Glimpse of Ghana

So Loren was able to upload some pictures onto her blog, which made it easy for me to copy them over to mine! Enjoy!

Our guide, DK, telling us how he prayed more hard for us to see elephants.




Loren and I at a watering hole... waiting for the elephants.



Loren, Bethany, Me, and Johnny with the elephant!



DK was so happy we finally found one!




Why did the elephant cross the road?



Rafiki from the Lion King.



The group with Auntie Janet after our sing along.

So on the way to the hippo sanctuary our driver drops us off on the side of a road, in a random town because he has to go get a part for the truck.
After about an hour, we start to wonder if he's ever coming back!

On that same trip, our truck gets a flat tire!



Dinner in the tree stand.



About 7 am the next morning.

Showing off our stylish life jackets for the canoe safari.

I'm ready to go!

Market Mania

After being in Ghana for a little more than two months, I felt it was time to tackle Makola Market.
Yes. This market is something that has to be tackled. Haha.



One of the biggest markets I have been to, Makola Market is at the heart of Accra.
People, things, sights, smells. Everywhere!
This picture doesn't even come close to demonstrating the size and atmosphere of the market!
Anything you could need... at this market. Like raw fish for example. On display for you to pick the perfect one.

I think if I would have gone to Makola at the beginning of my visit to Ghana, it would have been very overwhelming, but after being here for a couple months I have learned to how deal with the very aggressive salesmen. And hey. If you can't beat them. Join them.

I was a little feisty myself today. Which made it a lot of fun.

Like I've mentioned before the people will just grab you. Hold on to your arm and won't let you keep walking. It didn't take long before I came up with a phrase that I repeated over and over.

"Don't touch obrunis."

LOL. They definitely weren't expecting this! And it did wonders. They would be taken back a little bit. Usually laugh. And always let go!

At one point I was smacking a guys hand over and over and over, harder and harder, until he finally let go. I wasn't taking anything today and was more than happy to dish it out. In a loving sort of way, of course!

Not to mention, I got to practice my Twi!

While they always laughed when I busted out a phrase, it always made them take a few cedis off the price.

My favorites:

Me pawocheo, te so kakra. - Please, take a little off the price.
Dabe, mempe. - No. I don't like that.
Ye fre me Ama. My name is Ama. (Throwing in a Ghanaian name always makes them laugh.)

In the end, I informed a few people that they didn't have to grab obrunis to get our attention, practiced the language, and bought a cute pair of shoes.

Not a bad day!

Holy Mole

Elephants, baboons, and wart hogs, Oh My!

Traveling for literally 30 hours a group of us- Loren, Bethany, Johnny, and I-headed to Mole (pronounced Mo-lay) National Park in the Northern Region of Ghana this weekend.

Now in the U.S. I would estimate this trip to take about 6 or 7 hours, but that's Ghana's Public Transportation system for ya.

We never realized how many people would be wanting to take the 7am bus on a Saturday morning to Tamale (pronounced Tom-a-lay, not like the Mexican food!). We arrive at the bus station, only to find out that both the 7 and 8 am buses are full. Not to worry. We pull out our trusty guide book and look for Plan B. By the end of the trip, we said we were probably through the entire alphabet and on Plan CC.

We went to the nearby tro tro station and found a bus to Kumasi. From there we would head to Tamale, and then finally to Mole National Park. But don't think it was that simple... Traveling in Ghana is not traveling without a few obstacles!

When we get to Kumasi we go to two different bus stations. Both buses to Tamale are full. Thankfully our third option is a success. (Seriously though, Tamale must have more in it than I think. It's a hot spot! Haha.)

We arrive in Tamale at about 10 at night. We need to be at the bus station by four in the morning for the 6 am bus. The guidebook tells us that you cannot buy tickets in advance, so we want to make sure we are there early in order to get a seat.

After checking a few hotels, Loren and I convince the others that at this point, we might as well just sleep at the bus station. We only had about 4 hours until we had to be there...
With a little persuasion they gave in. And the bus station was the place to be! There were lots of people there- sleeping, playing games, eating and selling food -waiting for an early bus.

We figured it couldn't be that bad. I mean, I've done it before, and this time I was prepared! I brought my own sheet to lay on! We found a spot by a group of Ghanaian women and their kids. They seemed surprised that we were going to stay there, Haha and took us under their wing. They told us to keep our bags zipped and close to us. All the important info obrunis need to know!

The next morning we woke up to get in line to get a ticket... but clearly people already had tickets. I don't know how Ghanaians always find out this important information that we just seem to miss! Apparently you could buy advance tickets, and you were suppose to. So again. We were without a ticket. We didn't want to miss the bus, so the driver said we could get on if we were prepared to stand... on a bumpy road... for 5 hours.

After weighing our options, we all agreed we would stand. But thankfully we didn't have to. We took a different means of transportation!

There was a tro tro heading in that direction that we could get on instead. It didn't take long to fill up because so many people didn't have a ticket. Finally we were on the last stretch to Mole National Park.

Mole National Park

We spent the first day relaxing by the pool, which was so refreshing after traveling for so long. It was cool because we could look out into the grassy area on the other side of the pool and we saw a group of elephants from a distance. I figured it would be no problem seeing elephants on the walking safari we were going to take the next morning...

That night we ate dinner at the Staff Canteen there on the site. It had really good and cheap Ghanaian food.

It was interesting because an older Ghanaian woman-Auntie Janet-we met on the tro tro to the park worked there. She took our orders during the day and then went back to her house to prepare the food for our dinner. We told her what time we wanted to eat and she met us back at the park with the food. Can you imagine this kind of restaurant service in the United States? LOL

As we ate ground nut soup and rice balls with our hands, Auntie Janet sat with us and sang The Lion King Song- "In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle"... you know that one! And of course we sang along!

The next night we had a full sing along with Auntie Janet, singing Kumbayah, the Barney Song: I Love You, You Love Me, The Hokey Pokey, Father Abraham, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. LOL! Definitely a good time! It brought me back to my child hood days and all the songs we use to sing!

Safari Time

Monday morning we went on the 7 am safari. We saw baboons and monkeys in trees, wart hogs, cobb, and bush back (antelope and deer like animals), but no elephants. I was really surprised since they were so close yesterday.

Our trusty guide, DK, said that they probably got a big drink from the watering hole the day before and had dispersed far back into the forest.



When wart hogs eat they bend on their two front knees. Someone asked why they do that and DK explained that they were giving respect to their food by doing this! Haha! This was his answer, and his only answer. No further explanation needed! LOL That was simply the reason.

Determined to see elephants up close, we went on the 3:30 safari that day. DK was again our guide and before we left, he informed us that he, "Prayed more hard" that we will find elephants. So presh! Of course, he prayed more hard!

But no luck.

However, even though the elephants were no where to be found, baboons were everywhere! They came up to the pool deck and walked around. One even started drinking the pool water.

There were girls having lunch outside and a baboon came and took their bread right off the table while they were sitting there! We saw moms carrying their babies on their backs. Jumping through the trees.

The workers would throw rocks at them to try to make them get away from the pool. They were cool to us, but to them they were just annoying. Kinda like raccoons on a camping trip in the U.S.

DK the Elephant Hunter

The next morning (Tuesday) was our last chance to see elephants close up. We set out for our third walking safari. DK was tracking the elephant through the forest. It was really cute. He would see leaves on the ground and know they had been eating there that morning. He would follow the foot prints until we found more leaves that had been eaten.

Finally. We found an elephant!

DK said that elephants are the 2nd fastest animal in the world! Whoa! I never would have imagined! Maybe that's why DK carried a rifle with him on every safari... Just in case the elephant wanted to race!

It was really cool to see it in its natural habitat. This was an old elephant, according to DK. It had only one tusk, had a large wound on it's front leg, and had a short tail. This elephant had been in a fight. Whoa! I would hate to be caught in the middle of that disagreement!

Hippo Heaven

After a successful safari we packed our things and were on our way. Not back to campus, but further north, near Wa, to a hippo sancutary.

We figured since it took 30 hours to get up there, then we might as well visit what we could, because the odds of us going back were very slim!

17 communities came together to create the sanctuary and protect the hippos in the Black Volta River.

That night the four of us slept outside in a tree stand at the sanctuary! We were roughing it! Especially when it started to rain! Haha.

The next morning we went on a canoe excursion to spot hippos in the river. We saw a few at a distance. We were all pretty much ready to go at that point, haha. So I'm sure it would have been cooler if we had more energy!

Anyway, it was a full trip with lots of excitement. This weekend I am actually staying in Accra. Taking a break from traveling! There are still things in Accra I'd like to do, and this means I'll get to sleep in my bed all weekend... although bus stations and tree stands really aren't that bad!

Have a good day!

Mel

Joke of the Day: Public Transportation in Ghana

-The infamous tro tros of Ghana -

This weekend we wanted just a short trip to get out of ISH, so we decided to go to Elmina and Cape Coast. Not too far away. A few things to do. We'll be back in time for classes on Monday.

Well, anytime you think something is going to be simple in Ghana, think again. Haha.

On Saturday three friends and I head to the tro tro station in Accra. Let me preface this by saying that tro tro stations are always crowded and hectic. The drivers and mates are yelling out where they are going. There are people everywhere. When there are four white kids walking through the crowd it catches peoples attention immediately.

"Obruni, Where are you going?" Is the phrase we heard over and over again. And when I say this, I mean they ask in an abrupt sort of way. Not in a "I really want to help you" sort of way. They just want to know if they can get you on their tro tro instead of someone elses... We know where we are going, so we head straight there.

While we are heading to the tro tro we are walking in a line behind each other and I am in the back of the line. There is this guy asking where we are going and then all of a sudden I feel his hand touching my leg... more specifically my front pants pocket... I look down and he is feeling my pocket to see if there is anything in it that he can pickpocket. This is the sort of thing they warn us about! Where there is a hectic situation and you are thinking about something else...

This really makes me mad! I turn around and glare and him and just yell "STOP!" At the time that's the only thing I could think of! After the fact, I thought of a whole lot of things I could have said. LOL. Next time I will be ready! I just kept turing around and staring at him, after he stopped following me, as in "I know what you were trying to do" sort of look.

So we get to the tro tro heading towards Cape Coast and get on. While we get on, there are several people who get off. I don't think anything of it. My head is still reeling from the pickpocket and I just assume they changed their mind. We wait about a half hour for the tro tro to fill up and the driver starts the engine. We should be off any minute. Then it seems... the driver has a change of heart.

He comes to the back of the tro tro where the four obrunis are sitting and lets up know that this tro tro is no longer going to Cape Coast. Instead, it is going to Kumasi... He literally told us he was being "nice" so he was telling us now!

Nice?! LOL! Isn't that his job? Was he just going to let us get half way to Kumasi until we realized that we weren't going in the right direction? He knew where we were going the entire time but just let us sit there. Ah! Apparently that's why people got out when we were first getting on. This little stunt just added to the frustrations of the morning. By this time I was ready just to head back to campus.

We ask for our money back but he tells us just to go with this other guy and he will take us to a tro tro going to Cape Coast. He asks for our ticket back and we hand it over.

The next tro tro is completely empty! It could take a couple hours until it fills up and we didn't just want to sit there. We look at our guidebook and see that a bus is leaving in 20 minutes from a station down the road so we ask for our money back and another struggle pursues. LOL. Oh this day!

The guy tells us to get back on the tro tro. We tell him we have decided to take a bus and that we want our money back. He asks for our ticket, but we already gave it back to the first guy. As far as we know the guy with our money is on a tro tro to Kumasi... The guy finally gives in and says he will give us 12 cedi back because this new tro tro costs 3 cedi per person. The only problem... we each paid 4.50 on the first tro tro! So not only did the first tro tro decide to change directions and keep our money, he also decided he would go ahead and just make a little extra profit while he was at it.

Finally, the guy that we're yelling at... yes we're yelling at this point, haha gives us our money back and we are on our way to the bus station. In the end we arrive in Cape Coast and have a nice weekend.

Just to add to my good experience with public transportation this weekend we get another bout on the way home.

Monday we wake up early and head to the bus station to get a bus. I have a 5:30 class I need to get to, so it's important we get on one of the first buses. We arrive at 9:30 and are told that the next bus will be leaving at 10:30. Not bad. Wait an hour and we'll be on our way. We ask the lady if we should buy our tickets now, from her, or wait until the bus gets here, as it has been done both ways in the past. She tells us just to wait. So we do. Patiently.

At a little past 11 the bus comes. People start forming a line. With a ticket in their hand. We go to the guy working the line so we can buy our ticket, and he just looks at us and asks, "You don't have one?" Oh man. Of course we don't have one! We're suppose to get it from you!... But come to find out... we were suppose to buy it from the lady we asked... We waited in line to see if there were any empty seats. Go figure, there weren't. The next bus wouldn't be coming for another two hours. We really didn't have this much time to waste. So again, four frustrated obrunis.

We head back into town and go to a different bus station. Thankfully this bus is heading to Accra. It doesn't take long to fill up and we are headed home!

I was considering taking a break from traveling this weekend because I have traveled every week/weekend since I've been here. In hind sight, this would have been a great weekend to forgo! Haha.

It's ok though. I'll just know what to expect when we head north next weekend!

Birthday Celebration Without Cake

Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday dearrr Ghana!
Happy Birthday to You!

Yep, that's right. Ghana donned it's birthday suit last Friday.

March 6th, 1957 - Ghana gains independence from Britain
March 6th, 2009 - Ghana turns 52 years old!

Now Independence Day in the U.S. is a big event... Fire works, cook outs, swimming, usually a thunderstorm.

So expecting the day to be a big to do, a group of us woke up early (5am!) and headed to Independence Square in downtown Accra for the celebration. The president was going to be there!

The arena was full of people.

All the military units were present and marched into the arena, as well as a few local schools.
The president gave a speech... I mean I guess you could call it a speech. You couldn't hear ANYTHING! The speakers were not working at all, but no one really seemed to mind... and no one complained.
Most of the people weren't even that excited that the president was there. There was cheering when he drove by, but that's about all. Haha. I was trying to picture if it were Barack Obama who was driving by during an American Independence Day celebration and I'm thinking it would be a very different story.

The event was a lot less festive than I was expecting. Especially because Ghanaians are notorious for having country pride. Honestly, I think the Americans were more excited about Ghana turning - Over the Hill + 2 - than they were. After a short discussion we decided it's because America has 150+ years on them in regards to Independence Day celebrations.... Ghana is still new to the game!

A Ghanaian friend who went with us said that in years past they had gymnastics and dancing and drumming performances, but that didn't happen this year. A few planes flying overhead and cannons being launched was about the extent of the excitement. All in all, I'm glad I went. I was a part of Ghana's 52nd birthday!

But us Americans being Americans, we had to spice it up a little bit... So on the way back to the university, we waved Ghanaian flags out the tro tro windows and shouted "Happy Independence Day" and "Happy Birthday Ghana" to all the people passing by. This got a few good laughs and return cheers! Haha.

Home Sweet Hut

As we traveled up through Togo heading to the conference there was one thing that obviously became more prevalent. Homes... made out of mud... Mud huts. Or "Caz" in French. The huts were everywhere in Togo, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

This was an amazing sight! I couldn't get enough and I had so many questions. The only thing was, my questions could barely get answered because of the language barrier. My feeble attempts were lost in translation... literally! So after a few mis-interpreted tries, I just sat back and stared out the bus window as hut village after village passed me by.

While I was absolutely enthralled by the huts, since I've never seen the circular huts in Ghana, the other students seemed to barely notice. Like they were use to the sight... however, I can almost guarantee that not one single one of them have ever lived in one.

I tried to ask how many people live in a single hut, and Daniel informed me that it depended on how many people were in the family... But I really can't imagine more than 2 people having enough floor space to lay down to sleep.

The huts were often nearby others with up to 20 or 30 in a given area. I wonder what happens if they get mad at their neighbors? Do they move to a different hut? There weren't any mud garages... LOL. But this would be a little silly to have, since none of them had cars... or power tools to store.

The only road that passed through the communities was the main road that our bus traveled. There weren't even dirt paths connecting the small villages...

The American mentality that I have acquired over the 20+ years I have lived in the United States had me wondering why they just didn't build their huts bigger? I mean, why not? Give themselves a little more room! There obviously weren't rooms, like a kitchen or a living room. I tried to imagine a couch in the middle of the hut, and a closet to hang their clothes. LOL. But this was all in fun, because these things were definitely not a reality.

After seeing the huts it's still hard to imagine how people who live in them operate on a daily basis. I want to do a home stay in a rural part of Ghana in order to try to better understand, so I will keep you posted on my progress. I'm not sure how receptive the ISEP coordinator will be. LOL.

- World Traveller -

I'm back in good ole Ghana after 10 days of traveling around West Africa. The trip was amazing, yet very challenging. I'm so fortunate to have been given this opportunity and is definitely a highlight of my study abroad time in Africa. Throughout the trip I traveled to/through Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Benin.

There are soo many stories and so many details so I will just mention a few, and then I will fill you in on the rest when I'm back in the USA! :) Which will soon be here! Haha. I promise, Mom!

So on Thursday, Feb. 12th, we headed to Togo from Accra.

After 4 hours on a bus, we arrive. It didn't take long to realize that we weren't in Ghana anymore and that we were in for an adventure! We were in a country that doesn't speak English, uses a different currency, and has intimidating border patrol officers! Haha. Out of the four Americans taking the trip, only one had ever studied French, and she, as well as her trusty French/English dictionary became our greatest companions throughout our journey.

The atmosphere of Togo, and all of the French speaking countries we visited is completely different than Ghana and I fell in love right away! I kept saying that if I was fluent in French I had found my new home. LOL.

The conference was coordinated through BK Groupe Universite which has branches in several West African countries. So students from all the branches were meeting in Niamey, Niger for the 4 day conference on leadership in business and entrepreneurship.


"If you want to make God laugh, then make a plan."

...Especially in Africa! The above quote was said by Jen, one of the girls on the trip, and it became our motto very quickly. After after I thought about it for awhile, it's pretty accurate, in my case, anyway. I thought I had everything planned out in regards to school and graduation and such,... but I'm in Africa right now! Haha.

Anyway, the "itenerary" I posted earlier about the plan of events became obsolete, beginning with day 1. Daniel, from the Togolaise branch of the university, was our guide throughout the entire trip, and I am soooo thankful for him. He was absolutly wonderful. But he told us right away, that the agenda we had been given was wrong. LOL. WRONG? We just wanted to follow the schedule, since this is how Americans work best. Haha. But that was not happening. By the end, we all learned to just take it as it comes, ask as few questions as possible, and just enjoy the ride!

Road Trip

After a few days in Togo, trying to get our visas lined up, it was time to meet the group and head to the conference.

It wasn't until we met the 60+ Africans who we would be traveling with that I had a moment, and questioned, "What the heck am I doing here?" I mean, really! I don't speak French! They don't speak English! This whole language barrier thing became quite obvious at that moment. When the four white kids were standing by themselves because the only people who could understand them were each other! LOL.

But thankfully, it didn't take long before the African students and teachers came up to us and tried to speak with us. A lot of them had studied English before and were eager to try out their "small, small" English. We were eager to speak with them too! Because if we had to talk to ourselves the whole time... Oh man!
Some didn't speak English at all, and one became a good friend of ours, because she tried so hard. The dictionary was given great use, and it was like a game to figure out what each other were saying. She even invited us to visit her in Congo after school gets out! LOL! Can you imagine! Us, in Congo, not being able to speak... Probably not a good idea!

Anyway, so we traveled on an un-airconditioned bus up through Togo and to the Burkina Faso border. It was after midnight and the border was closed. We would be back on our way the next morning after the road re-opened. But until then... we all just camped out. Some slept on the bus. Others on the road. Haha! It was really awesome, because there is NO WAY a bus full of Americans would ever even consider this to be a possible solution. I have a feeling they would be demanding the nearest hotel. It was kind of liberating to put things into perspective. That I was in Africa. Sleeping on the side of a road in a country I had never been to before. Where this was the norm.

The students thought nothing of it, and came prepared. Like they expected it, or had done this before! It was awesome! One of the students offered me his sheet to lay on!

The next morning, bright and early we were off. (Still in the same clothes as the night before, mind you, because our luggage was under the bus. There was no shower or teeth brushing, either! Haha. The best part- no one seemed to mind!) We traveled through Burkina Faso until we reached the capital, Ouagadougou, (Waga), where we toured the branch of the University there and then ate dinner as a large group.

Dinner was a lot of fun because we had a local dish, which we ate with our hands. It's always better to do something like this when you're with natives because after they are finished light-heartedly laughing at you for eating it incorrectly, they will show you how to do it! :)

That night, all of the African students and staff stayed in classrooms at the University, sleeping on the floor. But the three American girls were ushered to a hotel room! LOL! I kept insisting that I wanted to do as the other students, but Daniel wouldn't have it. He said that we needed to sleep in a bed that night and that he knows Americans like to "Shower, shower, shower."

In the end, the shower was AMAZING! Changing clothes after a few days on a hot bus is a great feeling! Small things like this is so much more appreciated when I don't have the "luxury" for a few days!

Border Boundaries

Crossing into Togo and then the other Francophone countries from Ghana, was kind of like a different world. This especially hit home when we entered into Niger.

I had been told before I left that the French speaking countries that surround Ghana are much more impoverished and that Ghana is so fortunate in comparison.

The day we entered into Niger was eye opening and humbling.

Our bus stopped at the customs office and at least 20 kids in filthy clothes came up to the bus window begging for food and money. It was honestly like something I'd NEVER seen before! By the looks on our faces, Daniel could tell we were shocked. He asked if we had this in the U.S...
NO! Mind you, this was on a Monday, in the middle of the day. I tried to explain to him that even the poorest students go to school. There may be a few homeless children, in large cities, who beg during the day, but nothing like this would ever take place! Authorities and police would never allow it. Daniel informed me that these students weren't in school because their parents most likely made them beg, as a job. To earn food and money for the family.

As the Americans watched in shock, some of the African students threw bread out the window. The kids started fighting over it! They shredded the plastic bag as they clawed to get a small portion of the bread. One boy caught a loaf and ran away, with several following him, trying to get a share. People were hitting each other. Kids fell to the ground. All fighting to get a small piece of the bread. Whoa!

It kind of surprised me to see the students giving away their bread.
While I've not been around many homeless people, it's not my first instinct to give them anything. I have been conditioned not to look at them. To keep walking. I have seen news reports that follow panhandlers to mansions, where they live. It's not the American mentality, or at least mine, to give a lot of what I have to beggars. I had a little, WOW moment, when I really looked at what was going on here.

We headed into Niger and had to stop at another check point, where there were more kids in minimal and filthy clothing, begging.

One of the students explained to me that in the African culture, and expecially in the Muslim communities, people believe that if you give someone in need 1,000 francs then God will give you 10,000 in return... So even when they don't have much, Africans still try to give what they can to the beggars on the street.
At one of the markets we were walking through with Daniel, he gave 2 children some coin. When he caught us watching him, he just said, "They're struggling, you know?" And then kept walking. Wow. So humbling.

The Conference

After nearly three days of traveling, we are finally in Niger for the conference!
The first night we have a welcome dinner and settle in our rooms. We go to bed early because we have to be ready by 8 am for the opening ceremony the next day.

Well, we get up early and get ready. Just like the punctual American. But... the conference didn't finally begin until 3 hours later. And this is a LEADERSHIP conference! Wow! This was just the beginning!

We "listen" to the first session as a translator sits by us and explains in English what the speaker is saying. LOL. Probably not the most efficient method, but hey, it works. We break for lunch with two conferences scheduled in the afternoon.

After lunch we learn that the conferences have been canceled... but there will be a pool party in an hour! LOL! Oh my goodness! Again, I just kept thinking that this is a LEADERSHIP conference! How could things be getting canceled? Were they not prepared? Maybe it was because we started three hours late to begin with!?

Anyway, this trend was continued throughout the entire conference. While it was VERY frustrating to the Americans who have been conditioned for 20+ years that it's rude to be late, etc. the Africans just summed it up to "African Time." It was like they expected things to be late. They would have been shocked if something started on time, and would not have been ready, because they were anticipating it to be delayed. Haha.

- - -

Ok, well that is all for now! There is sooo much information here and hopefully I can share more, because there are lots more stories to tell! I hope you enjoy reading about my African adventures! Have a good day!

I love you all!

Mel