Ghana: Once upon a moment

 

1-IMG_0080It was the Christmas holidays, the perfect excuse to have a good time away from work and the usually bustling everyday life. I didn’t think twice before agreeing to an invitation by my sister to spend it with her family in Ghana, a country over four hundred kilometers away from Lagos, Nigeria. I, alongside my elder brother and cousin, went by road rather than air, and merely passing through several other countries was exhilarating. Porto Novo was bursting with activity by French-speaking folks; we alighted for a while to buy their wares. Togo was serene, with policemen in funny-looking uniforms showing up from time to time. A large water body that was traced from Togo into Ghana was a sight to keep us busy.

My sister’s family resides in Accra, the capital city. After a long, tiring but interesting journey, we finally arrived at their house at night and settled in. The following day, we went on a fun trip to the popular Labadi beach. The beach experience involved horse-back riding, water splashing, dancing, and munching of assorted meats and a lot of fun with friends and family. The following day had been planned: we visited the Accra mall and had a swell time feeding our eyes and filling our bellies, buying stuff and meeting people. From there, we proceeded to the prestigious University of Ghana, Legon, about twelve kilometers northeast of the center of Accra for sightseeing. From visiting the University of Ghana Business School(UBS), to checking out their halls of residence, to sitting with a couple of art students in their lecture theatre and chatting them up, we had not one single dull moment.

Soon we came to my best part: an exciting waterfall with carefully sculptured statues from whose mouths the waters surged. The view was pure bliss! As the blue waters poured beautifully, my emotions froze for a few seconds as I tried to breathe in the feeling those sights gave me. Meters away from this water fall was a gargantuan building known as the Great Tower. The scenery of the waters and the architectural edifice fused together inspired my poem titled ‘Sublime’. Below are excerpts of the poem:

Beauty lights have shone in my eye
Bliss!
Blue waters, blazing skies
Nature’s frigidity sublimed.
I love it when the air whispers
When the sun caresses the earth’s whiskers
When the fingers of mortal sculptors
Birth the greatest of visual pleasures!

This experience was the high point of the trip for me. Moving on, we stopped at a blue park with lovely seats where we sat to have drinks and take some more pictures.

The following day was Christmas, so the entire family went out to church. We afterwards visited the Marina mall and had meals at KFC, also branching to buy lovely Christmas presents for one another at Shoprite. We got home and spent some quality family time together. The rest of the trip involved us going to a popular market in Accra to see how things there are done and get some things for our folks back in Nigeria. I met an interesting man with a very rare gift of weaving customized hand bands for people. He enlightened me about the Asante people and their ingenious weaving skills, and gave me some discount as well, for which I was grateful. We also got the privilege of eating the renowned Banku, a Ghanaian meal we had heard so much about. A Nigerian proverb says that a man cannot live by the river and wash his hands with saliva, thus, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity, and I must say it was absolutely worth the try.

One notable observation I had during the entirety of my visit was the tranquil atmosphere of Accra. Unlike the usual hustle in Lagos, Accra had a calmness to it that easily admonished you to take life more easily. Ghanaian accents made me laugh and blush all at once; they were very pleasing to the ears. Infrastructure in the places I visited was commendable, and power was constantly consistent. I think my country has a few things to take down notes on about Ghana. I returned to Nigeria, excited about the nerve-relieving trip I had gone on. Moments like that don’t just leave your memory so easily. They are carved out on your heart’s tables, like beautiful sculptors slobbering blue water.

About the Author: Ife Olujuyigbe is an undergraduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State in Nigeria. She is twenty-two and sees herself as an adventure-loving writer. She owns a blog and you may also check her Facebook page.

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One response to “Ghana: Once upon a moment

  1. A pretty nice piece. Superb description of a conglomeration of events. I enjoyed the reading.

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