September 9, 2001

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; )


Last Sunday we hired a tro-tro and went to the ocean. The beach at Kokrobite is beautiful. We paid to rent a bamboo structure right on the beach where we could sit at a wooden table and also have a little shade. At first, since it was still early, there weren't too many vendors around, so all was quite and peaceful. I read a bit (a book called The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah--I recceomend it highly) and then swam, too. I couldn't swim too much, though, because the tide comes in quite far and then quickly recedes back, leaving no water for at least fifty feet. To swim, I would have had to go far, where it didn't seem safe. The undertow is indeed incredibly strong. The stretch of beach where we sat was clean, but on both sides were little clusters of fisherman's boats (wooden and rudimentary) and the accompanying trash. Around noon, women and children carrying pineapples, baracuda fish, crackers, oranges, and nuts began to pass by, so we assembled a lunch feast. We bought lobsters and fish, fruit and kenkey (a sour corn mush cooked in banana leaves over a fire), and then grilled the fish on the beach.

There really hasn’t been much intense heat (except for inside my office!). In fact, at night the guard wears a wool beret, gloves, and a jacket. Of course for me it’s perfect summer weather. It's supposed to get much warmer during the upcoming dry season.

So far my favorite Ghanaian dish is red-red, a stew of black-eyed peas, peppers, and tomatoes (it usually has meat, too, but I get mine vegetarian). It's eaten with chuncks of grilled plantains. Unfortunately, Rose refuses to make this for dinner, because she thinks that it's too hard on the stomach and we won't be able to sleep. I've tried to convince her that we can handle it, but she is adament. She said we can have it on Saturdays for lunch only.

I'm off to the business hotel to go swimming! After that, I have to prepare a few presentations for the coming week. Thanks for reading this less than thrilling post!