The Beach Comber

I have just returned from my weekend in Accra. Five of us, Chris, Drew, Hannah, Rachel and I went to stay at the Beach Comber, a hotel located just outside Ghana's capital city. We rented an apartment, which worked out to be about $9/night/person. There were four beds and a couch.

We took off mid-day Friday and got to the hotel around 3:30 or so. Drew arrived seperately after having taking care of some important business in the city. For dinner, we walked the two minute distance to the New Coco Beach Resort which is lovely, but way over our budget for overnight lodging. Dinner was great though. We sat at an outdoor table overlooking the ocean. Stunning. The three of us girls had heard good reviews about the New Coco Beach Resort pizza and indulged accordingly. It was good, but I still miss Dominos! Chris had steak and Drew enjoyed some kind of chicken pasta, I think.

After dinner, we all pretty much crashed. Friday nights are pretty much used for catching up on sleep around here. The apartment had running water and working fans (for the first night anyway) which was great. The fans, in combination with being next to the ocean, is a welcome repreve from the baking heat of the camp.

Saturday morning was laid back. Hannah, Rachel and I ventured (for the first time) on our own into the city. We went to a place called the Cultural Center, which is really a market filled with Africal crafts, fabric and trinkets. I purchased a braclet (supposedly made out of cow horn), a wrap skirt and a silver necklace. The marketplace was pretty intense but very doable. People are very aggressive in trying to hock their wares. It was a lot like China in this respect. The only time I got uncomfortable was when a man pushed my sholder to keep me from returning the item I was looking at to his display table. (If I kept it in my hand it meant that I would like to buy the item or at least it would be more likely that I would end up buying the item.) I told him very firmly not to push me and that I didn't like that at all. He stopped immediately and even got a bit of a sheepish grin on his face. I didn't buy the item.

After the Cultural Center, we headed to the internet cafe, which is where I posted the last two entries. After internet it was on to the Sunshine Salad Bar, a restaurant of renoun among the IVs. Now we know why. Amazing selection and good safe food including meat and leafy greens. We met up with another group of IVs from the camp at the restaurant, which was nice.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and met up with Chris. Hannah and I went swimming and got seriously bothered by a couple of guys in the pool. Even though they were annoying, their behavior was so ridiculous that I was laughing the entire time. We finished up with dinner a cheaper restaurant across from New Coco and had a classic Ghanian restaurant experience. The place had one menu and most of the items on the menu were not available. Our orders were taken twice and the second time I was told that the item I ordered was not available after all. No big deal though, we are in Africa which means we are easy going. Even though the customer service leaves something to be desired, I do love the laid back attitude that pervades Ghana and the camp.

Saturday night, Drew, Hannah and I headed out to paint the town red. We started at about 9pm and didn't get back home until 6am! We spent some time in an Irish Pub in Africa drinking Tequila, visited a posh bar with suede lounge chairs, hit a bar called Hemigway's which doubled as a electronic casino (no gambling for us though) and then went dancing at two different night clubs. I had a great time. Hannah and Drew are great fun and we made it back in one piece. Even through lack of sleep today has been fine.

It sounds as though the entire CBW organization will be off work tomorrow in honor of the end of Ramadan.

Upcoming: Drew and I cook an Indian dinner for GH#1, GH#1 gets a "family" portrait at God's Time Photo Studio, Thursday's football match and my first leaving ceremony, Drew's last weekend in Ghana and the CBW wedding event of the year!