I Can't Wait To...

Well, it has been quite an experience being in Ghana for the last 8 months. Although it was difficult at times, I have learned so much from this experience and I’m quite sad to be leaving although I’m also excited to be going home. I have compiled a list of 12 things I can’t wait to do once I’m back in Canada. There is no particular order to this list.

#1. I can’t wait to drink water straight from the tap with ice cubes. Although it is super convenient to be able to buy water sachets wherever you are in Ghana, it is terrible for the environment and it creates a lot of plastic waste. I am looking forward to drinking water from the tap and not worrying about getting sick from drinking water.

#2. I have really REALLY missed cheese and I can’t wait to buy some cheese and eat it. Usually the best we can do is eat the Laughing Cow cheese if you’re being budget-conscious. Yes, it is possible to get real cheese (and sometimes we do get it when we buy pizza), however it is often extremely expensive. Yogurt and other dairy products are hard to find in Ghana as dairy isn’t part of a typical Ghanaian diet.

#3. I can’t wait to pay for something while using my debit or credit cards. Other than using the cards at the ATM, they really have no use in Ghana as cash is what everyone uses to pay for things. I’m also looking forward to paying for something in cash without worrying about change. Getting change in Ghana is always a challenging experience (we’ve come up with a few reasons for this but who knows why this is), and it is frustrating when they refuse to accept anything but exact change for the item you wish to purchase. 

#4. Going to the grocery store will be great because I know that the items I wish to buy will be on the shelves and I only need to visit one store to buy all the groceries I need. I found it a bit frustrating at first when I would go to the grocery store expecting to purchase certain items and the store wouldn’t have anything on my list even though they had it the week before. Such is the reality of life in Africa and it teaches you to buy in bulk if the store has the item that week.

#5. I really miss taking the train or the bus that runs on a schedule. Public transportation in Accra is frequent however the big city buses are not on a schedule and are not a reliable form of transportation. It will also be nice to use my bus pass instead of having to pay the bus fare. Tro tros are amusing however they really are not the safest method of transportation.

#6. It will be great to always be able to find a bathroom when I need it. Finding a bathroom is challenging in Ghana, especially when traveling. I’ve learned how to use a urinal (what an experience), among other toilet situations. It is really an awful experience when you get the ‘Ghana tummy’ or desperately need a toilet and you can’t find one. Everyone has their own unique bathroom-related story to tell. Bathrooms often are not equipped with toilet paper (even in my building there is no toilet paper), so you learn very quickly to bring some tissue with you.

#7. It will be really nice to wear jeans again. It will also be nice to not get your clothes dirty as soon as you walk out the door as it is so dusty in Accra.

#8. I can’t wait to see my family and my wonderful boyfriend who have all been incredibly supportive throughout this experience. I miss them terribly and it will be great to see them all in two short days. I don’t know how I could have done this without their support.

#9. I’m looking forward to having an apartment again. It is an interesting experience living in a University residence building again however I prefer having some privacy. I also can’t wait to have a kitchen to cook in as I rarely cook for myself here as the kitchen is only equipped with a hot plate. I look forward to having my own bathroom and having a quieter place to live.

#10. As much as I wanted to attempt driving in Ghana to say that I had tried it, I have not attempted to drive. I look forward to being able to drive myself somewhere and not have to worry about taking public transportation. 

#11. I have been pretty sick since February with malaria and I haven’t been able to get as much exercise as I would like. It will be great to visit a doctor and figure out exactly what is wrong with me and receive treatment. It will be great to get healthy and stay healthy.

#12. Finally, I am looking forward to graduating from University! It has been a long four years and it will be nice to move on with my life. I have enjoyed my experience but I’m ready to be an adult. I will look back on this experience with fond memories but it is time to progress to the next step.

A Weather Update

Volta Region vegetation

The North during dry season. Notice how grey the
sky is

When you think about weather in Africa, two things come to mind. The first is that it is extremely hot and the second is heavy rains. Ghana is located close to the Equator and thus there isn’t the dramatic differences in temperatures that are experienced in Canada which is much further from the Equator. Depending on whether you are in the North or the South of Ghana, the seasons are different. The North has only two season with the dry season lasting from November to April and the wet season from May to October. The South experiences four seasons with the dry seasons lasting from July to August and from December to April. The wet seasons are from May to June and September to November. So currently we are nearing the end of the dry season known as harmattan. The dry season does provide some relief from the humidity of the wet season however the dust has become unbearable at times as the harmattan has become more intense. The rains have started again despite it being the beginning of April and it has brought some welcome relief from the heat. Western Region in particular seems to get rain fairly frequently as it rained briefly on the drive to the project site a few weeks ago and it rained as I returned from a trip there last weekend. 

The vegetation is very different than the
tropical South

The South and North also differ dramatically in climate. Tamale can often reach up to 37° during the dry season while Accra is usually around 31°-33° (a ‘cool’ day in Accra is around 28°). The North is very dry compared to the moist tropical heat of Accra. I found the heat less oppressive in Tamale despite the actual temperature being higher because it wasn’t so moist. I did notice that my skin was cracking from the lack of moisture in the air. The vegetation is different too. The lush, green forests of the South are replaced with savannah in the North.

Limited visibility in Cape Coast (Fort Victoria)

I have been really suffering from asthma in the last few months. I am coughing a lot more and getting short of breath. This is not completely related to the weather because the fumes from cars on the road are horrible and I’m breathing those in on my walk to and from the office everyday. I’ve noticed my throat is dry a lot and my skin gets quite dry and itchy. Trying to prevent dust from covering everything in my room is a losing battle also. I’m diligent about cleaning the fan in my room to reduce the dust being blown about.

Normally you would be able to see this Church
from Fort Victoria

The harmattan was fairly mild this year from what I have been told. There was only a week where the dust clouds were so thick that you couldn’t see things at a short distance. It was really unfortunate that I visited both Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle during the dry season because under normal conditions, the buildings are visible from one another. As you can see from the pictures, the sky is really grey and the visibility is limited. I wish I had taken a picture of the dust clouds when it was really bad because it was remarkable to see. It is similar to fog in Canada except that it is dust. 

View of Cape Coast from Elmina Castle. You should
be able to see Cape Coast Castle from here but
because of the harmattan you can't

Now that the rains have started again, it is a welcome relief from the dry season. The power should be more consistent as there is more water flowing through the hydroelectric dams. The sky is more blue than it was during the dry season. Predicting the weather in Ghana is fairly easy (most days are the same), yet predicting rain is quite difficult. The days where the clouds look like it will rain never actually rain. 

I Spoke Too Soon.. Malaria Part 2

I blogged two weeks ago about my desire for a problem-free last month of placement. I discussed some of the health problems I have experienced including having malaria 6 weeks ago and falling in a gutter. Personally, I don’t recommend doing either however both seem to be a right of passage of being in Ghana. 

As I wrote the post, malaria was brewing again in my liver and the day after I posted, I started feeling horrible at work and left work early to go home and rest. Just like last time, I had recently returned from a week field trip (this time in Western Region), and I noticed that I was sleeping more than usual and chalked it up to being exhausted. Unlike last time, I listened to my body and didn’t wait three weeks before seeking treatment. I decided against going back to the doctor and chose to buy the medication and rest. I didn’t have the time or feel the desire to go see a doctor again and spend money when I could treat it myself. 

Yet again, I appeared to be the healthiest person with malaria as I wasn’t throwing up or having difficulty moving around. I was suffering from muscle pain, muscle weakness, general discomfort, a headache and stomach pains. It’s hard to describe how malaria ‘feels’ but having gone through it once, I recognized the discomfort and crabby attitude. I knew as soon as I sat down at my desk that Friday that something wasn’t right with my body.

Because I have wonderful friends, a friend went to the pharmacy for me and picked up the malaria treatment and brought it to my room when I got back from work. She spoke with the pharmacist about my symptoms and that I had malaria within the last 6 weeks. Last time the doctor prescribed Coartem but it didn’t work very well for me. When I told my co-workers that I had been prescribed Coartem they all told me that it wasn’t an effective medication and that the parasite has developed a resistance to it and to try a different medication. The Coartem made my symptoms worse and it took me well over a week to bounce back and feel mostly back to normal after completing the three days of medication. All things considered, I’m not sure why I was prescribed Coartem however it seems like everyone is given Coartem the first time they have malaria.

This time I took Lonart which was half the price of Coartem and worked amazingly well. I wasn’t prepared for the nausea which was pretty bad during the first two days of treatment however eating soda crackers and drinking lots of water seemed to help. By the last day of Lonart I was feeling much better and I was able to move around and eat normally. I decided to take the Monday off work and work from home to allow my body to heal a bit more as I was still feeling mentally fuzzy and simple tasks were taking me longer than usual to complete. Tuesday morning I was back at work and feeling much better.

The weirdest part of malaria for me is the emotional chaos that seems to follow taking the treatment. Both times I’ve experienced emotional breakdowns and I struggle to control my emotions and mood swings for about a week after I finish the treatment. Someone told me that this isn’t uncommon in the recovery process however I couldn’t find any resources online about what to expect after completing malaria treatment.

I should point out that I have been taking my anti-malarial medication as directed by my doctor since I arrived in Ghana. I decided that after two rounds of malaria, that it wasn’t worth continuing the anti-malaria medication for the last few weeks. It is true that the anti-malaria medication doesn’t guarantee that you won’t contract malaria but it was a sound investment.

I found this video on youtube about malaria. It provides a general overview of malaria and the lifecycle of the parasite. 

FUN FACT: Did you know that malaria was common in North America? Malaria has since been eradicated.

It is true that malaria isn’t something to mess about with and seeking prompt treatment is key to a successful recovery. Most Ghanaians (and indeed, most Africans), have developed a resistance to the parasite and many adults don’t take the malaria medication and instead treat it the same way we in North America treat the common cold (lots of rest and fluids). It seems to affect small children and the elderly more than the average healthy adult because they have weaker immune systems. If you present with any of the usual symptoms (fever, headache, muscle pain), doctors assume that it is malaria and will treat for malaria before exploring other possible causes for the symptoms. Prevention is important and sleeping under a mosquito net is the first line of prevention. Avoiding mosquito bites altogether is virtually impossible if you are someone who tends to get bitten at home. 

Staying healthy is not so easy.