July 1st is Republic Day – like our 4th of July, except it’s the next step after independence from the British (that day is also a holiday). See last year's post for an explanation. Anyway, last year on 1st July (as they say here), Max and I took the girls (Precious, Pamela, and
Savanna) to Boti Falls. Almost as soon as July 2nd, Savanna started saying “Where will we go next year for July 1st?” At that time, there was n
o certainty that I would even be here on July 1st, but I asked her where she wanted to go. She said Labadi Beach, which is in Accra, on the ocean.
So, bright and early on Thursday morning, July 1st, we piled in the truck – Precious, Pamela, Savanna, and Mary, who is the mother of Precious and Pamela. The drive was long, as all trips to Accra are these days. It was about 1 ½ hours to the edge of town and another hour to get through it – to the beach. As we crested the ridge overlooking the sprawling metropolis of Accra, and during the drive through Accra, Precious’ eyes were everywhere at once – it turns out she had never been to Accra and was a little overwhelmed. That was sort of funny because last year she was completely overwhelmed by the size of Boti Falls.
So we went to the Labadi Beach Hotel, THE 5-star beach hotel in Accra and I paid for us to use the pool. We had come early because I anticipated a huge crowd at the pool, which is what we experienced last time I went there in July. But when we arrived, at about 11:00, all the deck chairs were available and we chose four choice
spots, poolside. Then I introduced them to the women’s changing room, where we changed into our swimsuits and each got a towel the size of a bedsheet. The girls wanted to go in the pool immediately, so we did. Then we ordered some lunch and went for a walk on the beach.
As soon as we stepped through the gate from the Hotel to the beach, Precious stopped cold and refused to take another step – in exactly the same way she stopped on the steps down to Boti Falls as soon as she saw the rushing water through the trees. Having never been to Accra before, she had also never seen the ocean. We tried to explain that it was just water and that on the other side was Auntie Jan’s home in America, but she was having none of it. In a replay of last year, I picked her up and carried her, with her eyes buried in my neck.
On the beach, you could definitely see that it was a holiday. Several beachside bars had big extended tent awnings set up with tables and sound equipment. The partying would start later, but the hawkers were already in full swing, including three or four guys riding full-sized mules (no little donkeys) that were skinny as rails, but pranced up and down the beach offering rides. Once Precious looked up from my neck and started to show some interest in the ocean, I put her back on her own two feet. At this point we were about ½ way between the gate back to the hotel and the edge of the water – maybe 50 yards/metres in each direction. Unfortunately at almost the same moment I put her down, one of these mule guys came prancing up offering a ride. Precious took one look at the mule and ran all the way back to the gate, losing her flip flops about halfway there.
I went to get her and we finally got down to the water. We dug a hole, but not really close enough for it to ooze up water - she wouldn’t go that close. Then I tried to get her interested in some seashells which took us a bit closer to the water. But the thing about the ocean is that it
keeps coming at you, racing up to your feet when you’re not looking. At the end of the day, Precious decided she was a pool girl. When the older girls went to walk on the beach later in the afternoon, Precious was very clear about her preference for staying on the hotel grounds where the water stayed put and there were no gigantic four-legged animals.
XO
Savanna) to Boti Falls. Almost as soon as July 2nd, Savanna started saying “Where will we go next year for July 1st?” At that time, there was n
o certainty that I would even be here on July 1st, but I asked her where she wanted to go. She said Labadi Beach, which is in Accra, on the ocean.So, bright and early on Thursday morning, July 1st, we piled in the truck – Precious, Pamela, Savanna, and Mary, who is the mother of Precious and Pamela. The drive was long, as all trips to Accra are these days. It was about 1 ½ hours to the edge of town and another hour to get through it – to the beach. As we crested the ridge overlooking the sprawling metropolis of Accra, and during the drive through Accra, Precious’ eyes were everywhere at once – it turns out she had never been to Accra and was a little overwhelmed. That was sort of funny because last year she was completely overwhelmed by the size of Boti Falls.
So we went to the Labadi Beach Hotel, THE 5-star beach hotel in Accra and I paid for us to use the pool. We had come early because I anticipated a huge crowd at the pool, which is what we experienced last time I went there in July. But when we arrived, at about 11:00, all the deck chairs were available and we chose four choice
BFFs
spots, poolside. Then I introduced them to the women’s changing room, where we changed into our swimsuits and each got a towel the size of a bedsheet. The girls wanted to go in the pool immediately, so we did. Then we ordered some lunch and went for a walk on the beach.
As soon as we stepped through the gate from the Hotel to the beach, Precious stopped cold and refused to take another step – in exactly the same way she stopped on the steps down to Boti Falls as soon as she saw the rushing water through the trees. Having never been to Accra before, she had also never seen the ocean. We tried to explain that it was just water and that on the other side was Auntie Jan’s home in America, but she was having none of it. In a replay of last year, I picked her up and carried her, with her eyes buried in my neck.
On the beach, you could definitely see that it was a holiday. Several beachside bars had big extended tent awnings set up with tables and sound equipment. The partying would start later, but the hawkers were already in full swing, including three or four guys riding full-sized mules (no little donkeys) that were skinny as rails, but pranced up and down the beach offering rides. Once Precious looked up from my neck and started to show some interest in the ocean, I put her back on her own two feet. At this point we were about ½ way between the gate back to the hotel and the edge of the water – maybe 50 yards/metres in each direction. Unfortunately at almost the same moment I put her down, one of these mule guys came prancing up offering a ride. Precious took one look at the mule and ran all the way back to the gate, losing her flip flops about halfway there.
I went to get her and we finally got down to the water. We dug a hole, but not really close enough for it to ooze up water - she wouldn’t go that close. Then I tried to get her interested in some seashells which took us a bit closer to the water. But the thing about the ocean is that it
keeps coming at you, racing up to your feet when you’re not looking. At the end of the day, Precious decided she was a pool girl. When the older girls went to walk on the beach later in the afternoon, Precious was very clear about her preference for staying on the hotel grounds where the water stayed put and there were no gigantic four-legged animals.XO
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