Day 5
Today was half project, half exploration. It felt good to get a lot done on the playground – we all really want to get it finished. The afternoon was spent looking around Elmina castle with our buddies. We all feel like we are making really good friends. We were quite a tourist attraction ourselves – many of the locals started taking pictures and videos of us! After the castle, we went around the streets of Elmina. Everything was so different to England, the smell, the look and the feel. We are getting used to being stared at now everywhere we go and we are starting to feel like celebrities, waving at everyone! One of the best things about this trip is how friendly everyone is. In the evenings, it’s nice to hang around with the locals while they sing and drum.
Day 6
One of the hottest days so far. We spent the morning down at the project site. It’s nice being down on the beach most days. As it was Saturday, many of the school kids came down to help us – we still can’t get over how kind and helpful everyone is. The afternoon was spent painting. A mid afternoon visit to the beach cafe was a welcome treat and using flushing toilets was even better. The evening was spent just like a party in the UK – minus the alcohol! We were all high on life, took some stupid ‘drunk’ photos and we felt like we were really clicking with the locals!
Fun fact of the day: The team discovered the cookies sold at the beach cafe.
Day 7
Today was R&R, meaning we could have had a lie in… if the cockerels had allowed us to! After getting woken up by the sound every morning, it is starting to wear a little thin! The morning was spent in the Methodist Church, which welcomed us with open arms. There was a lot of singing and moving around, which again is so different to England. A few of our buddies were there – it’s nice that we could talk to people we knew! Walking back through the village, we saw more kids from the school, holding their fists out in greeting. After pigging out on a lunch of chicken, fish, rice and chips, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach, where Frankie E managed to perfect her burn. We were all amazed by a young local boy who can climb coconut trees in about ten seconds. Drinking fresh coconut milk with a straw made us feel as though we were on a tropical island.
Fun fact of the day: The church service was in Fante but, surprisingly, the part asking for donations was in English!
Day 8
Today saw the completion of the monkey bars, leaving a strong sense of satisfaction within the team. We are all getting stuck into the hard work and all want to see the playground finish, which we expect to do this week. Before walking back up, Frankie and Frankie ran off to buy a sneaky can of coke to have with lunch. The afternoon was spent bead making, which we all got stuck into and started jewellery for our buddies and receiving bracelets and necklaces in return! Whatever you do in Ghana, there will be the sound of drums and an animal walking past, usually a goat. After trying a traditional dish of boiled yams, we were amazed by how religious the whole community is.
Fun fact of the day: Frankie H nearly sawed Alexa’s arm off.
A note from Fred for the 24th: I love you Mum.