A weekend in the country…

Last weekend we left Accra for the first time. Our seminar for last Friday was to go to Elmina to tour the Elmina castle. This castle was built in 1482 by the Portuguese and was used as a trade center for ivory and gold and later for slaves. The Dutch took it over in 1637 and continued this horrendous practice. The tour was an eye-opening experience. Sobering, as we walked through the rooms where hundreds of men and women were held in horrific conditions and then finally through the “Door of no Return” where the captives were marched single file in chains out to waiting ships. This gives a new meaning to the freedom that we can have, both physically and spiritually.

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reaps leads to holiness, and the result eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23

The busy harbor in Elmina.

After seminar at the castle we all crammed into a tro-tro, finally breaking a record in the game of ‘How Many People Can we Fit in a Tro-Tro?’!! We fit 25 in 19 passenger tro, plus a few large packs and a couple buckets of fish! Ha - if only you could have smelled that tro! That afternoon we had dinner at Hans Cottage Botel, where we sat out on a boardwalk with crocodiles swimming in the water next to us. Really there were only two crocodiles, but it was still exciting! I heard it was possible to sit on the back of a crocodile…but I didn’t get around to it (to Owen’s disappointment I’m sure)! We stayed the rest of the weekend at Bucua Beach, sleeping in little thatch huts with the waves crashing on the shore a few hundred feet away!

Watch out for those crocs Laurie!!

The huts at the Alaska. And yes there is an Alaska in Ghana!

Our view of Bucua Beach!

Most of Saturday was spent on the beach, sun-tanning and reading. But by far, my highlight of the day was renting a sea-doo with Erin. We almost backed out as the price was outrageous, but in the end couldn’t resist. I have definitely been going through some kind of motor-withdrawal!! We spent about 25 minutes out on the ocean…soooo much fun. Thankfully (sorry again Owen) I don’t have any shark stories to tell! I also didn’t tell Erin I had never even been on a sea-doo, let alone on the ocean until after we were done! She thinks I’m crazier than before. Ha!

Sea-dooing with Erin! Yes we did actually go on the ocean!

Waiting for our meal...

Daniel preparing fresh lobster!

That night we had a $2 lobster dinner at Daniel’s Pancake House. This may sound sketchy but it was an absolutely amazing dinner. The boat was late getting in, so Daniel showed us our lobster before he prepared it and I was then able to watch as he boiled them in a pot on this tiny fire box - no electricity. As we waited we visited with two young boys; what a delight, how precious they are! After dinner, we finished our evening on the rooftop of a hotel, listening to a jazz band and met our first fellow Albertans.

Nana in front of his restaurant. Nana means 'chief.'

Nana Jr. preparing crepes (or pancakes) for customers. This boy was so much fun, quite the character! He wants to be a cook just like his father!

Waiting for the rain to stop...but will it stop?

Sunday morning we woke up to pouring rain…but that didn’t stop us!! We ran down the streets of Bucua looking for breakfast! We supposed to go to Nana’s Place but he wasn’t there at 7 am so had to go elsewhere…maybe next time. We went to Kakum National Park where we did the Canopy Walk. This is a walk on seven rope bridges reaching heights approximately 50 meters above ground. God’s creation is amazing!

“For great is your love, higher than the heaves; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 108:4-5

Team Ghana at the Forest Canopy Walk!!