Always an adventure in Africa

On Friday, a big group of us got up early to go hiking. At 7 in the morning, we set off. After an hour tro-tro ride to a town called Aburi, we were set for our 8 1/2 mile hike through the "jungles" of Africa. (I'm not really sure it was technically a jungle, but there were trees everywhere, with narrow paths that we followed. Very few human inhabitants, but I will get to that in a sec.)

It was a beautiful day. A little chilly in the morning, but it warmed up with sunshine all day. In order to get to the trail we would be taking, we walked through a small town, called Aburi, where it literally felt like we were on parade. The people were all out in the streets, and we waved to everyone as they walked by, because they were amazed to see that many "obrunis" together. We waved to everyone, and said hello to the Ghanaians countless times. I felt like Miss America... but I sure didn't look like her, with my hiking boots and back pack and all! :)

The children were so happy to see us. Some would run up to us while others would smile shyly and wave from a distance. Even the smallest toddlers would call out the word, obruni. How they learn this at such a small age, I will never know.

Walking through this small town, outside of the capital area where we have been the most, it again gave me a better look at the country, and the poverty in Ghana.

It was amazing because throughout the hike, miles from any main roads were the occasional house / shack with an entire family living there. One family was outside doing chores and what not, and we all immediately started taking pictures, until she told us we had to pay to take their picture. One lady yelled at us, and told us to stop what we were doing, and seemed offended that we would want a picture of the way they lived on a daily basis.

Giselle, (one of the ISEP students who was here last semester) had been on this hike before and was leading the way, until we came upon these two men who said we were going in the wrong direction, and then guided us to a different path. The men were under a little shack with barely any clothes on, and what they did have on were filthy. Before we left though, one insisted that he play us a song on his guitar. It was pretty bad.

But anyway, after we were heading down our new path, Giselle informed us that we were going the right way the first time, but that the men were "rasfatarians" and the reason they didn't want us hiking the way we were going is because they were most likely (pretty much positively) growing drugs back that way and they didn't want us to see, or step on it for that matter. Wow!

The hike was awesome though. About half way in there was a restaurant that we stopped at for lunch. It was great getting off campus and traveling to a town we had never been to before.

Well, hope everyone is having a good day today! And I think about you all often and wish you were here to experience the amazing adventures with me!

Love you all,

Melissa