The next morning we chatted with the owner of the Moree Beach guesthouse, a Danish woman married to a Ghanaian man.  She apologized profusely for the trouble with the rooms, and explained that her husband was the caretaker of the resort and had been away over the weekend.  I’d wondered before going to Ghana how bi-racial couples were accepted and by now it seemed not that unusual.   European women who co-own resort-type businesses with their African partners also seem to be fairly common.   She mentioned they’d been quite busy during the Festival, and that generally they stay booked.  “We’ve been here quite a few years now,” she remarked with a lilting Danish accent.  “The face of our guests is changing though – it used to be men with their mistresses – now they’re bringing their families.”  She seemed to enjoy life in Ghana, running her business and living beside the sea.  She did remark though that the town of Moree was worth missing – “It’s so dirty and the people don’t care.  They poop on the street!”

I was quite interested in what the owner said about how the little resort has become a small scale wildlife sanctuary.  Birders come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of one of the flashy tropical bird species, the photos of which line the walls of the outdoor cafe.  “We even have mini-alligators, and lots of different kinds of snakes!”  (How did I know there must be snakes….?)  Ekow surmised that a “mini-alligator” was, in fact, a monitor lizard.  “You have to get up before dawn to see them – that’s when the snakes are really out – they come out of the brush onto the lawn.”  (and into the rooms….?)   Oh, if only I’d known, I’d have been up at 4 am, no problem! Continue reading →