As we disembarked, the ship behind us was loading huge bags of cocoa into the hull.
There were four bus loads of passengers trundling off, one after the other, to discover Ghana on the Twin City Tour. Our guide, Gnou, chatted about the exports, the gains that Ghana has made within recent years and how the discovery of sweet crude oil is changing the economy for the better. This was primarily a driving tour, and the Ghana we saw out our big bus windows was poor, dirty, yet beautiful. Very lush and green, it was fascinating to me to see papaya trees growing wild everywhere along the road, some with ripe papayas and plenty that were green. Now the roads were a different matter! Don't think repairs have been made since colonial times! I can't imagine the springs or the tires lasting too long.
We drove past Monkey Hill, the tropical forest in the middle of the metropolis populated by monkeys and indigenous birds... so says the guide book. Ah, but wait... our guide relayed that Monkey Hill has little to do with monkeys... it has to do with monkeying around! It's where the young couples go to get away from watchful Mamas...
On the way to Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbor, we passed miles of small neighborhoods, all crowded with people going about their daily business - buying, selling and sitting! Neighborhood after neighborhood. Warm and welcoming, waving, smiling and blowing kisses to us all, particularly the children; they were delightful.
Education is very important in Ghana; there were primary schools and high schools in every neighborhood - colleges and special training schools were evident as well - we were told that there were three major colleges: Takoradi Polytechnic, Nurses and Midwifery Training College and Holy Child Teacher Training College of Education. Although French is the primary language, all children learn English and speak it well.
We arrived about three p.m. to The Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbor in Sekondi and although most of the catch had been dispatched, the area was still a hive of activity. We walked among the boats, fish, fishermen, sellers and buyers... gracious, what a smell! In one area, the small fishing boats, holding 5-6 people, each colorfully painted resting next to one another, each named with the owners aspirations, such as "If You Do Good". The larger boats, holding 20 people or so, were tied up close to the shore - laundry & flags hanging from the rigging, men relaxing in whatever shade they could find. In another section of the pier, the trading, buying and selling of the remainder of today's catch continued with more confusion - men, women, children milling about and bargaining. Women with huge tubs of fish (not a piece of ice in sight), other women carrying packages of rice, beans, water (not in bottles but in sealed plastic bags), and corn all balanced in big aluminum buckets on experienced heads walking thru the melee with their wares. Obviously, one stop shopping for dinner!
In one area, there was a sign requesting "No Urination Here"; further investigation revealed that section was used for bathing... I watched mothers scrub young children from head to toe, and dress them again; men stripping to the waist and bathing their head, neck, chests and back ridding themselves from the heat, dust and dirt of the day. The nets were mended in a covered area, no walls, but out of the sun. Here you would see piles and piles of netting with fishermen sitting atop, using their primitive tools to close holes and restore the nets for the next day's work.
Once we left the harbor, we backtracked until we reached Market Circle in the center of Takoradi. A huge "round about" with two stories of stores in the center and more across the street facing the middle and just about anything you could imagine for sale! Foodstuff, clothing, furniture, restaurants, barbers, hairdressers, shoes, handbags, beaded jewelry, everything! If the fishing harbor was busy and chaotic, there is simply no description of the Market Circle!
We finished the tour at the Premium Best Western in Takoradi. They had prepared an area for drinks - beer and soda, local bananas and small cookies along with a typical high energy Ghanian dance show! Delightful!
As always, it's wonderful to get home to the ship. And after two days of trying to time it correctly, we finally hit pay dirt! The washers were empty! All three were unoccupied; clean underwear was in our future! We hadn't run out, but we were getting dangerously low. I stationed John in front of one of the washers, to protect it with his life until I could collect the dirty clothes and hustle back to load the washer. Luckily there was no blood shed, and we are set for another couple of weeks.
After a lovely dinner we stopped for a drink before heading upstairs and spend some time talking with the new Director of Food and Beverage, Daniela Oancea from Romania (bright, smart and absolutely beautiful!). Sometime while we were enjoying a nightcap, and a lovely chat, tragedy struck. Paris was attacked and when we returned to our cabin we were glued to our TV getting as much news as was available. There are five Frenchmen aboard in various capacities - I have built a bond with Michel, and anxiously wait to hear from him that his family is all right.
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