Its beginning to look a lot like X-mas!

And we are off...

After an easy, 45 minute flight we arrive in Accra

(Accra from above)

Then came a taxi to the trotro station.  Brianan was happily chatting it up with the taxi driver.  She was especially excited about using the word x-mas while talking, something that is usually only left to writing and texting.  Ghanians use x-mas in conversation.  

The three of us, Courtney, Brianan and I, arrive at the trotro station and get into one fairly quickly. Courtney who had just spoken to us about how Australians seem to be all over all the time meets an Ghanian/Aussie who is taking the same route as us.  Awesome!  He helps arrange tickets and gets us a good seat.  Off to Takoradi we go.  Once in Takoradi we hop into another trotro who brings us to Elmina.  When we get close to the city Brianan points out the first moment when we see the ocean.  For me, it was the first time in 23 years.  Canada is big.  The ocean is 3 days away in one direction and 2 weeks away in the other so I don't get there as often as I would like.  Once in Elmina we get into a taxi and he brings us the short distance to our first Lodge - Stumble Inn

(here we are having a mineral on the beach)

(this is what the Stumble Inn looks like) 

(sunset at Stumble Inn)

(first diner of holidays - Lobster of course!)

During our stay at Stumble Inn we decided to go check out the city of Elmina and its castle. (see blog post titled "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" to see the castle) The city is quite spectacular and like no other that I have seen in Ghana.   It is the first European settlement in West Africa and today has a population of 33 576 people. 

 (Elmina)

(fish drying on a rack in Elmina) 

(Elmina) 

(Elmina)

During our stay at Stumble Inn and our visit to Elmina we were joined by two of Courtney's friends, Pheobe and Gaurav, both from Australia.  They were great fun and I have never had more stimulating conversations about development, books and the world as I did with these 4 people.  

I quickly realized that not only do I know very little about development work but there are many of my opinions that need reviewing.  More research must be done in order to make larger statements.  In fact, my statements are often much to large for the background I have.  My high school english teacher always told us that the more she learned the more she realized she did not know anything.  I agree.  

(here we are on our last day at Stumble Inn from left to right - me, Courtney, Pheobe, Gaurav and Brianan)

And here we go again to another lodge.  We took a taxi that dropped us off at the trotro station.  I had a bit of a meltdown.  Imagine 3 guys screaming at each other to pick up the three potential passengers.  One has his hand on your luggage and one has grabbed your arm to bring you to his trotro.  So I was a little embarrassed after for trying to yell over them and tell them to stop yelling and let go of my luggage.  I sat in the trotro we finally chose and that had room for us thinking that Courtney and Brianan had delt with this much better than me and that I have a lot to learn about traveling.  I'm not as easy going as I thought I had become.  After that trotro ride we were all a bit tired and decided to hop in a taxi for the final leg.  We agreed on a price, the driver tried to negotiate a new one once we were on the way.  Brianan was smooth and talked him out of it.  He was also strangely concerned with the fact that Courtney was sleeping in the back seat.  Oh yeah and this was after his "brother" tried to get on with us to show him the way.  OUFF!!!  BUT then we arrived to this...

On christmas day we pulled out our Santa hats that Brianan bought out the window of a trotro on the way to Cape three points and we had some fun doing a bit of a photo shoot.  Here are some of the shots we took. 

(Courtney) 

(Brianan) 

(Me) 

(trying to get our hats to stand on their own...did not quite work)

Escape 3 Points prepared a most delicious and special christmas lunch that we gobbled up.  There was for the first course a lovely grilled mushroom kebab and the second course was lobster with caramelized papaya with cinnamon rice and lentils. 

(grilled mushrooms and, oh yes i forgot, a slice of prosciutto) 

(oh the deliciousness!!!) 

All of this fabulous meal was laid out on a whimsical table.  In fact Escape 3 Points is good at whimsical.  When you first arrive in your room there is always a beautiful banana leaf with a seashell and a flower placed on your bed with a colourful yellow towel.  The beds are covered with colourful sheets as well.  Outside, the hammocks are cleaned off every morning, there is lovely hand made soap in all the washrooms.  Its a simple place, no running water, no electricity, but it is luxurious also.  

(our christmas table)

This amazing day was made even more amazing by a lovely gift offered to me and Brianan by Courtney.  How sweet of her to have thought of us.  I will carry many a books in this bag and will think of this magnificent holiday with incredible friends. 

 (Brianan modelling our lovely christmas gift) 

(Max's Eye - our room)  

(the three of us)  

Near Escape three points there is a lighthouse.  It is on the Southern most tip of Ghana.  One evening, just before sunset, the three of us walked down the beach, then threw the village and up to the lighthouse.  It was so beautiful.  Christmas day 2013 was pretty amazing and one that I am not soon to forget.  

(so this is my favourite photo of myself that has ever been taken - photo by: Brianan Kiernan)

(Courtney and I are clearly very excited about standing on the closest point on land to the center of the earth 0, 0 SWEET!!! - Photo by: Brianan Kiernan) 

So there it is our Beach getaway.  Brianan left us on the 26th because she was due back in Tamale to welcome some new volunteers.  Courtney and I decided that we would continue our beach hopping and head out to another resort.  We went, ate two meals, met a couple people, played a board game, went to bed, woke the next morning AND promptly called Escape 3 Points back to see if we could come back.  Jimmy, one of the guys that works there came to pick us up and we headed back to paradise.  We spent a few more days at Escape 3 Points before reluctantly getting back into trotros for Accra.  

Back in Accra, Courtney and I had specific destinations - book store, movie theatre, sushi at Monsoon, Global Mammas and Trashy Bags for shopping.  There was also supposed to be a pizza in there but on the night we went it was closed.  We did go to Dynasty, an amazing chinese food place on Oxford street.  It was by far the best chinese food I have ever eaten. Pricy but man oh man it was good.  I got great food and lots and lots of gifts.  

Another plane ride back to Tamale and our holidays were slowly coming to an end. New years Eve was spent at Sparkles in Tamale.  There was drumming and traditional dancing, very loud hip life music and lots of dancing.  A great way to start 2014.  Thank you a million times to Brianan and Courtney for such an amazing time.  So many unforgettable memories were made.  Instead of being sad that I had no snow, no New Brunswick meat pie made by my grand-mother and no family, you made it a happy x-mas that I will never forget.