Saturday, time for beach. Melanie, Ilse, a newly arrived volunteer, and I take a taxi to Coconut Grove in Elmina, a little town twenty minutes from Cape Coast. Coconut Grove is a hotel with a pool but you can also swim in the sea there. Some volunteers are already lying at the pool when we arrive. The bungalows are surrounded by high palm trees rustling in the wind. The cloudy sky doesn‘t promise beach weather, but we still want to refresh ourselves so we choose a nice spot on the deserted beach to spread out our towels. Some locals pass by, barely acknowledging our presence. To them it is incomprehensible why we spend time lying in the sun voluntarily. Two men, guests of the hotel, take pictures of themselves, proudly posing with their beer bellies in front of the waves. I decide to go for a walk as I want to find out where these locals are going. A short distance along the beach, I soon leave the hotel‘s grounds and climb up a little slope. Men are unloading a truck further down the beach and in the distance I see people swimming in the ocean. I am surprised because locals swimming for fun are rather rare in Cape Coast. On top of the hill, where the sand and the cliffs end, there is bush and it is burning. An old woman comes along the path and I point the fire out to her. She doesn‘t speak English but she is not impressed by the fire so I assume it is a controlled burning. Nevertheless I wait for three passing kids and ask them as well before my mind is put at rest. On my way back to Melanie and Ilse, I meet a guy from the hotel. He says the people I saw swimming are a football team that is going to play in Cape Coast the next day. The news are spread among the volunteers and the next day we meet at the stadium again. We enter, buy tickets for one cedi and settle down on the stand. The stadium is almost empty. Apparently, Ghanaians are not as passionate about local matches as they are about international football. Without any cheering, the players run onto the field and the match begins. My mind wanders off. Behind the stadium, we can see a lake and it looks as if there are people walking in it. Later, we learn from a spectator next to us, that these men are actually fishing. The lake must be very low. I watch kids jumping up and down the stairs of the tribune, entering the field and playing next to the goal. Nobody seems to be bothered. Then the match is over. Who won? The green team, 2:0. I missed both goals.
