Editor’s note: Ernie’s post below, titled, “A Scouting Adventure” was perfect for an Easter Weekend post, when in the West we are obsessed with Easter Hunts and Nature. I’m salivating just thinking of all the Easter eggs that could be hidden in the lushness pictured below. Although Easter Monday isn’t observed in the states, it is a holiday in Ghana, so I knew it would be a nice uplifting reminder to go out and “scout” within your natural surroundings for higher enjoyment. Regardless of what your religious affiliations are, things have certainly changed this Spring 2020. Plenty of Ghanaians aren’t celebrating how they usually would, and shelter-in-place ordinances are the norm in many countries. Hopefully this post is more of a teaser of what will soon be our reality once again. If you can get out and safely hug a tree, I envy you. Happy Monday, Fam. Be safe, be well.

~ Ohemaa Serwaa

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Born and raised in Accra, the capital has always been my home. A place of constant familiarity, you might even call it my playground. Before I started taking personal trips outside Accra, out-of-town trips were defined by either a funeral service or an occasional meeting of extended family members at the village.

Truth be told those trips really didn't give me the chance to explore and have a feel of the surrounding town. Such experiences were mostly full of handshakes or sombre reflections with fellow loved ones and the like.

My first "real" adventure trip was to a little tucked away haven called (get this) "The place," situated in Aburi on the Akuapem ridge in the Eastern Region of the country, and 45 minutes outside of Accra. A couple of friends and I were out scouting a location for a short film we were putting together. After our unsuccessful venture to the Lodge Hillburi, we chanced upon the fairly small signage for this enigmatically named location.

‘’The Place" is on a ridge, with an uphill driveway that opens up to a beautiful scene of lush flora with a peaceful aura to it. Although the signage may have been small, the location of The Place is sprawling and filled with a number of apartments whose architecture give off Victorian-meet-colonial vibes.

King Promise settling in at “The Place Apartments”

The time we spent at "The Place" was really relaxing, to be honest. The sunset was especially mesmerizing for me: the gentle breeze as the sun sets over the hillside, the trees in the shadow of the valley below, the town on the farther side of the hill. This was truly a trip where I would have stayed longer if I could.

The second time I went there was with my friends from Lokko house and they equally fell in love with “The Place”. Nature truly is every living creature's primal abode.

Joey B fully communing with nature at “The Place”

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So turns out that same location ( available via AirBnB!) was later used in Joey B ft King Promise video "Sweetie Pie". Go figure!

~ by Ernie K.