Time to go to Togo!

           Before we started into the final examination period, I was able to get some amazing adventures under my belt.  The second to last weekend of April (20^th-22^nd) some girlfriends and I were FINALLY able to go to Togo!  I stress FINALLY so much because we had been planning on going for weeks before, but ran into a lot of trouble with Ghana Immigration Services while trying to renew our visas.  My original Ghanaian visa was a multiple entry visa that does not expire until 2020; however when we arrived at the airport in Accra, immigration officers stamped our passports with a 60 day visa.  Unfortunately, we were unaware of this fact and had to scramble at the last minute to get it renewed by March 22—most international students who are here on a program had visa renewals taken care of for them, or were at least given ample warning, but that is part of the disadvantages of being first group of Pitt students to come here.  When we brought our visas to the Immigration Office we decided to only pay for a one month extension since we wanted to go to Togo, at which point our reentry to Ghana would have automatically extended our visa for another month.  To make a long story short, we spent entirely too much time and money traveling to and from the Immigration Office, sitting and waiting for hours on end to receive our renewed visas, and getting treated terribly by the officers who had total disregard for our requests.  Dealing with the Immigration Services has been by far the most frustrating and upsetting experience that I’ve encountered in Ghana, and I would strongly suggest to anyone traveling here on their own, to employ the help of a Ghanaian friend when attempting to sort out visa extensions and similar issues.  We ended up having to go through one of our professors who knows the director of Immigration in order to ever get our passports and visas back, and by the time we got them they were one day away from expiring again.

Sarah, Line, LaVonda and I at Hotel Le Galion in Lome, Togo

Despite all of the hassle with renewing our visas, once we got our passports back late Friday afternoon on April 20^th, we packed our bags, jumped on a tro-tro, and headed straight for Togo!  For the most part the ride was enjoyable and, aside from fearing that the refrigerator that was fastened to the roof of our tro-tro would fly off as we sored over the bumpy roads, I was able to relax and enjoy the view.  The tro-tro dropped Line, LaVonda, Sarah, and I off about 100 yards away from the border of Ghana and Togo and we thought we would be in the clear from this point on—silly girls!  Little do we know that the border actually closes at 10 o’clock every night and being it was 9:57 we were advised to sprint!  We filled out all of the necessary paperwork in the Ghanaian immigration office on the border as quickly as we could, got our passports stamped, every validated, and ran to cross the border just as the gates were closing.  Unfortunately, the gates were locked right before we could enter into Togo, and they would not let us cross until morning so we were forced to walk to the nearest town and find a cheap hotel for the night.  Although I was initially disappointed, this ended up working out just fine and we got up at the crack of dawn, exchanged our cedi to Central African Franc, received a lot of French stamps on our passports, and glided across the border to Togo.  I could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend to travel to Togo; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brighter than ever!

so many motorbikes along the main road in Lome that follows the coast!

Our hotel was just a short distance from the border and is a very popular place for backpackers, volunteers, and students to stay when visiting Lomè, Togo.  We arrived at Hotel Le Galion, got settled in our rooms, and ate a delicious breakfast as we took in the French atmosphere around us.  After a bite to eat, we walked down the main road that closely followed the coastline to Le Grand Marché for some shopping.  One of the things Togo is famous for is the motorbikes that zip around as the main form of transportation.  As we strolled to the Grand Marché with the sun beating down on us and motorbikes zooming past, I could not help but notice the gorgeous palm trees and aqua blue water surrounded by remnants of French colonialism that were decaying all around me.  Passing up and down the streets of the Grand Marché was one of the most enjoyable market experiences I have had in Africa thus far.  For one, it just seemed like so many less people than any given day in Accra markets, and I don’t speak much French, so if anyone was harassing us foreigners, I was unaware (and that was a nice change).  Overall, there seemed to be less emphasis on hawking and less pushiness on the part of the sellers, so as a buyer, I was much more inclined to participate.  The best part of shopping in Lomè was the French street food!  I must say I was a little disappointed that I could not get crepes with nutella—my brothers and I indulged in Paris—but the fresh baked baguettes filled with avocados, tomatoes, and onion were a delicious substitute.  At one point, we took a break from the market, and brought our baguettes to the beach where we sat under the little shade of a palm tree and looked out onto the Gulf of Guinea as we enjoyed our lunch.  That was true paradise!  Afterwards, we each hopped on the back of a motorbike and rode home along the coast back to our hotel—so much fun!

I got to ride on a motorbike back from the Grande Marche!

The next morning Line, Sarah, and I went to the Fetish Market that was a short taxi ride away.  My trusty guide book given to me as a Christmas present from my Dad had recommended the Fetish Market as one of the main attractions of Lomè, and I figured it was a once in a lifetime experience to witness the exchange of fetishes at the birthplace of voodoo.  Benin, which borders Togo on the east, is the technical birthplace of voodoo, but the founders of the Fetish Market are Beninese and prior to colonialism’s create of separate nation-states, many people from Togo and Benin originated from the same ethnic groups.  We had a friendly tour guide to walk us through the aisles of animal remains, skulls, bones, full heads, dried skins, and many other items that make you cringe.  Our tour guide was quite a comic and got a big thrill out of watching our reactions to the animated stories he would tell of each item he picked up, but he assured us that none of the items had the voodoo powers until they were blessed by a voodoo master for a specific purpose at which point they became fetishes.  At the end of our little tour, we were brought into a private fetish room where we had the opportunity to purchase certain fetishes that would be blessed for us specifically.  This was quite a unique experience and I cannot be fully sure what type of voodoo magic was occurring, but I’m so glad that I got to experience such a thing.  Later that day we packed up and headed back across the border to Ghana, but did not leave without getting a few baguettes for the road of course!  It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend in Togo where a very different culture thrives due to its French influence.  I am so glad that I finally got to visit Togo and I would love the chance to go back and explore more of the country sometime! 

The Fetish Market in Togo- the birthplace of voodoo!

                                                                              

The "Study" of Study Abroad

Now that classes have officially come to an end and we are well underway with final exams, I have some extra time to catch up on blog posts about my recent adventures.  The last two weekends of April were spent traveling and visiting some of my “must see” sights before I leave at the end of May.  As soon as I returned from my travels, I have to get down to business to prepare for my first round of final exams which I have now completed three of my total five.  Because the University of Ghana has a final exam period that spans from May 4^th to May 27^th (as well as a week of revisions from April 30^th to May 4^th), my finals have been fairly spaced out and I now have one more on the 16^th and one on the 25^th.  I was really nervous for my exams because, unlike at Pitt where I have gotten used to the process, I had no idea what to expect at a University that approaches academics quite differently as far as I am concerned.  So far I have been pleasantly surprised at the assumed success of my exams; however, the grading system here is very harsh and I do not fully know what to expect in that regard. 

My first final was a practical performance for Traditional African Dance, which took place during revision week and was by far the most nerve-racking testing experience I’ve had in a long time.  The dance class was probably my favorite class of the semester and although there were always days when I felt like I had two left feet, I always tried my hardest to learn the dances to the best of my ability.  For the final, we had to perform two dances—one was a war dance, the other was a celebration of life cycles.  The war dance was my least favorite of the semester because it was far less exciting and interactive than any others we learned, but I still mastered the moves and felt mildly comfortable about the performance.  Unfortunately, this particular dance requires one to have a keen ear for the drum patterns that dictate the order, length, and degree of the dance movements.  Personally I found that this was a real challenge and I could not differentiate the different drumming patterns for the life of me, like I could with our other dances.  My performance group consisted of myself and 3 other international girls, all of whom were apparently in the same situation with the lack of awareness of the drum transitions, so it was not our best performance by any means.  I was unhappy about this because I felt like I tried so hard every class, and I really hope they take that into consideration when evaluating us, but we will see.  Despite this, the second dance went flawlessly and I was even able to throw in some cartwheels during the freestyle section to “showcase my youthfulness” as the professors asked. 

Yesterday, I had two more finals—one at 7:30 AM and the second at 3:30 PM!  The first was an African history class about colonialism and nationalism and I am confident in my demonstration of my knowledge, especially because the class had prepared me better than any other throughout the semester.  After 2.5 hours of writing essays and a few shorter answer questions, I needed a little mental break before my next exam.  The next exam was on the music of North Africa and I had no idea how to begin to approach studying or what to expect on the test.  Like most of the courses at the University of Ghana, my music class did not have any textbooks, but we were also without any photocopied packets of readings which my other courses did provide.  Due to circumstances which I do not entirely understand, my class only met five times over the course of the semester, and only three of those times were lectures taught by our professors (the others were an exam and a presentation).  I acknowledge the fact that I did not choose to study abroad to get the exact same educational experience as I would have at Pitt, but situations like this are one of my many academic frustrations that I have encountered here.  Overall, I think I did as best on the exam as I could have given the about of lecturing and information that we acquired this semester. 

Additionally, the style of teaching and learning here is very different than what I am used to and I do not thrive in this environment.  The classes are usually quite large, but even in the eight person class I had, the professors do not engage discussion or promote critical thinking and analysis.  Instead, in almost every course I took, the professor read aloud to the class from his typed up sheets of paper which either came directly from a textbook on the subject, or an encyclopedia.  I observed how the Ghanaian students handled this bombardment of verbatim information, and discovered that they write down every single thing that the professor reads with no intention of extracting only the valuable information.  This came as a shock to me, because in the US I have been taught to focus on the critical information since a very young age—much time is spent on teaching kids how to sift through paragraphs of reading to highlight the main ideas and we even had standardized testing on the skill.  This has been hard for me throughout the semester (I have even been asked by a professor if I was actually taking notes because I was not writing as much as the other students), and especially when it comes to examinations where you are expected to regurgitate the abundance of information instead of prove your comprehension of the topic. 

Like I said, I chose to study in a foreign country and I have to accept all of the cultural differences I will encounter, including a style of education that I do not particularly care for or find valuable.  However, part of studying abroad is to learn things about yourself that you would not have discovered if you stayed within your comfort zone and didn’t push your boundaries.  Even realizing things like how you best absorb and learn information in school makes this experience worthwhile, and it is something that I can use to be more successful in the future!    

The Volta Region

              A few weeks after my parents visited, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the Volta Region, which I’d anticipated for some time.  One of the porters of my hostel named Elvis is originally from the Volta Region (the region along the Volta River in Eastern Ghana), and he graciously offered to escort a handful of students to explore there for the weekend.  We left at 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning—maybe closer to 7 by the time the group of 10 girls got themselves together—in an air-conditioned van to make the three hour trek east.  Upon arrival, we grabbed a quick bite to eat to prepare us for a hike to the top of the highest mountain in Ghana—Mt. Afadjato!  It is no exaggeration when I say that this hike was one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life.  Not only was it 95 degrees out with an additional humidity factor, but it was an extreme vertical incline up an unsteady rocky terrain.  Our guide said that he climbs up the mountain at least four times a day, which I could hardly believe, but gave him a lot of credit for because there is no way I would be doing such a thing.  As we climbed up Mt. Afadjato grabbing whatever our hands could grip in order to support ourselves, caravans of children would barrel down the mountain only stopping to tell us “you can make it” and reminding us how much further we had to go (an amount that never seemed to decrease).  Occasionally, they would laugh at us obruni panting and sweating as we attempted to scale the mountain that the children of the local villages managed without any effort at all.

The group posing at the top of Mt. Afadjato after an exhausting hike

               Finally after about an hour, we reached the peak, where we were greeted with a much relished rain shower!  Embracing the short downpour, we threw our hands in the air and shouted “I’m king of the world” as if we were Leonardo DiCaprio enjoying the majestic view from Titanic’s bow.  From the top we were surrounded by lush landscapes and could even see the mountains that lined the Togolese boarder.  Mistakenly, I assumed the trip down Mt. Afadjato would be much easier than the hike up.  Like the kids before us had warned, we spent most of the way down the mountain sliding on our rears.  My backside was completely covered in dirt by the time I got to the bottom and I was very relieved to have completed the journey.

At the top of Mt. Afadjato, with Togo off in the distance

The breathtaking Wli Waterfall

                After a short drive, we had another hike (this time of about a half an hour) to get to the tallest waterfall in Ghana.  This hike was infinitely more bearable than the previous one, as we made our way through the rainforest along a winding river.  The fresh smells of nature and sporadic calls of animals stimulated my senses as I watched the sunlight creep through the breaks in the dense foliage and shimmer on the serene river.  At a break in the jungle, you are welcomed by one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen—I would think it was a painting if I wasn’t there to witness it myself.  The Wli Waterfall towered above a pool of fresh water and was boarder on either side by rigid walls of rock which were home to beautiful wildflowers juxtaposed with swarms of bats.  I didn’t hesitate to jump right into the refreshing water and swim under the falls.  It was almost an outer body experience to be standing under the tallest waterfall in Ghana while the powerful water beat down on my body, and a truly amazing encounter.  Finally we drove to the top of the second tallest mountain—precariously perched along the scariest “road” winding to the top—where we stayed the night in a quaint guesthouse. 

                The owners of the guesthouse kindly prepared dinner for us and although Banku and stew would not have been my first choice, any food was good food at that point.  It was actually my first time eating Banku, because I had purposely avoided it up to this point, and it was roughly what I’d expected.  Banku is a fermented ball of masked plants like cassava that you are to tear off with your fingers and dip in a seafood flavored soup with egg white consistency.  Any visitor to Ghana should give it a try before the leave, but I certainly won’t be depending on Banku alone.  Our night was frequently interrupted by giant spiders appearing in our rooms, which resulted in girls screaming for assistance and all piling into the “safest” bed.  Despite this disturbance, the morning brought yet another breathtaking view as I stepped out onto our balcony.  The sun was peaking over the mountaintops, perfectly kissing the surrounding green trees to paint a colorful picture of peace and tranquility.  Then to everyone’s surprise, we were invited to meet the chief of the local village (the highest human settlement in West Africa) who was holding a council meeting.  We all introduced ourselves and listened to the chief as he provided us with a bit of history on his people as well as a few words of wisdom!   

Monkey at Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary

                After devouring a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and toast with nutella spread (yummy!!!), we packed up and headed to the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary a little over an hour away.  Tafi Atome is a preserve of forest that locals have reclaimed after colonialism destroyed much of the monkeys’ natural habitat.  The monkeys were said to be sacred creatures and played a crucial role in the lives the ancient people in the region.  A guide walked us into the forest and when we arrived at the monkeys’ domain, he signaled to them that we had food.  All of the sudden dozens of monkeys appeared in the surrounding trees, eager to snatch the enchanting bananas we held in our hands.  We were told to grip the bananas very tightly with only the very top visible to the monkeys if we wanted them to jump on us and eat from our hands; otherwise, you could extend your arm and they would hang from the tree while they ate their breakfast.  I have never been so close to wild monkeys before, and assumed this may be one of my only opportunities to have one perched on my arms while I fed it a banana, so I raised my hand toward the trees and firmly gripped the fruit.  Sure enough one after another, monkeys would take turns leaping from their trees onto my arms, head, and shoulders, to quickly eat their bananas and hop back to the protection of the forest.  It was amazing!!  They were of decent size, but surprisingly light, and their facial expressions were absolutely hilarious.  I was all smiles and it is one of my favorite memories from Ghana that will remain with me forever!  My weekend in the Volta Region was truly delightful and such a rewarding experience.

                              

                                     Monkey eating a banana on my arm at Tafi Atome    

Surprise visit from the Parents

      

         The month of March flew by much faster than I ever expected and began with the best surprise I could have ever asked for—my parents came to Ghana!!  I honestly did not think it was even a possibility that they would visit me while I was here, and I had completely come to terms with the fact that, given my choice of location, visitors were pretty much out of the question.  After secret communication with my parents, my professor invited the Pitt students to his home for dinner one Thursday night where they were awaiting my arrival.  It took a few minutes to register that my parents with the two random obruni standing around the dinner table at Dr. Adjaye’s house, but once inner face-recognition technology kicked in, I was at an absolute loss for words (as evident in my father’s video recording of the surprise event).  Needless to say, I was a giddy little school girl sporting a blissful smile from ear to ear for the remainder of the evening as we chatted (mostly about what provoked them to fly to Africa for a long weekend and how they managed to keep this all a secret) and enjoyed authentic Ghanaian food. 

Dad and I in our African attire

True to himself, my Dad had done his homework on Ghana and had an awesome few days planned for us, which was wonderful considering I had no prior knowledge of their visit and therefore could not have scheduled a thing.  After dinner on the first night, we all went back to the Golden Tulip (a very nice hotel in Accra, just down the road from campus) where I was pleasantly welcomed by a lush bed, air conditioning, and hot water—things I hadn’t experienced since arriving in Ghana!  The following morning was enjoyed relaxing by the pool at the Golden Tulip, where my Mom and Dad were first greeted by the hot Ghanaian sun.  They didn’t quite realize how intense it was, and lounging in the water all day created the illusion that it was just a summer day in Cape May, when in fact a perfect shade of pink was leaving indication of their tropical destination.  Later that afternoon, we made the 3 hour drive to Elmina, an old colonial town just past Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana.  The ride itself is an eye-opening experience for newcomers to Africa as it winds through rural establishments along Ghana’s coast and exposes one to life outside of a city.  My Dad especially enjoyed the young boys holding the giant rat-like animal that they caught for sale on the side of the road! 

Elmina harbor filled with fishing boats on a Saturday afternoon

We arrived in Elmina just in time to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean as we ate dinner on the water’s edge.  Similar to the Golden Tulip, the Elmina Bay Resort provided me with the luxuries I had been craving—air-conditioned rooms, a television, and a pool that overlooked the ocean.  Additionally, spending a weekend being spoiled by your parents while you are abroad means that you can try the delicious foods that surpass your usual 2 cedi dinner allotment.  The next day, we ventured to Kakum National Park where we hiked through the rainforest and walked along the suspiciously suspending bridges connecting the tallest trees in the canopy.  A group of school children from the Asante region followed behind us and my Dad enjoyed conversing with them and watching their antics that reminded him of our 13 year old Richie and his friends.  Although we didn’t see any animals, other than butterflies, it was a new experience for me to walk along the canopy of a rainforest and a great change in scenery from Accra.  By lunchtime we had finished in Kakum and stopped for a bite at the Hans Boatel where crocodiles swam freely underneath us and brilliantly yellow birds busily built nests in the surrounding trees.  Then we headed back towards Elmina where we stopped to tour the San Jorge Castle before spending another night at the Elmina Bay Resort. 

My parents and I at Kakum National Park canopy walk

The slave trade castles—both the one in Elmina and the one in Cape Coast which we toured the next day—are a must see if you are traveling to Ghana!  It’s hard to articulate the feeling when you are walking through such a magnificent structure placed right on the edge of the land where palm trees and pristine waters captivate your view; yet, you are fully aware that this current beauty masks a horrifying past of vile vanquishers with no regard for human life other than their own.  As eerie as they were, the tours of the castles were one of my favorite experiences in Ghana thus far and allowed me to have a better understanding of a crucial part of African and European history.  The biggest juxtaposition was that when you step outside the walls of the castle through what was formally known as “the door of no return” as it served as the last point the enslaved Africans would ever be on their homeland, you are confronted by hundreds of fishermen bringing in the days catch, plenty of young boys playing soccer on the sand, women selling their goods on their heads, and colors—lots and lots of vibrant colors!  I could write an entire blog post about my thoughts and observations while at Elmina and Cape Coast castles, but I’ll leave that for another day. 

Dad and Mom at the San Jorge Castle

That night, my parents and I slept like babies, and the next day we headed back to Accra after a bit of relaxation time by the pool.  This time we stayed at the Mensvic hotel in East Legon (even closer to my campus) and were accompanied by hundreds of students participating in a worldwide medical conference.  Not quite the quiet, elegant atmosphere of the Golden Tulip, but a nice hotel nonetheless.  Monday was their final day in Ghana and after a weekend of rapid sightseeing and traveling, we were all ready for a low-key day around Accra.  I gave my parents a simplified tour of my campus so they could get a sense of what I do on a daily basis; I know my Mom appreciated seeing my routes to class, knowing where I eat dinner, and meeting Auntie Adelaide—the sweet lady in charge of my hostel.  Finally, we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant at the Accra mall and I dropped them off at the airport for their late flight home.  It was a quick visit, but I am beyond grateful that my parents were able to experience Ghana and share in my passion with me!  I loved having my parents here in Ghana and it is incredible memory that we will cherish forever.

Adventure to Green Turtle!

Time for a Ghana update!  This is going to be a lengthy one.  With classes finally in full swing, my Ghanaian adventures are now limited to the weekends for the most part, but as exciting as ever.  My schedule is such that I have no classes on Monday and am done at 930AM on Fridays so there is plenty of time to travel for a long weekend, which is exactly what a few friends and I did.  Two weeks ago the university held a Welcome Darbur for the international students where we ate delicious food, learned a bit about Ghanaian culture, socialized with fellow students, and got to watch amazing performances of traditional Ghanaian dance and music.  Although not a mandatory event, it was a lot of fun and a warm welcome to the country so most of us stuck around for it instead of traveling.  The following weekend was the first totally free set of days that we had since arriving in Ghana, so the four girls from Pitt and another friend Sarah from the University of Florida, decided it was time for an adventure.  In one of my West African guide books (a great Christmas present from my Dad) it recommends a weekend away at Green Turtle Lodge on the western coast of Ghana.  This eco-tourism lodge was started by a British couple and is located on a remote stretch of beach about an hour past Takoradi near Akwidaa Old Town.  As soon as we finished our Friday class, we gathered some belongings and began our long trek across the country.

dancers performing traditional Ghanaian moves at the Welcome Darbur

According to the directions on Green Turtle’s website, the travel time from Accra should have been about 5 hours consisting of a four hour STC bus ride to Takoradi, and an hour long tro tro ride to the lodge.  This seemed simple enough for 5 college students to handle, but what would a trip in Ghana be without a few twists?  Apparently when you attempt to catch a tro tro to Kaneshie Market around lunchtime, it is not possible to find one with space for 5 people and their backpacks of clothing; therefore, after our optimism began to dwindle, we were forced to squeeze into a taxi downtown.  Thank goodness Ama is a very petite girl, or else traveling with five people would have been even more complicated.  Fortunately, once we were dropped off at Kaneshie, an STC bus headed to Takoradi was waiting for passengers to fill it up before taking off.  The STC buses are similar to Greyhound or any other bus company in the US, but are a significant step up from the tro tros and much better for long distance transportation—and they are air conditioned!!  We had to wait about an hour on the STC bus before it was well occupied and ready to head to Takoradi.  I gladly dozed off for portions of the bus ride, but was occasionally woken up by the crazy Ghanaian TV series that was being shown or the several near accidents are bus encountered.  At this point, we thought the hard part of our journey was over, and we would be at our beach destination in no time.  Wrong again!  Despite the fact that I had written down the exact directions to the lodge as they provided on their website, no one seemed to know the landmarks we requested.  The STC driven advised we get off the bus before the Takoradi station in order to get a taxi to Green Turtle, because he said there would be no tro tros running that late at night.  However, a taxi from that point would have cost a ridiculous about of money and most did not even know where Green Turtle Lodge was.  I asked a passing woman where to catch a tro tro and she kindly walked us all the way to the best spot, and bargained with the drivers for us, even though it was in the opposite direction of where she was headed.  The tro tro was only able to take us to Agona Junction (which was lit only by a few candles) where we had to find a taxi for the last part of our trip.  Luckily Green Turtle has taxi drivers that they work with who were waiting here and gladly offered to drive us down the last 10 kilometers rocky unlit road.  Only then did we understand why every other person we had talked to said the last bit would take 2 hours—we even had to get out of the taxi and walk along side at points because the road was too difficult to navigate with passengers in the vehicle.

Our mosquito netted bed, watch out for the lizards!

                Finally, after a total of ten hours of travel, we made it to Green Turtle and were never happier to see the few people that were still awake sitting around a campfire on the beach.  True to Ghanaian hospitality, the man in charge for the night was nice enough to give us each some bread and spreads since we hadn’t eaten the entire day, before showing us to our rooms.  We stayed in dorm style accommodations which were essentially large rooms with multiple beds squeezed in and mosquito nets covering them.  This was perfect for our budgets and as we only used the rooms as a place to crash at night, they were more than enough.  We spent the next 3 days relaxing in every way possible—long walks on the beach, candle lit dinners, becoming totally engulfed in our books, and going for the occasional dip in the ocean.  One morning we took a walk down the beach to a nearby fishing village where we met two young girls on their way to fetch fresh water for their family.  Agnes and her little sister stopped us and asked to get their pictures taken, and then view it immediately after—they probably would shriek with excitement and burst into laughter at the sight of themselves.  We talked with them for a while and they held our hands as we walked with them to get water.  This was one of my favorite moments in Ghana so far because two girls less than the age of 10 unknowingly exposed me to a new world—one in which a young girl can sing a song about Jesus with a huge smile on her face, giggle at herself while wearing my sunglasses, and teach me how to do her favorite dance despite the fact that she was clearly malnourished and held a lot of responsibility for the wellbeing of her family at such a ripe age.  Saying goodbye to Agnes and her sister without being able to help them in the ways they desperately needed was hard, but I hope that singing and dancing with them brightened their day as much as they did mine.  That was a moment I won’t soon forget.

Agnes and her little sister get a picture with an obruni!

                Another perk of the weekend was the delicious food that was all made fresh from the surrounding resources—we even had French toast one morning from bread that was made by the Ghanaian women at Green Turtle with bananas and pure honey (so yummy)!  Aside from the animal of some sort that was trapped in the walls of our dorm and proceeded to cry all night long, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend escape on a remote beach with breathtaking scenery and wonderful people.  Monday, brought another long day of travel, but this time with a bit more organization on our part.  It is funny how arriving back on campus in Accra feels like home for the time being, and we are now back in the swing of class—the other reason I’ve come here.  This upcoming weekend we will stay in Accra, with plans to tour the city and some major historical sites around it.  Additionally, I am starting to volunteer at a local orphanage this week, which I am so excited for, as it is one of the driving factors in my wish to come to Ghana.  It is easy to see how fast four months here will go, and I don’t want to let it slip away from me!

The beautiful beach at Green Turtle Lodge

                

Getting Settled and a trip to Bojo!

   As the days go on, I am becoming more adjusted to life here in Ghana and am finally settling on a daily routine.  Life here is much slower than what I am used to back on the eastern United States, and at times that can become quite frustrating for a person who plans to achieve a lot during a day.  Sometimes it is hard to accept the fact that registering for all of my classes, buying another set of sheets for the bed, and checking my email are simply not all going to happen in one day.  In fact, it has taken the entire week so far to register for classes, and we still aren’t signed up for some because neither the departments haven’t been open, nor have the time slots been posted.  However, this appears to be a typical occurrence and the university staff assures us that it will all be sorted out by the end of next week.

   One class that has been running this first week is Traditional African Dance, which I take every Tuesday and Thursday evening.  I have been looking forward to taking this class since officially accepting to study abroad this spring semester, but I couldn’t have anticipated just how much fun it would be!  On Tuesday evening about 70 students (mostly Ghanaian) and I crammed into the only dance studio on campus and were told to “open your mind and be free, let the music speak to you.”  With that, we were directed to our feet and told to join in the dance.  On the stage were seven drummers who played live music throughout the hour and a half as we moved to the beat.  Being thrown into an African Dance class without any prior dance experience—minus the time I did ballet in first grade when I spent more time searching for my parents in the audience than I did performing the recital—I was nervous that my rhythmically-challenged self would flounder.  To my surprise, it was easy to follow the experienced Ghanaians and it was the most fun I’ve had so far in Ghana.  It was definitely the best workout too!

   Last Saturday, some of the Ghanaian residents organized a trip to Bojo Beach for the international students which proved to be nothing less than an African adventure.  We left around 8 in the morning, squeezing in way more students than the bus capacity was meant to handle.  The trip was supposed to take about an hour and a half given all of the predicted traffic, but no more than 20 minutes into the journey, our bus had a miniature collision with a tro tro.  When I say miniature, I mean that our front right headlight was cracked, but this added a few hours onto our trek to the beach.  After a period of heated arguing between the respective drivers, we moved to the driving center to sort out insurance policies; later, we discovered that this was the wrong location to do so, and had to drive further to the police station.  It took a few attempts to fill out the right paperwork for the incident, and finally by noon we were on the road again.  The drive to Bojo was very eye-opening as we left the busy city area of Greater Accra, and entered the more rural neighborhoods along the dirt paths to the ocean.  Even in these obviously struggling communities, I saw little kids with huge smiles on their faces as they roll an old tire around together.  Most don’t speak any English because they can’t afford to attend school, but a simple smile and wave can break any language barrier and let someone know you care. 

Tiki huts on Bojo Beach and the ferry that brought us to the island

   Once we finally arrived at Bojo Beach Resort, we were so excited to run through the soft sand and dive into the warm water.  Bojo is a small island right off the coast, so we all piled into a long canoe and were escorted across the bay so our paradise escape.  I never thought I would be swimming in the ocean in January, and experiencing warmer water temperatures than I ever have in the middle of the summer at the Jersey Shore.  This true bliss did not last for long however, because about a half an hour after arriving, a giant storm rushed in and we had to huddle under a tiki hut bar to avoid the downpour.  What I enjoyed most about this change of events was the fact that the sideways rain and gusting winds didn’t appear to ruin anybody’s day—the huddle under the tiki hut turned into an African dance party, and those who were brave enough decided to start a soccer game in the rain!  When the day was over and our soaking wet, sandy selves were back at the hostel, everyone was ready to call it a night!

   By Sunday, the campus had taken a complete 360 as all of the students finally moved it.  It is more crowded everywhere you go, and forget trying to sleep in—if the roster calling outside your window doesn’t wake you, the congregations of students, as well as the hustle and bustle of the market will certainly do the trick.  Our Ghanaian roommates have all moved in as well, and it is nice to get to know some of the locals and start friendships with people we never would have before.  The once daunting campus now seems like a place I’ve been walking around for years (although it is still very large and spread out).  We are even grasping the notion of bargaining which is an absolutely necessary skill here in Ghana, especially for the obruni (white people).  In fact, today LaVonda, Bridget, and I took an adventure to the National Cultural Center in Accra where we had to prove we knew how to bargain in order to get the best prices on the handmade crafts sold there.  I was very pleased with our ability to negotiate a tro tro to the right location and find our way around the city to the Cultural Center, navigate our way through the aisles of vendors begging us to purchase their products, and successfully find our way home.  It really feels like we are getting the hang of things here, especially after hearing that another group of girls accidentally took the wrong tro tro 4 hours in the opposite direction of the Cultural Center.

ladies selling tomatoes in Accra, the streets are lined with vendors like this

   There are definitely things that I am starting to miss as I approach the two week mark of me being in Ghana, but little things every day remind me of the beauty of this country.  For example, the other night some of the girls and I sat on the balcony reading by candlelight as we listened to the sounds surrounding us.  I cannot remember the last time I even had a chance to sit and read a book for pleasure, or chose to do so over watching The Bachelor on a Monday night, but it was so lovely to be able to do just that.  It is nice to be able to ignore the western world for a bit, and enjoy the simplicity of life here.  I am excited for classes to get in full swing next week, and for all of the surprises to come!  

Time to try Tro-Tros!

           After a second day of orientation, the Pitt crew and I took our first trip into Accra with the help of our friend Hilda!  I finally got to take a tro-tro—the 70s style “hippie vans” filled with 20 people that are notorious for tackling the reckless city driving with full force.  It was not nearly as bad as I had read prior to coming to Ghana, and they are super cheap, so I anticipate taking tro-tros for most short distant trips into the city.  While on the tro-tro, you will see your fair share of women with baskets of goods on their heads coming up to the opened windows and offering cold bags of water, or plantain chips, or other miscellaneous things.  We had to get off the tro-tro at the circle which is a very large market/bus stop, and flag down a 7 person station wagon for the rest of our journey.  In Accra, we got cell phones, SIM cards, and had a bite for lunch.  All of the local school kids were either out for the day or on a lunch break and I loved seeing them run around in their uniforms, shyly watching us foreigners.  As soon as I waved and smiled, they lit up and waved right back--they are so so cute!  That afternoon was Ghana’s first game of the African Cup of Nations, and although we weren’t able to watch it, we knew when Ghana scored.  We were headed back to campus when all of the sudden all the cars in the streets starting honking their horns loudly and the kids started running around weaving in and out of the traffic—word of the Ghanaian goal had spread rapidly and everyone was celebrating!  I am excited for the next game which I will hopefully be able to watch.

Tro Tro in Accra

Last night all of the international students were invited to a “get to know each other” event by the Ghanaian students who have moved in already.  They were very friendly and enjoyed teaching us the Azonto dance which is a recently popular song that is played everywhere in Ghana.  Then we all went to a live concert at Labardi Beach where we sat and chatted with one another (and put our Azonto dance skills to the test)—it was nice to finally have real conversations with very interesting people and start some lasting friendships!

LaVonda, Ama, and I in front of the library as we walked around campus

Today, our main task was to register for classes which proved to be just the challenge I had heard about.  This was mostly due to the constraints put on us by Pitt, and not the system here in Ghana, but that comes with being the first students to come to this university from Pittsburgh.  Because this is a Pitt abroad program, we have to take very specific classes that are similar to those offered at Pitt in order to get credit and for grades to transfer.  We were given 7 classes of which we were to pick 5, but not all of them are being offered here this semester and those that are, are a mix of 300 and 400 level courses (therefore the class times conflict).  We spent most of the day walking from department to department to see if they had posted their class options and time.  I’m sure we will work it all out, and we have 2 weeks to finalize our schedules before they become official—plenty of time!  Tomorrow we plan on going to the mall in Accra to do some shopping, and Saturday the international students who didn’t come with a larger exchange program are going to the beach for the day!  I am so looking forward to that!

Akwaaba to Ghana!

Akwaaba! Welcome! The notoriously friendly Ghanaian people were excited to welcome us to their country, and after over 15 hours of travel time we were equally thrilled.  The flight itself wasn’t too bad; food was served and each passenger had a personal tv to watch movies.  The occasional turbulence and a woman laying sick in the isle with fellow passengers (nurses) trying to help her, were a bit nerve-racking, but altogether a decent flight.   Our plane landed in the Accra airport around 1:30 pm yesterday (Sunday) and as soon as I stepped out of the air-conditioned craft, I made my first declaration about Ghana—it HOT!  Although a drastic change from the snow storm that hit Philadelphia on Saturday prior to my departure, the weather was surprisingly pleasant at first.  However, I have absolutely no idea how people walk around in long pants, jeans, and long sleeved shirts here, because I only foresee skirts and dresses for my stay.  By the time we got through immigration, got all of our luggage, and found our way through the sea of people at the airport we met Akua who took us in a bus to the University of Ghana.  On the bus ride we had our windows open (the breeze was phenomenal) and at a stop, two adorable young boys came up to the bus asking for money and food.  This made me so sad, because if I was capable, I would feed all of the children I meet in Ghana (and all over the world for that matter), but it reminded me of why I came to such a country—to experience something I never have, or may never again.

Upon arriving to the University, we were dropped off at the International Student Hostel 2 (called “ish” like the sound not the letter abbreviation by the local students) where we were given our rooming assignments.  The four girls from Pitt expected to room together in two doubles, but the U of G chooses to pair international students not traveling with an exchange program with a Ghanaian student as a roommate.  The Ghanaian students won’t move in until the weekend so I have a few days to get situated, unpacked, and hang out my mosquito net before my roommate comes.  Like most buildings I’ve seen so far on campus, the hostel is set up with an open courtyard in the middle and each room has a balcony that overlooks the outside as well as one that looks into the courtyard.  That being said, the rooms are by no means luxurious (although apparently a giant step up from the other dorms around campus where 10 students cram into a 4 person room).  One of the biggest surprises so far was the lack of toilet paper anywhere!!  This is fine now that we’ve gotten some from the local market and know to carry a bit around in our bags, but it was an unpleasant encounter at first.  After getting our luggage into the rooms we immediately had to go to dinner with the dean of the International Programs department where we met a few other students living in our hostel.  The dinner was a traditional Ghanaian meal of joloff rice, chicken/pork, fried plantains, yam balls, and some more questionable options that I was not brave enough to try.  After dinner and a few musical performances, a large group of us international students from ISH 2 went to a local bar to celebrate the birthday of one of the girls.  My favorite part was when the taxi didn’t start and two guys had to push it for a while until the engine turned on.  It was an outdoor bar filled with Ghanaians just sitting and enjoying the music, so we did the same.

This morning we had to get up bright and early for an orientation which was supposed to go until noon, but as “Ghanaian time” goes it lasted until about 1:30 and we will have another tomorrow morning to cover what went unfinished today.  They explained how to register for classes on Wednesday and how the examination period at the end of the semester works.  Then this information was repeated for about 4 hours with a quick snack break in the middle.  I’m sure the information will be extremely helpful, but the jetlagged audience was not very interactive this morning.  Afterwards, Dr. Adjaye (my prof. from Pitt who brought us over) introduced us to Hilda who is a Ghanaian graduate student here and will be helping us set up bank accounts, get phones, and learn our way around.  When we finally got a chance to rest later in the day, we all took a long nap.  In the evening we went to the night market which is located right behind ISH 2, and I tried “red red” for dinner which is basically rice and some spicy bean mixture in a red sauce.  I thought it was delicious, especially compared to the yam and some spicy green sauce I attempted for lunch.  The night market (which is open all day actually) is a wonderful place for us to get food because it is usually only 1.5 cedi or less for a meal.  We also buy our water there which comes in a giant bag of 20-30 little baggies of water for 1.5 cedi—it’s funny to see people take a baggie of water out of their purse and tear it open with their teeth to enjoy!

At night, the international students organized a soccer competition and we watched while the self-declared teams took turns playing in the parking lot for a few hours.  Then we did a bit of exploring the other International Student Hostel (ISH 1) and bought some time on the internet before settling in our rooms for the night.  So that is all for my first 24 ish hours in Ghana! So many new experiences already, and so many more to come (but I’ll try to keep the blogs on the shorter side). Also when we figure out a better internet situation I will add pictures!! I am truly grateful to have this opportunity and am so excited to see what Ghana has in store for me!