Estuary

A week ago we took a trip down to Ada Foah, at the mouth of the Volta River. There are actually two little towns here, joined by tourist camps and small hotels. We booked a great room in a guest house. Amongst its amenities, most important of which was allowing our dog, was our own sitting room (separate from the bedroom), the use of a fridge and kitchen, and a covered back deck with comfy lounge furniture. Here we could sit out and read, and it was here we took our breakfast each morning. Though the guest house is in the heart of Ada Foah — most camps and hotels are directly on the beaches — the backyard overlooked 'vacant' lots, wooded with palm trees.

The sandy point

The main attraction is the estuary where the Volta River meets the Gulf of Guinea. The river comes at the gulf at an angle, rather than perpendicularly. This results in a long sand spit (several kilometres) with the gulf to the south and the river to the north. So while the Atlantic continues its merciless pounding on one side, calm waters welcome on the other. And as a tidal pool, the river is safe, that is, free of nasty, fresh water parasites. It's also free of crocodiles. (There are several islands in the river here, one named Crocodile Island, though they have long ago been driven out. On another island is a rum distillery. But that will be another post.)

The banks of the river are populated by a few hotels and many large vacation homes owned by rich Accra residents. But this is the off-season (notice the brooding sky above) so we pretty much had the run of the place. Because of the calm waters of the estuary, sailing and boating are a major attraction. There is even a sailing club. The fact it is safe to fall overboard (drowning excepted) is also an attraction.

The calm of the river

The contrast between the river and the ocean could not be more pronounced. All along the coast of Ghana the surf is unrelenting, and guidebooks constantly make much of the dangers of the undertow. There are a few places where I've ventured to take my feet of the ground and do a little body surfing. This was not one of them. The undertow here was fantastic. A few times, standing, feet planted firmly in the sand, the receding waves flipped me over.

The tempest of the gulf

Wherever we go, Chai provides a somewhat welcome distraction from the calls of 'obruni'. Without her, people stare at (and call out to) the two white folk. With her, we sometimes wonder if we humans are noticed. She loves the surf, and the best game is chasing a plastic bottle weighted with a little sand. But we always soon draw a crowd.

Night Garden

I took this photo a few evenings ago. I was sitting out on our verandah, enjoying both the night air and, surprisingly, the absence of mosquitoes. I looked up and saw this little view. The garden was framed between two white plaster pillars, which I've avoided in the photo, and lit from above by a fluorescent tube. I like the unnatural feel of the light. It has the overly crisp appearance and stark contrast typical of a flash photograph, but the source of light is above rather than in front.

In the photo you can see thin leaved croton on the right (we also have broad-leaved varieties), ginger lily in the left foreground (they look a bit like birds of paradise), and ti or good luck plant (the tall red plant) on the left. 

From where I sit, and took the photograph, we are sheltered from the elements. We have spent many pleasant hours, both during daylight and dark, reading, chatting, eating, and looking out at our little garden. This has been especially enjoyable during the rainy season, when we can watch rains, light and heavy, dance on the leaves of the garden.