The Green Turtle Lodge

Day 8 – 9: May 01 - 02, 2010

It took about 2 hours from leaving the hotel, 'You 84' to get to The Green Turtle. We first took a Tro-Tro (Ghanaian version of a bush-taxi, but where you don't feel like a sardine) to Agona junction was 80p per person then GH¢1 to check all our bags. We also gave GH¢1 to the guy who helped us find the Tro-Tro in Takoradi. Then from there it was 60p per person in a shared taxi to another place where we rented the same taxi for GH¢10 to take us direct to Green Turtle Lodge. What struck me at first was how many white people there were. It was bizarre for me, however the great view, pristine beach and delicious food made me love Green Turtle. We met a lot of cool people as well and even other PeaceCorps volunteers from Ghana and Niger.

Day 10: May 03, 2010

Luckily we had enough money to pay for the hotel because the total came out to be GH¢298.80 and collectively, even counting the change, we had GH¢310. In order to depart from Green Turutle Lodge you have 2 options, (1) Rent a taxi to Agona Junction where one can take a Tro-Tro to Takoradi and from there take a nice bus. (2) walk 10 minutes, along the beach to the closest beach town and take a Tro-Tro from there to Agona Junction. We chose the latter option due to our financial situation. Matt and I started walking to the town at around 11:30am and the Tro-Tro arrive around 12:30pm. The Tro-Tro took us and stopped at Green Turtle to pick up Lorena and the others who were going the same day. It cost GH¢1.20 to go to Agona junction then 80p to Takoradi.

In Takoradi Matt and I went immediately to an ATM and withdrew enough cash to cover us and Lorena. We got to the Takoradi bus station at 3:30pm and paid GH¢7.50 for a 4pm ticket to Accra. While we waited we got fried rice and chicken to eat for GH¢3. I bought a red apple for 60p and a green apple 70p. They were from South Africa, the woman showed me the box after I inquired about their origin thinking that maybe there were orchards in Ghana, they had everything else here. The bus actually left on time, at 4pm. There were only a few people on this huge air-conditioned bus so we all had a lot of room to stretch out. We arrived in Accra around 8pm and went straight to New Haven Hotel. We got one room for 3 people for GH¢55.

After we dropped off our stuff we went out to eat sushi at Monsoon's in Osu. It was delicious. It had been so long since I had eaten sushi and this was well worth it. It was extremely delicious and I even got to speak to the owner. He talked a lot so it was easy to press him about the details of his business. He left New Zealand, where he was born, over 20 years ago and has been traveling and working around Africa. He's been in Ghana for the past 7 some years and he started the restaurant soon after he arrived there. He said the secret to good sushi is having quick turnover, so that the fish is fresh. All the fish he uses, except salmon and a couple others he gets fresh that day from the ports.

We stopped at the Gelato place for some ice cream and then headed back to New Haven.