Ghana

It never occured to me I would go to West Africa in the near future but here I am. Arrived at Ghana on a Saturday night, when everyone was busy cheering for the Ghana football team. Never a football fan, I wasn't aware which teams were playing. Alfred, the young chap who picked me up from Kokata Airport told me proudly that he supports the Ghana team though they were playing against an European team.

He then walked me to his car. The first thing I noticed despite the darkness was the layer of dirt/dust coated his car, causing it to appear dull. To my utter surprise, the cushion of the seats was also coated with a thin layer of dust. It seemed to me that the car had been transporting dirt/soil. Next, the air-con didn't work at all due to the amount of dirt/dust stuffing the ventilation. Most cars wind down the window to allow air circulation.

I must say that Ghanaians are rather friendly peeps. I could feel the warmth emitting from each of them. However, I still received some estranged looks from people on the streets. Oh well, I guess I would do the same if I were them considering there were not many foreigners around.

Coming to food, there were not many leafy vegetables around - mostly were cucumbers, carrots, french beans, red beans. Onions were used generously in any kind of dishes - omelettes, salads, gravies, you get the picture. It seemed that watermelons were always served, regardless during breakfast, lunch or dinner.
A similarity I discovered between this cocoa exporting country and Asia was that they feed a lot on rice. As an alternative, there was a dough that was made of corn. I have not tried that yet. I intend to try that in the coming days.

When my colleague showed me the buses in Ghana, I was taken aback. In most countries, we called those shuttle vans. Apparently, those were considered buses and they were privately owned. Interesting.

The town I lived in was an industrial area, with lots of warehouses, factories and a port. There was nothing much to explore if you have seen a port/terminal before.

Living in a developing country (oops, it seems that Malaysia is also categorised as a developing country but we are much more fortunate than the Ghanaians in terms of living) made me appreciate the things I have and made me count my blessings, if I had forgotten to do so. This is definitely an experience that is truly exotic and one to remember for a long long time.

Cheers =)