A Walk in the Botanical Gardens

Aburi. Very stately.

What is one to do on a Sunday in Ghana? (Aside from going to a marathon church service, of course.)

Looking for an easy escape from Accra, the family piled into the SUV and drove North to the Akuapem Hills, going from flat highway to winding roads climbing up mountainsides. At the top of the hill is the town of Aburi and its eponymous botanical gardens.

The Aburi Botanical Gardens were founded in 1890 by the British and became a showpiece of plants from all over the empire, including East Africa, the Caribbean and Burma. Over the years, the gardens have only become larger and more spectacular. However, the place seems to run on a shoe-string budget and the aged facilities and weathered signs are in need of some upkeep - "faded glory" is a phrase often heard associated with Aburi.

This really puts Mr. O's yard to shame.

On the flipside, for only 5 cedi ($2.50US at time of writing) per person, there is little to complain about. (Official Government of Ghana tourist sites are remarkably cheap, since they are seen as public goods and there is little incentive to increase prices with inflation or invest in attractive facilities.)
The air is a fair bit cooler in the hills and the place is well-shaded, so it is a pleasure to stroll about and have a picnic. In addition to the main areas, there are a few unique hidden surprises, including a rustic-yet-lush nursery, a dead tree carved into a massive traditional scene and a big old rusty helicopter. The latter is not so hidden, but only local kids knew how to open the nose and reveal the engine.

Sunday is a particularly nice time to visit, as the place is very quiet. Although by mid-afternoon, locals started to emerge from their houses of worship and when a group of young evangelical men started proselytizing to Mr. O (who as a Catholic rarely shies from theological debate), the family called it a day and made their way back to Accra. While it is no day at the beach, it is a walk in the park and the family will be back again soon enough.

This the view from inside a tree looking up. Psychedelic.

Excellent use of dead tree.

The nursery could use a touch of paint.

Some real purty flowers.

And they even have chickens, to the delight of Little Miss.

Windows of green.

What botanical garden would be complete without a giant, rusty old helicopter?