Big Milly's

About forty five minutes west of Accra, is Big Milly's Backyard, located in Kokrobite. Highly regarded by the backpack set, it is as close as I care to get to camping on the beach. Kokrobite is a centre for drumming and drum making with a significant local Rasta population. Big Milly's is a campground/compound of sorts. I am staying in a small cabin with its own facilities. The restaurant serves excellent food and there is a 24 hr bar, both of which are outdoors. Just beyond the hotel lay a spectacular beach. Local fishermen, repair their nets, while women and children ply their trade of food items, clothing, etc only feet away from me while I eat my breakfast. Last night a band played highlife music, which is a big Saturday night event around these parts. This place has a definite vibe. My room is one step above camping, which is fine. Normally it would be two steps above camping, but there is a water shortage at the moment, which means my self contained bathroom has no running water and I have to haul water to fill the toilet so it will flush. If its yellow, stay mellow. None of this is particularly problematic or surprising.. Its just Africa. It seems that when there is a water shortage here, the trucks stay in Accra to sell and won't come out here. They sell where the demand is closest. Parked across from my cabin are a couple of serious overland tourists. When I checked in I was looking at one of these vehicles and noticed a sticker that said www.overlandtrombone.com . Weird name, I thought. Returning to my room after dinner for a laydown, awesome trombone music wafted into the cabin, clear as a bell. I had dinner with a Swiss couple who are on the 65th day of an overland journey through Africa. Apparently its 48c in Mali. No thanks. These folks have been to some really remote parts of Africa, very hardcore.