Ghana is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, after finding oil off the coast international investment has been pouring in. Beautiful, vibrant and rich in variety it is easy to understand why it is a country that has become so popular. Ghana has a reputation in the region as a driving force for progress yet one of the strangest things we have discovered is how tourism allows the many problems that still exist here to be glossed over.
The well established tourist industry makes Ghana different to the rest of West Africa where there are very few ‘sights’ to see. Fifty thousand visitors each year make this the most travelled place we have been to so far. Ghana is one of the only countries in the region that has not suffered a violent civil war and with a peaceful, if not fully functioning democracy it is one of the safer places to visit.
Although Ghana boasts a healthy tourist industry when venturing off the tarmacked roads that run between popular attractions or away from places with the luxury of a generator you will see a very different side to the country. The large majority of the infrastructure is surprisingly awful with daily power-cuts effecting many businesses, terrible roads hampering trade and a lack of street lights making the night a dangerous time to wander. The reality of everyday life here did not live up to Ghana’s reputation as a more economically developed African nation.
After struggling with French for months we had been looking forward to easy conversations in English. This was far less forth coming than we had expected. Many people do not speak English at all but the numerous local languages that can be heard from region to region. The English that is spoken is usually more like Jamaican patois, here they call it pigeon-english and it needs to be learnt like another language. Adapting to Ghanaian English is great fun and a necessity if you want to be understood.
The literacy rate is higher in Ghana then in any of the other countries we have visited. This is exemplified by the plethora of signs trying to coax you into shops, bars and beauty salons. Jesus is a major selling point and his name and that of his father adorns nearly every business. Religion, in the form of evangelical Christianity plays a fundamental role in every part of life here. Church closes shop on Sundays as every one is expected to attend, wearing their best clothes with bible in hand. Singing is considered a prime form of worship and choirs can be heard everywhere however some of the voices even godly ears could not forgive!
If Sunday is for church then Saturdays are for funerals, which play a massive part in social life in Ghana. Most people seem to attend funerals nearly every week and there are posters and even huge billboards informing the public of when they will be held. The amount of people who attend is a matter of honour and it has been suggested that one of the reasons people have so many children here is to ensure a grand send off. Funeral colours are black and red and these fabrics dominate the cloth industry, with people spending serious money on looking their best. These weekly events are the backbone of the social calendar and driving around the country on a Saturday it is impossible to miss them.
During our time here another thing that was impossible to miss was the trial of President Mahama, who had been accused of electoral fraud. His trial was broadcast live on both radio and T.V with the entire population tuned in and ready to offer their differing opinions. From what we heard his credibility is shot but it was surprising how many people wanted to let him off. To us however it seemed only positive that such a transparent trial was taking place and that if found guilty Mahama would be held accountable for his actions. It was also a credit to Ghana that under the circumstances nobody had taken up arms like in so many other cases.
Living in Ghana we did not only get involved with the politics but also with the food. The staples here are fufu, banku and kenkey with a spicy soup. These are all made by pounding various grains or vegetables to create an off white dough some with more texture or taste than others but generally very bland. They are all an acquired one!
Lots of people eat from stalls on the street, either sitting on the one plastic chair available or taking away in a plastic bag. Whether at home or on the street cutlery is not used (even for soup!) and eating can be a very messy affair. You will find the distinct taste of palm-oil in everything and enough is used to ensure nothing would burn even if it was left to cook for hours! Most other food from rice, to plantain, to yam, to sweet treats, to fish and meat is seriously seriously deep fried. These goods are sold everywhere from street corners and glass boxes balanced on peoples heads. Needless to say weight and diabetes are considerable issues here, the weight being one we eventually had to face up to ourselves!
It is not just food, people carry everything on their heads including wheelie suitcases! From an empty plastic bottle to a huge stack of firewood the ethos is why would you use your arms. Everybody is unbelievably strong especially the women and seeing young children with loads as big as themselves is something to behold. The neck strength and balance involved is much harder than it looks and to the untrained neck could do some serious damage!
We Ghana-ramared our way up and down this paradoxical nation. We saw some breath-taking sights and made some excellent friends but in all honesty are still not quite sure how we feel about the country. Ghana’s tourist infrastructure means you could holiday here in a way you could not in neighbouring nations however you may leave feeling like you never got to really know it at all. After over a month travelling here we are still weighing up the pro’s and con’s and the highs and lows of our journey. We would not want to put anyone off coming to Ghana but we don’t think that the wonders of West Africa begin and end here.
