Let me back up...
This past Friday was a day off of school - praise the Lord! I don't even know why we had the day off. President's Day? Something? I honestly am not even interested in why because all I needed to know is that I had Friday totally off. Now, the students also had today, Monday, off and I had to go in for a "teacher fun day." Call it whatever you want admin - I still had to be at work doing curriculum, blech. Anyway, I digress...
To celebrate our day off school and three-day weekend, we decided to hit the beach! I had never been to Ada and Amanda and Meg assured me that I HAD to go at least one time while here in Ghana. Before, I had always resisted because sleeping in a hut with no electricity or running water and going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground and taking a bucket shower never sounded like much of a vacation to me. Rest assured - our time in Ada is one of the best vacations I've ever had... in my LIFE.
But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Friday morning we woke up bright and early, caught ourselves a taxi and sat for an hour in morning traffic. Nothing we hadn't expected. We finally arrived at the Accra Tudu station where we did the best we could to find the correct tro tro to Ada without getting totally violated and accosted by the sellers. I can't say we totally succeeded in that endeavor - seriously, they were ferocious - but we did manage to find the correct tro tro and we were on our way - after buying some apples and FanYogo. You can buy almost anything off someone's head. One of my favorite things about Ghana.
Amanda, Liz, Meg and I on the tro tro
After a blessedly uneventful two hour tro tro ride we arrived in Ada and boarded our transportation to Maranatha Beach Resort - we're using the word resort, here in the loosest of terms.
Meg posing in front of our canoe with a motor! And our driver
Riding on the boat out to Maranatha was incredibly peaceful and beautiful!
some kids pulling in a fishing net in one of the villages we passed on the way
our first view! I love the painted trees
I will never be able to overstate how peaceful this place is. The quiet was absolutely amazing after the constant noise of life in East Legon. From the second you get on the canoe to the second you get off it after being in Maranatha it's silent - no cars, no random people driving down the road broadcasting a message in Twi, no electricity to curse when it turns off, no water to curse when it turns off... peace. You go to Maranatha knowing that you're just going to be dirty the whole time. You go knowing that there isn't electricity or running water. You go knowing that the "bathrooms" are really gross - but okay, I wasn't expecting that bad. But the point is that you go knowing that it's going to be nothing like living in the city like we live in the city and then it makes the dirtiness and no electricity and no water a completely bearable part of the experience.
At Maranatha you stay in a hut on the beach... literally.
No more than 100 yards behind this hut is the beach. The beach!!! Mind you, this isn't a super nice beach and I was actually surprised to see a good bit of trash around BUT - it was a beach with sand and the sound and wind of the ocean.
Friday was spent slathered in sunscreen lying on the beach reading, sleeping, listening to music and just generally wasting away the day listening to the ocean crash. The waves were amazing - probably the biggest I've ever seen - but that isn't saying too much. After a couple blistering hours in the sun we retreated to the main area (about 20 yards behind where I was standing to take the above picture) and sat beneath an open hut in the shade and read the rest of the day away. During the course of the day, I of course needed to use the "facilities" and was greeted with this...
See the purple container? That's where you rinsed your hands if you were so inclined after you finished. No toilet paper. No soap. Flimsy doors. Mmmmmmmm
At Maranatha you stay in a hut on the beach... literally.
Amanda, Liz, Meg and I had a 4 person hut
No more than 100 yards behind this hut is the beach. The beach!!! Mind you, this isn't a super nice beach and I was actually surprised to see a good bit of trash around BUT - it was a beach with sand and the sound and wind of the ocean.Friday was spent slathered in sunscreen lying on the beach reading, sleeping, listening to music and just generally wasting away the day listening to the ocean crash. The waves were amazing - probably the biggest I've ever seen - but that isn't saying too much. After a couple blistering hours in the sun we retreated to the main area (about 20 yards behind where I was standing to take the above picture) and sat beneath an open hut in the shade and read the rest of the day away. During the course of the day, I of course needed to use the "facilities" and was greeted with this...
Yep. Out in the open. No roof. Sitting in the ridiculous African sun. Baking all the poo. Remember, the toilets inside are holes in the ground. Uncovered holes in the ground. Flies like you wouldn't believe...
See the purple container? That's where you rinsed your hands if you were so inclined after you finished. No toilet paper. No soap. Flimsy doors. Mmmmmmmm
Okay, so they could have been worse but the "bathroom" definitely left something to be desired. I survived. It's okay. And it all became so much better after Ben and Anne Clair showed up!
They were originally supposed to come with us on our journey to Maranatha but Anne Clair had been sick the night before and had decided not to come. Imagine our excitement when they texted to tell us that she was feeling better and they would make the trip out!
riding in on their canoe
They were originally supposed to come with us on our journey to Maranatha but Anne Clair had been sick the night before and had decided not to come. Imagine our excitement when they texted to tell us that she was feeling better and they would make the trip out!We sat. We chatted. We relaxed. We laughed. Amazing. When the sun started to go down we headed out to the beach to watch an incredible sunset.
Well, after the sun goes down and you don't have electricity there isn't much to do. We headed back up to the main area and ordered dinner... probably an hour later we got our food, which was yummy, and they turned on their generator so we at least had a little bit of light to see each other and talk and laugh some more.
Now begins the incredible-ness that made this weekend my best vacation ever. I hope I can tell it right - forgive me for not being the writer I wish I could be.
Because there are no fans in the huts where you sleep, we all decided that a night sleeping out under the stars on the beach would be very much preferable to a hut with stagnant, hot air. So, we gathered up our mattresses and bedding material and headed out to the beach! Hahaha, I wish it had been that easy...
It was quite a chore getting those things out there but once we did... heaven on Earth! Everyone should know what it's like to lie outside under a BAJILLION stars - remember, we are so far from civilization, aka light pollution, that we can see far more stars than anyone in the city - and only hear the sound of the waves crashing on the sand and the sound of the palm trees blowing in the wind.
This is when I got to talk about SCIENCE! More specifically, my greatest love, ASTRONOMY!
Okay, I'm ahead of myself again. First we took goofy pictures...
Now, let the science commence! Because we were under a sky full of stars - and planets and galaxies and GLOBULAR CLUSTERS - it sparked a myriad of questions, all of which I was delighted to answer! Well, answer as best I could.
"So, exactly how much time is a light-year?" (note: a light-year is a measure of DISTANCE)
"You mean not all those things up there are stars?" (NOPE!)
"What's in the middle of the galaxy?" (probably a black hole - and nope, those don't suck)
SCIENCE NEVER SUCKS!
We even started to calculate just how big a light-year is.
Me - "Well, light travels about 3 x 10^8 m/s so let's just start multiplying until we get to how many meters light travels in a year and then that's how big a light-year is."
someone who shall not be named - "Okay, let's start... 3 times 10 is 30!"
Me - "Noooooooo!"
hahahahaha! Okay sorry, I guess that's only funny if you know scientific notation. Nevermind. Let me have my science joke!
and on and on and on
It was amazing. Mostly because they were all questions I could answer fairly well. It was also such an awesome reminder of just how big, complicated and amazing this universe is - God is so creative and awesome! To create all of this - it's something I'll never understand until I get to heaven and I can't wait to ask God all about it.
A few more crazy pictures, a few more science questions and we were dreaming... until it started to rain. Now, in Ghana you can never be sure what kind of rain you're going to get. Is it just going to sprinkle for a bit and be done? Is it just going to sprinkle for a bit and then UNLEASH THE DAM IN THE SKY??? In our half-asleep delerium we didn't know. We panicked. We grabbed everything as quickly as we could and started to draaaaag out mattresses back to the hut. I'm sure that if anyone was watching us, we were a sight to behold! After we were a bit more awake, we decided that it was still only sprinkling, the hut was still full of hot stagnant air and we would like to finish our night under the stars. So, we stayed outside. Thankfully the rain let up and we were left to sleep once again... until the lightning storm started. Crazy, ridiculous, bright lightning lit up the sky over the ocean for almost an hour before the sun came up. Once again, God gave us something beautiful to look at an appreciate! Again we were afraid of the rain but once again, thankfully, it stayed to just a light sprinkle. After the lightning storm died down and the rain stopped, this is what we got to see...
A relaxing, leisurely morning of Bible reading, random book reading, iPod listening later and we were ready for the beach again. Anne Clair, unfortunately, started to feel sick again so her and Ben headed out in the morning. It was SO fun for the time that they were there and I'm so glad they were able to come at least for a little while and have the amazing night outside!
After a second day on the beach, a second day covered in sunscreen and ocean grime and we were ready to head home.
It was an incredible weekend at the beach.
Peace.
Joy.
Laughter.
Love.
Those are all things I soaked up this weekend with the amazing friends God has gifted to me.
Loved it :-)
Seriously, how beautiful is that? Thanks, God :-)
Liz, Meg and Amanda basically being amazing. I love my friends!!!
Well, after the sun goes down and you don't have electricity there isn't much to do. We headed back up to the main area and ordered dinner... probably an hour later we got our food, which was yummy, and they turned on their generator so we at least had a little bit of light to see each other and talk and laugh some more.
Now begins the incredible-ness that made this weekend my best vacation ever. I hope I can tell it right - forgive me for not being the writer I wish I could be.
Because there are no fans in the huts where you sleep, we all decided that a night sleeping out under the stars on the beach would be very much preferable to a hut with stagnant, hot air. So, we gathered up our mattresses and bedding material and headed out to the beach! Hahaha, I wish it had been that easy...
Ben and Meg lugging the heavy, lumpy, yet flimsy mattress
It was quite a chore getting those things out there but once we did... heaven on Earth! Everyone should know what it's like to lie outside under a BAJILLION stars - remember, we are so far from civilization, aka light pollution, that we can see far more stars than anyone in the city - and only hear the sound of the waves crashing on the sand and the sound of the palm trees blowing in the wind.
This is when I got to talk about SCIENCE! More specifically, my greatest love, ASTRONOMY!
Okay, I'm ahead of myself again. First we took goofy pictures...
I don't know if you know this but... we're ninjas.
six beautiful people... right there
Now, let the science commence! Because we were under a sky full of stars - and planets and galaxies and GLOBULAR CLUSTERS - it sparked a myriad of questions, all of which I was delighted to answer! Well, answer as best I could.
"So, exactly how much time is a light-year?" (note: a light-year is a measure of DISTANCE)
"You mean not all those things up there are stars?" (NOPE!)
"What's in the middle of the galaxy?" (probably a black hole - and nope, those don't suck)
SCIENCE NEVER SUCKS!
We even started to calculate just how big a light-year is.
Me - "Well, light travels about 3 x 10^8 m/s so let's just start multiplying until we get to how many meters light travels in a year and then that's how big a light-year is."
someone who shall not be named - "Okay, let's start... 3 times 10 is 30!"
Me - "Noooooooo!"
hahahahaha! Okay sorry, I guess that's only funny if you know scientific notation. Nevermind. Let me have my science joke!
and on and on and on
It was amazing. Mostly because they were all questions I could answer fairly well. It was also such an awesome reminder of just how big, complicated and amazing this universe is - God is so creative and awesome! To create all of this - it's something I'll never understand until I get to heaven and I can't wait to ask God all about it.
A few more crazy pictures, a few more science questions and we were dreaming... until it started to rain. Now, in Ghana you can never be sure what kind of rain you're going to get. Is it just going to sprinkle for a bit and be done? Is it just going to sprinkle for a bit and then UNLEASH THE DAM IN THE SKY??? In our half-asleep delerium we didn't know. We panicked. We grabbed everything as quickly as we could and started to draaaaag out mattresses back to the hut. I'm sure that if anyone was watching us, we were a sight to behold! After we were a bit more awake, we decided that it was still only sprinkling, the hut was still full of hot stagnant air and we would like to finish our night under the stars. So, we stayed outside. Thankfully the rain let up and we were left to sleep once again... until the lightning storm started. Crazy, ridiculous, bright lightning lit up the sky over the ocean for almost an hour before the sun came up. Once again, God gave us something beautiful to look at an appreciate! Again we were afraid of the rain but once again, thankfully, it stayed to just a light sprinkle. After the lightning storm died down and the rain stopped, this is what we got to see...
beautiful :-)
A relaxing, leisurely morning of Bible reading, random book reading, iPod listening later and we were ready for the beach again. Anne Clair, unfortunately, started to feel sick again so her and Ben headed out in the morning. It was SO fun for the time that they were there and I'm so glad they were able to come at least for a little while and have the amazing night outside!After a second day on the beach, a second day covered in sunscreen and ocean grime and we were ready to head home.
It was an incredible weekend at the beach.
Peace.
Joy.
Laughter.
Love.
Those are all things I soaked up this weekend with the amazing friends God has gifted to me.
Loved it :-)
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