so I took a ticket there. My bus was scheduled to leave at 7:00; naturally, if left at 9:00. It’s what I have come to expect.

The ride to Takoradi was silky. The ride was less than four-and-a-half hours, most of which was on smooth pavement. I managed to sleep most of the trip.

Takoradi reminded me a lot like home: a nice downtown, not so difficult to get to the beach, but not a lot to do. I decided to dive into the market, hoping to buy some cloth for some clothing, and boy, did I hit the jackpot. I bought 4 different cloths, at 2 yards each, for under 100,000 cedis – 11 dollars – total. Sweetness. Soon enough, I’ll have some one-of-a-kind clothing.

Going through a market is always an interesting experience. Being white means being wealthy, so everybody tries to pitch their product. A market has all the aromas and odors of Ghana. The sweet smell of oranges and fresh vegetables is quickly overpowered by the rancidness of days-old (and freshly caught) fish. In all, Takoradi was the most open and most organized market I’ve experienced.

By 3PM, my hunger had caught up to me. I walked up Monkey Hill, wanting to grab some chow and hoping to see some monkeys along the way. I ordered some banku and beef soup. The banku (Fermented corn/cassava dough) dipped in the soup was delicious; the beef: not so much. Luckily, two lovely young ladies saved me and bought me some beef and vegetable sauce, which was just right.

Being 4:00, I had a decision to make: I could either wait for the monkeys around 5 or 6, or I could catch the sunset over the beach. I formed a gameplan: catch sunset, take the overnight train from Takoradi to Kumasi, then go north to a different monkey sanctuary.

I flagged down a taxi and asked for Joy Chinese Restaurant. Idiot Cab Driver (the first of many) took me to a different Chinese restaurant. (Who figures that there would be more than one Chinese joint in Takoradi?!?). Finally we arrived at the correct restaurant. I ordered a Star, Ghana’s Favorite – and by far crappiest – beer, and started my brick of school reading as the sun started to drop.

It became quite apparent that the sun would not set over the sea – thanks a lot Lonely Planet Guidebook – so I went wandering down the beach. While the sun still didn’t set over the sea, it was still a lovely, calming view. Being nearly on top of the equator, the sun drops quickly and drops right around 6 in the evening.

Post-sunset, I made my way over to the train station, which had no electricity. Scheduled to leave at 8:30, it should take no more than 12 hours to get to Kumasi.

While we waited for the train, I spoke with a man named Samson. One thing I’ve learned here is that its not about the places you go, or the sites you see, but about the people you meet. Samson is an elementary school math teacher. His dream is to teach statistics in university, but he can’t afford to go to university anymore. Two years ago, his father, at age 85, died of malaria. Being the fourth of five children, Samson received very little after his father’s death – not nearly enough to finish tertiary education. So for now, Samson will teach, until he has enough money to go back to school, if he gets lucky.

The train left close to on-time – 9PM. My digs were small but comfortable – a room 4 by 6 feet with a set of bunk beds which were far to small for me. Being the only person in my room, I took the paper-thin mattress that lay on the top bunk and lay it on the paper-thin mattress of the bottom bed. It made an almost comfortable bed. I knew I wasn’t going to sleep much, so I kept myself humored by the fact that I was riding in a World War II – era, German train through Ghana.

The charm quickly wore off as my 12 hour trip slowly turned into a 19 hour trip. Arriving at 3 PM, my gameplan was officially busted and I was extremely tired. I kept myself entertained for a while by continuing my brick of reading, until two little, “portable” (cute) girls found their way into my room.

The train station runs through Kejetia Market, which is the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in West Africa. This was not nearly as nice as Takoradi, so I boogied out.

I took a 2 mile stroll to the STC station, where I purchased a return ticket to Accra. I wanted to buy a late afternoon ticket, so I could see the monkeys in the morning. The latest available was 1:30. I took it and grabbed a cab, trying to find the Menkah Hotel.

Idiot cab driver #2 wanted 30,000 to go to the hotel, which was outrageous. I told him I would walk. I made my way from the station, until another cabby, Idiot #3, said he would take me for 15. Fine. Idiot 3 served in the military along side some Norwegians in Beirut in 1980 (what?). He expressed his hate for Beirut, and – as a Christian – his love for Bethlehem. Idiot 3 dropped me about a mile from the hotel. I walked to Menkah, got a room a for 11 dollars which had a shower with running water, a toilet, a television with one station, and a nice double bed. I took a shower – I was long overdue for one – watched some TV and went to bed.

I slept for almost 11 hours, which was fantastic. I had some crazy dreams. In one, I ran into Joe and Ryan in, of all places, Mozambique. In the second, I was with Joe and Steve, two of the guys on the trip, at some Olympic opening ceremony. In the third, I was playing tennis again some 12-year old tennis phenom in a tournament. For the record, I took no drugs the night before.

With not enough time to do anything of interest, I went to the bus station around 10:30. As I organized my thoughts for this post, I was humored by a “Tia and Tamara” movie. Wow. I purchased some plaintain chips, some water, and boarded the bus for a dreadful 6+ hour ride.