Excursion to the Mountains of Ghana

This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to the Volta Region with AFS Ghana.  The trip included the German, Belgium, and American exchange students.  We all traveled to Ho, Ghana, which is the Capital of Volta Region.  The first day we traveled to Ho, we had dinner then went straight to the hotel.  The hotel was very nice. It had a mini-golfing, a pool, a park, sports bar etc.  It's located in a serene spot in the mountains, which made the stay very relaxing.  On the second day we went hiking at Paradise Mountain.  I for one, love hiking and was very excited to hike in Ghana.  It was a nice, long hike and I choose to venture off, and take the harder route back up the mountain.  It was extremely fun because we had to trek through the African jungle and repel down parts of the mountain.  We hiked past the Paradise Mountain waterfall and got to relax by the waterfall.  After the hike was concluded some friends and I went to town to buy fabric and other trinkets.  It was interesting to see the difference between Accra and Ho.  Ho, although it is the capital of the Volta Region, was less urban than Accra and also less Westernized.  Back at the hotel we ate and watched movies in our rooms and enjoyed the hot water that the hotel provided for showers! A large supply of hot water is a rarity in most parts of Ghana.  The next day we headed home, stopping to buy yams and fresh tilapia on the way.  Although the trip was short I enjoyed myself and loved visiting the mountains of Ghana.    

Christmas in Ghana

Where I live in America once December hits it becomes cold and snowy, and people get in the “Christmas Spirit”.  Lights and trees decorate houses; Santa Clause and Mistletoes appear around town.  Everywhere you look you see green and red.  Along with acknowledging Jesus’ birth I had always associated the commercialized part of Christmas to be part of the holiday.  But this 2014 Christmas I got to experience something new.  A Christmas in Ghana is very different from a Christmas in America and it was wonderful to be able to experience it with my friends and family here in Ghana.

On Christmas Day my family and I attended a traditional Ghanaian engagement.  The engagement is the traditional marriage that binds the bride and grooms families together.  This engagement was taking place between a Ghanaian groom a bride who was born and raised in America. At the engagement the couple wore traditional outfits such as kente cloth and then after the marriage was complete the changed into more westernized clothing and attended the reception.  At the engagement the groom and his family presented the bride and her family with the bride-price which is given to the bride to show that the groom is worthy enough of marrying her.  Scriptures were read, songs were sung, and dances were performed.  It was a very informal wedding and the audience members could speak during the ceremony freely.  I was happy to be able to experience a traditional wedding in Ghana.

After the engagement my sister and I went to a gathering with friends where we ate and talked and enjoyed Christmas together.  There were traditional foods such as fufu, kenkey, and kelewele etc. music was playing, and games were played.  It was a nice time to sit around and enjoy the holidays.  Following that we went back home and had a get together at our house.  Christmas day proved to be relaxing and a time for friends and family to come together and share traditions.  The rest of the Christmas holiday I spent at beaches, going out to dinners and lunches and just enjoying Ghana.