JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH...or just outside Accra

Saturday Jan. 28 Slave Castle and CAPE COAST…and a CROCODILE

This day was full of emotions and FROG EYES (this is where you are wide-eyed due to all the sight seeing and new experiences, but this tends to EXHAUST YOU COMPLETELY).

I traveled FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME outside of Accra into the CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA.

It was crazy to see all the tropical trees, all the huts for living in, and the plethora of dirt roads in Ghana. When we were stuck in traffic (added 3 hours to the 3 hour trip, which means a 3 hour trip to Cape Coast turned into a 6 hour trip) due to the construction of a new road WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE USA (neato), I waved and smiled at everyone, which turned every focused and serious face into a slight smile or laughter. I think with this language barrier the way to communicate is through smiles and waves. WHICH WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN CUBA.

I found myself fascinated by the ART of carrying things on your head. ALMOST EVERY GHANAIAN has this skill mastered. I wonder if it stunts growth or can cause serious spinal problems when these people get older?

People EVERYWHERE ON THE JOURNEY
There is this way of selling things in Ghana where people carry a bucket or large bowl on their heads walking from car to car on the street trying to convince people to buy what is on their head. I observed that EVERY GHANAIAN turns a blind eye to these people. Some are children, some are adults, and some are elderly trying to get by to the next day. I asked Shadrach how long this has been around and replied ”longer than I have been alive”. This person-to-person interaction of selling things is very sad yet interesting. These “hawkers” as the Ghanaian government refers to them as, sell banana chips, Ghanaian chocolate (which RACHEL SMITH YOU ARE RIGHT IS AMAZING), Flags, shirts, cloths, tissues, saches (A TYPE OF WATER THAT IS INDEED IN A BAG), and very random things like outlets and plug ins. It is a very capitalist thing in a very dangerous situation. Cars don’t yield for people, people yield to cars in Ghana so as you can see this market of business is VERY DANGEROUS for both parties. Yet, it continues to go. In fact Collin, one of the ISEP kiddos, bought a Ghanaian flag BECAUSE OF THE AFRICAN FOOTBALL CUP and he paid 20 CD from our bus…which was really a 5 CD value…very interesting how this system works. RIPING OBRUNIS OFF. But it sure did make that boys day. He proceeded to run after us for several miles trying to convince someone else on the bus to buy a flag.

SLAVE CASTLE and the reaction of my group

After this LONG JOURNEY TO CAPE COAST we entered the Cape Coast Castle where slaves were kept for 3 months before they were “shipped” to the US or another country. IT WAS EXTREMELY CREEPY AND EMOTIONAL. A lot of our group couldn’t help but tear up at the lives and treatment of mankind. IN FACT OBAMA VISITED THIS SITE IN 2009…I had no clue.

The dungeons were spooky and it seemed to be a reminder that these genocides are still continuing and we need to stop them! I also felt a sense of anger at my previous generations for doing such things.

ON a lighter note… our HOTEL was VERY NICE: Crocodiles, Swimming Pools, and PING PONG CHAMPION COMPETION

This was a crocodile pond surrounding the hotel. We spotted many and wondered if they were naturally here or some people brought them here for a tourist attraction.

There was a swimming pool WITH a slide… which was very fun indeed.

AND EMMA AND I GOT TO PLAY A GHANAIAN we met at PING PONG…he seemed to be a national quality ping-pong player…but OF COURSE he let us win. It was so much fun to play around for a little but and not be absorbed in an emotional adventure (like the castle)


Groundnut Soup with Boiled Yam

After playing around Katie and I got a traditional groundnut soup with boiled yam. I LOVED IT…but yams here are like potatoes indeed. WE ALSO CELEBRATED CERRIA AND STEPHANIES BIRTHDAYS… two of the ISEP kids. We had some Ghanaian cake, which is VERY VERY PURE. Not fake sugar! It was all natural, which was very different than a cake in the USA. Emma and I enjoyed have a sweet…since our sweet tooth was hungry.

We then WATCHED GHANAIAN BEAT MALI IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE AFRICAN CUP…GOOOOOOOOO GHANA OR KKKKOOOOOOOOO GHANA! ☺

Sunday Jan. 29 Kakun National Park (Canopy Walk) and Kenk (fermented corn maze)
RAINFOREST EXPLORATION

I woke up with pure excitement. I was GOING TO A RAINFOREST AND CLIMB A BUNCH OF ROPE BRIDGES. We made the 25km drive and arrived at AN X MARKS THE SPOT TOURIST LOCATION. We climbed to the top a hill and then learned about some of the trees and their cultural means. Then…THE SUSPENSE…we clumbered (the best way to describe how we went through seven bridges). It was SO SO SO BEATUFIUL! I will try to upload pictures sometime soon. It was such a worth while experience. I don’t think any words can do the beauty justice. I plan on coming back at night to see the moneys since they are nocturnal and camping to hear the wildlife speak its mind. In fact this forest has NO MOSIQUTIOS because a certain type of tree’s scent wards off all of those Malaria carrying bugs.

We then drove back to ACCRA… which I oddly called home on the way back…STRANGE…I’ve only been here for over a week, but I feel at home with a support system and a pattern.

MEETING MY ROOMMATE
TO MY SURPISE MY NEW ROOMMATE WAS IN MY ROOM WHEN I GOT BACK. Her name is Anita and she was born and raised in Accra. She is literally one of the nicest people I HAVE EVER MET. She asked me right off the bat what my some of my preferences were for living and I got to know about her family. She invited me home sometime and TO HER BROTHER’S WEDDING IN MARCH. So thus far I will be able to go to TWO WEDDINGS!

I am sure I will have more stories about her soon! She is a Zoology major and her mother runs a school…YES AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL…SO RIGHT UP MY ALLY! :0 ☺ ☺ ☺

Attempted Dinner:

Kenk Stew (not for people that distaste sugar)
Ingredients:
One “loaf” of kenk
10 sugar cubes
1 cup of soymilk
1 cup of groundnuts (peanuts in Ghana)

Requirement
NOT TO KNOW WHAT KENK IS OR YOU WON’T WANT TO EAT IT!

Kenk is fermented corn maze…I tried it plain first POOR DECISION!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got Kenk on the way back from Cape Coast…the rule is for EVERY GHANAIAN to get this oddly shaped food when you are returning from cape coast to Accra to prove that you were there because that is the only place in Ghana you can get this specific Kenk. SO EVERY GHANAIAN on our bus LOADED, AND I MEAN LOADED up on this stuff. They got about 15-20 of these “loafs: to bring home to their families.

The taste is extremely sour. I am a sour person…but not in corn maze…I think it is just creepy…I wonder if this opinion will change later on. We shall see!
My roommate thought I would like the different type of Kenk a bit more…hopefully hehehehehe. Trying all these new foods is interesting!


Monday Jan. 30 FIRST DAY OF “OFFICAL CLASSES”

But…no classes for me!

IPO’S AMAZING FREE INTERNET!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES:
I am going to do what Heather Newell…and several other Hendrix students did: MAWUVIO’S OUTREACH PROGRAM! I get to teach in a class and chill with some BALLIN’ KIDDOS!

AMERICAN MEAL OF PASTA (which is really Italian but it reminds me of school and home)
Katie, Emma, and I decided to make pasta and our own sauce because we wanted an American meal. It only equated to about 2 CD (which is like a 1.50 US) SO A SUPER CHEAP DINNER!

EATING IN GHANA

Ohhhh and how eating works here in AFRICA. We get 1350 CD for the semester for food. This equates to a bit over 10 CD a day for food with a bit left over in case we go over some days. This is working out well so far with sandwiches of peanut butter and banana and tuna sandwiches for lunch and a LARGE GHANAIAN DINNER with plenty of calories of fat and carbs. And for bfast either oatmeal or an egg sandwich.