Travelocity and Analyze-ity

At a "coffee stand" on the way back from the North.
It's kinda hard to see but there is an elephant in the background!
Elmina slave castle.
At the village on stilts.


The two weeks have been a whirl wind of adventures. From tro tro rides, to elephants to lovely beaches to birthday celebrations. I traveled up north with 4 friends, the trip took 10 hrs to the large city and then another 5 hours to the Mole National Park. After much trekking through brush-and falling in a couple muddy holes-we finally saw an elephant! It could not have been more than 40 ft. away! And it was huge! Heading back to Cape Coast, was a blur of trees and children screaming “Obruni! Obruni!”.
Tuesday I began work with Eli, the chef for the volunteers in Cape Coast. We spent the week making recipes that would go into the cookbook. Cooking here is much more of an ordeal than back home. Although Eli has a blender she prefers to use the traditional blender, which consists of 2 smooth stones. Even though we both speak English, I realize that culture plays a significant role in communication. In America a measuring cup is completely different from a measuring cup in Ghana, which is a tin can and pilling it as much as possible.
Last weekend a couple friends and I decided to spend to weekend at a beach hotel in the western region. We visited a village built on stilts, the only way to get to this village is to take an hour long canoe ride there.
Back in Cape Coast I visited one of the slave castles, built in the 14th century. It was very intense, in the female dungeon you could still smell the strong scent of the inhuman conditions the Africans were forced to endure. It was difficult seeing the place, but I can’t imagine what it would be like if it had been part of my family ancestry.
I finally returned to Accra on Monday night. The next morning we went on the Market and Spice Tour, which I had designed with Gifty. It went so well! It was so exciting seeing the project in its final stages, especially since I had started with a simple idea!
Although transportation is long and tiring, it does give me time to analyze my time here, and what I think of my work in Ghana. On my last tro tro ride, I analyzed what I have learned.
• I have learned to accept that my clothes, hair and body will never be truly clean here.
• I have learned to accept that there is no means of comfortable transportation here.
• I have learned to respect the differences in Ghanaian culture and mine.
• I have learned patience.
• I have learned that “I am coming” could mean anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours.
• I have learned that an internet connection is never going to be as fast as in the US.
• I have learned that a Ghanaian dish includes cayenne pepper, a starch and at least 2 cups of oil.
• I have learned that while a capitalistic approach has its advantages it also has its drawbacks.
• I have learned that family is much more important in this culture.
• I have learned that people are generally good and trustworthy.
• I have learned although one minute a strange, in Ghana, the next minute you could be a brother or sister.
• I have learned to expect the unexpected.