Of touring parks and a place called Hillburi at Aburi

I had to go back there. Ever since my first visit about two months ago, I’ve had balmy reminisces of Hillburi; the fabulous destination that’s selling relaxation up the mountains in Aburi.

This is a place that is after my own heart! Serene, the place just resonates with me like nothing I’ve ever felt! The temperate earth colors of its walls; the scenery with the green of the nearby undulating hills, the setting at the place itself with its rock gardens and the accent of deep blue amid the neutral earth hues, the simplicity of its décor in natural woods, stone and wrought iron, the cuisine, and the welcoming service by Mr. Addo and his team! Pleasant memories, and I’ve longed to experience it again. So I jumped on the chance to go there again at this opportunity when a group of friends from Germany came to town and I had to show them around.

We went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park first. We did the tour there, surveyed the still waters in the pool, and signs telling of trees and the dignitaries who had planted them, only a few had no trees to . As exciting as the place is, it looks so dull and for me, it being my umpteenth visit, I was bored to death! Nothing has been added to the exhibits there, there’s no provision to even turn on the frigging fountains when visitors come just to illustrate how the place works! We’ve had to inculcate in the tour commentary how we lack a maintenance culture so that this facility that was built only a few years ago in 1992 is decaying.

The wreaths on Nkrumah’s grave in the mausoleum looked pitiful! We have flowers in this country but, for such a place we put bland dreary ribbon wreaths! Inside the museum, the same old photos! There seem not to be anything being done there to attract us locals! Why, Kwame Nkrumah interacted with so many people. There must be several other photos of the man, why just can’t there be special exhibits of other themes about him, in addition to the permanent one mounted?

Anyway! We moved up to the botanical gardens at Aburi. I must confess, the place looked tidier than I have seen it. It was green with many of the flowers in full blossom. It actually looked nice. And again, I wondered why this place too never really devices seasons or themes to attract more of us. They’ve just left the visitor flow to visiting tourists from abroad and some school children. I hardly hear of any concerted effort to try and draw in a crowd of flower enthusiasts. My mind went back to the year I visited Kew – Gardens in England – twice! In spring to see the blossom of spring flowers and in the summer! And all this was excitingly talked about with bounce in the media I read and listened to. Anyway, we do things differently in .gh...

Just before we boarded to leave thou I saw something that annoyed me. Here was a bush of traveler's palms, with dead leaves hanging down making the whole thing look rather tedious. It erased all the beauty of the other nice trees and plants we had just surveyed and shuttered the whole experience! Especially as one of my German friends passed the negative comment about it! Meanwhile, in a room nearby, a bunch of the workers, some of them on the window sills, sat chatting, loud enough to the hearing of all around.

There was no one in uniform, no welcoming courtesies, only a man who tried to sell us a guided tour as we got off the bus! I declined, even though we wanted one. What would have been nice was for him to have welcomed us and invited us to the reception or welcome centre, given us a intro or orientation of the park and offered us what options there are.

All these seem obvious enough, but on the ground, in Ghana, we tend to think it doesn’t matter. Even the way he said:

“Ah, well, it would be nice too if you got someone to take you around o. to show you all the trees.”

As if, take it or leave it. And we left it. This is why, with a little effort, like is shown at Hillburi, the experience of touring becomes a whole new ball game, complete! The security-man ran to open the door to the main reception as we got off the bus. Yet another person showed us the bar and balcony, and ushered us down to the restaurant!

The waiters said hello as you passed them, and they all had clearly visible name tags! So we all hit it off in an instant, calling Prince and Asamoah to bring us water or the other! Hillburi has quickly set itself apart as Ghana’s newest ‘open’ destination secret! Those who know, know that what is on offer there is the height of relaxation.