Crazy Times at Keta Beach

Dude, this weekend was not what I expected. AT ALL. But it was so much fun I wouldn't have wished for anything different. This might be a long post. And there might be some gross stuff- but gross in a funny, Will Ray way. (Don't take that the wrong way, bro. hehe.)

So Heather M. and I start out on Friday morning by going and getting delicious egg sandwiches before starting on our trip. We hail a tro-tro to Madina which has a larger station. Let me explain something first about tro-tros. They look like an old VW van from the 70's that has had all the regular seats ripped out to be replaced by bench seats all the way to the back. There is usually very little cushioning and zero sealant around the doors and windows. They honestly look like they came as a result of a botched chop-shop job. So, I know this is going to be good when we are sent to the front of the tro-tro to sit beside the driver. I get in first and realize there is not a seat in the middle, but instead a rather large console. This is my spot. Awesome. It reminded me of a story I had actually just told Heather that morning. Dad, you're the only one who should remember this story firsthand. We were rafting down the Ocoee, going through some rapid called Hell's Kitchen or something equally disturbing. I was riding bullhead like the dumb kid I was, when all of a sudden I fell out of the raft and everyone had to pull me out because the guide was clueless and terrified. Good times.

Blah, blah, blah, and we're on our way to Keta. We meet these two nice ladies, Shine and Christine, and Christine will show us where to get off. Not only does she make sure we get off okay, but she takes us to her house and gives us water and lets us use the bathroom and meet her family. Seriously! People in Ghana are so friendly. You have to be careful around strangers, but you can tell when someone's creepy or not. She even chased the beggar children away from us and walked us all the way to the beach so we wouldn't get lost.

Once we got to the beach, we sat for a while admiring the vibrant colors of the sea and sky, lamenting that the beauty was marred by all the waste on the beach. And when I say waste, I mean that in two ways. There was trash- and there was crap. Literally. Plumbing isn't common in that part of the country so people seriously take dumps on the beach so they will wash away into the ocean. It was disgusting. We actually witnessed a few people in the act itself. Talk about NASTY. But not to dwell on that, the day was pretty cool. We made friends with some fishermen and helped them pull in their nets from the ocean. Now that is some hard work. Those fishermen don't mess. After about 10 minutes my and Heather's hands were bright red, rubbed raw from the rope. They laughed so hard when they saw our hands and told us to stop, that we had helped enough. They said thanks and we went on our way. I truly have a new appreciation for fishing. It requires some serious brawn. Brawn that I sooooo don't have. We weren't total wusses though. Just halfway hahahha. We also helped some guys move a boat/huge canoe thing up the beach. That was hard too. It was wet and slippery and really hard to grasp. We didn't really help. But again they just thought it was funny that the white girls were helping. It was awesome. hehe. Other than that Heather got proposed to, we played limbo with the ropes leading out to the fishing nets from the beached boats, and oh man, Heather bitched out this little boy because he came up and started talking to her, then all of a sudden, told her to give him money. She got so mad and told him it was very rude to pretend to be friends and then ask for money. It was hilarious. I don't give them money usually unless they actually look hungry and not just like they want to dupe the foreigner out of some cash, but I have never actually chided them. I was so proud of Heather in that moment. Sometimes I tease the kids and backtalk them or make funny faces and they laugh at the crazy white lady, but I never thought to actually tell them that it was rude to interrupt people and demand money.

After we got back to the hotel, we ate dinner, then practiced our drumming on our stomachs and went to bed in our bare little room that didn't even have real sheets. An hour or so later, I was laying face down trying to go to sleep with my little eye mask on and everything, and I feel something- a sudden slight pressure on my butt. Instantly, I know. I don't know how I knew that fast being in semi-consciousness, but oh I knew. I let out a muffled shriek and jerked off the bed as fast as I could. The nasty huge cockroach fell off and scuttled under the bed. I made Heather kill it. It was gross. And that was Friday. We switched rooms the next day.

So Saturday we got up early and took a 3 hour walk on the beach. If you have not walked down the beach for three hours in ill fitting shoes on soft sand trying to get to a lighthouse, but are too cheap to get a cab, then you cannot empathize with me. It was hot. Like seriously hot. The ocean breeze helped but it was hot enough that we each had our sweat rags out and still dripped like fools. The sunburn that resulted is pink, but not too noticeable or painful. I must say that I am impressed. Two months ago, I would have fried on a day like yesterday. My poor little albino skin would have turned beet red. No doubt. Anyways, we climbed up the lighthouse then got yelled at by some guy who asked us who let us up there. We informed him that there was no sign and no caretaker and we were interested by the view at the top. He just shrugged, and let it go. I think he wanted to be mad, but couldn't because there seriously was no sign or anyone telling us that we couldn't go up. So we walked on to the road and passed the craziest funeral procession I have ever seen. These people had t-shirts and stickers printed with the guys face on them. It was nuts! I solemnly swear that when I get home, I am going to make you all promise never to bury me wearing a t-shirt with my face and age at death on it. Please, dear god, don't do it to me. I beg you.

We decided to go swimming last night in the hotel pool. But we had to do it secretly because we saw a sign in the lobby that made it seem like you had to pay extra to use the pool. We didn't ask, but just decided that if we weren't supposed to be there, somebody would tell us. It was one of those ignorance is bliss decisions combined with the fact that we are cheap little suckers. It was one of the best swims I have had in my life. The water was cool and refreshing on my burn and the possibility of discovery made our adventure seem daring and James Bond-esque. As it turns out, people saw us but didn't say anything, so we probably weren't as daring and rule-breaking as we thought we were.

That pretty much sums up our trip. It's late and I'm tired so I will leave one last jewel of a story to tell you all later this week. Hope you're doing well. Comment if you like. Ask questions if you please.

Love,
H