Tage am Meer

Time is flying by here. My last days in Ghana have begun and in a few days I will be returning to Germany.

Although Cape Three Point is so remote, we have done a few activities. For example, I had my first surfing lesson and now I know for sure that surfing is not a hidden talent of mine. The saltwater in the eyes and the somewhat rough impact on the sea floor were a bit too much in the end. However, once again it was the human connection that made it special. The surf instructor saw us when we skipped school. It's his old school that he himself attended many years ago, and out of gratitude for our work for the community, he gave us an extra 30 minutes for free. These are the small gestures of gratitude that make the work a little easier.

In addition, we visited the neighboring town, which takes about an hour to travel to. This is not done by car, but by motorcycle. So we went bouncing over bumps and under the scorching sun to Busua. There is also a fort here with a similar dark history as Cape Coast. Afterwards, there was a little boat tour into the mangrove forests with flying fish. Of course, something went wrong on the way back, as the road conditions are like that. So we had a flat tire on one of the motorcycles. This is solved in a pragmatic Ghanaian way and we simply sat three of us on one motorcycle. I quickly learned that personal space does not exist in Ghana.

The highlight for me this week was the boat trip with a local fisherman who took us volunteers out to see his work. Traditional fishing is done with a trawl net here. Some locals also use dynamite and throw it into the sea along the coast. This all ends in quite a chaos, as birds also dive onto the dead fish. So it's more of a race to get the best pieces.

Unfortunately, there were no further encounters with turtles. We could only find a few traces. However, due to the full moon, the tide is higher and the sand is too wet and hard to bury eggs. Therefore, I am still waiting in vain for a "big" turtle. So a lot of sweaty work was done collecting garbage and painting. But I have found my new favorite spot here. Right by the lighthouse, there is an absolutely perfect place to watch the sunset. There is a breathtaking view right by the cliffs. I come here every evening to enjoy the view and the silence.

I hope that in the last few days here I will still come across one or more turtles, but that's nature for you, you never know when it will happen. Before my journey home, I will go to Accra, the capital. I will of course still report to you from there, probably in my final post.

Warm greetings from the sea,

Veronika