Ashley Grey

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a walk along the Butre beach

Cape Three Points has to be Ghana’s best hidden yet striking getaway destination. It is a dream location for the off-grid enthusiast, a backpacker’s haven, and perfect for escaping the pressures of city life. So, we made plans to explore Butre beach as well, on our way to the scenic Cape Three Points, located in the Western region. Butre village because a housemate wouldn’t stop about how serene, calm and undisturbed Butre beach is.  Serene and calm is great. We set off from Osu to Takoradi. The only way to get to Cape Three Points from Takoradi is to drive. Taxis and Tro-tros are available at Agona, another suburb close to Takoradi.  I would suggest making firm arrangements to drive to your accommodation if you plan to spend the night like we did, so you do not have to walk from the last taxi stop in the village. The long…

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travel experience

Hacks deliver the best experiences and these 8 tested hacks for the best travel experience are worth remembering as they save precious time and money and make a trip memorable in a pleasant way. That said, I must add that a great attitude makes for a great travel experience.Someone shared a story some time ago about taking a trip on a public bus and described the experience as “the bumpiest and most bizarre journey of my life.” Chickens strolling casually and nibbling toes, goats strapped on the roof of the bus, and the driver playing an ABBA tune for 3 hours.Guess what! The storyteller loved the experience. What can I say? A great attitude goes a long way. Doesn’t it? By the way, taking public transportation is a good way to learn quick facts about the city you are visiting. It takes some courage though because you never know what…

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Planning the perfect trip? Here are4 proven ways.

Planning that perfect trip can be a fun, and rewarding experience too if everything goes as planned and there are no nasty surprises. A nasty surprise is finding out that a review is fake and a room had no window as the online photo suggested.  The closed curtain when pulled back did not reveal a window. There was some construction work on the property. I could go on and on. But I think you get the point. Fake online reviews present a real challenge, don’t they? Most of us, depend on reviews to make buying decisions. The proven steps for planning the perfect dream vacation. Step 1. Watch out for vague descriptions and misleading imagery of holiday rentals.   Fish-eye lens photography must be the “worst” as they often make an image look a lot nicer and more panoramic than in reality. Planning in a rush makes one miss these…

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Let the golden age of travel begin

A new “Golden Age of Travel” according to Chris Nassetta, Hilton hotel chain CEO, is about to begin. I say amen, to that. The hospitality and travel industry suffered huge losses as a result of the pandemic. The Golden Age represents eras of prosperity and stability. It suggests periods of less toil and grief and more ease and abundance. There have been a few Golden Ages in history. Examples are the Golden Age of Literature when literature and the Arts flourished. There’s also the Golden Age of Flanders when cultural and economic activities blossomed. Also, worth mentioning is the Golden Age of Television, which was marked by a large number of live productions. And you can read about Africa’s involvement in the Golden Age here.  I found it interesting. Maybe, you will too. Did you read it yet? Great! You want to keep that dream alive. Write the book, ask…

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Where can I find kefir?

Where can I find kefir or kefir grains? For the love of the nutrition that’s in kefir, I’d climb Afadjato again. Er! Not really. That mountain hiking experience was grueling and you can read about it here. But, hopefully, you get my point about how I hold nourishment in high regard. Sure, yogurt is great but if there’s something more nourishing out there like kefir, I’d go for it. Sort of give yogurt a rest. Eating should be an adventure too, I dare say. So, where can I find kefir grains in Accra to make kefir? Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean. And so between them both, you see, They licked the platter clean. Nice nursery rhyme about a couple’s eating tradition there! They don’t seem that adventurous with meals, do they? Do I digress? What’s the deal with Kefir and where can I…

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Accra's best-kept secret: A Store Find

I feel like I found Accra’s best-kept secret and it is a supermarket. I found it quite by accident on a drive-by. The bold sign caught my eye. The store wasn’t public knowledge as far as I knew. The huge, yet simple sign that read The Blue Mall stood out.Perhaps, it was new? I made a mental note to check it out.I did. Best-kept secret. And what a find! I wasn’t disappointed at all. Far from it. I found NutriBullet blenders for smoothies at their store. What! To see that they had the product on the First floor, in large and small sizes, (take your pick) was impressive. Pinch me! I hadn’t found those machines in more popular stores. The city’s best-kept secret unfolds before my eyes! They had quite a variety of goods on display too in a simple setting. Do you like going “off the beaten track” or…

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Accra Coconut Festival:

The International Coconut Festival taking place in Accra is indeed off to a good start. I was not quite sure what to expect. Perhaps, an unlimited supply of coconut food. Sure! Maybe floats made from coconut husks? We’ll see! A coconut festival should mean a fresh, creamy, delightful experience with juicy coconuts. Right! That was good enough for me. The coconut festival idea is intriguing. Also, I get excited about subjects that inspire green, and organic living, so, I went to check out the event. Nuts for the coconuts! There weren’t any floats of coconut pods. One can only hope, yes? Attendance was good though. There was learning. There are huge dividends to investing in the coconut industry because of the versatile nature of the fruit. Not to mention the different species and varieties available. We get oil, water, and milk, and make smoothies from the fruit. The list of…

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Real experiences: how to create your happy workplace

Looking to create a happy workplace? We need more than ever to learn how to create a happy workspace in order to be more productive, and what better way to learn than from real stories of people at work? The workplace can be both a dream workplace and a productive one too, right? Like me do you wonder why some people work at a place for so many years? Some as long as 15 or more years. Pretty long, huh? Perhaps, they learned to recognize a potentially toxic environment like the one described here. Hmm! Let’s dive into the subject of this post, shall we? Real experiences to help create a happy workspace Manny says “Friendly colleagues, stop to smile and say hi! My input counts. Successes are acknowledged, and even when something goes south, there isn’t any yelling or unpleasantness. These make me look forward to going to work.…

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how to be amazing: the no shame uncommon life.

How to be amazing, live an uncommon life, and have no cause to be ashamed, is something isn’t it? Each day presents hopes as well as challenges! A preacher once remarked about a certain widow, who dismissed what she had by saying “I have nothing except this jar of oil.”  Well, guess what? That jar of oil multiplied. The best part was the averted shame and disgrace from lack. Want to read the full story here? Indeed, our thoughts and the glass through which we look matter. We can live our best lives in spite of our fears or crippling thoughts. In this post, I share a social worker’s perspective about living an uncommon life. Maybe we can learn to walk or stay on the path to the no BS, fulfilling life that we seek. Well, let’s get to it, shall we? A Fulfilled Life? “You only live once, but…

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