In need of a vacay? Let's Go to Ghana!

Xinhua/Reuters Photo

Ghana is a country in western Africa with many cool sites to see. Any respectable artist should want to visit any country on the continent, as its rich with interesting people and places.

Ghana was formerly an empire before being taken over by the British, and then the free Republic of Ghana was formed in 1960. Since 1890, however, the Aburi Botanic Gardens have been in operation. It looks over the Accra coastal plain, and due to Ghana’s climate, is open year-round. There are hundreds of species of plants and wildlife here and is a favorite spot for artists.

One of the most well known vegetation in the Gardens in the Silk cotton tree, which can be easily spotted by their height. A forest of these trees once rested in this spot, but now the area is filled with much more variety. Even so, that doesn’t keep the trees from being one of the most popular spots in the Gardens. The tree is one of the tallest in western Africa, easily reaching 130 feet high or more. The wood of the tree is often used to make household items, and the seed oil and kapok (interior) has several uses ranging from cooking to a substitute for wool.

Besides being a beautiful tree, the Silk cotton tree is considered sacred. Now, there is nothing particularly special about the trees coloring, which makes it a prime subject for surrealism. Given its importance, it would be interesting to see what someone could come up with when given a day or two to in the Gardens to themselves. The King Palm tree is another sight to see as well: