Gundy in Ghana: John eats "Chicken Mexican", Steve grills, and we all jump off a rock

On Saturday (July 4) we went to Till's Beach for a day of fun and relaxation. It was a really great place to recharge from our busy week. We set off pretty early the morning to avoid traffic, and got to the beach around 9:30. We played some football, did some body boarding, swam around in the waves, and some folks did some sunbathing and reading as well.

We enjoyed a really nice lunch served by the hotel on whose beach we were visiting. Poor John was feeling pretty sick, but that didn't deter him from ordering a big plate of "Chicken Mexican", a decision which I believe he came to regret. Helen and I shared some joloff rice with our chicken. Joloff rice is a dish served throughout West Africa, though it's done differently in each country. Ghana's version is rice with tomatoes, onions, and often some sort of meat as well. It can be spicy, but the joloff we had that day wasn't at all. We also drank some fresh coconut water with our lunch. I personally am not a huge fan, but it was a cool thing to try!

After lunch quite a few of us decided to crash on the beach for a nap. I was awoken from my nap by a large splash of water on my back. When I looked up to see who would dare do such a thing, I saw Michelle! (Michelle is the wife of Lee, who I believe I mentioned before is the Reach Beyond Regional Director of Sub-Saharan Africa). I couldn't resist spreading the mischief, so Steve received some water to the face by me during his snooze.

Before leaving, we interns were required to join in on the tradition of taking a photo jumping off a rock on Till's Beach. The rock was quite large, and while we did get a great picture, Megan got a nasty ouchy on her ankle! But have no fear, folks--her foot is still attached and she's doing well! On our way back from the picture-taking, Helen "triple-dog dared" me to run into this circle of Ghanaian girls and start dancing. I told her I'd do it if she did too, so we ran down the beach and started "dancing" (AKA wiggling around like silly white girls) in the midst of this group. After their initial shock, they joined in with us and we had a poppin' spontaneous dance party on the beach! It was really a pretty cool moment--they didn't question it, they just joined in and were yelling and moving around with us. I think that this incident is a cool image of what the Ghanaian people are like in general. All those that we have met have been so welcoming and friendly. They are happy to see us, and are so inviting and kind.

We ended our day with a cookout for the 4th of July (hamburgers grilled to perfection thanks to the brilliant Dr. Steve), and a group sing of the Star Spangled Banner. A few games of Mafia rounded out the day as well.