We didn't have anything planned so we slept in and got some input from others on what to do.
We left the ship around noon and traveled with Shelly and Brendon, two students who hadn't made any plans either. The agenda we created included tips from Shelly, crew members and our Lost Planet guidebook.
We stepped off the ship and were quickly accosted by street vendors who had set up shop just outside the ship. I was in a good mood, well-rested and ready for a great day. Jeremy got tangled up in bargaining for a soccer jersey and I walked over to help. The vendors love handing you their merchandise and as a sales tactic, will not take it back until a price has been decided on. I heard Jeremy very politely decline all offers and said, "No Thanks". Of course, I was holding the jersey and the sales guy would not take it. I pretended to put them on the ground by his feet which totally offended him! Claiming that I was disrespecting him. I told him that he was the one lacking in manners as he would not accept "no" for an answer. Well...I got a loud earful! I placed the jersey on his shoulder and walked away. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed and it wasn't me!
We took the shuttle to the front of the port and walked about a mile to a pizza place for lunch. I know we should be eating the local food but pizza sounded good to all of us, plus Shelly had it the day before and highly recommended it. We passed goats and chickens in the road and had to keep mindful of the open sewers that line the streets as we dodged taxis weaving their way through pothole after pothole.
The restaurant overlooked the port and we had a good view of the MVExplorer below. The heat was stifling so we welcomed the cool ocean breeze that blew throughout the open-air restaurant and were happy as it helped to quickly dry our clothes damp with perspiration.
After we stuffed ourselves with authentic tasting American pizza, we headed out to the markets. Fortunately for us, Shelly had scoped out the central market and after her vivid description and my experience with the soccer jersey guy, we decided to stick to the smaller market just across the street.
We approached a hut which had many local paintings and wooden masks on display. Just as we arrived, out came a toddler about 2 years of age, smiling from ear to ear, dressed in a yellow shirt and pair of shorts, arms outstretched and yelling "Shelly!" They'd met the day before and obviously hit it off. Shelly's popularity garnered great bargains for us and new friendships with little Michael, Patricia (his mother) and his grandmother (the proprietor). All were wonderful people who were excited to learn about us and share their stories. We all exchanged email addresses and Facebook IDs. When we found wifi later that day and I saw that I had already received a friend request from Patricia ; )
After a pit stop at the ATM, we hailed a couple of cabs to go to a resort we had learned sold a day pass to their pool. We tried to send Brendan and Shelly off in the first cab but it didn't roll 3 feet before we noticed the flat tire. Luckily, the second cab that came along had room enough for all 6 of us if Jeremy and Brendan packed themselves in the back storage space, so that's what we did ; ) The hotel was only about 5 miles away and we covered about 2 of it before running out of gas. Stopped on an incline, the driver open the back and asked Brendan to pass him the milk jug next to him. It was about 2 cups worth of fuel. Of course the car still wouldn't start in the uphill position, so the driver opened the hood, sucked the gas up through fuel line took a mouthful and spit it into the appropriate compartment. I can't explain it in mechanical terms because I just don't know them. I can tell you however, that it absolutely disgusting! He tried to start the car, "click, click, click". So we decided that we needed to push the car to the top of the hill. Ben and I got lucky and were asked to hold the video cameras and everyone else pushed in the sweltering Gahanian sun : ) Another round of syphoning still did not do the trick and the boys hopped out for one last shove and a chance at roll starting. Success!
We rolled into the hotel. The beachfront we were anticipating was about a half mile away, the pool was green and not ready for human visitors so, we did the next best thing. Hunkered down in the somewhat air-conditioned lobby for wifi ; )
A late dinner at the top recommended Captain Hook restaurant by our ship's crew was a great way to end the evening. We've learned that the crew are the experts in knowing what to do at each port. They've already tried everything at least once.
We slept on the ship that night as we traveled to Tema, Ghana. It was the first time that we stayed on the boat during a short relocation. We usually travel overland stay in a hotel. Ghana was questionable to us so we opted for the ship.
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