4 Days in Ghana
Ghana took my breath away and affected my heart in every way imaginable. It is a country filled with kind people, amazing landscapes, and so much history. I will definitely remember all of the incredible people I had the chance to meet. Everyone I met greeted me with a warm Ghanaian welcome! There are over 100 ethnic groups, 250 different languages and dialects, and over 28 million people in Ghana. We were lucky enough to try some of Ghana’s famous chocolate! There are amazing landscapes and parks including the Shai Hills Resource Reserve and Kukum National Park. Ghana is ranked Africa’s most peaceful country and I cannot wait to return!
Shai Hills Resource Reserve
The first day of Ghana I had a field class for Human Origins and Variations. The program was titled Old World Monkey Visit. As a class we travelled to the Shai Hills Resource Reserve. This habitat and species management area is located in Doryumu in the Shai Osudoku District in the Great Accra Region. This reserve was established in 1962 and covers about 51 square kilometres. Most of it is covered in Accra plains and coastal savannah that is managed mainly to protect and conserve particular species and habitats.
There are five separate hills or small mountains where the Shai people’s ancestral caves are still found and explored. The caves were inhabited from 10,000 BC until the British forced them Shia people out in 1892. The hills inhabited included Adwuka, Sayu, Manya, and Hieowayo hills. We were able to climb to the top of one of these amazing hills for an astonishing view of the entire park!
The 3 different primate species in the park are the Olive Baboons, Spot Nosed Monkey, and Green Monkey. The main purpose of our trip was to observe the Olive Baboons in their natural habitat and attempt to understand their social hierarchy. There are 15 different troops of baboons in the park and we were able to see 2 of them! Each baboon troop has its own home range and is comprised of few males and many female. Female dominance is hereditary and they form the core of the social system. Males establish dominance by fighting for access to females. The baboons were not bothered by human visitors at all and walked only a few feet away from us! They were so fun to watch and the babies were so adorable!
Other animals in the park include 7 antelope species, 13 reptile species, and 175 bird species. We were able to see a few zebras and ostriches that were brought to the reserve since they are believed to have lived in the area before. There are also 397 different flora species. I highly recommend visiting this park and supporting the wildlife conservation efforts!
Accra Central Market
On the second day, we ventured to the capital city of Ghana. Accra is a large and vibrant city with a population of over 1.6 million. We took a shuttle from Tema, Ghana and travelled one hour to the center of Accra. From there, we walked to the large central market. Once again, I was taken back by the friendliness of the vendors! They were so kind to us and some of them even remembered our names when we saw them 20 minutes later. This is also one of the more aggressive markets I have been to. I believe this is because of the lack of language barrier. Everyone we walked by asked us to come into his or her shop but we were never forced to buy anything.
We spent about 2 hours here and too much money! I purchased elephant pants, a painting, a small elephant made out of ebony wood, a beaded bracelet, and a gold bracelet made out of Ghana’s old currency. We also stopped at a local market to buy some of Ghana’s famous chocolate and some Fan Ice – Ghana’s ice cream.
Kakum Natural Park
The Kakum National Park was established in 1992 and is situated in one of West Africa’s lush tropical rainforests! It is home to over 40 mammal and 400 bird species. Most of the mammals are nocturnal so the best way to see them is to spend the night in the parks treehouse.
The main tourist draw is the canopy walk! The canopy consists of 7 bridges extending 350 meters and hanging 40 meters above the forest floor. The bridges are quite narrow and collapse farther and farther as more people step onto them! This was such an incredible way to experience the rainforest! We spotted a few Diana Monkeys at the top of one of the trees. It took us about 30 minutes to cross all of the bridges. It cost about $15 each to tour the canopy. Kakum National Park is a must visit – unless you are scared of heights!
Atomkwa Village
On my last day in Ghana I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Atomkwa Village and participate in a naming ceremony! When we got to the village we were immediately greeted by all of the children! There was a small group of older children playing the drums and other instruments. After we greeted the Chief and Elders in the community, a prayer was said. During the prayer, one of the elders poured a drink onto the ground letting the ancestors drink first before taking a drink himself.
In Ghanaian culture, a baby isn’t named until 7 days after he or she is born to ensure they will survive. At a traditional naming ceremony, one of the Elders dips his or her finger in wine and then puts it on the babies lip. After, he or she repeats the same thing with wine. The whole time, the Chief of the community is saying different prayers and the name of the baby. In Ghana, a baby’s name is based on the day he or she is born.
For our ceremony, the Elder used a leaf and dipped that in water before placing it on our lips. Since we are not allowed to drink during a SAS program, the wine was replaced with coke. The name I was given is Esi Bronya! This was such an incredible opportunity and an experience that I will never forget.
