It is a 3+ hour drive to Cape Coast. Getting through Accra is always an interesting challenge. We have to drive past Keneshi Market where many of the Accra natives shop for food, clothes, or anything they might need. The tro tros line up to drop people off in front of the market and the traffic comes to a near stand still. Taxis and other cars plow their way through around cars making lanes of their own. It is the survival of the fittest while passing through the traffic.
Once out of Accra you pass lake Aeija, a rather large lake. Always you see small African boats out on the lake. Next comes the Liberia Refugee Camp. On our way home we discovered that it had been totally cleared. The government has been trying to dissolve this refugee camp for some time. Looks like they succeeded. Once outside of the populated area we drove through rolling hills with tall African trees spread throughout the countryside. They are majestic –very, very tall – and straight reaching to the heavens!
The speed limit changed from 80km/hr to 50km/hr throughout the trip. We hit one area where the speed limit went from 80 to 50 in about 30 feet then down the hill where the police were radaring. We got pulled over. Where is your license? Where is your insurance? After Elder Shipley pulled out his photocopy of his license he was told a photocopy would not do. Well you know Elder Shipley, he just sweet talked that officer – asked how his day was, said that our company did not allow us to carry our original license, talked and smiled and the next thing you know he just said “Watch your speed” “Go On”. Amazing – we have heard horror stories from other missionaries.
One surprise was when we were about to pass two boys to the side of the road – they quickly grabbed their merchandise to hold up hoping we would buy. Each of them had a tiny antelope – I cannot remember the name – I’ve seen them in zoos – that they held up by the hind leg with body and head hanging down. At first I thought it was a large rat or a small dog (like a chiwawa) but we were later told it was this tiny antelope. Later I saw that some people to the side of the road were grilling or smoking these animals over open fires.
We stopped in Cape Coast at the Ghana Cape Coast Mission Home. It was tucked behind a hill and way back at the end of a road. We gained an appreciation for our Area Office. We met with Elder and Sister Miles who came to Africa on the same plane we were on. They asked us what was our definition of “the bush” – we told them we thought they qualified. Bush missionaries live out in rural villages. They have no grocery stores or fast food restaurants. Many of them come to Accra once a month and do all their grocery shopping for the month – just pack their car full of food. Their homes are much more primitive than what you would find in Accra.
We left the Mission Home with instructions on how to get to the Coconut Grove and were told “You are going to wonder if anything good could be out there – just keep going down the road – you will find it.” We had to wander through the roads of El Mina a quaint village from the 1600’s, first settled by the Portuguese, then the Danes, then the British. It is very much Africa – people everywhere on the street. Wood homes with storefronts selling whatever commodity they can find.
This was a fishing village – the boats were lined up in the small inlet. They fished for what looked like sardines. They used nets like they may have used hundreds of years ago. Women carried large round tubs full of sardines on their heads. Sardines were spread out on screen blocks to dry in the sun. Children were coming home from school. Every school has their own uniforms – some schools are all green, some all blue, some all purple, some all pink. The next day on our way into Cape Coast we saw groups of men pulling in the nets. It made me think of the apostles in the old testiment and their nets.
We were told not to go down the diversion road to the hotel but to turn at the next entrance. We followed those instructions but when we got to the end of the road we were confused as to whether to turn right or left. We turned left and drove through a village of homes made of bamboo and thatched roofs, and of course dirt floors. After a while you get use to this in Africa and it just doesn’t seem out of place – it is what Africa is about in many places.
These homes are clustered together in villages. One thing I love about Africa is that life is all around you. You see children being bathed in the front of their homes. Laundry is always hanging on the line. Men are chopping wood. Women are carrying their babies on their backs and water on their heads. Many are cooking their meals outside. It is just refreshing in a way – they accept it – they are humble about it. At home you do not see much of life – it all occurs behind closed doors. I think I understand why people say you never get Africa out of your system. You will always love Africa. 
We eventually found our resort: A beautiful oasis next to the ocean. The room was just the bare essentials – we did have a king size bed, air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a wardrobe, a 12” television, and a bathroom with a shower, one chair, one small table.The walls were plain cream colored. One light hung from the ceiling with a light bulb. But what we loved most was eating or reading out under the thatch roofed open-air hut, feeling the breeze of the ocean and looking out at the waves and sand. We were able to walk the beach, which was beautiful and went forever in either direction. We found shells and felt the water on our feet. The resort had a golf course and we did go golfing. It was great fun – but that is another story.
On our way home we stopped by one of many stands along the road selling cape coast pineapples. I had asked our secretary, Wendy, if there was anything she would like us to bring back from Cape Coast. Without much hesitation she said, “Yes, I would love a pineapple.” Well I had heard of this love of Cape Coast Pineapples, but it wasn’t until I cut one open tonight that I found what all the fuss was – they are the sweetest pineapple I have ever tasted – not anything like a Hawaiian pineapple. You buy them green. They are narrow and long. When you cut them open they are almost white in color but as sweet as can be. I wished we had bought 8; we bought four for $2 and gave 2 away.
We will long remember our trip – and will look forward to returning another day.
We missed the Kokum National Park where you walk along suspension bridges built high in the rainforest. So we WILL have to return sometime in the next 16 months!
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