Welcome to Ghana
There is always a first time for everything; now this was my first time in Africa. This day was the start of an excellent experience. In my mind, I had this picture of Africa as an impoverished continent with black residents. My curiosity made me want to travel to this new continent. I have to say that the experience was beyond expectations. I had the best time traveling than I have ever had on any of the trips I made earlier. Ghana has magnificent landscapes, the place is so green, and most of all, the people are so welcoming. The experience bowed my mind.
Ghana changed my mental picture of Africa. Earlier on I used to view Africa as one vast continent. The people from Ghana explained the history of Africa, and I learned that people from different countries do not even speak the same language. The people also had different cultures and beliefs which they have maintained until now. I couldn’t wait to see their traditional music and dances. Their culture was so fascinating; I had to learn.
Hotels and restaurants
Almost everything in Ghana was beyond my expectations; I spotted this restaurant in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Buka restaurant had this great finish; the outlook made your mouth watery. The food was also great and I had to return for dinner at the same restaurant. I just had to take a photo in this hotel.
Meals in Ghana
Earlier in the hotel, I had taken Chinese food, so I did not know what food they eat in Ghana. The only familiar meal I found was potatoes and rice and still how they cooked it was different but sweet at the same time. I got to learn how to prepare food their way. My first meal to prepare was mashed potatoes, which had some green vegetables and some boiled maize. They called this dish “mukimo.” I also prepared some meat soup, and they added some traditional spices. They also cooked some veggies and some peanut topping. One of my host friends said that they value a balanced diet in Ghana, which is why their traditional food had to have at least four combinations. This amused me, and the food was excellent.
Bike riding
Now, what do people do for leisure in Ghana? I asked about bike riding, just like in Colorado, people went for bike riding for recreation. We went for bike riding. The roads in Ghana were so clear; there was not much traffic, and this was just the perfect place for bike riding. The residents showed us the different places they visited when they went for leisure, we climbed some hills and came back; this was enough exercise for me, but we were still going further. I got lucky that on the way, we used a different path, which was slopping, so I did not have to use much energy to cycle.
Tradition and culture
I was very much interested in their tradition and culture. Around my time of travel, farmers were harvesting their crops; they had planted maize, which had to be collected manually. To make the exercise more exciting and less tiring, they had songs to create a better mood. Everyone on the farm was singing. My host told me that they had such songs for every exercise, in the planting season, they have songs, too, and in other activities, too. I have to say I envied their togetherness and harmony.
Language
Ghana’s national language is English; however, in Ghana, you might almost think they do not speak English unless, on official business, people use the Akan languages, the most popular are Asante Twi, Fante, and Akuapem Twi. I learned some of it from the residents. They are very friendly and eager to teach me their languages, I enjoyed the lessons I got. Now, I know greetings and a few words of the Akan languages.
What’s for dinner today?
Well, dinner was lovely. I ranked this food as my best meal. I had to learn to make this meal. There was this sweet nut paste, some veggies, rice, and big chunks of meat. The combination was so great that I ate two plates.
It just got better.
Then we visited Kakum National Park. There were very many wild animals. Most people were not afraid of the wild animals like I was. People were friendly to the animals. When we went to the snake park, I almost ran away; I found the snakes scary. The snake park had nearly all types of snakes, from the smallest to the biggest. We saw some lions, cheetahs, tigers, elephants, and crocodiles. This park has almost all types of animals.
What about your culture, Danny?
I know so much about Ghana, but they barely know anything about my country. Originally, I am from China, but I live in Colorado. I made them the most popular meal in China: pasta and noodles. Most of them knew this but did not know how to make it. I have to say, people from Ghana learn so fast, they learned how to make noodles in just one trial. This kind of impressed me.
Time to leave
Now, it was time to go back home. My one-week stay in Ghana was great. The people were so welcoming and kind-hearted. I gained a lot from this experience and am yearning to return to Ghana. I got some gifts from the friends I made from there. They gave me some cute traditional baskets and mats. I am looking forward to revisiting Africa very soon.
