Cape Coast
Trip Start
Sep 05, 2008
1
24
43
Trip End
Jan 01, 2009
Cape Coast,
Ghana
Monday, November 10, 2008
Today was our last day in Cape Coast so we walked up to the lighthouse. Before we left I stopped at the beach bar to get some water for the day.
Markets in Cape Coast
I waited for ten minutes but the bartender was nowhere to be seen so I gave up. I mentioned to Agnus that I'd have to get water along the way and she told me I could get it now but there's a trick to it. She then leaned over the bar and hissed towards the back room. A server came out within seconds! Hissing is used frequently in Ghana to get someone's attention. It may seem rude to a Westerner at first but it is not at all rude in Ghana and much more effective than shouting at someone. I have not yet managed to do it myself though.During the walk to the lighthouse we passed through a NDC parade, and even had to walk through it a few times. Ghana is having a federal election in early December and the NDC is one of the main parties. It seemed like the entire city came out for the parade. The streets were bouncing with a tightly packed group of people dancing away to loud music, chanting and cheering and stopping every now and then to pull us into the fray or have a quick dance with us.
At one point we had to cross the street of celebrators. As we squeezed our way through a guy grabbed onto my hips and followed along behind, dancing away. I tried to lose him but he held on tight. When we reached the other side of the street he was still clinging to me until he stumbled and fell on his face
He asked nicely so I took his photo
. Everyone on the side of the street laughed at him and he ran back into the crowd embarrassed.The view from the lighthouse is amazing. It was totally worth the hike up even though it was as hot as hell today. We stayed on the top for a long time, taking in the city below us and the ocean beyond, listening to the music of the parade drifting up to us on the soft cool breeze that offered us relief from the intense heat.
Eventually we went back to Oasis for lunch and so did a good portion of the parade participants. My "husband" as the girls have been calling him from Friday night came by and asked if I remembered him. I told him it was hard for me to forget. Gospel, the artist, also came by decked out in his NDC colours so I got a photo of him with Katherine, at his request. Ghanaians love having their photos taken. I think only so they can see it afterward on the LCD display.
After lunch it was time to say goodbye to my new German friends. I felt a bit sad having to leave them but hopefully we will meet again. They gave me hope with the possibility of coming to visit me in Switzerland to go skiing.
So us three volunteers left the hotel in search of a taxi. This was probably the only day that finding a taxi would be a difficult task. Drivers had abandoned their cars to join the parade. Normally, three obrunis walking down the street would get honks from every passing cab, averaging about one every 30 seconds. It is actually quite funny that we ignore the first five but for some reason that sixth one still honks just in case we have changed our minds.
But today we were not so lucky. We had to walk along the hot black pavement in the humid heat for several minutes before seeing an approaching cab. We made it back to our lodge without incident, though slightly nervous on the tro-tros. It was a great weekend away and so nice to see more of Ghana, but I am glad to be home!
