Life’s A Beach

“ Sweet disposition

Never too soon

Oh, reckless abandon

Like no one’s watching you”

-          The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

That song was stuck in my head when I was walking on the beach two weeks ago. My cousin took me frolicking ( everyone should frolic) in the waves to celebrate being alive for 25 years and the beginning of my slow decline into middle age (I assume that’s what we were commemorating). Worry not. Many pictures of said frolicking were taken. Please scroll down and enjoy the last images of my fleeting youth.

First we went to the swanky LaPalm Royal Beach Hotel for lunch, where I ordered the beef (well done) which was sadly quite chewy and hard. Overpriced for nothing, people! My cousin had the shrimp and fried rice and a random dude sitting alone came to join us (maybe he could smell my youth evaporating and hoped to gain some of it through diffusion) and he ordered the tilapia and rice. We also ordered some creamy virgin cocktails. We took a large number of pictures in a corridor dedicated to some amazing local artwork, some selfies in the large air-conditioned bathroom and walked through the well manicured grounds. No one paid us any mind, young women must be taking selfies and random pictures throughout the hotel every weekend. But seriously… there was no security! Gotta love Ghana!

The view from the outdoor restaurant was pretty sweet

Like a boss..

A glimpse into some of the mysterious things that happen in gilrs' bathrooms

The corridor with all the lovely artwork

After that we went down to Labadi Beach Hotel, right next door because La Palm did not have access to the beach, probably to keep its exclusivity and not let riff raff like yours truly in. Labadi beach was BUSY and fabulous, which is not surprising because it’s the busiest beach on Ghana’s coast (or so wiki says). This is where all my youthful frolicking can be observed. Growing up in a landlocked country (Botswana) I am always bowled over when I stand on the edge of large bodies of water. Is this real? Does the water really go on and on for ever? If I follow the horizon will I find the beginning of everything? Feeling insignificant and yet significant at the same time. Does that make sense? Like, I am too small to control anything but seeing the majesty of it all makes me believe that I am not a random consequence of genetics and chance.

Okay maybe the word ‘majesty’ is too strong, the beach was very crowded and the shore was littered with some strange, brown algae, and every two minutes a guy on a horse would ask if you would like a ride on his equine beast, which I politely declined over, and over AND over again. I didn’t swim (just did my hair!). But a lot of goofing off and fun was had.

Black girl afraid of the water -_-

The seating area by the beach

Scenes from the beach

Weird brown algae, that was everywhere!

Beach selfie. WHAAAAT!

Add caption

I tried to get a pic of me jumping mid air. Instead I landed like a ballerina
with my legscrossed. FTW!

So there you go, that’s what a day at the beach was like for me. 25 is starting to look good (evaporation of youth not withstanding). How did you celebrate your last birthday? Comment and tell me if frolicking was involved J