Sunday: The End
The four of us were not early to rise after our night at the club. So after a late start to the day and some packing, we headed out for a few final stops.
A steady rain rolled in for the first time since arriving in Ghana. We took a cab to an Internet Cafe in order to confirm our flights, visited the Global Mamas shop, and had one final dinner at Mama Mias.
Back at the Afia we napped for our journey home, shared some Bitter Lemons in the lobby and reminisced about our time in Ghana. Amy returned from Cape Coast around 11:00pm. We finished packing our bags and at 11:45 pm, Kojo and his friend came to pick us up for the airport. We said goodbye to our new friend and entered the airport around 12:15am.
Finally landed at JFK on Monday at 4:45ish after what felt like two never ending flights.
It is now 12:15am on Tuesday morning and we are still traveling....
Stay tuned for our personal reflections to come later this week....
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Saturday: I love my life
Saturday: I love my Life
Today's plan was to find Marley's Ghana geocache and visit the Aburi Botanical Garden. Kojo picked us up around 10 am. We learned that it would take two hours to get to the garden even though according to the GPS it was only 19.7 miles away. But due to traffic and the new highway not being built it would be around two hours. After traveling on many back roads, we eventually drove on the only 4 lane highway we saw in Ghana. We even went though a toll booth as Nana bought plantain chips out of the car window from the girls on the street. We traveled on a long windy road up a mountain which on a clear day you can see all of Accra. We passed by many large beautiful homes, one which belonged to the President of Ghana. The GPS led us to Rita Marley's (Bob's wife) home and music studio. Across the street was a path which led us to a clearing with a big tree and a pile of rocks. We had to be very discreet because many muggles (non-geocachers) were around and if the geocache were to be moved from it's spot then the cache would not be able to be found. Tilley was the first to spot the cache in the tree covered with some leaves. The cache was a green tuperware container filled with many trinkets, a log book and a travel bug. The bugs goal is to travel to 6 continents. Kristen signed her geocache name and our names into the log book. We also placed the World of Inquiry travel bug into the cache. Our bug's goal is to travel back to our school eventually. We think it will be awesome for our students to follow the WOIS travel bug around the world especially since they learned to geocache during Outward Bound this year. Even Kojo was excited to learn about geocaching!
From here we traveled down the road to the Aburi Botanical Garden. Our tour guide showed us many spice trees including bay leaf, all spice and cinnamon. The oldest tree is the garden is 500 years old! We also saw parasite plants which take over a host tree eventually destroying it and taking it's place. We were surprised to see a rusty broken down helicopter in the middle of the garden that was left there for children to play on! This is something that would never happen in the US. Kojo joined us for the tour and for lunch. Tilley was surprised when her fish and chips arrived- eyes, tail and all fried up. She even ate Ghanian style using only her right hand. Well, she tried to at least. Lunch was filled with showing Kojo pictures of some of our students and asking each other questions. At one point Kojo asked us if it was true that Americans really think that Africa is all jungles? We struggled with our answer because many people do.
At this point Nana was getting nervous because she needed to be at Esther's dress shop by 4:00pm to pick up an order. We arrived at 4:10 pm and Nana was gently scolded for being late. We explained that we were now working on Ghana time. :-). Kojo drove us past a Catholic Church which was by far the biggest building and one of the most beautiful. Back at the hotel we rested up for our last night out!
Kojo picked us up again at 10:00pm to head out to a club to hear some Ghanian Hiplife music. We told Kojo we only wanted to hear Ghanian music, no American music since it seemed that Lionel Richie was following us around Ghana and we had had enough! Kojo took us to a place named Epo. The four of us and Kojo sat on the rooftop and shared some Stones and Clubs and enjoyed the view and the music.Tilley and Bridget went downstairs and over to this street vendor in search of dinner. We watched in fascination as people placed orders and cooks prepared their food. Among the frenzied activity we ordered fried rice with vegetables and shredded beef noodles. This was one of the most delicious meals we had in Ghana, even though it burned our mouths. After dinner it was time to dance. We headed back downstairs and around the corner to enter the dance club. Nana walked right up to the bouncer and said "I'm a bouncer too!". We danced the rest of the night away with our buddy Kojo to some of our new favorite songs. Nana and Tilley got quite the kick out of watching people dance much better than the rest of us could. After multiple requests to the DJ to hear our favorite song, a local Ghanian took pity on us and told us we needed to tip the DJ in order to have our song played. Nana passed a tip along and our song was the next one up. A wonderful time was had by all and many new dance moves were learned for Afro Club Tilley.
Today's plan was to find Marley's Ghana geocache and visit the Aburi Botanical Garden. Kojo picked us up around 10 am. We learned that it would take two hours to get to the garden even though according to the GPS it was only 19.7 miles away. But due to traffic and the new highway not being built it would be around two hours. After traveling on many back roads, we eventually drove on the only 4 lane highway we saw in Ghana. We even went though a toll booth as Nana bought plantain chips out of the car window from the girls on the street. We traveled on a long windy road up a mountain which on a clear day you can see all of Accra. We passed by many large beautiful homes, one which belonged to the President of Ghana. The GPS led us to Rita Marley's (Bob's wife) home and music studio. Across the street was a path which led us to a clearing with a big tree and a pile of rocks. We had to be very discreet because many muggles (non-geocachers) were around and if the geocache were to be moved from it's spot then the cache would not be able to be found. Tilley was the first to spot the cache in the tree covered with some leaves. The cache was a green tuperware container filled with many trinkets, a log book and a travel bug. The bugs goal is to travel to 6 continents. Kristen signed her geocache name and our names into the log book. We also placed the World of Inquiry travel bug into the cache. Our bug's goal is to travel back to our school eventually. We think it will be awesome for our students to follow the WOIS travel bug around the world especially since they learned to geocache during Outward Bound this year. Even Kojo was excited to learn about geocaching!
From here we traveled down the road to the Aburi Botanical Garden. Our tour guide showed us many spice trees including bay leaf, all spice and cinnamon. The oldest tree is the garden is 500 years old! We also saw parasite plants which take over a host tree eventually destroying it and taking it's place. We were surprised to see a rusty broken down helicopter in the middle of the garden that was left there for children to play on! This is something that would never happen in the US. Kojo joined us for the tour and for lunch. Tilley was surprised when her fish and chips arrived- eyes, tail and all fried up. She even ate Ghanian style using only her right hand. Well, she tried to at least. Lunch was filled with showing Kojo pictures of some of our students and asking each other questions. At one point Kojo asked us if it was true that Americans really think that Africa is all jungles? We struggled with our answer because many people do.
At this point Nana was getting nervous because she needed to be at Esther's dress shop by 4:00pm to pick up an order. We arrived at 4:10 pm and Nana was gently scolded for being late. We explained that we were now working on Ghana time. :-). Kojo drove us past a Catholic Church which was by far the biggest building and one of the most beautiful. Back at the hotel we rested up for our last night out!
Kojo picked us up again at 10:00pm to head out to a club to hear some Ghanian Hiplife music. We told Kojo we only wanted to hear Ghanian music, no American music since it seemed that Lionel Richie was following us around Ghana and we had had enough! Kojo took us to a place named Epo. The four of us and Kojo sat on the rooftop and shared some Stones and Clubs and enjoyed the view and the music.Tilley and Bridget went downstairs and over to this street vendor in search of dinner. We watched in fascination as people placed orders and cooks prepared their food. Among the frenzied activity we ordered fried rice with vegetables and shredded beef noodles. This was one of the most delicious meals we had in Ghana, even though it burned our mouths. After dinner it was time to dance. We headed back downstairs and around the corner to enter the dance club. Nana walked right up to the bouncer and said "I'm a bouncer too!". We danced the rest of the night away with our buddy Kojo to some of our new favorite songs. Nana and Tilley got quite the kick out of watching people dance much better than the rest of us could. After multiple requests to the DJ to hear our favorite song, a local Ghanian took pity on us and told us we needed to tip the DJ in order to have our song played. Nana passed a tip along and our song was the next one up. A wonderful time was had by all and many new dance moves were learned for Afro Club Tilley.
Friday, July 8, 2011
A-tisket A-casket
Friday: A-tisket A-casket
We had a late start this morning because two of the four of us fell prey to last night's dinner. Thanks to Imodium we were able to head out around noon. We went looking for the famous casket companies of Ghana. Some of us were expecting a large showroom full of caskets, instead they were small workshops on the side of the road. Now these are not typical caskets, but instead custom made caskets in different shapes. For example you could get a fish casket, robot casket, Star Beer or Coke bottle casket, hammer casket, a Canon camera casket, crab or lobster casket, a tro tro casket. We even were able to see them working on a hammer casket that is going to be shipped to Belgium. We enjoyed wandering through the neighborhood along with Ghanians, children, chickens and sheep. We stopped a music/DVD stand where we purchased a burned CD of Hiplife music for Afro Club Tilley. We watched chickens being slaughtered on the street. And a funeral procession which was loud and noisy with honking horns and a pickup truck overloaded with men dressed in black with the casket. They were followed by many tro-tros full of people. The women were in black and white. We learned that funerals are usually on Friday followed by thanksgiving on Sunday, a gathering where mourners give donations to the family of the deceased.
We hopped on a totally packed tro-tro (18 people plus driver and conductor) shoving Señora way in the back. We road to the tro-tro station in Accra. The ride cost each of us 45 pesewas. You can't beat the price, so we jumped on another tro-tro headed to Osu. Here we ate lunch at Dynasty Chinese Restaurant. This was the first restaurant that was indoors and air conditioned and we enjoyed it immensely. We topped it all off with Italian gelato down the street. We are now expert negotiators for cabs as we managed to talk a driver down from 8 cedis for the trip to the hotel to 4 cedis.
Back at the hotel, our friend from the cultural center, Ose came to us in the lobby loaded down with Kente cloth. We drove a hard bargain and each ended up with treasures. Each day here in Ghana is jam packed and leaves us exhausted and ready for a shower.
We had a late start this morning because two of the four of us fell prey to last night's dinner. Thanks to Imodium we were able to head out around noon. We went looking for the famous casket companies of Ghana. Some of us were expecting a large showroom full of caskets, instead they were small workshops on the side of the road. Now these are not typical caskets, but instead custom made caskets in different shapes. For example you could get a fish casket, robot casket, Star Beer or Coke bottle casket, hammer casket, a Canon camera casket, crab or lobster casket, a tro tro casket. We even were able to see them working on a hammer casket that is going to be shipped to Belgium. We enjoyed wandering through the neighborhood along with Ghanians, children, chickens and sheep. We stopped a music/DVD stand where we purchased a burned CD of Hiplife music for Afro Club Tilley. We watched chickens being slaughtered on the street. And a funeral procession which was loud and noisy with honking horns and a pickup truck overloaded with men dressed in black with the casket. They were followed by many tro-tros full of people. The women were in black and white. We learned that funerals are usually on Friday followed by thanksgiving on Sunday, a gathering where mourners give donations to the family of the deceased.
We hopped on a totally packed tro-tro (18 people plus driver and conductor) shoving Señora way in the back. We road to the tro-tro station in Accra. The ride cost each of us 45 pesewas. You can't beat the price, so we jumped on another tro-tro headed to Osu. Here we ate lunch at Dynasty Chinese Restaurant. This was the first restaurant that was indoors and air conditioned and we enjoyed it immensely. We topped it all off with Italian gelato down the street. We are now expert negotiators for cabs as we managed to talk a driver down from 8 cedis for the trip to the hotel to 4 cedis.
Back at the hotel, our friend from the cultural center, Ose came to us in the lobby loaded down with Kente cloth. We drove a hard bargain and each ended up with treasures. Each day here in Ghana is jam packed and leaves us exhausted and ready for a shower.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Thursday: Again on the Road Again
Thursday: Again on the Road Again
We jumped out of bed, packed up our stuff, jumped into the pool and then waved goodbye to the Coconut Grove. We took a van back to Accra stopping at the bank, the infamous Shell Station (no dancing this time!), and then Esther's shop in Osu. Esther claims that Michelle Obama came to her shop and had Esther custom make a dress for her. Señora had measurements taken for a shirt and we watched in fascination as the tailor did not record a single measurement. The cost for a custom-made shirt is 15 Cedis. The van dropped us back off at our first hotel the Afia Beach Hotel where will will finish our stay. Unfortunately, the family suite was booked so Señora and Tilley have a room and Bridget and Burg have a room. We finally were able to watch a Ghanaian soap opera and we realized that soaps are the same no matter where you are. Off to dinner and a good nights rest.
We jumped out of bed, packed up our stuff, jumped into the pool and then waved goodbye to the Coconut Grove. We took a van back to Accra stopping at the bank, the infamous Shell Station (no dancing this time!), and then Esther's shop in Osu. Esther claims that Michelle Obama came to her shop and had Esther custom make a dress for her. Señora had measurements taken for a shirt and we watched in fascination as the tailor did not record a single measurement. The cost for a custom-made shirt is 15 Cedis. The van dropped us back off at our first hotel the Afia Beach Hotel where will will finish our stay. Unfortunately, the family suite was booked so Señora and Tilley have a room and Bridget and Burg have a room. We finally were able to watch a Ghanaian soap opera and we realized that soaps are the same no matter where you are. Off to dinner and a good nights rest.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday: Back to School
Wednesday: Back to School
We met our buddy Kwaku up at the lobby and headed back to Cape Coast to meet Jen and Yahaya. They sponsor a school in a local village about 40 minutes outside of Cape Coast and needed to deliver the teacher's salary of 50 cedi's a month. We tagged along to deliver the many school supplies we brought from home. We loaded up a personal tro-tro and drove out to the village. The tro-tro dropped us off at the top of a hill and we carefully walked down a dirt path to the school. We could see the children outside for recess playing with a ball as we approached. As soon as the children saw us they screamed and ran up to us eager to greet us with: "My name is ....." We took many pictures of them and they were dying to see their picture and laughed hilariously at their images. A bell rang and the students immediately ran to their schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was approximately 10'x14' with 4 windows: no screens and a door. Inside was a cement floor, 3 long benches, a corrugated tin roof, one chalkboard: made of plywood painted with chalkboard paint and a few posters on the walls. 26 children ranging in ages 3 to 8 were sitting on the benches awaiting our arrival. The only thing on the teachers table was chalk. We were greeted by the teacher through an interpreter. We in return introduced ourselves and our school and explained why we were there. The teacher lead the students in a welcome song in Fanti. We placed all the school supplies that we brought on the teacher's table. We then presented each child with a book or item that we brought. We enjoyed seeing their appreciation and excitement on their faces. Jen explained to us that through donations a new school is being built with four rooms and a teachers office. It is their hope that once it is built the Ghanaian government will recognize it as a school and take over running the school. If this school was not there the children would have to walk 3 miles to the village to go to school. Our visit was short but very memorable. We took pictures with the children and said our good byes. On the way home we talked to Jen about how WOIS can make a connection through service projects to support the school.
After a quick lunch at the lovely Oasis hotel where we sat Oceanside and watched the local fisherman haul in their nets full of small silver fish, while others pulled in wooden boats while singing at the top of their lungs, we took a tour at the Cape Coast Castle. This castle was built in 1653 and was one of the largest slave holding sites in the world. Sitting on the edge of town overlooking a rocky coast, this building is more majestic than you would think a slave holding site would be. Even knowing the history, it was a powerful experience to imagine the conditions that the Ghanaians faced in person. We took a guided tour through the castle traveling through the male and female dungeons following the steps they took to the ships through the Door of No Return. This door which was the last before boarding the ships now holds the name, The Door of Return, as family members of former slaves have been invited back to re- enter the castle breaking the chain. The castle also holds an extensive museum of Ghanian history including African American history. Bridget found it interesting which famous men and women were chosen to be a part of the wall of leaders. The usuals: Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. And then: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Marley.
Kwaku helped Tilley barter for a work of art. Watching the bartering was most entertaining, similar to an Italian dinner where everyone talks at once. Back to the hotel for a quick jump in the pool, dinner on the porch and rest for our last night here at the Coconut Grove. Tomorrow it is back to Accra!
We met our buddy Kwaku up at the lobby and headed back to Cape Coast to meet Jen and Yahaya. They sponsor a school in a local village about 40 minutes outside of Cape Coast and needed to deliver the teacher's salary of 50 cedi's a month. We tagged along to deliver the many school supplies we brought from home. We loaded up a personal tro-tro and drove out to the village. The tro-tro dropped us off at the top of a hill and we carefully walked down a dirt path to the school. We could see the children outside for recess playing with a ball as we approached. As soon as the children saw us they screamed and ran up to us eager to greet us with: "My name is ....." We took many pictures of them and they were dying to see their picture and laughed hilariously at their images. A bell rang and the students immediately ran to their schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was approximately 10'x14' with 4 windows: no screens and a door. Inside was a cement floor, 3 long benches, a corrugated tin roof, one chalkboard: made of plywood painted with chalkboard paint and a few posters on the walls. 26 children ranging in ages 3 to 8 were sitting on the benches awaiting our arrival. The only thing on the teachers table was chalk. We were greeted by the teacher through an interpreter. We in return introduced ourselves and our school and explained why we were there. The teacher lead the students in a welcome song in Fanti. We placed all the school supplies that we brought on the teacher's table. We then presented each child with a book or item that we brought. We enjoyed seeing their appreciation and excitement on their faces. Jen explained to us that through donations a new school is being built with four rooms and a teachers office. It is their hope that once it is built the Ghanaian government will recognize it as a school and take over running the school. If this school was not there the children would have to walk 3 miles to the village to go to school. Our visit was short but very memorable. We took pictures with the children and said our good byes. On the way home we talked to Jen about how WOIS can make a connection through service projects to support the school.
After a quick lunch at the lovely Oasis hotel where we sat Oceanside and watched the local fisherman haul in their nets full of small silver fish, while others pulled in wooden boats while singing at the top of their lungs, we took a tour at the Cape Coast Castle. This castle was built in 1653 and was one of the largest slave holding sites in the world. Sitting on the edge of town overlooking a rocky coast, this building is more majestic than you would think a slave holding site would be. Even knowing the history, it was a powerful experience to imagine the conditions that the Ghanaians faced in person. We took a guided tour through the castle traveling through the male and female dungeons following the steps they took to the ships through the Door of No Return. This door which was the last before boarding the ships now holds the name, The Door of Return, as family members of former slaves have been invited back to re- enter the castle breaking the chain. The castle also holds an extensive museum of Ghanian history including African American history. Bridget found it interesting which famous men and women were chosen to be a part of the wall of leaders. The usuals: Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. And then: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Marley.
Kwaku helped Tilley barter for a work of art. Watching the bartering was most entertaining, similar to an Italian dinner where everyone talks at once. Back to the hotel for a quick jump in the pool, dinner on the porch and rest for our last night here at the Coconut Grove. Tomorrow it is back to Accra!
Tuesday: Bakatue Day
We have made friends with a guide here at the Coconut Grove named Kwaku. Today he took us to the village right next to our hotel to show us how they smoke the fish. The village is set on the ocean down a dirt road and on every side of you are giant piles of wood.Here we were greeted by many children and women and were shown the smoking process. We saw the ovens and layers upon layers of drying racks. After the fish are smoked they are taken to the Volta region to be sold. Again we were amazed by how friendly everyone is as we welcomed into their homes. Kwaku told us yesterday that he could bring us to a Chop Bar, something we have wanted to do since arriving in Ghana. A Chop Bar is a restaurant where the locals eat, but it's not what Americans would call a restaurant. this Chop Bar, which had no name, was located in an alley behind the place where used appliances were being hawked on the sidewalk and spilling out into the street. Kwaku told us to follow him and we blindly did up the uneven dirt path leading behind this dilapidated building. There we found our outdoor restaurant. There was a wall that was lined with various bowls to wash and rinse the dishes. Women were squatting down peeling cooked cassava in a huge bowl while other were taking the pieces of cassava and mashing it with a huge wooden pestle. Then another woman took this mash and kneading it with water and plantains until a fine dough was created. Pieces were broken off and placed in a bowl. We then brought the bowl a few feet over to choose between palm nut soup or light soup. In our soup was a pics of goat meat or fish. Tilley and Senora had the goat and Shema and Kristen had fish. Bridget politely declined both but watched us feast, which was a feat in itself. We ate at tables nearby that had bowl of water, bars of soap, and pitchers of water. after washing our hands, we ate in the traditional Ghanian style, using only our right hand. No forks or spoons were available. Dipping our fingers into hot soup and wrestling meat off the bones while scooping it all up with the fufu is not easy and Tilley made a mess of her last clean shirt, but we all managed to do our guide proud. This lovely meal cost one cedi, fifty pesewas, which is about sixty cents. Then on to the Bakatue Festival.
This festival, a celebration of fishing season, is an annual event in the town of Elmina. Kwaku, who is an Elmina native, dropped us off near the Chief's house where the procession to the harbor would begin. We stood and waited for a bit, popping in and out of small shops and stands as children came running up to us eager to learn our names and have us take their picture. We stopped for a cold Coca-Cola as we waited for the procession to begin. Finally all the chiefs lined up and began to move. Each chief and the Queen mothers were seated on different, ornate sedan chairs thrones and were carried on the heads of four men. The Chiefs and Queen Mothers were decked out in their best clothing and jewelry all the way down to their feet. Groups of people followed behind each Chief or Queen Mother who we assume were family members. The procession concluded with the Head Chief who was wearing all white and smiling and waving as he went. Loud cheers could be heard whenever he appeared. We jumped in Kwaku's car and he drove us to the next stop: the harbor. Upon dropping us off, Kwaku told us to find a seat because it wasn't very crowded yet! It certainly seemed crowded to us! People were everywhere! Announcements were being made on loud speakers about the events, music played, vendors sold their goods and children ran about. We stopped the Fan Milk boy, similar to an ice cream man, ,except it is a boy on a bike with a cooler in front that says "Fan Milk". We each had Fan Ice, which is a plastic bag of vanilla soft serve that you squeeze into your mouth. Mmmmmm it was delicious and perfect for the sweltering heat. They also have Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and frozen Chocolate Milk which will have to try next time! We headed into the big tent filled with tons of people. It was hard to see but in the harbor were regatta races and people cheering. The chiefs all made their way to the harbor for the races but as this point we were all melting and dying to jump into the pool. Kwaku drove us back to the hotel and we threw on our suits and jumped into the pool to cool off. After we cooled off, Senora, Kristen, and Shema were ready to paint the town red. Kwaku picked us up and asked us what we were in the mood to eat. Senora wanted eggs and shema wanted fish so he took us to dinner to meet all our needs. At the sea stop we walked up to a small table out front where a women had a small pan that you can order eggs, vegetables, breads, kanke which is fermented corn. Then we walked across the street to another store front with a grill outside loaded with fresh fish (fresh snapper and tilapia). Amy and I picked out our fish and then we again walked across the street to order Senora's eggs and to try the local sugarcane liquor, Mula. The bar was inside the little store. Through a caged window they served us. They poured with a fork attached to a shot glass a white clear liquid to sample. We were't too crazy about it. We wanted to bring back some for Tilley and Bridget so they filled half a water bottle for three cedi's, approximately $1.80. We went to sit down on a dirt yard at the side of the store but all the tables were full. So, after a few minutes four chairs appeared and were set in a circle. About 5 minutes later a table appears. There are no lights and lots of loud hip light music. Our food was delivered and once again we did not use utensils. Senora wanted to see her food so she took a picture. Kwaku used his cell phone light for Kristen to filet her fish. After dinner we danced a bit and then decided to go to the shell station. We heard many stories that the shell gas station was the place to be. They weren't kidding. The place was hopping! Everyone was dancing. We had a great time. We woke Tilley and Bridget up when we got home to tell them of our great adventure.
This festival, a celebration of fishing season, is an annual event in the town of Elmina. Kwaku, who is an Elmina native, dropped us off near the Chief's house where the procession to the harbor would begin. We stood and waited for a bit, popping in and out of small shops and stands as children came running up to us eager to learn our names and have us take their picture. We stopped for a cold Coca-Cola as we waited for the procession to begin. Finally all the chiefs lined up and began to move. Each chief and the Queen mothers were seated on different, ornate sedan chairs thrones and were carried on the heads of four men. The Chiefs and Queen Mothers were decked out in their best clothing and jewelry all the way down to their feet. Groups of people followed behind each Chief or Queen Mother who we assume were family members. The procession concluded with the Head Chief who was wearing all white and smiling and waving as he went. Loud cheers could be heard whenever he appeared. We jumped in Kwaku's car and he drove us to the next stop: the harbor. Upon dropping us off, Kwaku told us to find a seat because it wasn't very crowded yet! It certainly seemed crowded to us! People were everywhere! Announcements were being made on loud speakers about the events, music played, vendors sold their goods and children ran about. We stopped the Fan Milk boy, similar to an ice cream man, ,except it is a boy on a bike with a cooler in front that says "Fan Milk". We each had Fan Ice, which is a plastic bag of vanilla soft serve that you squeeze into your mouth. Mmmmmm it was delicious and perfect for the sweltering heat. They also have Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and frozen Chocolate Milk which will have to try next time! We headed into the big tent filled with tons of people. It was hard to see but in the harbor were regatta races and people cheering. The chiefs all made their way to the harbor for the races but as this point we were all melting and dying to jump into the pool. Kwaku drove us back to the hotel and we threw on our suits and jumped into the pool to cool off. After we cooled off, Senora, Kristen, and Shema were ready to paint the town red. Kwaku picked us up and asked us what we were in the mood to eat. Senora wanted eggs and shema wanted fish so he took us to dinner to meet all our needs. At the sea stop we walked up to a small table out front where a women had a small pan that you can order eggs, vegetables, breads, kanke which is fermented corn. Then we walked across the street to another store front with a grill outside loaded with fresh fish (fresh snapper and tilapia). Amy and I picked out our fish and then we again walked across the street to order Senora's eggs and to try the local sugarcane liquor, Mula. The bar was inside the little store. Through a caged window they served us. They poured with a fork attached to a shot glass a white clear liquid to sample. We were't too crazy about it. We wanted to bring back some for Tilley and Bridget so they filled half a water bottle for three cedi's, approximately $1.80. We went to sit down on a dirt yard at the side of the store but all the tables were full. So, after a few minutes four chairs appeared and were set in a circle. About 5 minutes later a table appears. There are no lights and lots of loud hip light music. Our food was delivered and once again we did not use utensils. Senora wanted to see her food so she took a picture. Kwaku used his cell phone light for Kristen to filet her fish. After dinner we danced a bit and then decided to go to the shell station. We heard many stories that the shell gas station was the place to be. They weren't kidding. The place was hopping! Everyone was dancing. We had a great time. We woke Tilley and Bridget up when we got home to tell them of our great adventure.
Monday: A Day of Dance
A Day of Dance
Another beautiful day in Ghana. We met our same driver Kwaku and drove to meet a Geneseo professor named Jen who recently married a Ghanaian man named Yahaya. We had arranged to take a dance and drum lesson with the troupe that Yahaya runs. We left Yahaya's shop and headed to the Castle Restaurant which is right next door to the Cape Coast Castle. We found out we would be drumming and dancing outside on a patio in between the two buildings. On our right was the ocean and on the left a street filled with many children eager to watch us learn.Two drummers from the dance troupe patiently taught us some rhythms and let us improvise on their drums. After spending an hour sweating over our drums, a dancer named Philomena took over. She made us take off our shoes and started to lead us in dance. Local children cheered us on as we mastered our moves and they mimicked our dance moves, without even trying. Senora came up with many names for the dance moves in order to help us along, like The Chicken, Windmill, and our favorite, "Don't Punch Your Friend". An hour later, we performed to many pedestrians and onlookers. Ghanaians are so kind and never laugh at you. They think you are wonderful for just trying. We love these people. We were drenched in sweat and sat down with Jen at a local restaurant and had yam balls and pineapple pancakes. Jen then took us shopping in town and introduced us to local snacks, including Obama family cookies. We should add at this point that Ghanaians love Obama. They know more about him and his family than most Americans. I don't think anyone here misses George Bush. The highlight of the day was watching a rehearsal of Yahayas dance troupe, Korye. For two hours, without a break, these young men and women danced tirelessly, as the drummers kept the beat. If they felt the heat, you wouldn't know it although they were dripping with sweat. They were amazing! They had moves that astounded us and it all seemed effortless. All the dancers had smiles on their faces the whole time. Spectators lined the walls of the courtyard, offering encouragement. The young children watching were stepping right along with the dancers and you just know they were dreaming of one day becoming dancers too. Once finished, they invited us to join them and show us our moves that we learned earlier. How wonderful to dance with these young professionals and everyone was impressed. Well, maybe not impressed but they certainly cheered us on. We finished the night eating again in The Castle Restaurant under very little light indulging in Red Red, Rice, Snapper, and beans with Coconut Curry.
Another beautiful day in Ghana. We met our same driver Kwaku and drove to meet a Geneseo professor named Jen who recently married a Ghanaian man named Yahaya. We had arranged to take a dance and drum lesson with the troupe that Yahaya runs. We left Yahaya's shop and headed to the Castle Restaurant which is right next door to the Cape Coast Castle. We found out we would be drumming and dancing outside on a patio in between the two buildings. On our right was the ocean and on the left a street filled with many children eager to watch us learn.Two drummers from the dance troupe patiently taught us some rhythms and let us improvise on their drums. After spending an hour sweating over our drums, a dancer named Philomena took over. She made us take off our shoes and started to lead us in dance. Local children cheered us on as we mastered our moves and they mimicked our dance moves, without even trying. Senora came up with many names for the dance moves in order to help us along, like The Chicken, Windmill, and our favorite, "Don't Punch Your Friend". An hour later, we performed to many pedestrians and onlookers. Ghanaians are so kind and never laugh at you. They think you are wonderful for just trying. We love these people. We were drenched in sweat and sat down with Jen at a local restaurant and had yam balls and pineapple pancakes. Jen then took us shopping in town and introduced us to local snacks, including Obama family cookies. We should add at this point that Ghanaians love Obama. They know more about him and his family than most Americans. I don't think anyone here misses George Bush. The highlight of the day was watching a rehearsal of Yahayas dance troupe, Korye. For two hours, without a break, these young men and women danced tirelessly, as the drummers kept the beat. If they felt the heat, you wouldn't know it although they were dripping with sweat. They were amazing! They had moves that astounded us and it all seemed effortless. All the dancers had smiles on their faces the whole time. Spectators lined the walls of the courtyard, offering encouragement. The young children watching were stepping right along with the dancers and you just know they were dreaming of one day becoming dancers too. Once finished, they invited us to join them and show us our moves that we learned earlier. How wonderful to dance with these young professionals and everyone was impressed. Well, maybe not impressed but they certainly cheered us on. We finished the night eating again in The Castle Restaurant under very little light indulging in Red Red, Rice, Snapper, and beans with Coconut Curry.
Monday, July 4, 2011
A Bird's Eye View
Sunday - a birds eye view
We were the first in the breakfast line as we fortified ourselves for our visit to Kakum National Forest. Our drive through the outskirts of Elmina and Cape Coast lead us past a few prisons. The one that stood out the most was the prison for inmates with communicable diseases and for those with leprosy. Many of the fatal diseases in this area have pharmaceutical cures, such as malaria, but the drugs needed are expensive and/or difficult to acquire.
The highlight of the day was Senora's valiant conquering of the muddy inclines leading to the canopy walk. Kakum offers naturalist guided hikes of the park and our guide, Ben, explained about the uses of trees and shrubs. We were assured that the suspension rope bridges could hold the weight of 2 elephants. The seven bridges spanned across the tree tops and we could cross them 3 people at a time. Not only was the view incredible but there were sweet floral smells, birds singing, and monkeys calling in the distance. Some of then natural remedies included cures for headaches, coughing, stomach aliments, and asthma.
Before returning to Elmina, we took a brief detour to a refuge with "friendly" crocodiles. We each bravely pet a 6 foot crocodile and to our surprise he did not even move. We drove through Cape Coast and stopped at a road side store to pick up provisions for the evening.
Upon returning to the Coconut Grove, Senora and Tilley immediately jumped into the pool to cool off. Storm clouds were brewing in the distance and we could see the rain rolling in. We enjoyed sitting on the front porch watching the waves swell. The temperature dramatically dropped and we decided to stay in, eating pizza and Cheeze-its in our room. Sadly, we missed going to Hi-life dance party at the local Shell Station.
Notices and Wonderings:
Our driver said that over half of the children in Ghana do not know their father.
The large fortresses that line the coast are called "castles" but these buildings are where slaves were held before Middle Passage.
All of the people that we saw in the towns were dressed up for church and some are dressed in matching prints as members if a Church Society.
The Sunday following a funeral is considered Thanksgiving where friends and family gather to honor the deceased and make donations to the family.
Many structures in the countryside are being built but not completed. It was explained to us that people will buy land and build houses when they have money to invest or supplies become available. It may take decades or generation to complete.
In towns, there are deep cuts on the sides of the road that serve as gutters. They are partially covered and Senora is concerned that people and cars fall into them.
Building materials in villages range from cinder blocks, mud, corrugated tin, and today we saw palm leaf fences.
Although it is not explicit, there are gendered roles. For example, in coastal towns, the men fish and the women prepare them for sale and storage.
Much wood is shipped from the interior and piles of wood are stored next to huts to smoke fish.
When we asked any ghanaian what their favorite food is, all answered fufu.
Fish is the most common meat in this area and chicken and beef are significantly more expensive. However, the only pork that is eaten is imported and usually only ate by tourists.
Many people have asked about our families, whether we are married and have children.
We have seen small groups of college students but it is uncommon to have 5 women traveling together.
Mothers carry their child on their backs secured by a single piece of fabric tied around her body. We have yet to see any babies or children crying or fuss. Even young children seem to keep themselves occupied and content with minimal parental attention. It is common to see older siblings caring for younger ones.
Sent from my iPad
We were the first in the breakfast line as we fortified ourselves for our visit to Kakum National Forest. Our drive through the outskirts of Elmina and Cape Coast lead us past a few prisons. The one that stood out the most was the prison for inmates with communicable diseases and for those with leprosy. Many of the fatal diseases in this area have pharmaceutical cures, such as malaria, but the drugs needed are expensive and/or difficult to acquire.
The highlight of the day was Senora's valiant conquering of the muddy inclines leading to the canopy walk. Kakum offers naturalist guided hikes of the park and our guide, Ben, explained about the uses of trees and shrubs. We were assured that the suspension rope bridges could hold the weight of 2 elephants. The seven bridges spanned across the tree tops and we could cross them 3 people at a time. Not only was the view incredible but there were sweet floral smells, birds singing, and monkeys calling in the distance. Some of then natural remedies included cures for headaches, coughing, stomach aliments, and asthma.
Before returning to Elmina, we took a brief detour to a refuge with "friendly" crocodiles. We each bravely pet a 6 foot crocodile and to our surprise he did not even move. We drove through Cape Coast and stopped at a road side store to pick up provisions for the evening.
Upon returning to the Coconut Grove, Senora and Tilley immediately jumped into the pool to cool off. Storm clouds were brewing in the distance and we could see the rain rolling in. We enjoyed sitting on the front porch watching the waves swell. The temperature dramatically dropped and we decided to stay in, eating pizza and Cheeze-its in our room. Sadly, we missed going to Hi-life dance party at the local Shell Station.
Notices and Wonderings:
Our driver said that over half of the children in Ghana do not know their father.
The large fortresses that line the coast are called "castles" but these buildings are where slaves were held before Middle Passage.
All of the people that we saw in the towns were dressed up for church and some are dressed in matching prints as members if a Church Society.
The Sunday following a funeral is considered Thanksgiving where friends and family gather to honor the deceased and make donations to the family.
Many structures in the countryside are being built but not completed. It was explained to us that people will buy land and build houses when they have money to invest or supplies become available. It may take decades or generation to complete.
In towns, there are deep cuts on the sides of the road that serve as gutters. They are partially covered and Senora is concerned that people and cars fall into them.
Building materials in villages range from cinder blocks, mud, corrugated tin, and today we saw palm leaf fences.
Although it is not explicit, there are gendered roles. For example, in coastal towns, the men fish and the women prepare them for sale and storage.
Much wood is shipped from the interior and piles of wood are stored next to huts to smoke fish.
When we asked any ghanaian what their favorite food is, all answered fufu.
Fish is the most common meat in this area and chicken and beef are significantly more expensive. However, the only pork that is eaten is imported and usually only ate by tourists.
Many people have asked about our families, whether we are married and have children.
We have seen small groups of college students but it is uncommon to have 5 women traveling together.
Mothers carry their child on their backs secured by a single piece of fabric tied around her body. We have yet to see any babies or children crying or fuss. Even young children seem to keep themselves occupied and content with minimal parental attention. It is common to see older siblings caring for younger ones.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, July 3, 2011
On the Road Again and High Life Saturday
Friday July 1st republic day in Ghana. It is a holiday and there are just as many vendors on the street as any other day. Señora called Samuel the cab driver and he was off. She mistakenly called him again and said "I can not drive you today".
We ate breakfast at the Afia and packed our bags. We took a cab to the bus station and the bus was an hour late. Kristen and Bridget had to go to the bathroom. They were supposed to pay but didn't realize it until señora and amy went and said that they paid to use the bathroom. Thank goodness we brought in our own toilet paper is all we have to say.
Finally we departed around two o'clock when we were suppose to leave at 1230. The driver announced in English before we left that we should all say an amen for a safe journey and then repeated the same thing in tre. It was like taking a greyhound bus but it made some unexpected stops and deliveries along the way. We noticed that as deliveries were made men would jump off the bus and relieve themselves. It took us awhile to get out of Accra. It is so congested and busy. We passed the kaneshie market an incredibly busy market that was on the amazing race. Vendors dodged in and out of traffic selling their wares. Yam sellers were especially prevalent and at one point we saw lots of young men selling yams in all three lanes of traffic. It was equivalent to carrying about 12 two liter bottles of soda. Once out in the countryside, we saw such poverty. Village after village with tin shacks, dilapidated homes that words can't even describe. At times, we saw shacks across from breathtaking oceanside.
As we neared Cape Coast, we began to see long wooden boats beached on the shore. Only for a brief moment, we saw dozens of men sliding a new boat down a launch. It was about 20 feet long and 1 man wide. It looked to have been carved from a single tree. We didn't arrive to Coconut Grove until after dark but were impressed with our new lodging.
Before dinner we walked the beach, which was much cleaner than in Accra. Dinner was one of the most delicious yet. We are confident that our stay here will be enjoyable as our busy days are yet to come.
High Life Saturday
Today we were awoken by Nana Ghana yelling at us "If you want to have breakfast you better get up!" and so we got up for our breakfast of eggs, toast, croissants and espresso. And some even dared to have fresh pineapple juice. Bridget is still holding out on the juice! We spent the day relaxing and rejuvenating by the pool for our adventures ahead. We planned our days here in Cape Coast and Shopped with an excellent jeweler named Kojo who sprang up from the beach. Tilley and Señora ventured down the road to Theresa's shop filled with Ghanian crafts. The highlight of our day was dancing to high life music with Ghanian hotel guests amid even received dance lessons from a Ghanian woman. Tilley is a natural high life dancer. She definitely has the moves when it comes to high life and even received a compliment from our dance tutor. It is a beautiful night here on the beach in Cape Coast. We are looking to our adventure at Kakum National Park tomorrow!
We ate breakfast at the Afia and packed our bags. We took a cab to the bus station and the bus was an hour late. Kristen and Bridget had to go to the bathroom. They were supposed to pay but didn't realize it until señora and amy went and said that they paid to use the bathroom. Thank goodness we brought in our own toilet paper is all we have to say.
Finally we departed around two o'clock when we were suppose to leave at 1230. The driver announced in English before we left that we should all say an amen for a safe journey and then repeated the same thing in tre. It was like taking a greyhound bus but it made some unexpected stops and deliveries along the way. We noticed that as deliveries were made men would jump off the bus and relieve themselves. It took us awhile to get out of Accra. It is so congested and busy. We passed the kaneshie market an incredibly busy market that was on the amazing race. Vendors dodged in and out of traffic selling their wares. Yam sellers were especially prevalent and at one point we saw lots of young men selling yams in all three lanes of traffic. It was equivalent to carrying about 12 two liter bottles of soda. Once out in the countryside, we saw such poverty. Village after village with tin shacks, dilapidated homes that words can't even describe. At times, we saw shacks across from breathtaking oceanside.
As we neared Cape Coast, we began to see long wooden boats beached on the shore. Only for a brief moment, we saw dozens of men sliding a new boat down a launch. It was about 20 feet long and 1 man wide. It looked to have been carved from a single tree. We didn't arrive to Coconut Grove until after dark but were impressed with our new lodging.
Before dinner we walked the beach, which was much cleaner than in Accra. Dinner was one of the most delicious yet. We are confident that our stay here will be enjoyable as our busy days are yet to come.
High Life Saturday
Today we were awoken by Nana Ghana yelling at us "If you want to have breakfast you better get up!" and so we got up for our breakfast of eggs, toast, croissants and espresso. And some even dared to have fresh pineapple juice. Bridget is still holding out on the juice! We spent the day relaxing and rejuvenating by the pool for our adventures ahead. We planned our days here in Cape Coast and Shopped with an excellent jeweler named Kojo who sprang up from the beach. Tilley and Señora ventured down the road to Theresa's shop filled with Ghanian crafts. The highlight of our day was dancing to high life music with Ghanian hotel guests amid even received dance lessons from a Ghanian woman. Tilley is a natural high life dancer. She definitely has the moves when it comes to high life and even received a compliment from our dance tutor. It is a beautiful night here on the beach in Cape Coast. We are looking to our adventure at Kakum National Park tomorrow!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
On the Road Again and High Life Saturday
Friday July 1st republic day in Ghana. It is a holiday and there are just as many vendors on the street as any other day. Señora called Samuel the cab driver and he was off. She mistakenly called him again and said "I can not drive you today".
We ate breakfast at the Afia and packed our bags. We took a cab to the bus station and the bus was an hour late. Kristen and Bridget had to go to the bathroom. They were supposed to pay but didn't realize it until señora and amy went and said that they paid to use the bathroom. Thank goodness we brought in our own toilet paper is all we have to say.
Finally we departed around two o'clock when we were suppose to leave at 1230. The driver announced in English before we left that we should all say an amen for a safe journey and then repeated the same thing in tre. It was like taking a greyhound bus but it made some unexpected stops and deliveries along the way. We noticed that as deliveries were made men would jump off the bus and relieve themselves. It took us awhile to get out of Accra. It is so congested and busy. We passed the kaneshie market an incredibly busy market that was on the amazing race. Vendors dodged in and out of traffic selling their wares. Yam sellers were especially prevalent and at one point we saw lots of young men selling yams in all three lanes of traffic. It was equivalent to carrying about 12 two liter bottles of soda. Once out in the countryside, we saw such poverty. Village after village with tin shacks, dilapidated homes that words can't even describe. At times, we saw shacks across from breathtaking oceanside.
As we neared Cape Coast, we began to see long wooden boats beached on the shore. Only for a brief moment, we saw dozens of men sliding a new boat down a launch. It was about 20 feet long and 1 man wide. It looked to have been carved from a single tree. We didn't arrive to Coconut Grove until after dark but were impressed with our new lodging.
Before dinner we walked the beach, which was much cleaner than in Accra. Dinner was one of the most delicious yet. We are confident that our stay here will be enjoyable as our busy days are yet to come.
High Life Saturday
Today we were awoken by Nana Ghana yelling at us "If you want to have breakfast you better get up!" and so we got up for our breakfast of eggs, toast, croissants and espresso. And some even dared to have fresh pineapple juice. Bridget is still holding out on the juice! We spent the day relaxing and rejuvenating by the pool for our adventures ahead. We planned our days here in Cape Coast and Shopped with an excellent jeweler named Kojo who sprang up from the beach. Tilley and Señora ventured down the road to Theresa's shop filled with Ghanian crafts. The highlight of our day was dancing to high life music with Ghanian hotel guests amid even received dance lessons from a Ghanian woman. Tilley is a natural high life dancer. She definitely has the moves when it comes to high life and even received a compliment from our dance tutor. It is a beautiful night here on the beach in Cape Coast. We are looking to our adventure at Kakum National Park tomorrow!
We ate breakfast at the Afia and packed our bags. We took a cab to the bus station and the bus was an hour late. Kristen and Bridget had to go to the bathroom. They were supposed to pay but didn't realize it until señora and amy went and said that they paid to use the bathroom. Thank goodness we brought in our own toilet paper is all we have to say.
Finally we departed around two o'clock when we were suppose to leave at 1230. The driver announced in English before we left that we should all say an amen for a safe journey and then repeated the same thing in tre. It was like taking a greyhound bus but it made some unexpected stops and deliveries along the way. We noticed that as deliveries were made men would jump off the bus and relieve themselves. It took us awhile to get out of Accra. It is so congested and busy. We passed the kaneshie market an incredibly busy market that was on the amazing race. Vendors dodged in and out of traffic selling their wares. Yam sellers were especially prevalent and at one point we saw lots of young men selling yams in all three lanes of traffic. It was equivalent to carrying about 12 two liter bottles of soda. Once out in the countryside, we saw such poverty. Village after village with tin shacks, dilapidated homes that words can't even describe. At times, we saw shacks across from breathtaking oceanside.
As we neared Cape Coast, we began to see long wooden boats beached on the shore. Only for a brief moment, we saw dozens of men sliding a new boat down a launch. It was about 20 feet long and 1 man wide. It looked to have been carved from a single tree. We didn't arrive to Coconut Grove until after dark but were impressed with our new lodging.
Before dinner we walked the beach, which was much cleaner than in Accra. Dinner was one of the most delicious yet. We are confident that our stay here will be enjoyable as our busy days are yet to come.
High Life Saturday
Today we were awoken by Nana Ghana yelling at us "If you want to have breakfast you better get up!" and so we got up for our breakfast of eggs, toast, croissants and espresso. And some even dared to have fresh pineapple juice. Bridget is still holding out on the juice! We spent the day relaxing and rejuvenating by the pool for our adventures ahead. We planned our days here in Cape Coast and Shopped with an excellent jeweler named Kojo who sprang up from the beach. Tilley and Señora ventured down the road to Theresa's shop filled with Ghanian crafts. The highlight of our day was dancing to high life music with Ghanian hotel guests amid even received dance lessons from a Ghanian woman. Tilley is a natural high life dancer. She definitely has the moves when it comes to high life and even received a compliment from our dance tutor. It is a beautiful night here on the beach in Cape Coast. We are looking to our adventure at Kakum National Park tomorrow!
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