Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....

Ours was a hot one. With the site all set out and ready to start digging in the new year, the workforce needed a well earned rest so the construction site and the Sabre office closed from 24th December to the 4th January. This meant that I could collect Uma from the airport on Christmas eve and head to the beach for some refuge from the ~32 degree daily heat. Before that though, we shared a Christmas fruit breakfast, and a lunch of jolof tomato fried rice with Mr Ofori and family with whom I had been staying since I arrived on December 6th until the site bungalow was ready for us.

On Boxing day we travelled by tro tro (public transport minibus) along the coast changing at Takoradi and then again at Agona Junction, finally arriving at the beach in Ezile Bay where we spent two nights in a stilted cabin in the secluded bay. With itchy feet, we decided to head to the small fishing village of Butre, near to Busua, about 15km east along the coast. With tro tros scarce in such a quiet place, we waited 2 hours for one to take us halfway, and then walked 2 hours to complete our journey. This took us through Dixcove where we passed one of the many colonial castles which litter the coastline built originally as a means to defend the trading area, and then used to store trade goods and slaves. Now they are used for local tourism, or budget accommodation. On passing the popular beach hangout of Busua, we were glad to be heading to the more tranquil fishing village of Butre. We crossed the precarious bridge from the village to the beach and settled in a treehouse at The Hideout.

There is a limit to what you can comfortably accomplish in a day in the Ghana heat, so we settled on eating fish and rice, drinking lemongrass tea with a local Rasta, walking along the beach and up to the ruin of the overlooking Dutch fort, and body surfing the endless crashing waves. For new year, we built a huge bamboo fire, and danced around it as the locals drummed and sang. Our new year bliss was broken by the local poaching of a huge sea turtle from outside the Hideout. These endangered and helpless creatures are common on these beaches, but protected internationally. The local guest houses have set up awareness programmes and nurseries to protect the turtles and their eggs as they come ashore to lay. Sadly some locals ignore these concerns and prefer to profit from selling the meat and eggs. Poignantly as we danced and drank in memory of the huge old creature, a baby turtle hatched, dug its way to the surface and dragged itself past us on its way to life in the great Atlantic ocean.

We are now back in Ayensudo and moved into our bungalow at the school on which we build the Kindergarten. We are excitedly preparing to start the hard graft this week....

Here are some photos. Please view by SET