Counting Down the Days

Hey everyone!
I've been super busy here in Ghana, making the most of my time here. As time speeds by, it's hard to believe that I only have about 3 weeks left! Between now and my last post, I have traveled more and discovered even more of what Ghana has to offer. Classes are also over, they ended last week, so now I'm into about a month of finals/studying. For a quick overview of the past weeks, here's what I've been up to:

• Mount Afadjato: Highest Point in Ghana. The weekend of April 12th, my friends and I traveled to the Volta Region to hike and explore more of the area. The hike was really challenging because it was in the typical Ghanaian style, straight up. It took us about an hour to reach the top. The view was amazing and after we took another short hike to a nearby waterfall.

At the top, looking towards Togo

• Cape Coast Trip with CIEE: Near the end of April, I took a trip with the rest of my program to Cape Coast. We saw the Elmina Castle, which was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 and served as a trading post and a stop along the Atlantic slave trade route. The whole experience of touring the castle was something I'll never be able to put into words. 

Elmina

• During the weekend we also walked across the canopy bridges of Kakum National Park, which was so awesome! 

The start of the canopy walk

• The North!! This past weekend, my friends and I took our longest trip up to the north of Ghana. The trip started with a 14 hour overnight bus to Tamale. The bus ride was relatively easy, except for some classic Ghanaian dirt roads, preaching, and the blasting of Ghanaian dramas/soap operas on the tv. At about 4 or 5 in the morning, we arrived in Tamale to find a bus/trotro to take us another 2 hours to Mole National Park. This road was also an interesting experience, to say the least. When we finally got to our hotel, we were blessed with seeing the much anticipated elephants from our viewpoint of the hotel pool that looked down into the savanna. It was amazing! Since it was only about 10am, we spent the day lounging by the pool and catching up on sleep from the night before. The next morning we woke up early to go on the walking safari to see more of the animals in the park. While on our walk, we saw warthog families, a lot of antelope, and even more elephants bathing in a watering hole. Again, a truly awesome experience, that I wouldn't trade for anything. Later that day, we traveled 6km to the local village of Larabanga where we saw one of the oldest mosque in Ghana and in West Africa. The age is actually unknown, but from records and reconstruction, it is estimated date back from the 17th century. From there, we took another trotro to the town of Wa, and after a lot of traveling and meeting Ghanaian friends we luckily found a hotel to stay in for the night. The next morning, we woke up early again to travel in another trotro to go on a canoe ride and see hippos. The ride was another good exposure to northern Ghanaian roads, but we made it. We also go to take a tuktuk, which is basically a motorcycle with a crate attached to the back to the river. The canoe ride was really great and peaceful, and the hippos were huge. The river actually served as a border between Ghana and Burkina Faso, so we managed to head to the opposite bank for a little bit and I can now say I've been to two African countries. After this, we headed back to Wa and after a lot of confusion and frustration about the lack of transportation, we decided to take a trotro to Kumasi and break up the long journey back to Accra. We again managed to find a hotel with the help of a nice Ghanaian man, and the next morning we got breakfast before visiting the market and then heading the rest of the way back to Accra. Overall, the trip was so amazing and I'm really glad I got to see a different part of Ghana. What struck me the most about the north was how clean it was, but also the fact that traveling and transportation is a little more difficult. The people are also a lot less in your face and at times a lot more friendlier. I can safely say that without the help of some great Ghanaians, my friends and I would have been lost or stranded. 

Pool at hotel with friends looking at elephants 

Larabanga Mosque

Looking over the river at Burkina Faso

So that's what I've been up to, these next few weeks I plan to study for finals and do some last minute exploring. I can't believe how fast time has gone, but I'm also looking forward to coming home and sharing my experiences with everyone back home.

Love,

Audrey

Update on life in Ghana

Hey everyone!
It's been a long time since I've posted and I've been busy exploring more of Ghana and becoming fully adjusted. It's crazy to think of when I first got here and couldn't even imagine taking a trotro by myself. Now, I can navigate and get myself pretty much anywhere in Accra! I also have adapted to the food, and although it's one of the most difficult aspects of being here, I can also say that I have found some favorites that I will miss once I'm home (which is in about 6 weeks!! AH!) So, since it's been awhile I thought I'd give everyone a brief update on my experiences.
UPDATE #1: The professors are on strike aka I haven't really had class for 3 weeks. This has been an interesting experience, because we've been told that some classes still might be held, so I basically wander to each class to find no one there. We've also been told by our director that we'll still be leaving at our scheduled time and we'll still get credit/take exams, so that's all good news! Thankfully, my internship is still going, so I still have that to keep busy with and stay occupied.
UPDATE #2: I went paragliding! Over Easter weekend, my friends and I traveled to a region where they hold a paragliding festival. Overall the experience was amazing and I loved it, but we also learned that Ghanaians have other ways of running events and don't really like organization. It was also really cool to talk to the pilots, who were from the US, Europe, and Asia and learn about their life stories and what got them interested in paragliding.

The runway 

Before the launch

UPDATE #3: Beach hut = sand everywhere. The weekend after the paragliding, we went to another beach/fishing village to celebrate one of my friend's 21st. It was an awesome relaxing time and the resort was  situated on an island with one side ocean water and the other side fresh water. We also got to take a cool boat to the resort and at night we slept in grass huts right on the beach. This is where all the sand comes in. But it was still an awesome time and great memories were made!

Our boat ride to the island

Arriving to the island

Our "rooms" 

This weekend, we'll be hiking to the highest point in Ghana and hopefully swim in some waterfalls! It's crazy to think I've been here for 3 months, and it's almost May, but I'm excited for what else Ghana has in store for me! I hope everything is great back home, and hopefully spring arrives soon!
Miss you all!
Love,
Audrey

Halfway!?

Hey everyone!

It’s been awhile since my last post, so I’ll try and update you all on what has been going on here in Ghana. Two weekends ago, we stayed in Accra and spent time relaxing and taking a break from traveling. I got a lot of work done and it was nice to sleep in, etc. We got to experience more of Ghanaian night life and we went to another market called Medina, where I got some more used clothes and other stuff.

This weekend we explored Accra even more. Friday, we took a trotro to downtown and found this amazing vegetarian restaurant on the coast. It was located right in the cliffs and it was a super cool view as we were eating. They also had delicious vegetarian bean burgers and chips, which really hit the spot. Saturday, was another quiet day of getting stuff done around the dorms. I’ve come to realize that I really appreciate the weekends we travel and after two weekends of Accra, I’m ready to go explore more of Ghana. 

Delicious veggie burger!

View from our seat at restaurant!

More of the view!

Sunday, we got up at 5am to take a bus to Kumasi for the soccer game, Ghana vs. Sudan. It was a world cup qualifier and Ghana won 4-0!! The ride there was long and our driver had an interesting way of approaching speed bumps, but we made it there by late afternoon. The crowds and general atmosphere were so exciting, and it was an awesome experience! Only in Ghana can you pay $3.50 for a ticket and less than $2 for snack and drinks at the game. After the game, we got back on the bus for the long ride home.

Made it through the ticket gate!

This week there are more classes and my internship, and this weekend we are still deciding between going past cape coast or going to a festival outside of Accra. I hope everything is well back home and it’ll hopefully start to feel more like spring. I can’t say that I’m sad I’m missing all that snow. Happy Easter!!

Love,

Audrey

Weekend in Kumasi

Hey everyone!

This past week has brought much of the same activities and I’m happy to say that this coming Friday marks 2 months! Last week held again the same activities of going to class and my internship, but Wednesday was actually special because it was Ghana’s Independence Day, celebrating 56 years of independence and a stable democracy!  The night before, Tuesday, my friends and I decided to go to the Chris Brown concert downtown. I’m not a huge fan of Brown, but some of his songs are great, and I went with the mentality of “when in Ghana…”. After finally tracking down tickets for general admission (20 cedi, $10 US) we made our way down to the football stadium. It was super crowded and busy, and as expected Chris was way late to perform. One exciting and unexpected aspect of the concert was sneaking/army crawling under a barrier to get to the VIP section and front rows. We successfully snuck through and managed to get to the fourth row in the crowded and extremely hot standing section. When I say hot, I mean sweat everywhere; I was absolutely drenched when the concert was over. But Chris finally came on around 11pm and he sang most of his songs and some others not by him. Overall a great experience with hilarious memories.

Adinkra symbols

Fabric stamped with adinkra symbols

My market purchases

This weekend we traveled with CIEE to the Ashanti region/Kumasi. It’s great when CIEE sponsors some trips because we don’t have to deal with the hassle of trotros and they pay for everything. So Friday, we woke up really early and boarded an air conditioned bus. The ride went really smoothly and we stopped a t a Kente cloth weaving warehouse. Kente is a form of weaving and each design actually has a specific meaning. I bought a stole for graduation and the meaning is two hands are better than one and it also represents the founders and foundation of kente. We then also went to an adinkra symbol stamping place. Here we saw how the dye is made from tree bark by mashing it and then boiling it down for several days. The result is a very dark black ink that they use to stamp symbols onto fabric. The symbols all have different meanings too, here is a website with some of their meanings. At the end, we all got to try stamping symbols onto fabric. Later that day, we arrived at the hotel, where there was (gasp) hot water and ac! Seriously didn’t know how to handle that and I may have burned myself in the shower because I was so excited/not used to hot water. Dinner at the hotel was great too, some delicious chicken and jollof. The next day, we went to a museum about the tribal king of Kumasi and then later we went to the largest market in West Africa. It was huge. Honestly, if they would have brought us there in the first couple weeks, we would have been so lost and terrified, But my group and I are now pretty used to walking though markets and having to bargain for everything. The market was so busy and filled with narrow aisles full of everything you could think of: used clothes, dishes, jewelry, live chickens, fish, rice, beans, spices and fabric. Every aisle was also crowded with people walking through with huge amounts of things on their heads and chatting to each other. My goal was to get some fabric to be made into some clothes and some gifts for people back home. I can successfully say I found and bargained for 3 different fabrics, jewelry, and some scarves from a lady near our bus. Market day well spent, and I wasn’t even that overwhelmed. After the market, we came back to our hotel for some free time aka nap time. That night CIEE said they would take us out to dinner and the options were traditional Ghanaian food (fufu/banku) or continental aka INDIAN FOOD. No questions were asked, I was getting Indian. Four of my friends and I enjoyed one of the best meals I’ve had here: naan, chicken curry, and other delicious dishes. I am also happy to discover how much I really like Indian food, because apparently Sri Lankan cuisine is very similar and based off it. Now, I’m looking forward to the food this coming summer. After eating till we were fully satisfied we drove back to the hotel for a quiet night from the full day. Sunday, I spent time reading before getting back on the bus and traveling back to Accra. Sunday night and most of Monday I spent studying for another test in history of medicine on Tuesday.

Overall, the weekend had some fantastic opportunities to see the town and people of the Ashanti region and I really enjoyed how relaxing it was to not have to plan everything. However, I am also glad that my friends and I are able to travel on our own and that we take advantage of every opportunity to do this. There is something about traveling with almost no plan and just rolling with the punches that feels truly Ghanaian.

That’s all for now. 

Love, Audrey

Beach Weekend

Hi everyone!
This past week and weekend have brought even more adventures in Ghana. I can't believe I've been here for almost 2 months! Time is flying and I'm loving every second. This past week I've done most of the same things like going to class and my internship. I've had more success with the trotros, but they are still full of surprises. This past weekend my friends and I traveled five hours to Busua beach. The traveling there went really smoothly and we got there on Friday at about 2pm. After finally getting dropped off by a taxi in a small beach town, we found the resort/inn that a friend had recommended. It was breathtaking. Right on the beach, with little huts for people to stay in, and a bar/restaurant that served some of the best chips (fries) I've had here in Ghana. After settling in, we got some drinks at the bar and spent the last part of the day on the beach. The water and waves were amazing and we were so happy to be there. That night we found a place to eat in town and I had some great Redred (beans with sauce). We then spent the night on the beach looking at the stars and drinking some Don Simon.

View from our hut.

Saturday, some of my friends went to a surfing lesson, while me and the rest of the group went to find pancakes/something for breakfast. I ended up having some french toast, which was delicious, although I miss not having syrup. We then went back to watch the surfing and get ready for a full day at the beach. Most of the day was spent swimming, tanning, walking the beach, and reading. Around midday we went into town to find lunch, where we met a guy named Jerry. He said he had food at his bar, so we followed. He ended up being quite the character and the "food" was more of reheated rice and beans from the night before. Not the best. But we weren't discouraged, so we went back to the beach to enjoy the rest of the day. Dinner, we went back to the place from the night before, and I had an interesting variation of oatmeal. The rest of the night we, again, spent watching the stars on the beach.
Sunday morning we got up to go to the highly recommended pancake place, and I had a chocolate banana pancake, which was pretty delicious. We then spent a couple more hours at the beach before boarding a trotro for the long way back home.
So far, from our weekend travels it has been interesting to see how different Ghana's regions are from each other. Each place we go has something different to offer. We also are realizing how comfortable we are getting here. I'm starting to refer to the dorms as home, and when we get back sunday nights, I can't wait to get an egg sandwich or Sarah's chicken in the night market. Overall, a really relaxing weekend and a great time. This next weekend we'll be traveling to the Ashanti region with CIEE! Hope everything is well back home! Sorry about all that snow, can't say that I miss it :)
Love,
Audrey

Too Blessed to be Stressed

This weekend was by far the best weekend I’ve experienced here in Ghana so far! This weekend we planned to go to the Volta region where the largest waterfall in West Africa is located. Friday morning, we got up at about 5:30am to catch a trotro and begin our journey. We luckily caught a bus to Tema station downtown, where we caught another trotro to Ho Hoe. The trotro we boarded was a dream. Air conditioning, brand new plush seats, it was unreal. Driving through the countryside was great, it really solidified the fact that I’m finally in Africa and studying abroad. Close to Ho Hoe, we got off the trotro to go to a monkey sanctuary and have lunch. We found out that the sanctuary was actually about 3km away, so the best way to get there was on motorbikes. Absolutely no hesitation to this idea, we all got our own driver and started cruising down a dirt path. It was so cool! We passed by local schools where the children were waving and other buildings surrounding the villages. We got to the sanctuary and had lunch at a local chop bar, which was rice with tomato stew. After that we bought some bananas and went to the monkey sanctuary where we got to feed them to the little monkeys (which looked like little wizard gremlins) and some even climbed down and would sit on your shoulders! After this, we decided to continue on our way to Ho Hoe and then the base of Wli falls so we could stay overnight somewhere. We miraculously got an empty trotro on the side of the road to take us the rest of the way and then another trotro and the always crucial fan chocos to take us the rest of the way. When we got to the base of Wli, we found a homestay/lodge to stay in and took a nap before dinner. For dinner, we went to a bar/restaurant that didn’t have lights, but rather black lights and ordered some rice and chicken. There, we experienced the classic Ghanaian time scale and waited about an hour and a half for our food. But the view of the mountains was really cool, and even though we couldn’t really see our food, it was still an awesome experience. After dinner, we tried to go to bed early because we knew we had to wake up early to start hiking.

Roommates at the lodge!!

Saturday morning, we woke up at about 6:30am to get ready to go and then met our guide, Wisdom Mighty or just Mighty for short, and began our journey. As we began our hike, Mighty stopped at a palm bush and cut us each a walking stick to use while on the trail. We had decided to take the longest 6 hour hike that would take us to both the upper and lower falls. Clarification: hiking in Ghana usually means scaling mountains and vertical/ 90 degree trails, switch backs are not present, ever. Despite this challenge, the hike was amazing and began with super cool views of the village below and the surrounding mountains. After about 3 hours, which included a particularly steep portion of the trail where we basically slid down the mountain, we reached the upper falls. It was again, unreal. The mist and the wind were super powerful, but that didn’t stop us from swimming under the falls for awhile. We then ate some lunch before starting hiking again to the lower falls. This portion of the trail included more downhill sections, but was still challenging and I had to concentrate so I wouldn't misstep. The palm branch walking sticks came in quite handy at this point. After another couple hours, we reached the lower falls and went swimming again and enjoyed the surrounding view and sun. We then hiked out to the village and gathered our stuff together to catch a trotro back to Accra. The trotro ride home was slightly longer because of some traffic. When we arrived back to the dorms we got food, I got my favorite Sarah’s chicken wings and kelewele. After scarfing down dinner, I passed out on my bed, exhausted from the past two days.

Sunday/today was my friend Christin’s 21^st birthday, so we spent time celebrating! Some of my friends and I went to the mall early in the morning and got stuff to decorate her room. We then went down to Osu to get the cake we order for it and went to Frankie’s for dinner. I enjoyed some prime American food, my favorite: bacon cheeseburger and fries. The cake was delicious and it was the perfect end to the weekend. Overall, I’m so glad everything went smoothly. Surprisingly, we really didn't have that much of the trip planned. We got on the trotro, not really knowing where we were going to stay that night or any real details, but everything worked out. It makes me want to take advantage of any opportunity to travel, if it comes up. Tomorrow, brings more school, my internship, and more Ghanaian life. So, until next time, I hope everyone is having a great time back home!

Love,

Audrey

Daily life and some weekend adventures

Hey everyone, sorry I meant to post this on Tuesday...

Life in Ghana has been great for the past two weeks! More going to classes,working at my internship, and every day I feel more comfortable living here. The rest of last week was pretty normal and I spent another day successfully getting to and from my internship site. This last weekend we decided to spend Friday going to Boti Falls and then Saturday, we traveled with my whole program to the eastern region. Friday was probably our longest trotro ride we’ve taken, and unfortunately I did fall victim to car sickness due to the winding mountain roads and the incredible speed that trotros seem to go. Typical of me, but I am pretty proud of myself that I lasted this long without getting sick. When we finally got to the falls, we learned that since it was the dry season, there wasn’t any water. Completely dried up falls, but the view was still pretty cool. Saturday we woke up really early to be bused to the eastern region. There, we visited a cocoa farm and I got to sample some raw cocoa right from the pod. We then went to the botanical gardens and got to tour it and enjoy a fantastic free buffet for lunch. Needless to say, I took full advantage of all that food. Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at the wood carving village and I got some neat jewelry. Sunday, I spent time catching up on reading and studying for my test on history of western medicine for Tuesday. Monday, I spent time at my internship and studied more and then Tuesday I took my first test here. I would say it went rather well, considering it was answering one essay question and it was open notes/open books. I also went to my lecture on Human Rights in Africa, and I can really tell that I’m going to enjoy that class. Tuesday/today, I went to my internship and I’m happy to say that I finally caught a trotro for the first part of the ride. This has been one of the most difficult aspects of my internship because of the traffic and the fact that there never seems to be room in a trotro going to 37^th station. But finally today, an empty trotro pulled up and I managed to get a ride. This being said, I did arrive at my site a little early, but I’m still really happy I did it. For those of you who may still be confused as to what a trotro is, here is a link to site that gives a painfully accurate description of this wondrous method of transportation. I also forgot to mention, but Monday, I also got to pick up a pencil skirt that I had made by a local seamstress and I liked it so much, I’m having her make me another. I also got one of the dresses another seamstress made me and it also rocks, I promise I'll post pictures soon! This weekend I will be traveling Wli falls and a monkey sanctuary and looking forward to celebrating one of my friend’s 21^st birthday! Hope everyone is doing well back home!

Love,

Audrey  

Some Reflections

Hey all!

So this past week was much like the first, except I was actually able to attend all of my classes! Hurrah! Monday and Tuesday were pretty uneventful, Monday I spent time updating emails and reading and Tuesday I had my first history class and then my poli sci class about Human Rights in Africa. They both sound like they’re going to be super interesting especially from this new perspective. Wednesday, I thought we were going to my internship site, but that turned out to be Thurs. so I spent Wednesday wandering around more and gathered some course packets and other papers. Thursday, I finally got to visit my internship site! I went with Janet (one of CIEE’s office workers) and after driving me down to Osu and introducing me to one of the staff members at WiLDAF, she left me to learn what my internship would entail. I got to read through some pamphlets and I learned I would be collecting, filing, and reporting about media postings that are concerned with women’s rights. I was really excited to have a concrete job and that was all they had for me, so I decided to brave the trotro and ride back to campus. First solo trotro ride: success! There’s a station right near my office and I was easily able to find the trotro that was heading for medina. I’m glad to say I made it back just in time for my public health lecture. This class seems like it might be repetitive to the class on global health that I took last semester, but again, I'm excited to learn all this from a new perspective. Friday, me and some friends decided to travel about an hour out of Accra to Bojo Beach. It was such a good decision. Unlike the first beach I visited, this one was gorgeous! There was hardly anyone there and the beach is actually an island surrounded by fresh water on one side and the ocean on the other. We got to take a sweet little canoe ride to the beach and enjoyed the day swimming in the waves and reading on the beach. Day well spent.

Canoes used to cross lagoon

View off canoe heading towards beach

Saturday, we were planning on attending a wedding of a friend’s cousin, but unfortunately we got the days mixed up and ended up spending at least 2 hours sitting around the church and wandering the neighborhood, looking like fools. It probably looked hilarious. Sunday was quiet, I spent the day reading some of my course readings and doing laundry (which takes forever). At night we watched the African Nations Cup Final between Nigeria and Burkina Faso and Nigeria won!! Today, I got to go to my first full day of internship. After slightly struggling to get downtown (Ghana traffic is absolutely insane) I met one of the other interns who will be leaving in a week and I’ll be taking over her job. She explained everything really well, and I got to get started in reading, clipping, and organizing articles. It’s safe to say I’m going to be extremely well read on Ghana’s news by the end.

Since this was a somewhat short blog post I thought I’d also include the some reflections and realizations that me and my friends have discovered over the past few weeks.

The Five Fundamental Truths of Living in Ghana
1. Running Water (working toilets) are not to be taken for granted. Ever. (This past week we have had a total of 5 days without running water, and I am getting really good at bucket showering. These showers I don’t really mind, but the un-flushable toilets being used by about 70 people per floor is another story.)
2. Buckets are invaluable. (Bucket showers, carrying laundry, carrying plantain chips on your head, and probably more activities are made possible only by owning a trusty bucket.)
3. Food in Ghana can be either incredibly honest or dishonest. (This is slightly hard to explain, but I have found that the food I eat here either looks and tastes good or is extremely misleading and an unfortunate adventure for your taste buds and stomach. Honest foods include: Fan choco, plaintain chips, sarah’s chicken, sweet roles, Don Simon, chips (fries), egg sandwiches, coffee cue pancakes and ice tea, Star beer, most fruit, kelewele (fried plantains) and fish (which here in Ghana is blatantly honest). Dishonest foods include: Jollof and fried rice (because sometimes you might be expecting delicious rice and end up with fishy rice), spaghetti noodles, bags of water, gizzard,  and pizza from Louisa. Food up to interpretation: vegetables (if found) and cheese (if found).
4. Dirt is always present.
5. Don’t expect anything. (It’s much easier to enjoy your stay in Ghana if you don’t expect anything and just roll with life in the true Ghanaian style. Some examples: do not expect class times to be posted or classes to start the first week, do not expect the store or vendor to have change, and do not expect to be able to shower after your run.)

Despite these challenges I am still loving it here and ready for everything new each day brings. 
That’s all for now, this weekend is our first group trip to the Eastern Region and I’m really looking forward to it!
Love,
Audrey

Beginning to explore Ghana

Another week has gone by and I've experienced even more Ghanaian culture. One great example of experiencing this culture has been this "first week of classes." I had one class the whole week. It started off on Monday morning, I thought I might have a morning class and I still had to check some course lists, because some classes weren't even up yet. (classic Ghana) But, after seeing that one class that I wanted was going to be offered, I didn't need to go to the one I had planned as a back-up. I did have Twi that afternoon, but I'm not counting this as class, because I already took first semester Twi at Madison, last fall. In fact, I don't have to take Twi at all this semester, which now leaves more room for other classes. For lunch Monday, and really everyday of the week, we went to Coffee Cue, a little outdoor cafe on campus. There, you can get really great iced mango or peach tea, and these great chocolate pancakes or spicy noodles. It's probably one of my favorite places on campus.
Tuesday, followed pretty much the same. After spending the morning in IPO (CIEE office) I had my history of western medicine in Ghana class scheduled for later that afternoon. I got there early and sat in one of the hugest lecture halls ever for about 30 minutes until the other small group of students and I decided to leave because no professor showed. By now, I had figured that the first week of classes really is more like a week of registration, because it's actually when all the Ghanaian students finally arrive on campus and start looking at their classes.

With my new bag at the art Market in Accra

Wednesday, I didn't have any classes scheduled, , so me and some friends decided to take a trotro down to Osu which is in downtown Accra. It’s kind of like the night club district but it also has great restaurants and shopping. I also got to visit the Ghanaian branch of Global Mamas, which is an organization that I have been interested in even before I came to Ghana. To say our experience in Osu was overwhelming is an understatement. Being white really attracts a lot of attention so the whole time we were walking around we kept getting shouted at to come look at or buy things and some vendors even grabbed at you. They’ll shout “oburoni oburoni!” which literally means white person, but not in a offensive way. As mentioned before it was really overwhelming and slightly frustrating, but an experience all the same. Overall, Osu was cool, but it  takes a backbone to be able to walk through it unfazed.

Thursday morning, I got to go to the poli sci class that I’m really looking forward to (Issues in Africa’s International Relations) and it was actually being held. Granted, we only went over the syllabus, but it still felt really good to finally be in a classroom setting again. The class sounds really interesting and I’m excited to hear about some of these issues from an African perspective. Another plus, the only assignment is the final at the end of the semester.

Friday, I didn’t have class again so we decided to take a trotro down to downtown Accra to Makola market. It was packed. Everything was so crowded and busy, but I did end up getting a small bag, which was great. An interesting thing about these markets is that the vendors sell a lot of the same things because most things are imported. We experienced the same grabbing and yelling for our attention, but I’m beginning to master the walking through the crowds without giving my attention to the calls. I’m excited to go back to the market because there are a lot of great fabrics there and I want to get some to craft with!! That night there was a party at some night club for all the new students (read international, non Ghanaian). It was really fun, but the drinks were a little sketchy and tasted horrid. Besides that, I had a great time dancing and experiencing Ghanaian nightlife.

At Jerry's

Saturday was pretty low key, we watched the Ghanaian soccer team play in the quarter finals at our favorite local bar. THEY WON!! Then after we came back to really just hang out and plan more of our semester trips. We also got invited to a wedding for next weekend, which should be a completely awesome experience because Ghanaian weddings are supposed to be the coolest!

Sunday/Today, we decided to get away from the hustle of the city and go hiking at a nature reserve that’s about an hour away from Accra. We figured out the trotro system there without any glitches, just witnessed a confrontation between locals at the station downtown. When we got to Shai Hills Reserve we were immediately greeted by a pack of baboons that were hanging out by the entrance to the park. We spent about 2 hours hiking to an overlook, and it was awesome. Just like backpacking in the bighorns, except not many switchbacks, mostly just vertical climbing. The last part, we had to literally rock climb through a cave but the view was spectacular and totally worth it. The ride back, wasn’t quite as smooth as the ride there. We somehow managed to somewhat hitchhike our way halfway back and then get on a trotro the rest of the way. It cost us way less than the way there, but took about 3 hours and we were exhausted by the time we returned.

Almost at the top of one of the hills at the Shai Hills Reserve

Tomorrow, school actually starts, but I don’t have class. My schedule rocks! I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then I’m saving my Mondays and Wednesdays open for my internship. My final classes are two poli sci ones; that international relations one and then one called Human Rights in Africa. Then I have the History of Western Medicine in Ghana and then a public health one titled Socioeconomic dimensions of International Health. They all sound awesome and I’m really excited for them to start.

I’ll try and post more about my impressions and the food in my next post! Miss you all and hope that cold weather isn’t too overwhelming! J

Love,

Audrey

It's only been a week!?

Tomb of Kwame Nkrumah

Hey everyone!
It's crazy to think that I have been in Ghana for over a week now, we have done and seen so much and I can't wait to see what else is going to happen on this trip! On Monday we moved into the international student hostel and sat through more orientation at the university. It was great to finally be on campus and start adjusting to life in Ghana. The dorms are pretty nice and right outside is the night market where you can buy anything from spaghetti to towels to fruit. For dinner Monday night we went to the Bush Canteen, which is another little market place where you can get your hair braided or clothes made. I tried fufu with groundnut soup, which was interesting. Fufu is basically a dough made from cassava and you break of little pieces to scoop up the soup with. I decided next time I try it, I'd like a smaller bit of fufu and hotter soup with meat and veggies in it. I also had jollof, which is a red spicy rice.

Jollof

The next day, Tuesday, we had more orientation with the university and we were told about the process of registering for courses. The process is slightly complicated and really disorganized, basically you have to go around to each department and check for which classes are being taught and by who and at what time. Sometimes times or professors aren't listed so you have to go back. Other times nothing is posted and when you talk to the office, they tell you it will be up Monday, which is the first day of classes. This is what I experienced with the geography department. The whole process has been a great way to tour the campus, but it does make you wonder if there is a simpler process. After finding your classes, you then register online. So far, I'm registered for four classes. Two poli sci, one history, and one geography along with the required Twi (language) course and my internship. I did find out that I’ll be interning at WiLDAF which is an organization called Women in Law and Development in Africa. The organization works with women to increase their political and economic justice through advocacy and addressing common issues in society. I’m super excited to start it!! Tuesday and Wednesday we toured the campus and looked for courses. On Wednesday afternoon we got to watch the Ghanaian football game at a local bar! It was great to relax and experience the culture.

Thursday, I spent time updating emails. For all wondering, my wiscmail account is really hard to access here, so I will mostly be using my gmail account. At night, we decided to take advantage of Ghanaian nightlife. So after asking around for recommendations, we decided to go to a local bar called Jerry’s. We enjoyed some prime Don Simon sangria (Ghanaian’s finest) that comes in giant juice boxes before we left and then we successfully found a taxi. Jerry’s turned out to be a great little neighborhood bar, so we got some Star beers, which are huge and sat down to enjoy the night. After sitting for awhile a guy walked up to us and started speaking French. I was super pumped to use my skills and learned that he was from Togo and worked at a restaurant. After awhile though he proved to be like most Ghanaian men and started asking us to go out dancing or something about paying for his immigration. One cultural fact about Ghana is it is very common for men to propose right on the spot to foreign women. I don’t know if they’re actually serious, but we have yet to experience an actual proposal. Needless to say, after this guy from Togo bought us more drinks (which we sent back) and gizzard kabobs (also didn’t eat) we figured it was time to go. Our wonderful cab driver had waited for us the whole time and drove us back to campus.

Friday night was the official welcome dinner at a restaurant called Chez Afrique. It was delicious food and there was a live band, which was fun to dance to. Our whole program got up and danced for awhile after dinner. We then got word of a pool party that was being held by some friends of our Upal (a Ghanaian student that works with CIEE). It was quite the experience to get to the house, but when we finally arrived it turned out to be in a really wealthy Ghanaian neighborhood. Free drinks, a huge house and pool, security at the door. It was all a little bizarre, but a night to remember. Everyone was super nice and welcoming and it was a great way to spend the first Friday night of our program.

Saturday, we decided to conquer the local transportation system of Trotros on our own and go to the beach. It was a little hectic and confusing but we made it there, and it was a great day for the beach. I got to wade into the Atlantic and enjoy the sun. Our way back was a little more difficult and we ended up going the opposite way for some time, but we eventually made it back to campus just as it was starting to downpour. We got drenched running back to our dorm, literally the wettest I’ve ever been, but it was fun and we made it! Saturday night we just chilled in the dorm because the power went out from the storm.

This Sunday we took a tour of Accra, which was really fun and saw the tomb and museum of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes and I can’t wait to start them.

Miss you all!

Love,

Audrey 

Finally in Ghana: First few days

After over about 18 hours of flying, I’m finally in Ghana!! It’s so far just been orientations and getting acclimated, but I’m really happy to be here and to finally be experiencing everything! My first impressions, was HOT. It’s really really hot and humid here and I expect to be sweating every day. After successfully arriving in the Ghanaian airport, making it through the long line of immigration and finding my bags, I arrived at the hotel where our orientation is being held and after waiting for about 3 or 4 hours for some simple food, I finally got to sleep in a bed! Moral of the story, things in Ghana take a lot longer in the US so patience is key.

The next day, we had orientation and then took taxis to the mall. Interestingly, the mall is really similar to malls in the US. Driving in Ghana is insane and there seem to be no rules for the road. But, we survived. You also have to be prepared to bargain with the driver on the price, because it’s very common  for them to overcharge, especially to foreigners. But, I got a prepaid phone at the mall, and the service is relatively cheap! I also exchanged some money and used the atm. After a nap and some dinner, a group of us stayed out by the pool and drank some local Ghanaian beer (Star beer) and listened to a band. It was great!

Today, we experienced our first public transportation called the trotro. Picture an old passenger van that will drive you anywhere in Ghana and it is usually packed with people. We also toured the campus, which is HUGE! After more orientation, we had a dance workshop which was amazing, and we learned traditional Ghanaian dances. The professor was so cool and really encouraged us to give back to society!

Tomorrow, we move into the dorms and have orientation at the school. So far, everyone on my program is super nice and friendly. Ghanaians are also the most friendly and hospitable people! The food is really good too, lots of rice and fried plantains, which taste a little like sweet potatoes. That’s all for now, because internet is kinda off and on! Miss you all!!

Love, Audrey

Going. Going. Ghana...

It's finally the day! I managed to pack everything into my bags, which was actually pretty easy because I didn't have to pack a lot of jeans, coats, or anything for cold weather. In fact, I've realized how much of a temperature change I'm going to experience because it was snowing and under 20 degrees in MN and in Ghana the average temperature is about 90. I said my goodbyes to everyone and I cant even explain how ready I am for this adventure to begin.
As I'm waiting to board my flight, I'm actually experiencing a rather luxurious trip: there are iPads everywhere for people to use and a high class restaurant and bar, which you can order food on your iPad and have it delivered directly to you. It's really quite something. I am grateful for the free Internet and games, but I can't help but feel like I'm at the complete opposite end of the spectrum as to what ill actually experience in Ghana. I'm really happy everything went smoothly through security and I got here early enough. I'm just waiting to navigate my way through Amsterdam and hope all my luggage turns up with me in Ghana. Can't wait for the rest of this trip to unfold and keep you all posted on my experiences!
Much love,
Audrey

Preparations and Expectations

Hi Everyone!
As many of you know, this spring semester I will be studying abroad in Ghana. I will be attending class at the University of Ghana located in Legon, which is a suburb of the capital city Accra. As the day of  my departure (January 17th) draws closer, reality is setting in and I've been busy gathering my stuff together and trying to figure out how I'm going to pack my life into 2 suitcases. However, even as I'm preparing to leave, I'm still having a difficult time conceptualizing the fact that I'm going to be living in an entirely different country for 5 months. I think I'll finally realize it after I get on the plane or once I arrive in Ghana.

University of Ghana

So far, my preparations have included gathering documents and forms, immunizations, online orientations, and many other activities that will hopefully help make for a smooth transition. While in Ghana, I hope to study international development and global health, which will add to my degree in International Studies. I'm also planning on participating in an internship with a local NGO or non-profit, and I will find out more details about this upon my arrival in Ghana. I will be living, not in a grass hut as some of you may have been thinking, but in the international student dormitories, which are equipped with electricity and internet. Although, shortages and lack of access are more common in Ghana. As I've been preparing, I have learned a lot about the countless opportunities that this university and country has to offer and I am very excited to experience everything.
Before I leave, I thought it would be a good idea to come up with five goals for my time abroad, so here they are:
1. To experience everything the country has to offer.
2. To learn a lot and grow as an individual
3. To be open to the challenges that come with my location and situation
4. To make new friends
5. To take advantage of my time abroad and fully immerse myself in the culture and community
Overall, I can't wait for this experience to begin and see what it holds in store for me. I will be using this blog as a way to record my experiences and update my family and friends on what I'm doing. I will only have a cell phone that makes calls, so I will not be able to text. Please feel free to email, Skype, call, or Facebook me, I'd love to hear from you! Also, once I have my address, I'd love to receive some snail mail! :) Just message me for my address. Now, it is time for last-minute preparations and goodbyes (not looking forward to) and I'll leave you with this link to Anthony Bourdain's episode in Ghana. This is what I watched once I decided I wanted to go to Ghana, and it was one of the many things that I've seen or heard that has increased my excitement for this trip. Please subscribe or check back here often!
Much love,
Audrey