Date: 05/02/2010
Time: 23:00
Location: Accra, Ghana
The game of bargaining is a simple one. Bargaining requires some talent and the ability to not feel guilty of how much you are bargaining down. It also requires though the ability to realize when one is getting ripped off. Bargaining down from a 30 cedi taxi ride to hopefully getting 10 cedi was a challenge. We finally agreed on a 15 cedi ride. What we thought would be a simple little less than an hour’s drive turned into much more. Not only did we have an odd number of people where one taxi was carrying an extra person, but we also had a little bit of communication issues. Our taxi drivers had a vague idea of where this monkey sanctuary was, so we told them to follow each other. My taxi driver went speeding away so there we were (molly, Sara, Doug, Elena, and myself) were saying, “We need to follow the other taxi. The other driver knows how to get to the place. Go behind...” Our conversation was us trying to get him to understand what we saying and him were just sitting there laughing at our “obrunie” selves. In the end the other taxi was able to catch up. But one problem arose. Sara, “um guys.. . I really need to go to the bathroom… like GO! “Us knowing what that meant, we told the driver to stop at the next petrol station. We stopped Sara ran out the car to find a toilet. Next thing we see molly comes running down from the toilet area... “Do you guys have anything we can use to wipe?” None of us had anything. Sara and molly came back for us to realize that Sara had to use receipts to wipe up the lovely “D’s” that she had. But… thankfully after that she felt a lot better and our journey towards the monkey sanctuary could continue.
Our car ride consisted of us stopping asking locals to show us how to get to the solo monkey sanctuary ( no one had a clue!), it consisted of us having some sweet jams being played in the car, and our driver just smiling every time we asked a question. We arrive in the general vicinity of the monkey sanctuary. This is where we start driving around for about an hour. We went into the town area for them to send us up the street, where we stopped again and asked locals, they sent us back down the road, we were sent then to Bojo Beach. (What paradise. It was as if we were in the Caribbean!) We finally had a local taxi driver take us to the forest where the monkey sanctuary lay, going through basically peoples back gardens, and bumpy bumpy dirt roads.
We arrive at the monkey sanctuary. Our cab drivers at this point are for the lack of the better words, “pissed”. We had just taken them 2 hours out of the city. They said they would stay and wait for us. At first we did not want them to wait around as we are cheap students who knew we would have to pay for them to wait around for us. But, I guess our bargaining skills have just started to become natural as we bargained for the first two hours they waited to be free, and every hour after was 10 cedi. Not a bad deal I would say. So at this point… we have taken two Accra taxi drivers out of the main city, where they will be waiting around in the forest for us until we are done! (Can I say...VIP service?)
The day was a day like I have not had in a long time. I would say I have had a lot of experiences in my life, and this was one excursion. One of the girls knew the owner of the solo monkey sanctuary. So, he gave us a nice deal to take us into see the monkeys (only 3 cedi each= 2 dollars) But he exceeded any of our expectations. He first took us to the school in the area because it was “obrunie Fridays” Any foreigners/white people they get on a Friday they bring them to the school to give the kids a little more incentive to come to school on Fridays. The kids were adorable. They came up and gave us hugs; they were like little kids in a sweet shop. Extremely excited we were there. After all the pictures and playing, he took us around the village. He bought us through the nooks and crannies...we were in a real live African village. Komiate (the monkey sanctuary guy) said that he basically is the provider for the village. And when he isn’t providing people just provide for each other… people for the community. Through the village the rubbish around was immense. Rubbish in every corner of the street, and houses (stone/thatched roofed/huts) placed in random little areas. Shops right next to houses, and woman making food everywhere you look. Weaving in and out of the dirt pathed houses community, we finally reach the beach. It was as if we were stepping out into the outside for the first time. A huge amount of fishing boats appeared out of nowhere, the beach and water all providing a perfect picture. Komiate bought us down the beach walking through the fishermen rigging up and relaxing on their boats. He then grabbed a small boat from these kids and told us to get on. We all stepped on carefully making sure not to rock the boat, facing forward we began to move. Komiate had a large wooden stick to stear and move the boat (was like in venice the gondolas). He bought us to the private beach of Bojo resort. This is where all hell broke loose.
Running into the water as if we hadn’t seen it in years, and jumping into the surfer style waves. Elena screams, “ I am ready to go free… top coming off” So… the 8 girls and Doug followed suit. Have you ever felt so free that nothing could harm, break, or get in your way? I must say this was pretty close to that. Nothing but the water and me crashing into each other. Almost 4 weeks of being in Africa and finally in the past two days I had seen a lot more and felt so many different emotions that this break from the world felt so good. After our “running naked in the paddling pool” and Doug losing his swimming trunks it was time to get some real monkey action. Komiate bought us back to the forest where we watched to find the monkeys. Monkey!!!!! It was so cool to watch the couple that came to see us. Watch them swing from tree to tree, climb up the tree and sit. It was a perfect ending to a day in the day and the life of a true Ghanaian village.
After a day like today nothing could have gotten me in a bad mood. Except for the taxi driver. We all decided that we would pitch in 10 cedi for the drivers. That meant that each driver at the end of this got 65 cedi. (20 cedi there and 45 cedi on the way back). Perfect deal I would say, but no to the Ghanaian’s we are just rich white kids that can afford to give them a lot more. I ended up getting in the other taxi on the way back with the grumpy driver. He was a slow old grandma driver, and I was hungry. I was getting annoyed because I did not want to miss out on Tante Maries (one of our meal plan restaurants). As we got home he said, “How much you give?” we say, “45 cedi, and that is way more than we said originally so that is enough!” driver, “I beg, 50!” “No, bye!” Our white colour will not give into the “Obrunie” prices that they give. We are living here for 4 months and I will not get ripped off. I will pay “Obibinie” (Black) prices (at least try and get Ghanaian rates!)
I hope I painted a good picture- but no words can describe a day in the forest, beach, and with kids. ( Oh yeah missed out the big about us playing with the kids at the beginning of the whole day!) oh well… Perhaps I will post some pictures and videos if the internet will be able to handle the uploading of them.
Goodnight to all- as I got to get up at 5:30am to leave on a NYU Program trip to Cape Coast.
-KR x
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