On My Thanksgiving Weekend in Paradise

Paradise: The beach at AdaThanksgiving in Ghana. We all knew it was coming up, but none of us knew what to expect. NYU penciled in a dinner on the calender, but no one got their hopes up. We were expecting stringy turkeys, rice, plantains and maybe, if we were lucky, some mashed potatoes. But I have to hand it to the NYU in Ghana staff - they stepped up to the occasion. I arrived with my housemates at the larger residence and was surprised by a large white marquee set up over the courtyard. Long tables with white cloths were set with plates and glasses and candles twinkled in between gargantuan steaming turkeys and platters of macaroni and cheese. Before sitting down to eat students and staff stood hand in hand and the director said a prayer giving thanks for pretty much everything I was thankful for that night. The mellifluous cadences of Satie guided us through dinner and we were left utterly satisfied, with the typical nauseous feeling that usually follows the Thanksgiving meal. I thought that this evening, this meal, would be the highlight of my weekend. I was very wrong.
I spent the rest of my weekend...how to put this...in paradise. If there is a life after death, I hope I'll spend it in Ada. Ada is the place where the Volta river meets the Gulf of Guinea, a breathtaking estuary dotted by islands. The white sand peninsula is boarded by the sea on one side and fresh water on the other.
A friend of mine met a dashing Lebanese Ghanaian ex-football pro at some point over the past few months. Sophisticated, handsome, fun - Ali is an exceptional guy. He has a close group of Lebanese friends here in Accra, one of whom owns an island in the Ada estuary. I was invited out to the island for the weekend and I jumped at the opportunity. We left Accra on Friday afternoon and arrived in Ada and hour and a half later. We boarded a James Bond-esque speedboat and bounced over the water towards the island. I saw the island approaching, the tower of the main house peeking through the palm fronds, two little dogs running up and down the beach yapping at us, bougainvillea climbing over the trellis in front of the house. I was shown my room, or rather, my apartment, which opened onto the patio and the crystal blue infinity swimming pool that looked out over the beach. We settled by the pool, cigarettes were smoked, drinks were poured, dinner was arranged with the chef and the waitstaff, house music was pumped up and friends began to arrive.
Not surprisingly, the weekend is a little blurry, but highlights included a tour of the estuary on a speeding jetski, fresh barracuda for lunch delivered by a colorful fishing boat in that morning, an epic rugby game that my team (the All Blacks) won and the best gin and tonic I have ever tasted.
As we traipsed onto the boat heading back to the mainland on Sunday afternoon, I felt completely relaxed, bronzed skin, hair lightened by the sun and knotted by the sea breeze. The jack russell terrier Bucky hopped onto the seat beside me and curled into a ball, oblivious to the bouncing of the boat. I knew how he was feeling - tired, elated and a little sad to be leaving. However, lucky Bucky gets to go to Ada every weekend and though I am determined to return, it may not be for some time.
Ada is truly the most beautiful place I have been in Ghana. I had never considered this country to be a place I would retire, but if I had an island in the estuary, there is no doubt I would. This weekend let me see Ghana in a new way, as a place where not everything is hectic and dirty and hot and frustrating. It gave me even more to be thankful for.