Surprise visit from the Parents

      

         The month of March flew by much faster than I ever expected and began with the best surprise I could have ever asked for—my parents came to Ghana!!  I honestly did not think it was even a possibility that they would visit me while I was here, and I had completely come to terms with the fact that, given my choice of location, visitors were pretty much out of the question.  After secret communication with my parents, my professor invited the Pitt students to his home for dinner one Thursday night where they were awaiting my arrival.  It took a few minutes to register that my parents with the two random obruni standing around the dinner table at Dr. Adjaye’s house, but once inner face-recognition technology kicked in, I was at an absolute loss for words (as evident in my father’s video recording of the surprise event).  Needless to say, I was a giddy little school girl sporting a blissful smile from ear to ear for the remainder of the evening as we chatted (mostly about what provoked them to fly to Africa for a long weekend and how they managed to keep this all a secret) and enjoyed authentic Ghanaian food. 

Dad and I in our African attire

True to himself, my Dad had done his homework on Ghana and had an awesome few days planned for us, which was wonderful considering I had no prior knowledge of their visit and therefore could not have scheduled a thing.  After dinner on the first night, we all went back to the Golden Tulip (a very nice hotel in Accra, just down the road from campus) where I was pleasantly welcomed by a lush bed, air conditioning, and hot water—things I hadn’t experienced since arriving in Ghana!  The following morning was enjoyed relaxing by the pool at the Golden Tulip, where my Mom and Dad were first greeted by the hot Ghanaian sun.  They didn’t quite realize how intense it was, and lounging in the water all day created the illusion that it was just a summer day in Cape May, when in fact a perfect shade of pink was leaving indication of their tropical destination.  Later that afternoon, we made the 3 hour drive to Elmina, an old colonial town just past Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana.  The ride itself is an eye-opening experience for newcomers to Africa as it winds through rural establishments along Ghana’s coast and exposes one to life outside of a city.  My Dad especially enjoyed the young boys holding the giant rat-like animal that they caught for sale on the side of the road! 

Elmina harbor filled with fishing boats on a Saturday afternoon

We arrived in Elmina just in time to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean as we ate dinner on the water’s edge.  Similar to the Golden Tulip, the Elmina Bay Resort provided me with the luxuries I had been craving—air-conditioned rooms, a television, and a pool that overlooked the ocean.  Additionally, spending a weekend being spoiled by your parents while you are abroad means that you can try the delicious foods that surpass your usual 2 cedi dinner allotment.  The next day, we ventured to Kakum National Park where we hiked through the rainforest and walked along the suspiciously suspending bridges connecting the tallest trees in the canopy.  A group of school children from the Asante region followed behind us and my Dad enjoyed conversing with them and watching their antics that reminded him of our 13 year old Richie and his friends.  Although we didn’t see any animals, other than butterflies, it was a new experience for me to walk along the canopy of a rainforest and a great change in scenery from Accra.  By lunchtime we had finished in Kakum and stopped for a bite at the Hans Boatel where crocodiles swam freely underneath us and brilliantly yellow birds busily built nests in the surrounding trees.  Then we headed back towards Elmina where we stopped to tour the San Jorge Castle before spending another night at the Elmina Bay Resort. 

My parents and I at Kakum National Park canopy walk

The slave trade castles—both the one in Elmina and the one in Cape Coast which we toured the next day—are a must see if you are traveling to Ghana!  It’s hard to articulate the feeling when you are walking through such a magnificent structure placed right on the edge of the land where palm trees and pristine waters captivate your view; yet, you are fully aware that this current beauty masks a horrifying past of vile vanquishers with no regard for human life other than their own.  As eerie as they were, the tours of the castles were one of my favorite experiences in Ghana thus far and allowed me to have a better understanding of a crucial part of African and European history.  The biggest juxtaposition was that when you step outside the walls of the castle through what was formally known as “the door of no return” as it served as the last point the enslaved Africans would ever be on their homeland, you are confronted by hundreds of fishermen bringing in the days catch, plenty of young boys playing soccer on the sand, women selling their goods on their heads, and colors—lots and lots of vibrant colors!  I could write an entire blog post about my thoughts and observations while at Elmina and Cape Coast castles, but I’ll leave that for another day. 

Dad and Mom at the San Jorge Castle

That night, my parents and I slept like babies, and the next day we headed back to Accra after a bit of relaxation time by the pool.  This time we stayed at the Mensvic hotel in East Legon (even closer to my campus) and were accompanied by hundreds of students participating in a worldwide medical conference.  Not quite the quiet, elegant atmosphere of the Golden Tulip, but a nice hotel nonetheless.  Monday was their final day in Ghana and after a weekend of rapid sightseeing and traveling, we were all ready for a low-key day around Accra.  I gave my parents a simplified tour of my campus so they could get a sense of what I do on a daily basis; I know my Mom appreciated seeing my routes to class, knowing where I eat dinner, and meeting Auntie Adelaide—the sweet lady in charge of my hostel.  Finally, we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant at the Accra mall and I dropped them off at the airport for their late flight home.  It was a quick visit, but I am beyond grateful that my parents were able to experience Ghana and share in my passion with me!  I loved having my parents here in Ghana and it is incredible memory that we will cherish forever.