30 Days Left

It was odd to wake up this morning and realize that today was March 22nd which means 30 days remain of my field placement in Ghana. Looking back on when I first arrived in Ghana, I didn’t have any idea how much I would learn about myself, life and international development. I was also completely clueless about how to do everything from getting dinner to navigating Accra. There have been some pretty horrible lows and some incredible highs throughout this experience. On a personal level, I’ve learned how to cope in a foreign place without my friends and family (although I’ve made a new family here). I’ve mastered getting around on my own by tro tro and I know where I’m going in Accra now. I’m getting over my shyness and I will bargain for taxis to make sure I’m not getting “Obruni priced” (overcharged). I feel more independent than I ever have before and I know that I can function and establish a life in a foreign country. This gives me a sense of confidence I didn’t know I had.

I have also gained a greater appreciation for the comforts of home. Things like knowing that when I turn on a faucet, water will come out of it (cold and hot water), and that I can find a flushing toilet when I need it are small things I appreciate a lot more. Unreliable power and unreliable or slow internet make life all the more interesting (and at times extremely frustrating when you are trying to get something done). I will point out that even within Ghana, things at Legon are much better than elsewhere in Accra and indeed much of the country. I’ve learned that getting upset about such matters is not good and although sometimes it might be hard, laughing about it is always the best way to deal with it. Education is another thing that I am more appreciative of in Canada. So many kids can’t afford to go to school in Ghana and many of them sell water and other items on the road. Kids in Ghana (generally speaking) are required to buy a school uniform and pay school fees to attend school. It is not uncommon to meet children who have never gone to school which is really heartbreaking, especially when they tell you that their dream is to be a doctor, teacher, nurse etc.

Ghana hasn’t been all good though. ‘Ghana tummy’ as it is affectionately known has plagued me on and off this entire trip and at times it gets really painful. Thankfully my wonderful parents brought me some Pro-biotics and that seems to help. I have also contracted malaria (thankfully only once), and I have fallen in a gutter. These sorts of things are a badge of honour and make you feel like you’ve had the real Ghana experience. I’ve also broken electronics (laptop and cellphone) but was amazed at how easy it was to resolve these issues. Ghana does get really overwhelming sometimes but I try to focus on the good days and forget the not so good days.

As the end grows near, I can now appreciate the beauty of Ghana. It is hardly a secret that I truly can’t stand Accra because it is busy, noisy 24 hours a day, crowded, smelly etc. I feel more justified in my feelings when I travel outside and talk with other Ghanaians who echo my dislike for Accra! Living in Accra does have major perks like having access to a wide range of restaurants and it is really convenient to travel to many parts of Ghana from Accra. As much as I think I would love to live in other cities like Tamale, Cape Coast or Takoradi, I’m content with where I am. I have loved spending time in Tamale, Kumasi, Cape Coast - Elmina, and Takoradi where people are really friendly and kind - especially when you look lost. I really like that people take a moment to greet me when I’m walking around, it is such a small and simple gesture but it can make my day.  Ghana itself is naturally beautiful. The lush and green Volta Region is stunning, as is the savannah-like Northern Region. 

Veronika, me and Lisa at Nzulezu - village on stilts

I reflect on some of the crazy yet hilarious adventures I have had over the last 7 months. Some of the more memorable ones include the trip to Nzulezo where the driver was driving extremely dangerously. On the plus side, I made new friends (Lisa and Veronika) who were wonderful to have around. 

At the top of Mount Afadjato

Another entertaining trip was to Volta Region to visit the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and climb Mount Afadjato - the highest peak in Ghana. Despite the crazy rainstorm that turned descending the mountain into a muddy water slide, we had a fantastic day and had another story to tell. 

Busia Beach

A more peaceful weekend was Western Region where Sarah and I went to Butre and Busia and got to visit a Fort and hang out on a beautiful beach. In hindsight, this was probably our most simple overnight trip, despite planning it in an hour on Friday morning. 

Kevin and I in Kokrobite

I have been really lucky to have had visitors over Christmas break. Having my boyfriend planning a trip to Ghana while writing exams and then getting on a plane within 36 hours of finishing his exam meant the world to me. What a fantastic Christmas present. I know he really enjoyed his time in Ghana.

With the parents at Mole

Vanesa, my Mom, me and Peter in Aburi

My parents also came for a visit and it was so nice to have my Mom and Dad around since I’ve never gone that long without seeing them before. It felt really strange being the ‘parent’ in that situation because they had no idea where they were going but I did. What a change from all previous family vacations where my parents were firmly in charge of the plans and the money. I was so excited to go to Mole National Park and we got to see elephants up close in their natural habitat which was an incredible moment. 

I’ve met some really cool people along the way as well, probably my most favourite people are Peter and his wife Vanessa who own and operate Peter’s Pizza in Aburi. I have eaten lunch several times at Peter’s and each time is yummier than the last! They are such wonderful people and I love talking with them and learning more about their life experiences and how they ended up in Aburi. I really hope I can visit them once more before I leave.

I hope that this last month doesn’t fly by but I know it will. It’s still rather strange to actually be planning to return home in 30 days and return to my regular life in Canada. It took me a long time to be comfortable and happy in all aspects of my life in Ghana but I’ve finally succeeded in doing so and I’m sad to see this experience come to an end. I've made incredible friends throughout this experience and I am going to miss them all terribly. Part of me wishes I could extend to continue working but I know that this isn’t possible. I must admit, I’m excited about seeing my family and my fellow classmates who I haven’t seen since September. I’m also REALLY excited for some homemade macaroni and cheese and tacos! I’ve promised myself to make more time to write on my blog once I return to Canada because I have lots of stories to tell but due to being busy at work, I haven’t had the time to dedicate to my blog as I would have liked. 

Here’s to hoping Ghana will be kind and there will be no catastrophes for the last month. 

(How hard can it be?)

Tamale Fire Festival

I was fortunate to have been in Northern Region during the first two weeks of December. Nothing struck me as out of the ordinary on December 5th. People were doing their usual things, wearing their usual clothing. Nothing would have prepared me for the spectacle that was awaiting me upon our return to Tamale.

Tamale December 5th

Bugum or the the fire festival takes place in December each year in the Northern Region of Ghana. According to the internet, it is celebrating the arrival of Noah’s Ark after the flood. The festival draws people from many ethnic groups and religions (both Christians and Muslims take part). It is the view of many Muslims that because the Ark landed at night, torches were lit to allow Noah and his people to tell if they had reached land. An opposing view is that a son of a great king was lost during the night so people lit torches to search for the missing prince at night. In short, it is an important night for people in the region, regardless of their faith.

Procession in Tamale

As we were driving back to Tamale in late afternoon, I noticed that in each village we passed, children were running around holding bundles of grass in the air while singing and yelling. I wondered if it was some Ghanaian version of Halloween because some of the children were wearing white face paint that gave them a skeletal appearance. The bundles of grass are prepared during the afternoon as the festival takes place after nightfall. Part of the festival includes offering some of the dinner prepared for that evening to their departed ancestors. Families will pray for prosperity and good health for the coming year.

Procession through the streets of Tamale

The main event of the festival is a procession through the streets once the torches are all lit. People are singing and drumming and dancing along the street. The youtube video I found (below), gives an excellent indication of the festival procession so please watch it. I am assuming this person was fortunate (and brave!) enough to walk through the streets. As we were driving through Tamale I was able to take a few pictures. I know the quality isn’t the greatest but it gives some idea of the festival. 

In Tamale the noise was incredible for a city that goes very quiet after nightfall. People were setting off fire crackers and other items that made huge ‘bang’ sounds. It was really pretty to see some fireworks being lit, despite the fact that they exploded too close to the ground for my comfort! I asked (rather jokingly) if alcohol was involved in getting the crowd riled up for the procession and other activities and I was told it absolutely was. It was really cool to see people of all ages celebrating their festival happily and peacefully. It was an adventure trying to get back to the hotel from the small market so we wouldn’t get stuck in the procession so our driver took back roads to get in front of the procession. Part of me wishes I had been gutsy enough to try and join in however I enjoyed watching the procession pass by my hotel.

The internet also tells me that part of the festival is for people to test their magical power and to pacify the gods. Several news articles about Bugum indicate that people sometimes die when they try to ‘test’ their magical powers by stabbing themselves however I didn’t see any of that going on.

It was amazing to see that many people walking
through the streets

Regardless, I was really fortunate to have been able to experience some of the awesomeness that is the Tamale fire festival.

Another Tale of Broken Electronics

Having a cellphone while in Ghana is very important to me. Really, it’s my lifeline. I use it to communicate to people at home and in Ghana in addition to using it for e-mails, internet, homework and work documents. 

You might remember me discussing my great used Blackberry purchase at a special place in Accra called Kwame Nkrumah Circle (locally known as Circle). In my first post I mentioned how overwhelming Circle was on the first day I was in Ghana - in hindsight, perhaps not the best choice to go to Circle while jetlagged and absolutely clueless but we managed. Circle is essentially a central transportation hub with a huge tro tro station (and at least 3 auxiliary stations that I have stumbled upon), STC and VIP buses have stations here, there is a Post Office and several markets. Circle is also a great place to buy used things like cellphones and bicycles. 

The purchase of my used BlackBerry Bold 9000 for what I thought was a pretty reasonable price was amazing. I couldn’t ask for more from a phone. It was pretty banged up when I bought it and it was quite remarkable that it worked perfectly despite its age. I will admit that it was very big and heavy and often got dropped but I tried to take care of it. I was hopeful that it would last the 8 months of my placement. Sadly, that was not meant to be, as it died forever on Sunday February 26. I couldn’t believe that it was dead dead even though it resetting itself constantly over the weekend. This was a bit of a problem because I had been working on an assignment for work on the phone and lost all the work. A reminder that relying so heavily on electronics is perhaps not the smartest thing (eventually I will learn this).

I had to do a great deal of soul searching about what kind of phone I would purchase for the remainder of my placement. I had two options: buy another used BlackBerry and run the risk of getting a garbage phone or buy a cheap, disposable phone to text and call without all the fancy extras. In the end, I decided the BlackBerry was the best option for me despite the fact that I will only be in Ghana for another 52 days. Could I have survived without the fancy phone? absolutely, but I didn’t want to.

So decision made and with my budget in mind, off I went with a friend to Circle Tuesday morning to once again buy a phone. I promised myself that this time I would shop around and not buy the first phone I saw like last time. I promised not to buy on impulse and make sure it was worth buying before handing over my Cedis. Ian and I hadn’t gone too far down the road before we saw a guy with nice looking BlackBerrys in his little glass case. We stopped to talk to Isaac and saw a BlackBerry in good condition that looked alright. Bargaining is like a sport and it is quite addictive. Within a few minutes we got him to cut the price from 200 to 150 and we quickly tried making a phone call and making sure all the buttons and camera worked.

I lost my desire to shop around and handed over the money and became the owner of my new BlackBerry. I didn’t realize until I got on the tro tro to come home that the buttons have what looks like Arabic characters in addition to the regular characters on the buttons! woops!! Never mind, I replaced an ancient Bold 9000 with a Tour 9630 2009 model.

So far, the Tour has been alright. It seems to be a cross between the Curve and the Bold. Having owned both models before, it seems to combine the features of the Bold in a smaller, lighter handset. So far the Tour is alright, it isn't my favourite model and I miss the bigger screen of the Bold but really, I can't complain.

My wonderful little purchase will only be mine until the day I leave as I’ve decided to return to Circle and sell it back to one of the boys on the street so that someone else can enjoy it. Right after buying it one of the other boys asked me if I was interested in selling it. I’ve got a better idea of how much I can get for it so we’ll see what happens when the time comes!

Western Region: Butre & Busua

Sarah and I decided last minute to organize a trip to Western Region to visit Butre and Busua the Weekend of November 18th. Sarah was eager to try surfing and Busua is one place in Ghana where you can arrange to take surfing lessons at the Black Star Surf Shop. Our trip to Takoradi Friday evening was far from easy because of on-going construction at Mallam Junction which has been causing huge delays for people leaving and entering Accra from this direction. Our hotel in Takoradi was inexpensive but still felt slightly overpriced. 

Fort Batenstein. Butre

Saturday morning we set of for Butre, our first stop of the day. With a bit of effort, we managed to get on a tro tro to Agona where we would take another tro tro to Butre. I assumed that based on the information provided by the travel book, we would join a shared taxi to Butre however we got on the most dilapidated tro tro I’ve ever taken. The engine was visible and I could see ground beneath my feet. Thankfully the road was a winding dirt track so the tro tro never gained enough speed for me to feel unsafe. If you are ever in Western Region with a few hours to kill, Butre is well worth the trip, if nothing else to appreciate the beauty of this small settlement with beautiful hills and a stunning beach as a backdrop. A community-based tourism project was set up here a few years ago to ensure that the community benefits to tourists in the area and it seemed to be working well and was well organized.

View of Butre from Fort Batenstein

We elected to visit the fort located on the top of a hill. Restoration efforts were undertaken from December 2010 and January 2011 with funding from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs however, Fort Batenstein remains in its natural state. Our guide accompanied us to the base of the hill and then left us to climb to the top (backbacks in tow), of the very steep path. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to take pictures at the Fort because it was picturesque and the weather was flawless. We also had the option of taking a tour through the village or taking a canoe trip around the lagoon however we needed to get going to Busia so we left after visiting the Fort.

Sitting on the steps of Fort Batenstein

Fort Batenstein was originally established as a trading post by the Dutch West Indian Company in 1598. The Company built the Fort between 1654 and 1656 after demolishing a lodge built by the Swedish African Company. The Fort was finally abandoned in 1872 has has remained a ruin ever since.

Fort Batenstein

Upper level of Fort Batenstein

Fort Batenstein Courtyard

Stunning lagoon in Butre

Getting to Busia was easy as we joined a shared taxi and got there quickly. With a bit of effort we found the hotel that Sarah had booked. Back home getting a hotel room for $60 is a good deal, this hotel cost a total of 20 cedi or $14. The beach was a wonderful break from the chaos of Accra and Sarah enjoyed her surf lesson. It was obvious that Busua was a hub for ex-pats and volunteers (similar to Kokrobite) and for good reason. The beach was very clean and free of hawkers (always a plus). The food at the surf shop was tasty and reasonably priced. The beach had a great vibe, thanks to the surf shop and the people who work there. Busua was well worth the trip.

Busua Beach

Surfing

Goodbye beach

Welcome to 2012

Having a full month break at the holidays was exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and excited to go back to work. I don’t think anyone would dispute the fact that being a tourist in a country is far easier than trying to set up a life and work. Only once you are immersed in a place you begin to appreciate and understand it. Being in a country for two weeks or even a few months isn’t enough time to really understand what is going on in the particular country. Traveling to tourist areas in the country also means that you are likely interacting with people who are accustomed to hosting tourists.

Traveling with my parents and with my boyfriend made me appreciate how much I have learned about Ghana in such a short period of time and I don’t assume for one second that I know all that there is to know. I was really proud of myself that I was able to navigate without getting lost or needing to ask for directions. I was also really proud of myself for being able to bargain for taxis and get a good price with confidence I didn’t know I had. I had some serious concerns that this experience was not bringing out the best in me, however I know I will be going home a more confident person and that I need to worry less and enjoy the remainder of this experience more.

I am excited to make new friends in the coming weeks as all of my friends on campus have returned home. I wasn’t expecting to make such great friends and they really made this experience a lot of fun. Whether we were celebrating small victories or getting over our problems by eating ice cream in the parking lot, there was never a dull moment. 

I really hope to spend more time at work and also working on my blog for the remainder of my placement. I think my body has had enough of traveling for the time being and I am not opposed to saving some money by staying close to Accra.

I have also compiled a brief list of the things I want to accomplish by the time I leave Ghana. I am quite amazed at how much I have accomplished in only a few months. Hopefully I will continue to grow and learn in the coming months.

The Ghana List:

• Fall asleep on every beach I visit
• Learn a bit of the local language (Twi) (done)
• Take a tro tro by myself (done)
• See a hippo in the wild
• Take a safari through Mole National Park (done)
• See an elephant in the wild (done)
• Ride on a motorcycle (done)
• Ride on a tractor (done)
• Visit a witches camp in the north (done) 
• See one of the historic mosques in the North (done)
• Visit Kejetia market in Kumasi (done)
• Tour at least 10 forts/castles
• See monkeys (done)
• Climb a mountain (done)
• Learn how to negotiate for a taxi (done)
• Do some African dance (done)
• Master cooking one Ghanaian dish
• Make a charitable contribution in some capacity

Peace and Tranquility at Bojo Beach

Sarah and I decided to take a bit of a break from the big trips we have been taking for the last couple weeks and decided to take a day trip to Bojo Beach. This place was not included in our guidebook however everyone who has been there has highly recommended going. Getting there wasn’t too difficult - we followed the same route we take to Kokrobite but simply get off the tro tro at the Bojo Beach road. For once traffic was in our favour and it took about an hour to get there. This little trip also served as a lesson to be cautious about allowing someone to serve as your ‘guide’ and to be cautious about telling people where you are going because people can and do follow you. We were fortunate that it was only a small boy who followed us, and thanks to the taxi driver who brought us to the beach, we were able to stop him from following us. The boy was going to ‘show’ Sarah and I to the Kokrobite tro tro station which is a short walk away from the main station. It was pretty clear he didn’t really know where he was going. Somehow he got on the same car as us. Sarah asked him if he was going to meet friends or family because he told us he was going to the beach. He didn’t seem to sure about what he was doing. When we got off the tro tro and walked to a nearby taxi to ask him to take us to the Beach the boy was there, holding the door open saying we should get in. I said very clearly to him that we were saying goodbye and that he should go on his way. That didn’t seem to do any good. Luckily the cab driver told him to get lost. Turns out the boy took the next taxi to the beach entrance and was begging for money so he could go to the beach. Our taxi driver told him to go home and to stop causing trouble. 

The beach itself is stunningly beautiful. It is essentially a sand bar across a small lagoon. You do have to pay to enter the beach which pays for your passage on the small motorized canoe across the lagoon. Really, they should get around to building a bridge because the boat ride is less than 30 seconds. The beach was so empty with maybe 30 people in total on the beach. There was no hawkers and nobody to disrupt our day. The food at the restaurant was of reasonable value and the pizza was quite tasty. The beach was safe and we were not concerned about having our bags stolen while we were in the water. The beach was spotless with no garbage in sight. The water was wonderfully warm and clean. There was minimal floating plastic garbage in the water, compared to some of the other beaches we have been to. I would highly recommend going to Bojo Beach for anyone who enjoys a beautiful beach. 

I think Bojo will rival Kokrobite once the accommodation is finished because as of right now, the rooms are still being completed. 

A Waterfall Day

(Sunday October 30th)

The morning after we returned from Kokrobite, we decided to rent a car and a driver and go to Shai Hills Forest Reserve. While I would STRONGLY discourage anyone going here, I would encourage people to instead make the trip to Akaa and Boti waterfalls in the Volta Region. 

Me at Akaa Falls

I love the Volta Region, and really, I don’t need to be asked twice to go there for any reason. The roads are surprisingly pretty good and the driver can make all the difference between a reasonably comfortable journey and a back-breaking, bone shattering trip. Luckily, we had a great driver. 

Steps leading to Akaa Falls
The weather was perfect for taking pictures

Umbrella Rock

Me under the Umbrella Rock

Our first stop was Akaa falls. I couldn’t tell you where it is but I’d say it’s about three hours drive at least from Accra. Unlike our previous trip to Volta which involved scaling Mount Afadjato, reaching the falls was relatively simple. We paid the guide who walked us down the path. I really wish he had told us about the place, he didn’t speak to us once really. I took tons of pictures (as usual), and it was very pretty. There was a lot of water because of all the rain we have had lately. We took more pictures then went to see the Umbrella Rock. The rock was really cool and we were able to climb up under the umbrella part. You used to be able to climb on top of the umbrella but because it is quite dangerous, they don’t let you do that anymore. There was a village on the hillside across the valley and I would totally love to live there!

Boti Falls

Steps to Boti Falls. There was quite a lot of them!

Our next stop was to Boti Falls, a short distance away from Akaa Falls. This time we didn’t have a guide but we had to pay a second fee to get in. There was some dispute about the actual cost of entering but eventually we were on our way down the steps to see the falls. There are two sides of Boti Falls, the female side and the male side. The falls are beautiful despite not being as tall as the Wli Falls. For once we didn’t have rain to ruin our trip. While it wasn’t the trip we had planned on taking, it was still a worthwhile trip.

Boti Falls

Me at Boti Falls

Volta Region - Another entertaining adventure that derailed (slightly)

Despite the harrowing adventure at Nzulezo last weekend, I decided to try another University of Ghana trip this weekend. My new friend Veronika suggested the Volta Region trip organized by the UG Business School. Billy even joined us as he was in Accra for the weekend.
In true Ghanian fashion, we left late. The busses were supposed to pick us up at 1am but they didn’t arrive until after 2am. We finally left campus after 3:30am. We asked our guide why we were so late and he responded that people had forgotten things and had to return to their hostels to fetch their things before we could leave. How different than field trips in Canada where the bus leaves on time whether or not you have all of your things! Sarah and I were quite frustrated with how difficult it seemed to get the correct number of people on each bus. How hard can it be?

Veronika and I posing with goats near Tafi Atome
I LOVE goats!

Unlike the trip last weekend, we were able to get some sleep on the bus which was a large coach bus with comfortable reclining seats and A/C. Our first stop was the Tofi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. We arrived quite early in the morning and our guide was very informative however he struggled to get the attention of all 200 people who went on the trip. From what I could understand, the monkeys lived in the forest long before people migrated there and at first they had a relatively symbiotic relationship. At some point, there was a conflict with the deity that lives in the forest and that is connected to the monkeys. From what I understood, the local community began to destroy the monkeys both by killing them and destroying the forest habitat where they live. The monkey population plummeted and thanks to a special Canadian who came to study the monkeys in the 1980s, the local community was able to save their dwindling monkey population. According to our guide, the local community was very receptive to the advice given by the Canadian and they established the monkey sanctuary to protect the monkeys. The monkey population is close to 300 which is an impressive increase in population in 30 years. The monkeys are Mona Monkeys and they are quite tame. Our group was quite loud so they monkeys didn’t come very close to us however we were told that if you are a small group, the monkeys will come and sit on your shoulder! Hopefully we’ll be able to go back and test this out!

Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary: One of the Mona Monkeys 

Our next stop after a wonderful breakfast was Mount Afadjato, the highest peak in Ghana. Good thing I wore proper running shoes because it was truly a mission to make it to the top! Ensuring that the path to the peak was accessible for people was clearly not a top priority. My pictures don’t adequately convey just how steep it actually was. Girls were wearing flats or flip flops and everyone was wearing jeans - I have no idea how they managed to make it up! I have never been so sweaty in my life. Imagine being asked to do 200 squats in a hot sauna, the climb was sort of like that. It took us well over an hour to make it to the top. I stumbled a few times on the way up and many people had to take frequent breaks because it was so physically demanding. Once at the summit, however, it was totally worth the effort. It was so beautiful to see the villages from up above and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately after we had taken some success pictures, the rain started to pour and we had to put our cameras away. I’m so disappointed I didn’t get more photos to share. Getting back down the mountain was more difficult than the climb up. The path became a river of water and of course everything was much more slippery. Once your legs are tired and your muscles start to shake, climbing becomes very tricky. Luckily a nice young guy named NaNa helped me down the mountain, ensuring I didn’t break myself. Despite this, I did slip and hit my back on some rocks which wasn’t nice. Maintaining your balance was difficult and in some places the best way to get down was to slide down on your bum. You can imagine the state of our clothes when we got down. Luckily most people had an extra change of clothes so it was nice to get dry. 

The path was so steep climbing
Mount Afadjato, what a serious workout!

On top of Mount Afadjato - finally made it!

Our next stop at Wli Falls had to be cancelled because of the weather. There is a 45 minute walk to the base of the falls and with all the rain, it wasn’t feasible. We did get to see the town where the falls are located and snap a few pictures before the gave us a lunch of rancid chicken and rice. You know the food is no good when the locals and foreigners alike refuse to eat it! Our guides were not happy at all with the caterers.
At this point, we thought we were heading to the Club house where we were supposed to have a BBQ and a swim however once we reached the bridge at Akosombo, we realized we were heading back to Accra. The roads on the way back were interesting. All of the rain we were having resulted in some flooding of the roads and so the busses had to proceed very carefully. Passing some of the villages, you could really appreciate how much flooding can impact the people that live there. Due to poor drainage or the village being located in low ground, water was everywhere. Even some of the drains could not accommodate the quantity of water.

Our dinner stop was quite brief and the food was OK. They pulled out some speakers and many students got out and danced. Ghanians are truly far better dancers than most Canadians and it was fun to watch them dance. The music was good as well. There seems to be a few key songs that they like to play over and over again. At this point in the day, the once spotless busses were covered in garbage and smelled awful after people had been sweating all day and got soaked on the mountain. By the time we got back to campus, 22 hours after we were supposed to have left, we were beyond exhausted. Luckily our clothes survived the trip and I was able to get to bed within two hours of arriving home.
All in all, this trip was far more fun than last weekend. Despite the rain and being unable to see everything we were supposed to see, we were comfortable for the trip and we made our own fun by making jokes the whole way and trying to understand the movies and music that were being played.
Wonder what will happen next weekend.

June Update About Ghana

I finally had my tonsils removed June 14th and despite the pain and the frustratingly slow recovery, not helped by a bad reaction to the pain medication, I have had ample time to think about the upcoming placement. The e-ticket has been purchased for my flight to Ghana in September (another reality check, if I didn't already believe that I was going, I sure am now!), and I have started to read some literature about travel in Ghana.
Information is power and in this case, the more I read and get acquainted with Ghana the more confident I am about going. In the last month or so I have run into many people who have either been to Ghana themselves either to volunteer or to travel or who know someone who went and who thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I find it encouraging that I have yet to meet someone who didn't enjoy Ghana.
The first travel book I purchased is a general guide to travelling in Africa and contained a lot of very useful information from what to pack to how to deal with potentially dangerous situations. While I am still nervous about travelling internationally by myself as I have never being overseas without my parents, I know I will manage and I am excited to gain a greater sense of independence and confidence. I think back to all of the amusing experiences my Mom had when we moved to England when I was little as we were all getting used to life in a new country. Simple things like using a telephone of buying groceries were a big challenge and a big success once they were achieved. I am sure I will have my own funny stories upon arrival back in Canada.
Instead of worrying about how I am going to miss my friends and family while I am away, I am trying to focus on the positive and start planning my Christmas trip. The book was useful because it described some of the main attractions in Ghana and things to see.
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast is the first destination I was really excited to see. Cape Coast Castle is a restored slave base originally build by the Swedes as a port for the transportation of timber and minerals and was eventually transformed by the British to be the main shipping points for African slaves for over 200 years. The Cape Coast Castle has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been restored to give visitors a glimpse of what the experience was like for African slaves before being shipped to America. The book estimates that between 2000 and 10,000 slaves were shipped from Cape Coast and other ports in what was once the Gold Coast. The Door of No Return and the dungeons are some of the important aspects of the site. As someone who loves history and who doesn't have a significant knowledge about the slave trade, I am excited to visit this site and other similar sites along the Ghanian coast.
Mole National Park & Kakum National Park
If you are going to Africa for any length of time, going on safari is kind of a must. Mole National Park is located North-West in Ghana and, according to my book, is the best safari in Ghana. Mole is home to elephants, hippos, and many other species of wildlife. Kakum National Park is inland from Cape Coast in South-Western Ghana and is home to elephants, leopards, antelopes, monkeys, and many other animals. Kakum National Park has a 300m canopy walk where visitors can enjoy the lush environment. I am most excited about taking a safari trip to be able to see these exotic animals in their natural habitat. I think it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am not going to pass up!
Coffin Industry - Accra
This is an intriguing aspect of the Ga culture in Accra. The book described how the Ga people lay the deceased in extraordinary coffins, unlike the relatively plain coffins which are customary in North America. Coffins can come in all sorts of shapes and bright colours including fish, airplanes, and mobile phones. This unique aspect of their culture has spurred on a new industry making small replicas of these elaborate coffins for tourists. This would be something I would be interested in and is one of the many unique aspects of Ga culture.
Visiting Old Accra is another adventure I am excited to make. While it is always interesting to see the new parts of a city, visiting the older and historic parts is far more fascinating. Accra was a small fishing town only a few generations ago, before the capital was moved there from Cape Coast. Being able to see the old streets and houses would be quite interesting to fully appreciate the capital of Ghana.

All in all, I am getting excited about going in September and I am no longer as fearful about going as I once was. I am interested in adding other attractions to my list if anyone has any further suggestions for my weekend travels next year.