Last Updated on January 2, 2025 by myriamoblogger
Here is a travel article I wrote in 2013, at age 19, as part of a university assignment. PS: To avoid embarrassment, I modified minor errors and outdated information.
As an adventurer and part-time traveller, I can confidently say that there’s nothing as welcoming as the warm and calm African breeze that embraces your arms and legs as you land in Ghana.
Being of Ghanaian origin, it’s that moment that translates to “Welcome back home!” as I finally reach Accra, the Ghanaian capital.
As I make the short journey from the plane to the terminal, I’m fully aware that the empty outskirts and quiet surroundings I see are bluffing scenarios, a smart contrast to what the country is like just outside the airport.
The West African country is home to over 20 million people. With 16 administrative regions and numerous dialects, Ghana, formerly known as the ‘Gold Coast,’ stands as a nation full of tradition and culture. Furthermore, it is these same qualities that enfold me as I board a yellow taxi to my guesthouse.
Cars horning, wind blowing, local radio stations playing at every corner of the streets, and the blazing sun making the outside world look golden, I tell myself, “Indeed, this is Ghana!”
A taxi ride in Ghana is never boring. A 30-minute journey turns into a stimulating discovery for the senses. For a traveller, it is a simple moment that remains grafted into the line of beautiful memories.
Looking through the windows, I see hawkers—these hard-working men and women eager to sell their products using the traffic or the red lights.
In various Ghanaian cities, snacks and basic home appliances can easily be purchased from a car seat. This leaves room for very tempting treats and, at times, unnecessary buys, which may come from the buyer not wanting to say ‘No’ to a determined seller.
Food is the most accessible substance in Ghana, as seen by the many street food joints in almost every corner, so the competition is fierce between sellers.
The affordable cost explains its popularity. In the morning, breakfast such as oats porridge soaked in warm milk with or without sugar can be freshly prepared for any hungry belly. In the end, it would cost less than 5 Ghana cedis (20 pence).
Another typical Ghanaian breakfast is an omelette stuffed in soft bread and butter, known as ‘chibom’, with a hot British-styled tea. Other popular street food includes white rice and a variety of stews with well-chopped meats or fried fish as toppings. However, fried yam cut in a triangular fashion with red pepper sauce and seasoned fish is my personal favourite.
Snacks in Ghana include ‘Bofrot’, a doughnut-styled sweet and round-shaped snack, fried in oil, served hot and bubbling, which gives the familiar delicacy a more crunchy and golden texture than the typical Western doughnut. It may not be the healthiest option, but it is gorgeously addicting.
The capital city of Accra is a diverse place, with interesting dimensions and contrasts. Some parts of Accra are perfect replicas of modern European capitals, due to clean roads and green scenery. Such as ‘Kwame Nkrumah Circle’, the historical street named after the country’s first president, who led Ghana to its independence in 1957.
The other side of the capital is covered with the conventional red-brownish sand embracing the floor, which works as a reminder of the country’s ethnic and cultural tangibility. Every Ghanaian city differs in its charms but has attractive similarities.
The city of Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region, is one of the largest cities in the country; it is a place so distinct in its calibre that it should not be missed by anyone visiting Ghana. If there is one adjective to describe Kumasi, it would undoubtedly be ‘colourful’. Kumasi is not just colourful because of the vibrant African attire casually and naturally worn by the locals, or the minivans known as tro-tros that come in various colours.
In reality, Kumasi is colourful because of the eclectic energy that possesses the city, observed through the busy local markets frequented by people of all social and economic statuses.
After routinely staying a few days in Accra and Kumasi, I always head out to the town of Techiman, my parents’ hometown. As the capital of the Bono East Region (previously known as Brong Ahafo),Techiman is is approximately three and a half hours from Kumasi.
Though very different from the bigger cities in its size or population, these differences are what make Techiman warm and comfortable. Being there is what makes my journey to Ghana worthwhile every time.
“Ei Maame! Akwaaba” is what I hear upon each arrival as my grandma enthusiastically greets me from her small market near the family home. Then followed by my younger and older cousins, uncles, and aunties.
In less than two minutes, I’m surrounded by the neighbouring kids and long-lost family members.
On Sundays in Techiman, I can hear sermons and songs of praise from the loudspeakers installed in the different churches.
On my journey to the local church, I would see men dressed in their best suits or ensembles and women dressed in their vibrant African print dresses, not forgetting the young girls wearing their Disney-inspired fluffy dresses.
On a typical weekday evening in Techiman, I would hear fufu pounding and soups boiling on coal as a mother fans the smoke away with her child sleeping on her back unbothered by the delicious smell of the soup.
As the moon brightly shines in the evening, I see families reassembling after a long day and conversing. As the darkness of the night gets more intense, I look out by the windows and sense the streets becoming calmer and quieter, which I already know is a smart and beautiful contrast to what the busy town is like, as soon as morning hits.
END
RIP to my grandma, who has since passed away (in 2021) and whose presence and small market in Techiman is the source of many cherished memories. She’s the one who made my trip to my hometown worthwhile every single time.
And you, do you have a country you cherish in your heart? Share below.
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