Hard Work at its Finest

Things have been picking up here as the school year is coming to an end. The weeks seem to blur together for they go by so quickly. After the game in Kumasi, I took it easy for a week and tried to focus on school (or simply forced myself to go to class is more like it). Sometimes the motivation to make it to class is low, because all of my classes are large political science classes where the professor reads from the packet we all have for 2 hours. I find I learn better when I do the reading myself, and take my own notes. But this week I went to all of them in preparation for finals which are coming up soon. I am anxious to see how those are going to pan out, it should be interesting.

Since we were all taking it easy, we decided not to travel very far last weekend. Instead, we went to the orphanage in Kpando with a group of friends. The last couple times I have been to Hardt Haven, Edem has shown me the construction he has been doing single handedly on the new orphanage. I asked him if he would want help some weekend digging, painting, cleaning, whatever he needed done. He loved the idea, so I asked around to see if any of my friends would be interested in going to help, and I was thrilled with how many people wanted to come.
Saturday morning, a group of 11 of us made our way up to Kpando. Alli, Tai, Melissa, Jess, Kaci, Jack, John, Jay, Max, Ryan and I found an empty tro tro at the tro station, and were able to completely fill it by ourselves. The tro ride is about 4 hours to Kpando, and when we got there, the sky looked like rain was in store for us. We put our stuff down at the guest house we checked into, and walked over to Hardt Haven. (Sidenote: That is something I absolutely love about Kpando, it is small enough where you can walk everywhere. It has such a sense of community, and everyone welcomes you (Akwaaba) as you walk by.)

I was so excited to see the kids again, it had been almost 3 weeks since I had been there last; I wish it was closer so I could go more often. Christopher (the 2 year old boy) automatically gravitated towards Tai. You should have seen it, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight, it was so cute. The guys got a big game of soccer going, and all the younger boys were so excited to have older boys to play with. (Most all of the volunteers that come are usually females) We hung out with the kids for most of the day, and then it started to rain, but lightly. We all went back to our guest house to shower and go out to dinner. At dinner, it started pouring. As in huge storm. The power went out, and we sat in the pitch dark until candles were lit. It was still raining on the walk home, but not too bad. We all went to bed early because we were waking up early to work the next morning.

Our day began at 7 am. We got up, and walked over to the work site. There is a house that belongs to Edem that is already there, (that is going to be the children’s rooms) and he is adding on to it. The house hasn’t been used in years tho, so it was the girls job to begin to clean it out. The boys were outside digging property lines around the house, 1 ½ ft deep, and 1 ½ ft wide. The inside of the house was completely empty, except for dirt. There was about ½ inch think layer of dirt on the ground in every room. It took us a while to sweep it all out because they don’t have brooms here, they use twigs tied together at the end. So you have to bend down really low to sweep. Once we got most of the dirt out, we scrubbed the walls. We encountered so many different spiders, it was intense. I’m not big on spiders, but I can handle them. They were pretty huge though, and some of the girls couldn’t stand to be in there. I found a dead bat too, which was pretty gross. But it the house definitely looked a lot cleaner once that was done.
After we had been cleaning for about 2 hours, we all thought we should give the boys a break, and go switch with them. I’ve had to dig before, and I thought it wouldn’t be too hard. Needless to say, we largely underestimated how hard that type of work is. We got outside and the boys were all shoveling or pick axing away in the blazing sun. The boys each traded out their shovel or pick ax with us, but stuck around to watch. (I’m pretty sure they anticipated the comical situation which was about to occur). Jack had the largest pick ax and I traded out with him. I could hardly lift it over my head. I lasted maybe 10 minutes before he offered to trade out again. (Probably because it was painful to watch hahaha) But then I switched to shoveling, which was just as intense. Again, I probably only shoveled for about 10 minutes until John took it back over. We (the girls) were thankful we had the boys there because they were much better at the landscaping work than we were. But, Alli was working away, and shoveled with the boys the remainder of the time, and has the blisters to prove it!

We had to catch a tro later that day so we stopped working around 12pm, and head back to the guest house to shower. Although it didn’t seem like we got a lot of work done, we cleaned out the entire house, and got a good start on the property line. And that is that much more work Edem doesn’t have to do by himself, which makes a big difference to him. We went back to Hardt Haven to hang with the kids for about an hour before we had to head home.

The trip was wonderful. It was so great to have my friends meet all the kids, and love them as much as they did. Many of them want to go back again, which I think we definitely will during finals week. I am still just so happy so many people wanted to come be a part of this, and were willing to give up a weekend of traveling to help work.I thought maybe 4 would be interested, but there were 11 of us. It broke my heart all over again leaving the kids, especially Paulie (talked about in earlier blogs) But that gives me that much more incentive to go back as soon as I can.

That’s all I have for now....this week I am just laying low and starting to study. But my big trip is coming up soon, so I’m sure after that I will have loads to write about!
Until next time, Much Love!
Nat

World Cup Qualifying Madness!

Ghana vs. Benin

Here in Ghana, Soccer = life. Seriously. If a game is on TV, crowds huddle around the nearest television for the entire game, dropping everything else to watch. From far distances, you can still hear the cheers when Ghana scores, or even comes close to scoring. They take pride in their team, the Black Stars, and it has turned into more than just a game here.
The World Cup qualifier game was this past weekend in Kumasi (about 6 hours north of Accra) and Ghana was playing Benin. We heard that the Black Stars games were insane, and we desperately wanted to go and try to get tickets. The game was Sunday afternoon, so we left for Kumasi Friday morning via bus.

To rewind a little, on Thursday afternoon Alli, Kaci and I went to the bus station in Circle (part of Accra) to get bus tickets for our group for the following day. It was quite the process just getting there, but we picked up 7 tickets and started walking back to the tro tro station. Right as we were leaving the bus station, we noticed a man following us. He seemed harmless, more of just a pester than anything. He literally followed us for about 10 minutes, kind of talking to us, partially to himself. We kept asking him to leave us alone, but he just kept following. We were passing a lot of street venders, and the other Ghanians on the street began noticing that he was following us. Within seconds, the other Ghanian men started yelling at the man to leave us alone, and when he didn’t, the men literally tackled him. We were so thankful that they were so protective. But, then about 5 minutes later, the man had found us again, and started following us again. Once again, the Ghanian men noticed, and tackled him again. That says something about the people here, they are very protective of us as foreigners, and I think they want us to have the best perception of Ghana possible. So, they get very upset when people treat us badly or try to harm us. They take pride in their country, and I have encountered numerous Ghanians who go out of their way to help me, or make sure I feel safe wherever I am.

So anyways, we got on the bus to Kumasi on Friday morning, and arrived to Kumasi on Friday about 5 pm. We were dropped off at the Stadium, and it was open for people to watch the Black Stars practice. We went in, sat down, and observed. The stadium was more than half filled just to watch them practice. It was cool to see how into it the people were, not even for the actual game. After, we made it to our hotel which was only about a 10 min walk to the stadium. The hotel itself was somewhat dingy, with the rooms lit with dim florescent lights which gave off a kind of eery feel. I was in a room with Berkely and Kaci, and Jack and John had another, while Alli and Emily shared the other. That night we all went to dinner across the street from the stadium, and made plans to go to the largest market in West Africa the next morning.

We woke up, had breakfast, and headed to the market. Once we got there, we realized it would be difficult to stay together because it was so crowded. We made plans to meet back up at 1pm at a specific spot, and went on our way. The market was insane, vendors and stands every way you turned. People were shoulder to shoulder, and there was more stuff than you can imagine. Mostly the things being sold were fish, meat, and fabric. I had a hay-day with the fabric. It was beautiful and inexpensive. 2 yards for about 3 cedi (abut 2.50 US dollars) I bought two different patterns to make dresses out of. A seamstress comes to our dorms twice a week and you can give her your fabric and draw her what you want, and she will duplicate it for you. Currently, she is working on two dresses for me, and tonight I am giving her two more fabric pieces. Anyways, the fabric was fabulous, but the fish and meat kind of freaked me out. The women were gutting the fish in the narrow streets, and to pass I pretty much had to jump over them. There were pigs feet and cow meat as well that was being cut up, and I have a hard time with meat in general, let alone raw meat being torn up in front of me. I just looked down and tried to find the fabric stands. Haha I met up with everyone at 1pm and we headed to lunch at a place that apparently had the best pizza in all of west africa.

That night, Alli looked through the guidebook to find a place to eat dinner. We decided on a place called Vic Baboo, and went there. Easily, some of the best food I have had in Ghana thus far. Al and I split some vegetable Curry and potato curry, which was wonderful. There were a lot of Obrunis (white ppl) at this restaurant which was kind of weird to see to be honest. I am wondering what it is going to be like coming home to the States and seeing a lot of white ppl all of the time. I won’t be used to it at first, I feel like it is going to take a little getting used to. We all got really good food, hung out and had a good time and went back to the hotel. Some people wanted to go out that night, but we knew we had to get up super early to try to get tickets, so Jack and I played cards and then called it an early night.

5 am the next morning, our day began. We walked to the stadium at 5am, and saw that maybe we were being a little overly cautious. There were only about 12 ppl in line in front of us, all being obrunis. The workers told us we could buy tickets at 7 am, so we waited. Then, at 7am, they changed the time to 10am. So, we walked back to the hotel, ate breakfast and then went back. When we went back to buy them, it was pouring rain. Emily, Kaci, Berk and I bought 11 tickets total, in the sitting section where we actually had assigned seats. We heard they sell more tickets than actual seats, and if you are in the standing section might not actually get in. So we bought the VIP sitting section, so we would be guaranteed a seat. The game started at 5 pm so we went back to the hotel to relax until about 3:30pm.

We had all bought jerseys, so we arrived decked out in Red, Yellow and Green. Us girls had all painted black stars on our cheeks, and we were ready to go! The game was packed, getting in wasn’t as hectic as I had assumed it would be. Once in, we sat in our seats and watched the madness begin. Ghana scored within the first 5 minutes, the only goal of the game. It was so much fun! The crowd was so into it, and it went by really fast. After the game, my friend Kaci, Jack and I decided it would be a good idea to sit and wait for about 20 minutes to miss the insanity of trying to leave with everyone else. The last game in Kumasi(which wasn’t even a World Cup Qualifier) 6 ppl died due to being trampled, and a few days ago in the Ivory coast, the same thing happened, except 22 ppl died. So, we definitely wanted to avoid that.

We waited about a half an hour and decided to leave. It wasn’t crowded at all, except for when we arrived at the main gate, and 2 cars were trying to get out at the same time as all of us were. I was right behind Jack, and Kaci was right behind me, until the car tried to get out, and people were being pushed on all sides. I had a knapsack backback on, and instinctively pulled the drawstrings as tight as I could so no one could reach into it, and tried to push my way out. Jack, Kaci and I were seperated, and it was so crowded, you literally couldn’t move in any direction. I began to feel hand after hand in my pockets, trying to pick pocket me. I got my elbows up, and began elbowing anyone who tried to reach into my pockets as hard as I could. I got some people in the face, some on the arms, just wherever I could. Finally, I saw an opening, and surged towards it. I thought I had gotten out with nothing stolen because I didn’t have anything in my pockets. But, then I realized someone behind me had taken a knife, and slashed my bag open. Luckily, they just got my wallet, which only had about 20 cedis and my student ID card. My camera and phone were in my bag as well, and thank god they didn’t get to that. I was obviously pretty mad, but I am telling myself it was a starving man with 6 kids who he had to feed, and they used my money to eat. That is probably not the case, but it makes me not as mad when I think about it that way.

Then, walking back to the hotel, we were in a huge group of people and we thought we heard a car tire backfire. Ghanians started running though, so naturally, we followed them. We figured they thought it was a gunshot, but we didn’t think it was. Then, we heard two more shots, that were definitely gun shots. We sprinted down off the main road, on to a side street and kept running. We heard more gun shots, and people were running everywhere. It was such a blur, I just was focused on running as fast as I could, but Kaci and Jack saw the man with the gun running after everyone, and a man with a machete. We booked it down a smaller alley way, and I jumped behind some cinder blocks to hide, but as Ghanians ran past, they yelled at me to keep running. Jack pulled me up, and the three of us sprinted further down the alley. I saw a narrow space between two houses that was pitch black, and we hurdled into that. People were there, and they were startled, but asked us what had happened. We told them quickly, and they led us behind the dark alley into a clearing where their houses were. These people were amazing, and calmed us down. They asked if we wanted food, water, anything. They called the police for us, and the police arrived to take us back to our hotel. We thanked the people endlessly who had helped us, and went back to our hotel. Obviously we were shook up. I had called Alli while we were at the people’s house to make sure everyone else had made it back okay, and she said they did. They had completely missed the drive by, and hadn’t even heard it. When we got back to the hotel, we were able to sit down and calm down. Jess went and got us water and we just sat there and recuperated. Our bus was waiting for us to take us back to Accra, and we got on it and it was nice because we didn’t have to talk to everyone and recount what had just happened.
I was calmed down completely once we were back to Accra, and I am just so thankful no one was hurt. Well, that we know of. I don’t know if anyone was hurt, I haven’t heard. I don’t see how they couldn’t be, when someone was driving by just shooting into the crowd. We still don’t know what happened, but I am thinking maybe it was a drunk Benin fan who was pissed that they lost and just wanted to scare the Ghana fans? And shot in the air? I really don’t know, but I am just glad we were all safe.

Besides the incidents after the game, the game itself was so much fun. It was great to see such an important game, and being involved in something so vital to the Ghanian culture. But, I do have to say that I think I am done with going to soccer matches here for a while. I think I will watch from here in Accra on TV for the rest of the games.

This weekend, I am going back to Hardt Haven Orphanage, and bringing some friends. The man who runs it, Edem, is single handedly building a new orphanage. Alli, Jack, Max, Jess, Tai, Melissa, Ryan and I are going for the weekend to help with construction. Mostly digging ditches and painting. I am excited to help, and see the kids! I will keep you updated on how that goes......

Until next time, much love!
-Nat

A Complete Wli Falls Adventure

Over the past few weeks, many of my friends at ISH (the dorm I live in) have been traveling to the Wli Falls in the Volta Region. Each time a group has come back, they rave about what a beautiful place the falls are, and how it is their new favorite place in Ghana. A group of us decided it was time we made the trek, and we head out for our trip Thurs. afternoon.
On Thursday, Alli, Emily, Jack, Max and I caught an STC bus to HoHoe at 3 pm. The drive to the Volta region is about 4 hours, but on the bus it took about 7. (Due to all the stops etc.) We arrived in HoHoe late, about 10:30. Jack had been sitting by a man on the bus who ended up being a huge help in the process of us finding a hotel to stay at. His name was Emanuel, and he walked us himself to different hotels to find one with vacancy. He did this out of genuine kindness, and didn’t expect anything in return. We have been really lucky while traveling, and have encountered many many people like Emanuel, who take time out to help us, just to help us. The more often it happens, we realize it is not necessarily luck, but in reality the Ghanaian people are some of the most friendly, hospitable, and helpful people any of us have ever met. Anyways, Emanuel took us to a hotel called the Matveg, and all 5 of us were able to stay in a room there.We hadn’t been able to get dinner, and all of the restaurants were closed, so that night we had a feast of Jack’s left over bread loaf, some peanuts, and water. The lights wouldn’t turn on, but we got a kick out of huddling around a flashlight playing cards that night until we went to bed.

The next morning we took a tro tro to the Waterfall Lodge, the place we would be staying that night, to drop our things off before we started our bat cave hike. The Waterfall Lodge was beautiful. The place was filled with bungalos and chalets surrounded by lush vegeatation and the most fabulous view of green covered mountains. I cannot do this place justice with words alone, and actually pictures do not even cover the entirety of its beauty. It was run by a German couple, and it was kept up so nicely. The 5 of us got our own Chalet, all with our own beds, and the plan was that our friend Loren would meet us later that night.

We made it to the reception area where we would start the batcave hike in town. Our tourguide was a man named Boss, who had been a tourguide for 27 years. He was a sweet, enthusiastic man who was stoked to be taking us on this hike. Together, we said a prayer before heading out, and were on our way. The hike up to the caves was more intense than we thought it would be. That, or I am just really out of shape, which is possible as well. Haha But, once we got to the caves, it was so cool. We had to rock climb to get into the caves, and parts were almost vertical climbing. I was fine on the way up, as in when I didn’t have to look down. But coming down from the caves, trying to find footings and seeing how high up I was, I freaked out. I definitely was up there for a while, and my legs were shaking so bad that it was making it very hard to get a stable stance. But, I made it, and I’m so glad I was able to do it. The caves were really neat to see, they were safe places for the people of the village to flee if their village was in danger of an attack. Some of the caves, we had to crawl down into through tiny spaces, and then it would open to a larger tavern. Bats resided in these taverns, and that was kinda spooky. Alli is terrified of bats, but she went anyways, and we were all really proud of her for doing it. She may of been clinging to my waist the whole time, or the wall, but she still did it. Hahaha

Once we got back from the bat caves, we were exhausted and all took showers and ate dinner. The food at the hotel was great, the Germans were excellent cooks! We hung out, played cards, and got ready for a action packed day that waited for us.
We woke up and were on our way to Mt. Afogjato, the largest mountain in Ghana. Our tro tro driver told us he had never hiked it, so we asked him if he wanted to join us, and he did. In sandles! Our guide, Marcel, was great. He allowed us to all go at our own pace, which was different for everyone. Jack and Emily hauled up the mountain, while Alli and I set goals to get about 20 steps higher each time. The climb was vertical the whole way, we covered a lot of mountain in a short amount of time. Max and Loren brought up the end, and we all met at the top. It was such an incredible view, literally breathtaking. The flies up at the top were overwhelming, so we weren’t able to stay up there longer than the time it took to take a few snaps. ( What they call pictures). The way down was much easier, and it was nice to take more time to look around and take in the ideal surrounding.

After our hike, we climbed back in the tro tro and headed back towards the hotel and planned to go see the waterfalls. I told Freemon (our driver) that I knew how to drive stick shift, and asked if I could drive the tro home. I was expecting him to laugh, which is what usually happens. But, he stopped the tro, and got out. He let me drive all the way back to the hotel, it was so much fun. Seriously probably made my whole entire trip! Haha Anyways, There are two different choices with the falls, the upper falls and the lower falls. The upper falls is an intense hike that takes you to the upper waterfalls, while the lower falls is about a half hour walk to the lower waterfalls where you can swim. The boys decided to do the upper falls, but we were exhausted and decided to stick with just the lower falls. The walk there was gorgeous, all rainforest. We were able to simply stroll, and enjoy eachothers company, which was so nice after the intense hike that morning. The falls were incredible. We were in complete awe. They were huge, and we felt so small in comparison. We all went in and swam, and took numerous pictures in front of them. It was easily the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We stayed at the falls for a long while, either swimming or just sitting, staring at the vastness of them.

We met up with the boys, and went back to the hotel. The next morning, we got up and ventured to the monkey sanctuary. I had been looking forward to the monkey sanctuary since arriving in Ghana, so I was pumped. We took motorbikes there, and once we got there, our tourguide took us on a walk through the jungle. He was calling to the monkeys the whole time, and they eventually came to us. Swinging from branch to branch, they seemed weightless. It was so cool to see them in their natural habitat. The tourguide gave us bananas to feed them, and when you would hold them up by a tree, they would swing down and peel it in your hands, eat it, and then jump away. There were so many of them, it was fascinating! Definitely a highlight of the trip for me.

We ended up catching a tro tro back to Accra, which took about 4 hours, so not too bad. This weekend was easily the best trip I have been on yet in Ghana, and definitely the most beautiful and exotic place I have ever been to in my entire life. My friends I traveled with were wonderful, the most easy going people ever. Everyone was down to do everything, and we all get along great. The weekend was filled with adventurous physical challenges, and it was a nice change from relaxing on the beach! Next week we are going to Kumasi for the World Cup Qualifier game between Ghana and Benin. I’ve heard it is insane.......I’ll keep you posted!
Much Love,
Natalie

Hardt Haven Childrens Home

Hardt Haven Childrens Home
One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Ghana was so I could volunteer while going to school. With the need as great as it is here, there are many different volunteer options for people who want to help. When I first arrived, I allowed myself to get settled in with the Ghanian culture and my school schedule first, and then decided I would look for places to volunteer.

At school, I made a friend from Holland, Derrick. He told me about an orphanage that he would go to on days that he didn’t have class, and I asked him to take me there. The place was a little cement room with a chalk board and a couple desks. The woman who ran the place was so sweet, her name is Fati. She explained that her home is a place where kids can go before and after school for help, or just a place to stay. She makes quilts that she sells at the market, and uses that money to pay for the children’s schooling if their parents can’t afford it. I made a friend, Soloman, who is 20 now, and he explained that Fati single handedly got him through his entire schooling career, and he is now applying for colleges in the states. Fati is amazing, and I enjoy her company so much. There are days that I go to help, and most all of the kids are at school, so I will sit with Fati and help her sew the quilts. Her husband, Kwame, helps with the sewing as well, and he taught me how to sew initially. The kids are great as well, and really really excited to learn and interested in everything you tell them. So during the week, when I don’t have school I am able to go to Fati’s house and help out there.

My friend Jess has a professor who knew of an orphanage that she suggested Jess should see. It is in a village called Kpando, in the volta region which is about 4 hours away from us here in Accra. The orphanage is called Hardt Haven children’s home, and is for HIV victims. All of the children there either have HIV, or are orphaned because their parents died from it. When Jess told me about the place, I knew I wanted to go. We went up early in the morning via tro tro and got there early afternoon. The man who started the home, Edem, picked us up from the tro tro station and took us to the home. The kids were beautiful. There are about 23 of them living at the home, and most have HIV. A couple are the siblings of ones who have HIV, and a few have been orphaned due to HIV. HIV/AIDS has a huge taboo here in Africa. When people find out someone has it, they are instantly shunned from the community. If a wife dies of AIDS, the community finds out she had AIDS, and then assumes the husband and children have it as well. So, the husband will leave in the middle of the night and flee to a different village where no one knows, and leaves the children alone. Hardt Haven picks up those kids, and gives them a home. The home provides them with the medicine they need, which they would never be able to receive otherwise.

Right when we walked through the gates, a chubby, bowlegged 2 year old ran up to us and hugged us. His name was Christopher, and we quickly discovered that he was easily the most charming, loving, hilarious child any of us had ever met. He stole my heart in a matter of minutes. He had this pale of water that he was walking around with, that he kept spilling everywhere. All over him, the other kids, and everything. He thought it was great, and had the biggest smile on all day.

I know you aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Paulie, a 3 year old girl, continues to make me love her more and more. Paulie is HIV positive, and the week before we got there she got really really sick. The doctors didn’t think she would make it, but she did. And when we arrived, you would never have been able to guess she was even sick. She has the cutest, highest pitch voice, and followed me around holding on the back of my pants wherever I went. She is feisty though, and has the funniest personality. I took the children to church the next morning, and during all the songs she would stand up and dance around clapping and singing loudly. She has such a vivacious spirit! If I could take her home with me, I would in an instant.

What really breaks my heart though is how they take care of each other. There are volunteers there always that watch out for them, but in reality, the children are each others parents. The older kids, (who are only 11) make sure the younger ones eat, bathe, and take their medicine. I can’t imagine having that kind of responsibility at 11, but they do it flawlessly. If a baby starts crying, the 8 year old girl, Mia, will rush over and pick them up, and tend to them. Whether it be feed them, change them, or simply hold them, they do it. They watch out for one another, and I have never seen anything remotely like that.

Isreal is one of the oldest at 11. He is most like the father figure to all of the children. He distributes all of their medicine, and at 7 am and 7 pm daily, he finds the volunteers and tells them, its medicine time. He is so much older than his years, and has had to grow up so quickly. I am trying to describe the kids as best I can, but I can’t even put into words how amazing these children are. The obstacles they face daily are larger than anything I have encountered throughout my entire life, and they meet each day with a positive attitude. They don’t cry, they don’t complain. Instead, they laugh, they play, they love each other.

Dankor is an 11 year old boy as well, another one of the oldest. He is HIV positive also. The thing with HIV is, if you have a C4 count of less than 1,000 you have HIV. There are 3 stages of HIV, a C4 count of 750, 500, and 250. The lower your C4 count, the worse it is. If the C4 count is less than 250, it is considered AIDS. Dankor’s C4 count is 57. It is a miracle he is alive, the doctors have labeled him one of the "walking dead". Again, you wouldn’t even be able to tell he is sick. He is constantly smiling and playing with the younger kids, doing their dishes and bathing them. I can’t imagine how much pain he must be in.

Wisdom is the youngest one at the orphanage at 12 months. He looks about 6 months though, because he is so tiny. He was taken from his mother and brought to the home, because she is what they call "mad" here. She lived on the streets, and refused to feed him. So when Edem found Wisdom, he was incredibly malnourished and very sick. He is doing great now at Hardt Haven, and all of the children absolutely adore him. They all take turns tending to him, and he is constantly being held because he is so lovable you don’t want to put him down.

I could go on and on about all of the children at Hardt Haven. They are all miracle children, and their stories are horrendous and inspiring at the same time. I go on the weekends, and stay for a couple days for each trip. Each time I leave, I can’t wait to go back. This last trip, we found out fantastic news. Christopher, the one I was talking about earlier, was born with HIV. But, apparently there is a 2 year grace period where if they are administered their medicine correctly and daily, there is a chance they can beat it. He was tested last week, and was negative for HIV. He still has to do 2 more tests within the next 6 months, but it is looking extremely good! He has two families in the US that want to adopt him, so needless to say, we were all thrilled! Even thinking about it, I get emotional all over again. Because if you met Christopher, you would love him. There is no way anyone couldn’t. And he doesn’t deserve to be dealt the life he was, none of them do. At times around them, I have to remove myself because I become overwhelmed with their situation. The fact that these kids are here in Africa, and I am blessed to be a part of their lives for a while, but when I leave they will still be here. They cannot simply leave their situation like I can. This is their reality, their life, and only a lucky few will be able to escape or overcome it. Hardt Haven is their savior though, they get more love and care there then a lot of other African children. Edem is currently working on expanding his own home so he can fit more children in the home. I am going back next weekend, and bringing a lot of my friends to help him with the construction, because he is doing it single handedly. He was thrilled when I offered that, and I am also working on raising money for him to help with the supplies he needs to finish his project. Three of my girlfriends and I are working on raising money, so I will email soon about our plan of action, and if anyone back home would be interested in helping in any way they could. I apologize for the length of this blog, again. But I could not leave out any part of this one, I am so incredibly moved by these children, and I realize that really the smallest thing can make a huge difference to them. I will keep in touch about what happens from this point out.....

Liberating

I was hesitant to write this blog entry, and still am somewhat. I don’t want to give people the wrong impression of Africa, or put a tainted view of my trip into people’s minds. But, lately I have been thinking a lot about this, and how far my friends and I have come in this sense, and I think it will be somewhat liberating to write about.

The second night we were in Ghana, a group of about 23 of us decided to go get a late dinner at a place on campus. It was a week before school started, so pretty much the only people who were on campus were the international students, leaving the campus pretty much empty. Two girls who had been here the semester before took us to this place, and we had a great time. We were all just beginning to get to know each other, and so we ended up staying for a while, eating and having a few drinks. At about 11:30 pm we decided to head back to our dorm. The thing about Africa is there really aren’t streetlights, so when it is dark, it is pitch dark. We took the same path that we took to get there, which was a dirt path with tall grass on either side. I was in the very back of the group, and on the way back we passed a man going the other way from us. Once he passed us though, he stopped and turned around and began to follow us. I was one of the few people who noticed since I was in the back, and when I turned to look back at him, I saw two men, one from each side come out of the tall grass. The man behind had a gun, and the two men that came out of the grass had machetes. I had a purse that was swung across my body, and so when they grabbed that, it grabbed me with it. The rest of my group saw what was happening, and began to scream and run. My immediate instinct was to run, but one man had a machete up against my arm, and was yelling at me not to run and give him my purse. It is all kind of a blur what happened, but all I know is that I took off my purse so fast and threw it to him. I turned to run, but they still weren’t wanting me to run away. This all happened within a matter of seconds, and one of the guys in my group, Ryan, had seen that I was behind and turned back to get me. He grabbed me by the arm, and threw me in front of him and was behind me pushing me as fast as he could to get away. It was so chaotic, people running everywhere. Ryan continued to push me in front of him, and led us to the nearest building with lights. We ran up the stairs and got help from inside, and made sure we had everyone in our group. Another girl, Jessica (who I constantly talk about in my blog) was in the middle of the group and after I ran away, they ran up to her and pulled the gun on her and made her give them her purse as well. When we were all gathered on the steps, we realized everyone was safe, and Jess and I were the only ones who got our purses stolen. Luckily, I only had my digital camera and room key in my purse. Jess had her wallet, camera, phone and important valuables in her purse. That experience was easily the scariest thing that has ever happened to me.

For days, weeks even, after I was startled by the littlest things. I was terrified of walking anywhere alone, because if something like that could happen with 23 people, no number of people was safe enough to me. I was constantly looking over my shoulder during the day, and pretty much refused to leave the dorm at night. I would make up excuses of why I was staying in, but in reality I could not get myself to feel safe here. It made me so angry, that was one of my first encounters with Ghanians, and I felt so bitter with them. I knew that I shouldn’t feel that way, that obviously not all Ghanians were the robbers I encountered, but I could not help being afraid of them. Every person I passed I imaged were the robbers, and I found that I was not allowing myself to trust them. It was awful.

We had a meeting with a counselor who sat everyone down who was involved in the attack. She made us talk about how we were feeling, and I was so relieved that a lot of my friends felt the same way I did. She told us we could not let this incident define our time here in Ghana. If we let it, it would. She also made it clear that these feelings would not just go away, but if we forced ourselves to go back out and do the things we wanted to do here, then eventually time would take those feelings away. The night of the attack, I was terrified to tell my parents about it, but how could I not? I thought for sure they would send me back on the next flight home. This was exactly what people had been telling them, the same comments over and over. "How can you let your daughter go to Africa?" "You must be so nervous," or "Is it even safe for her there?" I had been so proud of my parents for being so open and supportive about my dream of coming to Africa. I’m sure they had to of been nervous, and probably still are. But they didn’t let it show, they knew this is what I wanted, so they supported me. And then this happened. That was hard for me, to of been the one reassuring people I would be fine, nothing like that would happen to me, and then it did. It was definitely a wake-up call for me here that I needed to be extra cautious.

But when I did call my parents that night they told me exactly what I needed to hear. Something like this could happen anywhere, it does. The difference is, in San Diego, the weapon of choice wouldn’t of been machetes. I thought about that, and realized it was completely true. It was entirely bad luck that this happened to us on our second night here, and I could not let this incident define my time in Ghana.

The process of getting over my insecurities of being here was quicker than I expected. I made many Ghanian friends who helped me realize that is not a common occurance in Ghana. If that had been a week later, it would of never happened. The robbers knew the international students were the only ones on campus, and they took advantage of that. When school is in session, if someone is caught steeling, the men on campus are allowed to punish the thieves as they see fit. Usually, that means the robber gets intensely beaten up, but apparently they are allowed to kill them if they think that matches the crime.

Anyways, at the beginning it was hard, and I didn’t think I would ever get over those feelings. I am so proud of my friends and I that we were able to put this behind us. We are extra cautious obviously, but we love it here. The people are great, and are so helpful and kindhearted. I realize now that those robbers were very unlike most all Ghanaians. When we have told our Ghanaian friends about it, they get so upset and assure us that stuff like that doesn’t usually happen. I am thrilled that I am completely over my fears of walking around alone, or being out at night. I would be so disappointed if those fears had stopped me from what I wanted to do here.

More than anything, this incident made me put myself in other’s shoes. I have been reading up on other African countries while I have been here, and the problems with corrupt governments, rebel groups, and children soldiers etc . I cannot imagine the fear that must dwell in the people of villages who are under constant threat of rebel invasions. That is everyday life for them. We were in a group of 23 being attacked by only 3 men, what if it was the other way around? For many people here in Africa, that is an everyday fear. It’s hard for me to even try to imagine how intense that fear must be. I can’t. I don’t really know how to end this blog entry, but I think I will close with the main reason I even wrote this entry. I am impressed with what the human spirit can endure, and get through. Not even just talking about my friends and I, but people in general. It is encouraging to me to see my friends pull through so thoroughly, and come out more sure than ever about truly wanting to be here. People ask if I still want to be here after that, and I think I can say more confidently then before, that I absolutely love it here, and am sure that this is exactly where I want to be right now.

TOGO: THE MOTORBIKE GANG CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Upon arriving in Ghana, we got our visas stamped. That stamp allows us(foreigners) to stay in Ghana for 60 days before needing to either a.) pay more money to get a new stamp for another 60 days or b.) leave the country and come back. I had been in Ghana for almost 60 days, and so I decided it was time to venture out and try visiting the nearby country of Togo.
Togo is a french speaking country directly to the East of Ghana. I had been told that I needed to visit Togo for a number of reasons; primarily the food, motorbikes and beaches. My friends Jack, John and I decided to head out early Thursday morning. We caught a tro tro that took us to Aflou, which is a 4 hour ride from Accra. Aflou is right on the border of Ghana and Togo, so we got out there and walked across the border. We had heard that crossing the border was super intense, and drove most visitors to head to a bar straight after crossing due to the stress of it. Luckily for us, crossing the border wasn’t too stressful, mostly filling out forms and waiting for visas. Once we crossed, we exchanged our cedis(Ghana money) in for Cifas (Toganese money). Right away, people began approaching us and saying things in French. Neither Jack, John or I speak French, and quickly realized that would be a problem. It blew my mind that literally within the distance of less than 50 ft, we went from everyone knowing english to absolutely NO ONE speaking english.
We were asking around for the hotel we were going to stay at, Hotel Tano. A man approached us, who told us he would walk us to Hotel Tano, being that it literally was only about 500 ft from the border. The man’s name was FuFu, and he was our savior that week. He spoke a little english, enough to translate for us and help us get around. He turned out to be a worker at our hotel, and was such a sweet hearted man! We checked into our hotel, which was one room that consisted one huge bed that had to fit the three of us. The hotel was literally right across the street from the beach, with a beautiful view from the balcony. I would wake up early in the morning, go out to the balcony and read until the boys woke up. The first day, we walked across the street to the beach, where there were huts that served as restaurants/bars up and down the beach. (Restaurant= hut with a selection of rice or chicken haha) We relaxed on the beach, had a drink and eventually went back to the hotel. FuFu hung out with us that entire weekend, and knew of some really neat restaurants and nite clubs that he showed us. He bartered for us as well, as for most of the time the people try to give us the "obruni price" thinking we won’t know the difference. (Obruni price= ridiculously overpriced white person price)
My favorite part about Togo, hands down, was the motorbikes. In Ghana, people use tro tros and taxi cars to get around. In Togo, there are a few taxi cars, but mostly everyone takes Motorbike taxis. There are literally hundreds that swarm and take over the streets. You stand on the side of the road, and flag one down, it will stop and you hop on the back. There are handles behind you that are there to hold on to, but I usually wrapped my arms around the driver and held on for dear life, which the drivers thought was hillarious. Other people driving past would crack up as well, and yell " No afraid, no afraid" as in, don’t be afraid. And I wasn’t at all, I just wanted to hold on to something stable! We had been riding on the motorbikes all week without any trouble, and then.....I burned my leg. I was on the back of a motorbike, and was getting off of it, and for some reason I decided to get off on the right side, instead of the left like I had been doing all week. Subconsciously I must of known to get off on the left side the whole week, and I have no idea why I decided to get off on the right side that morning, but I did. Anyways, the exhaust is on the right side of the motorbike, and most of the exhausts aren’t covered there, so my leg
leaned against the exhaust, which was extremely, extremely hot. Instantly, I jumped up and my leg felt as if I had shoved a hot iron against it. The driver ran and got something to put on it, which helped the sting initially. He felt so bad, but I assured him it was entirely my fault that I decided to be an idiot and get off on the exhaust side.
That day, the burn turned dark dark purple, and it was so weird. It looked as if I had taken a purple marker and drawn a perfect huge oval on my calf. It had bubbled up a little, but not bad. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. We will get back to the burn later......
Our friend Jess had decided to meet us in Togo, so she crossed the border herself to meet us. Unfortunately, none of our phones worked in Togo, and she had no idea what hotel we were staying at. Naturally, she kind of freaked out (from what she told us) but asked the immigration workers if they had seen 3 white kids come through the day before. They said yes, and were very nice to her and searched through stacks and stacks of forms to find her ours, which showed what hotel we were staying at. So, she found us, thank god! Jess studies French, so she was a HUGE asset to have with us!
The food in Togo was amazing! They had cheese, real cheese! Which is non-existent in Ghana. And hamburgers, which I don’t even really like at all in the states, but after not having any type of American food in so long, the hamburgers were phenomenal. And the bread, oh the bread! French Baguettes were sold along the streets by various venders, and I am almost positive I had a baguette in hand at all times. Needless to say, the food was my second favorite thing about Togo, and at times I am tempted to take a 4 hour tro tro ride to Togo simply for lunch.
On one of the last days, Jack and I decided to spend an entire day at the beach. We got there early, and layed down in the sun. Early in the morning, the fishing boats go out and lay the nets deep in the ocean. Then, they row the boats back in, and begin to pull in the nets. This process takes hours, and pulling in the nets looks extremely difficult. There will be up to 30 men pulling one long rope, singing chants to be on the same rhythm. Jack and I were laying there, and there were about 3 different groups of fisherman around us pulling ropes in. We felt weird laying there in the sun while these men were working so hard. Jack decided to hop up and offer to help. The men thought that was great, and taught him the songs and let him help pull in the nets. He probably helped for over 2 hours, and it was really cool to watch. I would of helped, but my lack of upper body strength meant I would probably just be in the way haha. Jack was way into it, and at the end we got to see all the fish that were in the nets. Tons of huge stingrays and eels! They gave him a huge fish for helping, which we ended up giving to FuFu to cook. He said pulling in the ropes was one of the most intense workouts ever, which would explain why all of the Ghanian and Toganese men are so fit!
It was nearing our time to leave Togo, and my burn had gotten worse. While at dinner the last night, the middle of the burn tore open, causing the wound to be exposed. It was extremely painful, and the locals told me to put toothpaste on it to keep it clean for the time being, which burned intensely! Once back in Accra, I got the supplies to clean it myself, and kept it bandaged during the days. But, it still got worse, and ended up looking pretty nasty. I went to the hospital where they cleaned it for me, which was definitely more painful than expected because the nurse took cotton swabs soaked in iodine and scrubbed it (open wound) and took off the remaining skin. It was pretty infected, and I have been on anti-biotics which have finally started working! The infection is going away, and is almost completely gone. And it is finally starting to scab over, thank god! My friends have been great and help me clean it and change the bandages, since I get really nauseous looking at stuff like that. But, overall Togo was fantastic, and I cannot wait to go back and ride more motorbikes! And I will not make the mistake of getting off on the wrong side of the motorbike again!

ELEPHANTS, HIPPOS, AND WORT HOGS, OH MY!

ELEPHANTS, HIPPOS, WORT HOGS, OH MY ( I apologize ahead of time for the length!)
The longer periods of time that I am in Accra, the more my urge to travel increases. Not that I despise Accra, I don’t, but it is a little intense for me. I love leaving the city and venturing out to small, remote villages. Or finding hikes in the jungle, and meeting different types of people all throughout Ghana. Our group did another organized trip to Kumasi (A city about 6 hours north of Accra) and it was really fun. They had markets with the most beautiful woven cloth, paintings, and jewelry. I find myself automatically gravitate towards any painting stand/booth. The artwork is so different here, they use the brightest colors and have the most interesting style. I definitely spent a good amount of money on artwork that weekend.
Our group stayed in Kumasi for the weekend, and were planning on returning to Accra on Sunday. A group of friends and I (7 total) decided since we were already halfway up Ghana, we should take this opportunity to travel all the way north to a town called Mole. Mole is known for it’s safari hikes, and wild animals. Usually, the trip from Accra to Mole is 14 hours by bus, but since we left from Kumasi it cut our travel time in half. So, when the rest of our group left for Accra, we boarded a bus to Tomale, a village about 6 hours north of Kumasi. We got to Tomale at about 5 pm, and met an amazing Ghanain man on the bus who shared with us all about his non-profit organization he had started in Ghana. He told us we should stay at the Catholic Guest House, which had cheap rooms for the night. So once we arrived in Tomale, he had his driver take us to the Guest House. He did this for us all out of genuine kindness, and it was encouraging for us to run into such great people. The Catholic guest house was modest, but was great for just staying the night. The rooms had 2 twin beds and a bucket shower. There was a great little restaurant down the street that we walked to, and had pizza ( unheard of!) And played cards that night. We had to wake up the next morning at 3 am to catch the 5 am bus to Larabonga (which is a TINY village right outside Mole).
We use our guidebooks ALL the time, which I hate to admit because it makes me feel like such a tourist. Not that the guidebook is the only thing that gives me away here. Haha But, for background info, the guidebook said to be careful in Larabonga for there are many many many "professional friends" as we call them. (People who cling to you instantly, can’t get rid of them, and try to be sneaky and rob you somehow.) We were a little nervous getting off the bus in Larabonga, but we were fine. There were a LOT of professional friends that instantly surrounded us trying to get us to go in their taxi, or see their house, or buy their food. It was definitely overwhelming. At the beginning, I tried to be polite saying "no thank you, no thank you, no thank you." But honestly, they were being relentless, and you can’t be polite with them. We had to be really stern, and eventually I got to the point of being somewhat rude, which I felt bad about but there was really no alternative. If you weren’t, they wouldn’t leave you alone. In Larabonga, we got a taxi to the Mole Hotel, which was about a 15 min ride. We arrived in Mole at about 8:30 am, and the hotel was phenomenal! There were 3 twin beds to a room, and actual shower, and AIR CONDITIONING! We felt completely spoiled. For a comparison, this room in reality wouldn’t of been half as nice as a motel 6, but to us it was great! We were all pretty tired from the journey, so the rest of the group decided to take naps, while I went out to this beautiful platform that overlooked all of the national park. The platform had chairs, and you could sit there and see the elephants below in the distance bathing in the water. I brought a book down there to read, when a man who worked at the hotel yelled "elephant over here" Naturally, I ran up and right behind the laundry lines was an elephant, just hanging out. We were able to get extremely close, and just observe it. So cool. When everyone woke up from their naps, I told them about what had happened, and they were all so disappointed they missed it, but we were going on a safari hike the next day where we would see a lot of them.
This hotel had a pool, (which is another HUGE luxury) and we relaxed and laid by the pool that whole day. It was hilarious, because I was sitting there in a chair reading, when a family of wort hogs walked up behind me. They just were hanging out by the pool as well!
The following morning, we got up early for our hike. Our tour guide, Peke, was great and took us all around the park where we saw spider monkeys, baboons, elephants, worthogs, crocodiles, and elephants. It was amazing being able to get so close to the animals, and to be honest I was a littttllle nervous around the elephants because Peke told us they are the 2nd fastest animal to the cheetah, and if you scare them they will charge you and kill you. (Ps, I love how our tour guide literally said things like that to us DURING our hike. He wouldn’t tone it down either, he would go into detail about how they will charge you, and even if you climb a tree would charge the tree until you fell, and then would kill you. ) I told Peke to only give me the bare minimum information about the dangerous animals after that. Haha So, the hike was fantastic and I got some really cool pictures.
After the hike we stayed at the hotel for the afternoon by the pool, and later decided to go back into Larabonga to stay one night there. The guidebook explained this really cool sounding place where you could sleep on the roof of a guesthouse and look at the stars. We got into Larabonga, and again the people there were intense. I visited the mosque there, that was the first mosque in Ghana, and the 2nd mosque in Africa. I felt a little awkward while in Larabonga because it is solely a Muslim village, so all the women are covered head to toe. We tromp in there in our tank tops and shorts (it is soooo hot you would die if you wore anything else! ) and granted our shorts are long, to our knees even, but I still felt a little uncomfortable with how we were all dressed. I like to try to respect the culture of the place I am staying in, whether it be how I greet people, not using my left hand for anything (in Ghana, if you give someone something with your left hand, it is considered extremely rude. If you are holding something in your right hand, and need to give someone something and only your left hand is free, you stop, put the thing down that is in your right hand, and then hand them the thing with your right hand. And you NEVER eat with your left hand.).But so anyways, I felt awkward, but the people said they understood our culture was different so it was fine. After viewing the mosque, we found the guesthouse we were to stay at.
The guesthouse was run by two brothers, the Salia brothers. They were fantastic. They were so hospitable, and gracious. The place was an adobe hut pretty much, with about 4 rooms that had one bed in each room, with no electricity. We were staying on the roof anyways, so it didn’t matter. All 7 of us went up to the roof, were Salia put mattresses up there for us to sleep on. The ladder to the roof was a tree branch, the width of my foot, with notches carved in them. It took me a while to get up and down from the roof, because of my fear of heights. But it was super cool up on the roof. Once it got dark, the stars were beautiful and there happened to be a funeral going on that night (which is a huge celebration here) So there was drumming and singing all night that we could hear from the roof. The bathroom was a hole in the ground in a tiny room, and I can say that I appreciate actual toilets so much now! As travelers, we are now incredibly easy to please. If a place has a toilet (even with no running water) and a shower ( never hot water) we are thrilled!
So we spent the night in Larabonga and the following morning got up to catch an 8am bus to Wa (a village north of Mole). When the bus got to Larabonga, it was already completely full, so we had to come up with a different plan. Salia called his friend who came from a village 2 hours away to take us in his truck up to Wa. We thought he had a van, but when he got there we realized it was the back of a pick up truck! He had two wooden benches in the back, and the 7 of us fit back there. We were all excited because we figured it would be quite the adventure to ride in the back of a truck for 4 hours down bumpy dirt roads. Well, it was exciting.....for the first hour! After that, we were all about 4 shades darker due to all the caked on dirt, and our bottoms were completely numb due to how bad we were bouncing up and down. We finally made it to Wa, where we went straight to the Hippo Sanctuary.
The people in Wa were fantastic. They helped us find our way around, got us food, and showed us where we needed to stay the night. We were planning on going on the river tour in the morning to see the hippos, so we stayed the night in the lodge that offered the tours. The lodge was an adobe building with beds in them, no electricity so the rooms were pitch black by the time we got there. There was the option of sleeping in tree platforms about 40 ft off the ground, that overlooked part of the village. We decided to do that, and all slept on the same tree platform. There was no food at the lodge, so dinner that night consisted of bread loafs and crackers.
The next morning we woke up early to begin the walk to the river. Our tour guide led us there, and it was about a half hour walk. Once we got to the river, there were old, wooden canoes waiting for us. Each canoe had a man in the back who would do the rowing. 4 of us climbed into one, 3 in the other. The river was amazing, wide with thick green forest on each side. One side of the river shore was Ghana, while the other was Burkina Faso (bordering country). We paddled down stream for a while until we came across a family of hippos. Now, earlier in the week I had told a man working at a market that I was going canoeing with hippos, and he said I was crazy because they were mean, aggressive animals that you don’t want to go near. So, I was a little on edge once I saw the hippos. At least they were sleeping, but then our tourguide pulled these chains out and started clinking them together, apparently that wakes the hippos up. (Which I didnt think was such a great idea haha) But it ended up being totally fine, and it was sooo sooo cool to be able to canoe with hippos! We kept a safe distance, about 50 of so ft, and they didn’t seem to be bothered.
After the river tour, we decided to start our trek back to Accra. We went back to the village of Wichio, and got in the back of a different pick-up truck that already had 20 people in it! We were all so crowded and uncomfortable, but luckily that ride was only an hour. Once we got to Wa, we found a bus that was going to Kumasi, and got on that. The bus driver said the bus would leave at 1pm, and it was only 11am. So we walked around the station, and ate lunch at a few stands. We went back to the bus, and waited until 4 pm for it to leave! But, TIA. (This is Africa). The bus left at 4 pm, and we got to Kumasi at 1 am. We were planning on spending the night in Kumasi, and getting up early to take a bus to Accra, but it was already so late, we decided to just take a night bus back to Accra.
The bus station in Kumasi is easily one of the craziest things that I have seen in Africa yet. Haha It was so hectic. Keep in mind it was 1 am, we had been traveling all day and were exhausted. Immediately after we got off our bus, we were swarmed. There were easily 1,000 people at this station, and we were the only white people. The people were all yelling at us, grabbing us, trying to get us to board their bus. (There were about 8 leaving to Accra that night.) As hard as we tried to stay together, it was impossible. The 7 of us were all trying to find eachother and decide what bus to take, while being pulled in different directions. Some of our group were freaking out, while I think I was so tired I just found it somewhat amusing. We eventually picked a bus, and sprinted to it! Once on it, we all calmed down and everyone was fine. We all passed out as soon as we got on the bus, and eventually made it back to Accra at 5:30 am.
This trip has been the most spontaneous, adventure filled trip I have ever taken. The people I traveled with were great; easy going and fun to be around. The week flew by, and I did things on this trip I would have never imagined myself doing. It was a wonderful yet exhausting trip, and I am excited to take it easy in Legon for the week! Sorry this entry has gotten so lengthy, hope you enjoyed!
-Nat

CAPE COAST'IN IT UP

CAPE COAST’IN IT UP
After we had been in Ghana for about 2 weeks, our group of 45 people went on an organized group trip to Cape Coast. We traveled by bus (with air conditioning, what a nice change!)to Cape Coast, where we stayed one night in a place called Hans Motel. The motel was built on stilts above a body of water with crocodiles in it. So there were crocidiles randomly walking around, but mostly stayed in the water. We were given the option of getting up early in the morning, and taking a paddle boat ride with them. I vetoed the idea of being in the water with the crocidiles, I figured I would like to be alive to see the rest of Cape Coast.
That day, we went to the Cape Coast Slave Castles. I had prepared myself for the fact that I knew it would be intense to go and actually be in a spot where such horrible things occurred. Once we got there, it was breathtakingly beautiful. The castle was a bright white that contrasted the intense blue color of the ocean behind it. There were cannons lining the walls, and from the castle walls you could see fishing boats on the coast coming and going for the day. Automatically, I started walking around, taking as many pictures as I could so I wouldn’t forget how beautiful this place was.
We then started our tour and our tour guide took us around the whole castle explaining the different aspects of it. The first thing he showed us was the male slave dungeons. There were two huge oak doors that opened and when they closed we were in complete darkness. A passageway led us down further and further until we were finally in the pit of the dungeon, where there was one tiny window at the very top (literally the size of a 5x7 picture frame). Our tourguide informed us that this room, (that was extremely crowded with 45 people in it) was meant to hold 150-200 slaves at a time. It hit me all of a sudden...that I was in the same exact place that held so much suffering. It’s hard for me to fully explain the impact that moment had on me, but I was not ready for how powerful it was. Suddenly, this beautiful place was not beautiful anymore. I was nauseated and literally felt sick to my stomach. I was not ignorant to the horrors of the slave trade before I went the castle, and obviously learning about it in school disturbed me and made me wonder how people could do that to each other. But, actually BEING there was so much more intense than I can write down in words. Throughout the rest of the tour, I could not take any more pictures, it felt wrong. Going to the castle was moving and I am so glad I did, I think everyone needs to experience something like that, to fully realize how lucky we are.
The next day, we went to Kakum National park, where there were canopy walks above the rainforest trees. We hiked up to the top, and there were bridges( I call them Indiana Jones bridges) that were the width of a wooden plank and had ropes on the sides. The bridges were about 200 ft above the ground, and it was beautiful. Walking above the rainforest was easily one of the coolest things I have ever done. However, though it was awesome, it was extremely terrifying. I am deathly afraid of heights, and getting me across the first bridge was quite the task! I had such a great group of friends that went with me though, and got me across in one piece! After crossing the first bridge, I was thrilled! I had conquered my fear, only to discover there were 7 more bridges ahead.......! I can imagine I was super annoying to be around that day, my legs were shaking so hard the whole bridge would swing when I got on it. I held on to those ropes for dear life and walked across at a snails pace. But, in the end I was glad I did it, definitely an experience I will remember the rest of my life.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER:)

Time has a funny way of speeding up when you want it to slow down, which sounds so clique but it is the best way I can describe what is happening here in Ghana. The last 7 weeks have gone by in a flash, and I feel as if I have been here in Ghana for a year already. So much has happened already during my stay, and I thought I would do my best to write a recap of the past month or so. The internet here is insanely slow and unreliable, which makes it impossible for me to email everyone, so writing a blog may possibly be the best way somewhat keep in touch. The only place to start is the beginning......
We arrived in Accra, the Capital of Ghana late at night on Jan 12th, and were assigned roomates and rooms. Initially, our dorms seemed very modest. We live in the International Student Hostile, but Ghanian students live here as well. There are two twin beds in a room with 2 dressers and tile floor that is peeling almost everywhere. You wouldn’t consider walking around the room barefoot...there are cold showers only and when the power goes out, bucket showers are what is done. Handwashing your clothes and drying them in front of your room is normal, unless you are willing to pay some local women to wash your clothes for you. Obviously, this type of living was a transition for me at first. Now that I have been here for almost 2 months, I realize that living in my hostile is such a luxury! The other dorms on campus fit 4-5 people in one room, and their power goes out daily causing them to use bucket showers almost every day.
I was nervous about the food before coming here, I was told to expect pretty much only rice and chicken. And believe me, there is a TON of rice and chicken, but there is also many other things to eat as well. There is a night market right across the street from my dorm where everyone goes to eat. I usually eat a Chaboom in the morning ( an egg sandwhich) for 50 peswas (which is about 30 cents) and then during the day on campus there are places where you can eat at. My favorite food for lunch is a meal called RedRed. Basically, it is rice and beans with a spicy sauce mixed together, and then fried plantains are added. It is a must for me, and I am officially addicted to it! I will try to find the recipe and bring it home to make for people! At the night market, there is also a vegan stand with a woman named Ranet who runs it. She is so funny, and we taught her how to make guacamole the other day. I think that is the hardest part about the food here, there is nothing even close to Mexican food . Which for everyone who eats with me regulary knows I could eat for every meal! But the vegan stand has the most amazing vegetable and groundnut(peanut butter) soup, which I add rice to and is fantastic.
Everyone uses public transportation here. We get around in tro tros, which are vans that fit about 16 people in. (When in reality, they should fit only about 9). At first, I was terrified of the tro tros. Getting on one is quite the process. You stand at the tro tro station, and all of these vans will drive by with the door wide open (while people are in them) and the mate( the person literally hanging out of the door) will be yelling the destination of the tro tro. You have to flag it down, and usually about 10 other people want the same one so you need to get to it fast because people get pushy! It slows down, not even to a complete stop sometimes, and you jump in. Once you are in, there are so many people crammed in the van that sitting on someone usually happens. Now that I use the tro tro’s all the time, I find them hillarious and I always manage to get myself into a new adventure every time I take one. Half the time I think they are yelling a different destination than they actually are, so I end up on the other side of town. But, whenever that happens, we just use our motto for this trip: TIA (This is Africa). If you get upset about stuff like that, you won’t make it here, because it happens all the time. And I mean ALL the time. You order something at a restaurant, and it takes 2 hours to get your food, and it may not even be what you ordered. You buy a bus ticket that leaves at 1pm, and it will leave at 4 pm. The concept of time here is so different, well actually there really isn’t a concept of time. But, TIA. We have all done a pretty good job adjusting I think.
As you can imagine from how I described the tro tro’s, the driving is insane here. Literally cars all over the road, and people selling the most random things on the street are crossing the street all over, which I am still amazed I have not seen anyone get hit. The first week I was here, I still had the mentality that cars will stop for pedestrians. That quickly changed when I was almost hit 10 times. Hahaha Drivers stop for nothing, and drive like maniacs. In a single lane, they will fit 3 cars in the width of it, and zig zag into the oncoming traffic lane, like they are playing a game of chicken. MY friends and I joke that crossing the street here is like playing a game of Frogger (the computer game where the frog has to make it across the road with all the obstacles in his way). And most roads are dirt, and filled with pot holes, and they just fly through them causing the cars to bounce around!
But, even with the crazy driving, bucket showers, and lack of a sense of time, I love it here. Everything is so much more simple. Kids play soccer outside for fun, and people enjoy eachother. I find the lack of computers, videogames and television refreshing. I love when I get back from class and just am able to sit at a table with friends drinking a bottled coke in the shade. Life should be more like that. The Ghanains think it is hillarious that we are in such a rush. They joke with me and ask why I am sprinting when I walk. I am trying to perfect the "Ghanain walk" which is painfully slow to me, but am working on it. It is beautiful here as well. The most intense natural reds, browns, oranges, greens, and yellows I have ever seen. The dirt here is even beautiful. It is such a deep red that I find myself taking pictures of just the dirt. I live on campus which is in Legon, (a smaller city right outside of Accra, the capital). And Accra is hectic and full of life. The nightlife, restaurants, and shopping is all there. I don’t particularly like Accra, but it is nice to have a place where if you desperately need something like Shampoo, you can find it. Once you travel outside Accra to the more rural African areas, it is gorgeous. Jungles and villages with clay huts are everywhere up and down Ghana, and the people that live in the villages tend to be a bit more friendly than those that live in the city. Which I think is true of almost everywhere. And maybe I shouldn’t even use the word more friendly, they just take more time to talk to you and get to know you.
Which brings me to the people. I absolutely adore the people here. The most helpful and accommodating people anywhere. Being white in a place like Ghana can be intense at times, just because we stick out so badly that the attention can come to be overwhelming. And they aren’t rude to us or anything, but they don’t see many white people so they all want to talk to us, and touch us etc. One thing I have had a harder time adjusting to is their concept of personal space. They are very touchy with eachother, and so they don’t even think twice about grabbing your arm as you are walking by to try to get you to check out their shop. When that happens and you aren’t expecting it, it can be scary. We associate that with hostility, and they don’t mean it in that way at all. My name is "Obruni" which means white person. When I say hello, they will say " ohhhh Obruni!" and they think its hillarious. I laugh and say "Obibini" which means black person. At first, I didn’t know if that was politically correct to say, but my Ghanain friends tell me that there is nothing offensive about it, they say "You are white, I am black, and acknowledging it shows that you respect eachother and our differences." I think that is really cool, and I love how their culture is so accepting of everyone. They do laugh at me when I attempt to speak Twi (the local language) even if I pronounce it correctly, they still laugh. I take it in stride, because I can assume how funny it must sound to have some white girl trying to speak the local Ghanian dialect. I am learning quickly though, and can have a conversation in Twi now, and am continuing to take a Twi class so I can get even better.
I have made many Ghanian friends who help me understand the culture even better, and it is especially great to sit next to friendly Ghanians in classes, because many of the professors have heavy accents, and the Ghanians will see that I am struggling to write down what he said, so they will move closer to me, and tell me the words I can’t understand. Or when the professor tells the class a joke, and everyone laughs but me (because I am the only white person in a class of 300) and it probably looks like I have no sense of humor, but I honestly just can’t understand when they talk really fast. But, the people around me will lean in and restate what was said, just slower. They probably have no idea how much I appreciate that, but being the only one out of the loop is definitely no fun, so I am extremely grateful when I sit next to Ghanians who go out of their way to help me.
This entry is getting entirely too long, I apologize! There was so much to catch up on though, and from now on I will write more regularly, so keep checking my blog for updates! Feel free to comment as well, I would love to hear from you all! Bye for now:)