Random Thoughts on Ghana

We really had no idea what to expect in Ghana. We saw lots of extreme poverty, but people in general seemed happy and we saw no evidence of malnutrition or starvation. It is one of the more prosperous African nations. People everywhere were friendly and anxious to talk to all of us. The street vendors were very pushy, to the point where you really didn't want to buy anything from them. But, when you consider a per capita income of $1200-$1500 per year it is easy to understand their desperation. Also, we were in one of their major ports, and they are visited by only 5 or 6 cruise ships per year. From that standpoint it was hard to bargain prices down when you realized what a difference 1 or 2 dollars can make to them, or that they would wait 2 months before another ship arrived. We had a waitress cry tears of joy over a $2.00 tip.

We made several trips up and down the coast. The roads are quite good. With the exception of a few cement block houses, most were made from various combinations of sticks, mud and fronds. Cleanliness is a relative term, what appeared dirty at first glance was actually as clean as they could make it. Women were always busy sweeping the dirt in front of their homes and small businesses. In the villages we passed we saw cement block schools, but many who visited remote areas reported that some schools were more like animal pens, many were without roofs. Most people seemed to cook over open fires, and most villages had a central water pump where everyone obtained their water. The people stand tall and proud, looking elegant in their traditional dress. On Sundays most of the women wore white, and looked clean in spite of the fact that they walked for miles in dusty hot humidity. Ghana is mostly a Christian nation, and there are references to God in the names of many small businesses.

We spent 2 days in the university city of Winneba. The students treated us to various forms of African music, and were delighted when most of us got up and danced with them. Profs were educated at the masters and doctorate levels, and several studied in the U.S. In spite of the heat, people of importance wore suits or at the least freshly ironed French-cuffed shirts. One boy on the beach was even wearing an ironed shirt, the irons are heated with charcoal. Many people we spoke to in the villages desired a higher education but their parents could not afford to send them for additional schooling.

At the grocery store we were not able to find many familiar items to add to our snack stash on board, and there were no diet sodas to be found the day we shopped. While we all enjoyed our visits to the countryside, I think all were happy to return to the comforts of ship-board life.