Ghana - The Warm-up Lap

GHANA BY THE NUMBERS: What we did mathematically speaking
Nights – 12
Total Budget – 150.000 CFA a person (300 Cedis/$300)
Visa Cost – 15.000 CFA a person ($30)
Types of Beers – 5
Total Number of Beers Rachael Consumed – 40
Total Number of Beers Annie Consumed - 44
Train Rides - 0
Bus Rides – 3
TroTro/Taxi Rides – 17
Longest Wait for a taxi – 6 hours

THE PUB CRAWL: Boozers Without Borders Travel Advice
FYI: Approximately 450 CFA = 1 USD = 1 GHS = 1 Pesewa,
Prices are per person.
Thanks to the Lonely Planet, The Rough Guide, Virtual Tourist , and WikiTravel who all provided information. Below you will see cities that are bold, click on the name to find a link to where we got our pre-trip info from. Check it out and buy LP/RG books.

Day 1: Badjoude, Benin and Kara, Togo
Transport: 3.800 CFA
*Parakou > Djougou - 2.000
*Djougou > Kassoua - 1.000
*Kassoua > Kara - 800
Hotel: 0 CFA
* PC Workstation – near CIB Informatique, it is a little fratty and PCVs from other countries can only stay there when its not full.
Per Diem: 3.000 CFA
* There is a really great and cheap hamburger joint called "Chateau" near the market.
What we did: Well, there is not much to do in Kara - except eat good food, which is why we arrived in the afternoon. The market is nice, but once you have seen one, you really have seen them all. Walking around town is a nice way to travel.
Advice: Getting out of Kara is not that difficult, but realize that is because we were traveling in a group of four. If you pass by the PC office, try and see if there are any other volunteers heading your way. Pils and Lagers were definately the Togo beers of choice, light and cheap (450 CFA). We tried the sodabi, but it couldn't compete with the sodabi in southern Benin.

Day 2: Tamale, Ghana
Transport: 8 GHS
* Kara > Tatale - 5 (It's worth getting a taxi all the way over the border, because there is nothing else/)
* Tatale > Yendi - 1.5 (Long wait, Three hour ride, difficult REALLY DIRTY dirt road)
* Yendi > Tamale - 1.5 (Take a tro-tro, Don't bother trying to catch the bus, it is a long and confusing wait)
Hotel: 3.5 GHS
* Hotel Alassane – near “The Crest” restaurant. Not the cleanest place in the world, but the people who work there are friendly and it is very centrally located.
Per Diem: 10 GHS (2 days)
* Fried rice and street meat are everywhere (60 Pesewa). Don't bother with the nice restaurants yet, unless you've got a lot of money to blow. The cafe in the STC bus station is excellent (3 GHS a plate).
What we did: Tamale will surprise you. It's big, really big. We walked around, looked at the central mosque and did some shopping in the market. Surprisingly bars are difficult to find, so as you walk around, pay attention to "chop bars" where you can buy street food and then a bar nearby to eat and have a beer. P.S. We saw the new stadium from afar and Ghana is gearing up for African Nations Cup 2008. If you are around the area in January/February definately try and get tickets.
Advice: If you are going to Mole, buy your tickets tickets before 7am that day. The bus leaves at 1:30 p.m. Coming back from Mole your bus leaves at 4am. And you arrive, at the latest noon (we got in at 10). STC bus to Kumasi and taxi station are right next to each other, across from the Total gas station. Now, you have a decision to make -wait till 4pm and take a nice air conditioned bus or suck it up in the sun and take a tro tro. The bus was nice, but in the end, we're not sure it was worth the wait. However, the PC house in Tamale has board games and movies. Their office is a 1 GHS taxi ride (for the entire taxi) and on the outskirts of town, so you spend just as much money getting there and back as you do on a hotel room. This is advice for anywhere - go for a little more expensive lodging, if it's centrally located - you can't go wrong.

Day 3 and 4: Mole National Park, Ghana
Transport: 4.6 GHS
* Tamale > Mole - 2.3 one way (Ticket booth is behind STC station in Tamale)
Hotel: 6 GHS a night (24 for a family room with a nathroom and back poarch - three beds, 9 for a dorm bed)
* Mole Motel - Only option in town. But, really nice pool and atmosphere. Rooms are great, in the dry season book ahead (0277-56-44-44). You must stay two nights, because the bus arrives at 6 p.m. and then leaves the next morning at 4 a.m.
Park Fees: 6.7 GHS
* Entrance Fee = 4
* Camera Fee = .2 (20 Pesewa)
* Boots = 1 (Trust us, buck up and get the boots - we still fell in the mud though)
* Walk = 1.5 (A ranger with a gun - you're tracking elephants)
Per Diem: 20 GHS (2 days)
* The hotel food is expensive. And you will get in late, so bring food for dinner your first night. For day 2, there is a canteen a 2 minute walk up the hill from the hotel. Ask for David, who will arrange meals for 3 GHS each, expensive but still cheaper than the hotel and it goes to a local family. Beer is regular price (80 Pesewa to 1 GHS). If you see Moses - buy him a beer for us.
What we did: It is true what they say, Mole (pronounced Molay) is the cheapest and easiest way to safari. Even more so than Benin - simply because you can walk and don't need to pay for a car. We took the 6:30am walk and got up a little earlier to see the animals in the watering hole at dawn. Then, we swam and chilled. It's a great pool and like we said - go to the canteen.
Advice: There are two walks - 6:30am and 4:30am. The afternoon we were there was hot. A few guide books told us to ask which way we would walk. We didn't, and got to see animals on the staff quarters' trash heap - warthogs are like goats or cows in Benin. Ask if you can head north because in the end you will see the elephants at the watering hole regardless.

Day 5 and 6: Kumasi, Ghana
Transport: 11.5 GHS
* Tamale > Kumasi - 11.5 (STC bus, really cold, 6 hours long)
Hotel: 6 GHS a night
*Guestline Lodge - literally right next to STC station. Not cheapest place in town, but has dorm beds, which you should reserve in advance (051-22128 / 051-27657 / mahesh161us@yahoo.com) There is a Peace Corps house, but it's a long way out.
Museum Costs: 1.5 GHS
* The military museum is way cool and even better they have tour guides who are actually excited about their jobs.
Per Diem: 12 GHS (2 days)
* We went out to this place called "The Dish." It is a nice bar, with a good street meat vendor right next door. But there are no pool tables or Chinese food like the guide books promise.
What we did: We had a full day in Kumasi and started by changing money. We were surprised at how easy this was, even in smaller towns - just go to the taxi station and there will be a local money changer. Just know the exchange rate ahead of time - a google search will yield it for you. Anyway, back to Kumasi - we had a great naviagator in Liz who led us to the Military Museum. After the museum, we just walked around and headed to the Cultural Center - which is a must see. Unlike its sister in Accra, this center is not simply a tourist trap, but actually working artisan organizations. You can see how pottery, metalworkering, and batiks are made. Stop by the administration to see if there are any performances, we were not that lucky. There is a museum on the grounds, but it was expensive and the craft corners peaked our interest - free of charge. After a quick bite to eat - Rice/Beans, Eggs, and street watermelon, we headed for the market - supposedly the largest in west africa.
Advice: Don't follow nice girls from Mali who speak French and look helpful. Okay, so that probably only happens to Annie, but one never knows. Really, the only advice is get lost, because Kumasi is a pleasant city to walk around in. However, the market area is stressful, like most markets and this is not the environment to loose your wits. So, have a plan of attack when in this area.

Day 7 and 8: Cape Coast, Ghana
Transport: 5.3 GHS
* Kumasi > Cape Coast - 3.6
* Cape Coast > Park - 1
* Park > Cape Coast - .75 (Maybe we got ripped off the first time, maybe that's the price, your guess is as good as ours.)
Hotel: 2.3 GHS a night CFA
* Sammo Guesthouse - 15 min. walk west of the Castle. Everyone knows it and this place is nice. Cheap, affordable rooms, that is in reach of anything you would want to see in Cape Coast. Rooftop bar is a little pricey and seems to be for the tourists who are too scared to walk around at night.
Museums: 9.2 GHS
* Cape Coast Castle - 4 (Last tour is around 4:30pm, Make sure you check out the museum - it might be closed around quiting time, but they're nice and will open it back up for you. FYI - Don't leave your bags inside the office around closing time, Tom had to slide through the window bars to get them back.)
* Canopy Walk Entrance Fee - 20 Pesewa
* Canopy Walk - 5 with student discount (Yeah, it's cool. A Rainforest, Rope Bridges, Good Photo Ops, oh my. If you are scared of heights, might want to sit this one out.
Per Diem: 17 GHS (2 days)
* Street meat and more street meat. Get the sausage, trust us. There are awesome bars here, look for Beverly Hills - its on the way to the castle from the hotel on your left. Also, there is an amazing sports bar in the center of town, relaxed environment full of "regulars." Finally, "Oasis" has dancing on Saturday nights, drinks are expensive, so go to Beverly Hills before, and then bring an umbrella to the dance floor, because its raining men.
What we did: A lot of the time we spent in Cape Coast was just walking around and exploring. It has a very colonial feel to it and pretty much everything is centrally located. As long as you know where the ocean is, you can find your way around. The two "Hot Spots" are clearly the Castle and National Park. It is possible to do both in one day, but we chose to spend an extra day and save some money, by not staying in Accra an extra night.
Advice: Cape Coast is cool, it was definately worth an extra night in our travel plan. It is a little frustrating, but walk to the taxi station and take public transportation to the National Park - it is an experience in itself, especially on a market day. Also, definately try and get lost winding the city streets, that is where we came upon some of the coolest people and places we saw in Ghana. Try and stay away from the beach. It is dirty and there are a lot of "friends" who want to be your friend - especially around the Castle.

Day 9 and 10: Accra, Ghana
Transport: 3.5 GHS
* Cape Coast > Accra - 3.5
Hotel: 5 GHS a day
* Salvation Army Guesthouse - Osu, near Koala Supermarket, right in the heart of Accra's eating and goodies district. (Thanks Carrie.) Great location, fun staff, and really the best deal in town. Sure, you can find cheaper - but again - location, location, location.
Museums: 5 GHS
* National Museum - 3
* WEB DuBois Memorial Centre - 2
Per Diem: 20 GHS
* We saved for this and oh boy did we splurg.
Day 1: Lunch - Frankies (Osu) It's like any diner in the states - Burger and fries and turkey clubs, oh my.
Day 1: Dinner - Ryan's Irish Pub (Osu) No Guinness on tap, but there is club and castle milk stout.
Day 2: Lunch - Chinese (Osu) We all split stuff. Noodles galore! Yummy.
Day 2: Dinner - Champs Sports Bar (Ring Road, Paloma Hotel) They are not open until 5pm and then fill up quickly. Get the pitchers over the 3.5 liter monstrosity.
What we did: Eat! See museums and be merry!
Advice: First things first, taxis are not per person, but per trip. So, when you debate a price it is for the entire car. For some reason, when you are alone it tends to be cheaper and with a group a little more expensive. But, about 50 pesewas for one or two people and 1 GHS for four is the norm. If you stay by Champs or in Osu it really is not necessary to take cabs. We thought two nights was enough, in fact another night might have been physically impossible. Finally, it is possible to do Accra on a shoestring. Chop bars are everywhere and we even found draft beer for cheaper than bottles (Dominicks - in Osu on the Frankie's road). But if you're a volunteer needing a little bit of the good life, it is easy to burn through some cedi.

Day 11: Hohoe (Say HoHoy), Ghana
Transport: 10.1 GHS
* Accra > Atimpoku - 3.7
* Atimpoku > Akosombo - 2 (Round Trip)
* Taxi around Akosombo - 6 (For the entire car, so 1.5 a person for us)
* Atimpoku > Hohoe - 3
Hotel: 3 GHS
* Pacific Guesthouse - follow the signs from the taxi station. We actually were able to discuss the price, because the cheaper rooms were full. We got a suit, originally 25 for only 12.
Per Diem: 5 GHS
* We ate at "Lips" right next to the Pacific Guesthouse. Food is expensive, and not a lot of variety. So, we would recommend buying meat or street food elsewhere and bringing it to Lips or another bar.
What we did: We took a taxi to Akosombo and decided to eat at the taxi station. While we were eating, a very nice driver let us know our options and then drove us all around. The official dam tour was 3 to 4 GHS a person and then the tour around Akosombo was 6 GHS for the entire car. The car tour took us first to the Hotel Volta, which is a fantastic 5 star hotel where peace keeping treaties have been hosted. Then, the car took us to the other side of the dam, where we got to go on a boat dock and check out the lake side of the dam and the Dodi Princess Booze Cruise which runs on Sundays. After the dam we headed to Hohoue, where we had plans to head to the waterfalls in the afternoon. But, rain and lack of public transport kept us in our suit; Until the next day when the road had been washed out by the rain - yep bad luck!
Advice: It is not necessary to go on the official dam tour - unless you are an engineer and have some extra spending money or are traveling alone - where the car would be just as expensive. If you really want to see waterfalls, suck it up and pay the money to see Wli falls, yes it is 5 GHS, but if you go all the way up there, see it. The lesser known falls are cheaper and that was our plan, but they are also harder to get to. If you just want to see Lake Volta, we could have easily seen the dam and then make it back to Cotonou in a day.

Day 12: Travel to Cotonou (via Kpalime, Togo)
Transport: 5.000 CFA
* Hohoe > Kpalime - 2.6 GHS
* Kpalime > Lome - 1.750
* Lome > Border - 1.000
* Border > Cotonou - 1.500
Hotel: 0 CFA
* Hmmm...We hear that squatting is back. And roofs are perfect.
Per Diem: 2.500 CFA
What we did: Ummm...seriously...we just sat in taxi stations or taxis themselves all day, sometimes a necessary evil of traveling.
Advice: Don't buy a ticket at the tro tro station to Kpalime until it is full. If you don't get a car by let's say 11 a.m., just go to Tema (near Accra) and then over to Lome from the coast. The border crossing is beautiful, but there is no easy way to get from Kpalime to Azove, especially in the rainy season. So, you are forced to go from Kpalime to Lome to Cotonou. Also, if you take a tro tro to Lome from Kpalime, get out with about 5km left to go and take a taxi straight to the Cotonou Taxi Station, it's only 1.000 CFA for an entire taxi and well worth the money for the time you save.

OUR INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL BLOGS: We are a go for launch.

Rachael’s Trip: Ghana - The promised land
well, word on the peace corps street was that ghana is the land of greatness where everything is just better. they're SO right! the food, transportation, customer care, FOOD, and most everything was spectacular. Tom, Liz, and Annie were my partners in crime as we took off for a northern border crossing the 9th of sept.
Togo is not a huge country so we passed through Kara and right over the Ghana border in less than 5 hours. The road from the Ghana border to Tamale (the major northern town) was ....bumpy. We had estimated getting there by 2 and arrived at dusk. No worries because we found a cheap, centrally located hotel right away and got some great street food right away. I will admit that it was no fun figuring out the new and old currency on an empty stomach when all i wanted to do was toss fried rice down my throat. Ghana changed their currency in July and now 1 new cedi is equal to 10,000 old cedi. We got the hang of it and I think between the 4 of us kept the getting ripped off to a minimum.
Street food is fabulous in Ghana! Fried rice and beans w/ rice (called wachai, same in Benin) is big and the sauce is not quite as spicy as in Benin but a little thicker and a great taste. We planned on eating locally until Accra then going wild, which is pretty much what we did. Tamale is a beautiful city and apparently the volunteer capitol of Ghana.
We did a two day sidetrip to Mole national park and saw ELEPHANTS! like a BILLION! it was a 6am walking bush tour with a ranger. we all had sandals so they made us rent knee high rubber boots that really came in handy in the marshland where annie and i both bit it pretty hard. Aside from the elephants, we saw monkeys, warthogs, baboons, and various types of bush deer/antelope. It was amazing and a great tourist experience. We had to catch a 4am busride out of there and slept the whole way back into Tamale. Peace Corps has a transit house there so we found it and had 7 hours to kill before our bus to Kumasi left so we played monopoly and made omelettes for everyone there. The Ghana volunteers were so nice and welcoming! We took the STC bus which is airconditionned and leather seated. It was beautiful and seats are coveted but good good was it cold.
By the time we got to Kumasi, we all had clothes wrapped around every part of our bodies, we looked homeless. In Kumasi, we stayed at the Guestline lodge. It was a fabulous experience, very clean and again, centrally located. The market is supposedly the largest in West Africa and when Tom and I decided to brave it we only covered about 1/16 of it.
The main language people speak throughout is Twee and I once again, realized the power of speaking local language and wish I could learn them all. People respect it a lot and it makes discussing prices much easier. The other great thing about Kumasi was the artisans center. It had a fabulous gallery and all the workshops set up right there from bronze casting, to drum making, to pottery. All very cool and it look as if Ghanaian people enjoyed it as much as the tourists.
We also visited the Arms museum, which gave a tour of the military history of Ghana. SO cool and very well presented. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and it was by far our best museum experience. After Kumasi, we went to Cape Coast where we saw the slave trade castle built by the Portugeuse. It is a beautiful structure but the tour is haunting, especially standing in the underground holding cell where captives were held in transit. There is also a very well done historical museum inside, tracing the history of the Gold Coast inhabitants and the route they took to the new world. Cape Coast is a nice, relaxed fishing town and I felt it was the down time in our vacation.
Accra was next and we did it right! Nachos, burgers, beer on tap, soft serve ice cream, thick crust pizza, chinese food galore......truly the promised land. It also had quite a large ex-pat community, I've never seen so many Brits in all my life! The WEB Dubois house is there and tells the history of his life and things he was involved with in Ghana. We stayed at the salvation army which had a great location and the people were really nice. We visited the national museum and walked around a lot. It is a great city and I can see why ex-pats seek out jobs there.
After Accra, we headed to the Volta region to see the dam and the largest man-made lake in the world. Very impressive but we took it easy as Accra burned us out a bit. We were home for the new volunteer swear-in in Cotonou so the timing worked our perfectly. Travel was so easy! They pre-sell tickets and all the cars are 15 place tro-tros. In Benin, we pack cars to the max and it is never EVER comfortable. None of us could believe it when they told us it was only 3 people across to seat. I highly recommend Ghana to any first time traveler, the people are sweet and there's something for everyone.

Annie’s Trip: Ghana – Everything is brighter!
I am back in Parakou after 12 days of bliss in Ghana. There were four of us - Tom, Liz, and of course Rachael. We started off by going to Badjoude - my old village. I am continually surprised by how welcoming they are...its like I never left. Sometimes volunteers have problems with villagers asking for things or being mad when you don't bring presents - never my neighbors and friends. They make me smile.
So, after we spent a days in my village, we took a 30 minute ride over to Kara, Togo - the northern capital. We only stayed for a night with Peace Corps Volunteers from Togo. Seeing them can only be compared to going to your fraternity at another campus. Some of the people are really cool and your a better person for meeting them - the others - well, were crazy idiots. But, it was a free place to stay and a built in tour guide.
Next stop was Tamale, Ghana. EVERYTHING is better in Ghana. Even in the north where things are typically not as developed. We all thought it would be a smaller african city - much like where I live today. Nope, instead it was like any city you would see in the suburbs of a city in the US. I felt like a Japanese tourist taking a picture of a squirrel in the states - instead I was an American taking pictures of cut grass, parking spots painted on the ground, and beer on tap. The reason we went to Tamale was to use it as a starting off point for Mole National Park - probably the only budget tourist friendly game park in West Africa. We could take walking safaris and saw antelopes, monkeys, warthogs, and of course elephants. It was a little scary being so close to elephants - I really thought they were going to charge me at one point.
Next stop was Kumasi - the cultural capital of Ghana. We spent a lot of time in museums and at the cultural center seeing how pottery was made in villages, bronze statues, batiks. and woven cloth. We got there in an air conditioned bus - I was soooo cold. Like I wanted my winter coat.
After Kumasi was Cape Coast - which I had been before on my last vacation to Ghana. I saw the same things - the slave castle and the canopy walk over the rainforest, but both were in a new light. It just makes things a whole lot stressful when you know where things are and how much they cost. Also, I was with fun people who made night life hilarious. In Cape Coast we went to a dance club on a Saturday night. It was a similar to a beach bar you would sneak into during spring break in Florida. We literally snuck around to avoid the cover fee. After camping out on bar stools, we decided to try dancing. IT WAS AN OCEAN OF MEN. I had no choice in what direction I went and what position my body was able to take. There were men attacking from every angle. I lasted about 3 minutes, if that. But, it was hilarious.
After Cape Coast we hit Accra - where the indulgence just continued. FOOD, FOOD, and more food - really good American food - hamburgers, nachos, stir fry, sausages right off the grill on the street. And two nights with two different sports bars. The first night was Ryan's Irish Pub - where I sat on a real bar stool, watching soccer. The second night we drank probably 8 pitchers amongst us - simply because we could.
Our final stop was the Volta region where we saw the third largest damn and biggest man made lake in the world. Its hydroelectric power supplies power to four other countries - including Benin. We had this cool taxi driver who took us around and then helped us find another bus up to the mountains. Where we stayed in a "chalet" and were able to argue them down to 12 dollars for a suit - oh how I will miss Africa. The only problem was we didn't actually get to see waterfalls - because all the roads to get to them were washed out. However, just taking in the sights was enough and we had this sound of music border crossing experience - you know at the end of the movie when they walk across the mountains.