A Weather Update

Volta Region vegetation

The North during dry season. Notice how grey the
sky is

When you think about weather in Africa, two things come to mind. The first is that it is extremely hot and the second is heavy rains. Ghana is located close to the Equator and thus there isn’t the dramatic differences in temperatures that are experienced in Canada which is much further from the Equator. Depending on whether you are in the North or the South of Ghana, the seasons are different. The North has only two season with the dry season lasting from November to April and the wet season from May to October. The South experiences four seasons with the dry seasons lasting from July to August and from December to April. The wet seasons are from May to June and September to November. So currently we are nearing the end of the dry season known as harmattan. The dry season does provide some relief from the humidity of the wet season however the dust has become unbearable at times as the harmattan has become more intense. The rains have started again despite it being the beginning of April and it has brought some welcome relief from the heat. Western Region in particular seems to get rain fairly frequently as it rained briefly on the drive to the project site a few weeks ago and it rained as I returned from a trip there last weekend. 

The vegetation is very different than the
tropical South

The South and North also differ dramatically in climate. Tamale can often reach up to 37° during the dry season while Accra is usually around 31°-33° (a ‘cool’ day in Accra is around 28°). The North is very dry compared to the moist tropical heat of Accra. I found the heat less oppressive in Tamale despite the actual temperature being higher because it wasn’t so moist. I did notice that my skin was cracking from the lack of moisture in the air. The vegetation is different too. The lush, green forests of the South are replaced with savannah in the North.

Limited visibility in Cape Coast (Fort Victoria)

I have been really suffering from asthma in the last few months. I am coughing a lot more and getting short of breath. This is not completely related to the weather because the fumes from cars on the road are horrible and I’m breathing those in on my walk to and from the office everyday. I’ve noticed my throat is dry a lot and my skin gets quite dry and itchy. Trying to prevent dust from covering everything in my room is a losing battle also. I’m diligent about cleaning the fan in my room to reduce the dust being blown about.

Normally you would be able to see this Church
from Fort Victoria

The harmattan was fairly mild this year from what I have been told. There was only a week where the dust clouds were so thick that you couldn’t see things at a short distance. It was really unfortunate that I visited both Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle during the dry season because under normal conditions, the buildings are visible from one another. As you can see from the pictures, the sky is really grey and the visibility is limited. I wish I had taken a picture of the dust clouds when it was really bad because it was remarkable to see. It is similar to fog in Canada except that it is dust. 

View of Cape Coast from Elmina Castle. You should
be able to see Cape Coast Castle from here but
because of the harmattan you can't

Now that the rains have started again, it is a welcome relief from the dry season. The power should be more consistent as there is more water flowing through the hydroelectric dams. The sky is more blue than it was during the dry season. Predicting the weather in Ghana is fairly easy (most days are the same), yet predicting rain is quite difficult. The days where the clouds look like it will rain never actually rain. 

June Update About Ghana

I finally had my tonsils removed June 14th and despite the pain and the frustratingly slow recovery, not helped by a bad reaction to the pain medication, I have had ample time to think about the upcoming placement. The e-ticket has been purchased for my flight to Ghana in September (another reality check, if I didn't already believe that I was going, I sure am now!), and I have started to read some literature about travel in Ghana.
Information is power and in this case, the more I read and get acquainted with Ghana the more confident I am about going. In the last month or so I have run into many people who have either been to Ghana themselves either to volunteer or to travel or who know someone who went and who thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I find it encouraging that I have yet to meet someone who didn't enjoy Ghana.
The first travel book I purchased is a general guide to travelling in Africa and contained a lot of very useful information from what to pack to how to deal with potentially dangerous situations. While I am still nervous about travelling internationally by myself as I have never being overseas without my parents, I know I will manage and I am excited to gain a greater sense of independence and confidence. I think back to all of the amusing experiences my Mom had when we moved to England when I was little as we were all getting used to life in a new country. Simple things like using a telephone of buying groceries were a big challenge and a big success once they were achieved. I am sure I will have my own funny stories upon arrival back in Canada.
Instead of worrying about how I am going to miss my friends and family while I am away, I am trying to focus on the positive and start planning my Christmas trip. The book was useful because it described some of the main attractions in Ghana and things to see.
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast is the first destination I was really excited to see. Cape Coast Castle is a restored slave base originally build by the Swedes as a port for the transportation of timber and minerals and was eventually transformed by the British to be the main shipping points for African slaves for over 200 years. The Cape Coast Castle has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been restored to give visitors a glimpse of what the experience was like for African slaves before being shipped to America. The book estimates that between 2000 and 10,000 slaves were shipped from Cape Coast and other ports in what was once the Gold Coast. The Door of No Return and the dungeons are some of the important aspects of the site. As someone who loves history and who doesn't have a significant knowledge about the slave trade, I am excited to visit this site and other similar sites along the Ghanian coast.
Mole National Park & Kakum National Park
If you are going to Africa for any length of time, going on safari is kind of a must. Mole National Park is located North-West in Ghana and, according to my book, is the best safari in Ghana. Mole is home to elephants, hippos, and many other species of wildlife. Kakum National Park is inland from Cape Coast in South-Western Ghana and is home to elephants, leopards, antelopes, monkeys, and many other animals. Kakum National Park has a 300m canopy walk where visitors can enjoy the lush environment. I am most excited about taking a safari trip to be able to see these exotic animals in their natural habitat. I think it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am not going to pass up!
Coffin Industry - Accra
This is an intriguing aspect of the Ga culture in Accra. The book described how the Ga people lay the deceased in extraordinary coffins, unlike the relatively plain coffins which are customary in North America. Coffins can come in all sorts of shapes and bright colours including fish, airplanes, and mobile phones. This unique aspect of their culture has spurred on a new industry making small replicas of these elaborate coffins for tourists. This would be something I would be interested in and is one of the many unique aspects of Ga culture.
Visiting Old Accra is another adventure I am excited to make. While it is always interesting to see the new parts of a city, visiting the older and historic parts is far more fascinating. Accra was a small fishing town only a few generations ago, before the capital was moved there from Cape Coast. Being able to see the old streets and houses would be quite interesting to fully appreciate the capital of Ghana.

All in all, I am getting excited about going in September and I am no longer as fearful about going as I once was. I am interested in adding other attractions to my list if anyone has any further suggestions for my weekend travels next year.