Perfect Weekend

On Friday, Justine and I ventured into Accra for the evening.  It was an excellent chance to check out the city and we also wanted to travel!  We were very pleased to have made this choice, as it was great fun.  We went out for a nice dinner, and then on to a couple different spots, and finally out dancing.

It was almost strange to be in a more western setting- and we almost felt like we were back in North America- but little reminders in the form of power outages, euphoria over air conditioning, and azontu popped up often enough to remind us that, indeed, we were still in Africa.

Ready to take on Accra

After an eventful night, we woke up, went for breakfast, and then carried on into the city.  Accra is so busy-it's full of hustle and bustle. Since we had not made any definite plans, we decided to wander to some tourist destinations and experience the city on foot.

We ventured into a HUGE outdoor market, where everything from toothpaste to live crabs were sold from small stands packed together tighter than my suitcase was.  Once again, we were struck by the friendliness of strangers and were often stopped to chat by locals wondering where we were from and why we were in Ghana.

After the market, we walked to the wood-carving scene- a market filled with intricate carvings and beautiful artwork.  Although most of the stalls sold similar items, every seller wanted us to see his/her work.  Needless to say, window shopping was not a preferred practice- so we ended up looking at many different pieces.  While this was time consuming, it was also great fun.  We joked around with the carvers, met some lovely people, and Justine found a great African mask!

En route to the Wood-Carving Market

After the carving shops, we carried on to Independence Square.  Since Ghana was the first sub-Sarharan country to gain independence from Britain, the monuments here hold great importance to Ghanain people.

From the square, we were able to walk down to the beautiful beach and enjoy running in the waves with sand between our toes.  Splashing in the Gulf of Guinea made for a perfect end to a nice stay in Accra.

Standing in Independence Square

On Sunday, I went with Fred, Annette, and Justine on a hike to Umbrella Rock.  So far, this stands out as one of the best days I have experienced in Ghana; it was simply perfect.  We started the hike by heading to Akaa falls- a really gorgeous setting.  The trails were nestled between unique rock formations and tropical rain forest.

Once we arrived at the falls, we were able to stop and have a snack.  Although the water was almost dried up from the Hamatan, it was still incredibly beautiful- and it smelled fresh, a scent that is often missed in the city.

After a stop at the falls, we carried on with our hike to Umbrella Rock.  It was really hot, but lots of fun.  We headed up the red dirt roads, and felt truly lucky to have the opportunity to view the landscape from a whole new perspective.  

We got the chance to meet some more welcoming locals

Finally, we reached Umbrella Rock.  Feeling brave, we climbed the home-made ladder and had lunch on the top of the rock.  It was an experience I will never forget.

After visiting Umbrella Rock, we walked back down to the road to hop on a tro-tro.  Justine and I decided to walk, and get the next one that passed.  Much to our surprise, after walking over an hour we had yet to be picked up.  We ended up making it all the way to the next town.

This was not a mood-dampener, however, as walking the road through the small villages allowed us to experience Ghana at a really intimate level.  We saw landscapes and people that would have flown by in a car.

We talked about how our surroundings really felt like Lion King-style Africa.  It was a great feeling to be in the setting I had imagined when I planned this trip; I was so thankful to have one of those special moments when I could stop and think "This is what life is all about!"

Teaching and Getting Settled

My second full week in Ghana was full of excitement.  I started my new placement, a new volunteer arrived, and we started to get adjusted to living in the African way of life.

On Tuesday morning, I was introduced to the girls at Kingsby Methodist School, where I was going to help teach sports education.  Upon arriving, I found that I was actually teaching classes by myself- I have three classes of around 30 students, grades 10-12. Tuesday was my first teaching experience, working with the grade 10 girls.  Since I hadn't prepared to teach a full class, I had to come up with a lesson plan really quickly.  Basically, I introduced myself and told the girls why I had come to Ghana and to their school, and I got them all to introduce themselves.  Then we talked a little bit about the curriculum and played a quick game.  Each class I taught got a little easier, and I am looking forward to being able to plan my classes better.

Although I have more responsibility than I initially expected, I'm really excited to work with the girls.  They are hilarious and I can already tell that we are going to have a lot of fun together. The girls are working towards competing in a inter-school track and field event, so I am going to be working with the full classes and also selecting girls for the school team.

Outside of the school, I have been learning lots about the Ghanain life!  On fellow volunteer Brenda's last day, we prepared fufu, a traditional meal.  It is made by pounding plantain and casava in a giant mortar and pestle until it becomes a sticky dough.  Then it is eaten with soup using only your right hand- and chewing is generally frowned upon.  Definitely an experience!

Pounding the fufu

On Thursday I had a really nice day.  Justine and I went to the orphanage together, then both of us went to Kingsby for the classroom and training session.  We were working with the grade 12 girls so they were much more confident and excited to speak up in class.  It also really helped to feel more prepared.

After the training session, we walked home-amusing the locals by practicing speaking Twi and stopping to play with lots of the kiddies.  We passed a small school house and gathered a crowd of about 20 kids all following us singing "Obbbruni how are you, you're fine? me too!"  Cutest kids ever!

When we arrived home, we had Kenkey, another Ghanain dish. It is very similar to fufu, but made from pounded maize.  Once again, your right hand is your utensil, but it was a little easier to eat than the fufu.

Finishing off the week, we decided to get domestic and do our laundry.  Little did we know, washing clothes takes a couple hours- and is a pretty good workout!  We had lots of fun, and got good and sudsy; but, it definitely made us appreciate the convenience of throwing a load in the washing machine.  Naomi and Annette helped us out a lot as well, they were much more efficient than us Obrunis :)

My second week in Ghana was really wonderful, I got to experience lots of new things, and was introduced to my new placement.  I felt more at home and started to become better adjusted to the lifestyle here. 

Travelling to Cape Coast

On my second weekend in Koforidua, I was invited to travel to Cape Coast with some volunteers from another organization.  I was really excited to see more of the country, and the five of us left on Friday afternoon.  We were pleased to find a tro-tro that connected Kof directly to Cape Coast; however once aboard, we found out that the direct connection featured roads that rivaled the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland for excitement/fear.

The five and a half hour drive was littered with giant potholes, rarely paved, and often caused accidental shrieks to escape our mouths as the driver didn't seem to notice these factors and rattled on at top speed.

After arriving, we were so happy to get to our hotel and find dinner waiting for us.  We stayed at the Stumble Inn, a beautiful little resort complete with beach huts and outdoor dining areas.

After we found our rooms and ate dinner, we all headed to bed.  We were very tired, and we knew that we had a big day ahead of us.  We were told that breakfast started at 7am, so we planned to eat then to ensure an early start to an event filled day- and we set our clocks for 630.

Saturday morning we met at the restaurant to find we were the only ones there.  In true Ghanain fashion, the cooks had not even shown up for work.  We have quickly learned that it is silly to be concerned about time here.  After about 45 minutes, she came and we were able to eat- but we felt bad for making the cab driver wait!  At least we were on the road by 8 :)

Our first adventure was to Kakum National Park, situated in the tropical rainforest.  It was absolutely amazing! We walked on a suspended bridge above the canopy, toured in the forest, and really felt like we experienced a new part of Ghana.

After we were finished our tours in the jungle, we started the drive back to Cape Coast.  Did I mention that five of us were all crammed into a small cab? It was a pretty funny drive.  We needed to stop for lunch, so we pulled into a little spot called Hans Cottage.  It was a cool restaurant in the middle of a lake- famous for housing over 200 crocodiles.  While we were eating we saw 3 grown crocs, and 1 baby.  Some brave souls chose to sit on them, but I decided that seeing one from the comfort of my table was good enough for me!

After we got back to Cape Coast, we drove up to Cape Coast Castle.  The White-Washed castle has been used for many different things, but most infamously, during the slave trade.  The tour that we went on started by taking us down to the worst dungeons I have ever seen.  The small, dark rooms built to hold 200 male slaves smelt grimy and wet-and really felt heavy.  We were taken through 5 chambers, which all served the purpose of holding slaves for over 3 months.  Due to little drainage, these people were forced to live in excrement, and we were shown the thigh-high line in which the feces and urine rose to.  It was truly sickening to see the way that people treat each other.

We were also shown through the equally awful women's chambers, and caught glimpses of the tunnels that they were forced through. Towards the Door of No Return, and ominous gateway that marked the last time the slaves would ever see Ghana. Finally we were taken to the punishment chambers- rooms with no light, and put above ground to maximize the heat.  With only a fraction of the number of people in these rooms that there would have been during their use, the heat was unbearable.  The guide turned off the lights, and 10 seconds of the pitch black was enough for me.  Sadly enough, the punishment chambers were places where the people recieved no food or water, and were left-still in shackles-until they passed away.

On the floor and walls, the desperate scratches made with these shackles can still be seen.  Pretty hard to experience, but I'm glad I got to see it first hand. It was a serious reminder as to how important it is to treat others with kindness.

After the castle, we took a look around Cape Coast.  It is a pretty busy town, but we found it to be less friendly than Koforidua.  Our walk didn't last too long, we were all pretty tired- so we headed back to the stumble inn for dinner.  At dinner, we met a couple from Germany and ended up chatting a playing some cards.  It was a nice evening :)

Sunday was a good and relaxing day.  We spent it laying on the beach and playing in the huge waves!  It was a great way to end an eventful trip.  

On Monday, we returned back to Koforidua, taking the longer and paved route :)  All-in-all, it was a fantastic weekend!

First Week in Africa

I'm starting this a little late into my trip, so I am due for a little back tracking. I arrived in Accra in the first week on January, at around 7 pm.  After a full day of traveling I was pretty tired, but I was blasted awake by the wave of hot air that rushed into the plane as soon as the doors opened up.  The air felt thick and sweet, and veeery warm.

Getting through the airport was pretty easy, and before I knew it I was en route to Koforidua with my volunteer coordinators and a fellow volunteer.  I am not sure if I'll ever be able to forget my first drive in Ghana.  If the hot air was not enough to wake me up, the fast weaving taxis definitely were.  With very few traffic lights, over crowded roads, and too many close calls it was quite the introduction to life in Africa.

My first weekend involved an orientation.  Fred and Annette, my volunteer co-ordinators and roommates, walked with me into the city of Koforidua, and we got orientated, drank coconut water, and played with some of the kids downtown.  I was stuck by how welcoming everyone was- children and adults all wave and say OBRUNI- meaning white person/visitor-and AKWAABA- meaning welcome.  I was also given my Twi name- Abena! Which means born on Tuesday.

The town is much like I had expected; however, it would be impossible to anticipate the feelings of being here.  The smells can at times overtake you, and the vehicle and pedestrian traffic is crazy! Crossing the street is an act of bravery.  Chickens, goats, and young children wander around the streets unsupervised.  And best of all, music is everywhere.  It is definitely an amazing experience to walk into Koforidua, and one that I will get to do for the rest of semester.

On Sunday, I was invited with Brenda, a fellow volunteer, to attend a traditional church ceremony with Chief Nana.  It was a truly amazing experience.  We were surrounded with singing, drumming, and dancing.  We were humbled as the program graciously welcomed us and brought us up to sit in the front row!  Since most of the speaking was in Twi, I was having trouble following- but I clapped along with everyone until the woman beside me quietly leaned in and said "We are all clapping to welcome you, so you might want to stop clapping and smile!" Woopsie!  But all in all, it was a great first weekend in Ghana.

Because it was the beginning of January, the high school I am set to work at had not yet opened for regular classes.  I came in to visit the Headmistress and the Director of the sports dpt, but was unable to start teaching.  This gave me the chance to do some volunteering at Hour of Grace Orphanage, and experience I will definitely never forget.

When we arrived off the tro-tro at the orphanage, I was struck by the positive reception from the children.  Even though I had never met them, they ran out to greet me and jumped into my arms yelling "Madam, Madam!"

They truly are the sweetest kids.  My first couple days I helped out in classrooms.  It was really difficult to deal with the conditions.  All of the rooms smell like urine, and bats are constantly flying around.  What makes it easier is how eager the children are to learn, and what a difference sitting down and attentively going over their work with them can make.

Later in the week, I spent lots of time with the younger kids.  They are so amazing.  At three and four years old they are already independent and strong. It is so rewarding to spend time with them- if you sit down, instantly five or six kids are hugging, climbing, or just touching your back or hands.  Many of the children have bad scabies wounds or cuts, but none of them complain.  They are simply happy to have what they have.  

My time at the orphanage was really wonderful, and I'm planning to go back whenever I have spare time or a morning off from teaching at the high school.