See You Soon America!

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

Today I went on a day trip to Wli falls! Which was unbelievable....

Above is the top of the fall...

This is the lower part of the waterfall. So cool.

I really underestimated the force of the water until I got right under it... It was an unbelievable rush to walk under it, you could hardly stand under the force of the water coming down. It felt pretty similar to the time that Greg (my brother) soaked me with the power washer, except multiplied. 

On an aside, did you know that bats can swim?

Because they can... I was astonished to find this wittle fruit bat swimming next to me. After a miner freak out, I found myself just staring at it, as it flapped its wings through the water looking for shelter....

After watching him make several failed attempts at scaling the wall out of the water, we decided we needed a rescue mission. 

We had one of the NYU staff pick him up and bring him to safety....

We did not anticipate that we would also have to rescue the bat from the natives who wanted to eat him once we saved him from the water. Thats Ghana for you....

There were more butterflies and mesquites. It was wild.

The waterfall filled the area with mist and wind.... Took forever to get a picture that didn't have my hair flying in front of my face....

Why Not?

Because sometimes you just have to go all out...

Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Right?

Love On Their Terms

With my time in Ghana dwindling, NYU Accra went on its final overnight trip of the semester. This weekends trip was to Tamale, located in the Northern Region of Ghana. We Departed at 4:30am on Thursday for the long 12 hour journey through the hills. I slept nearly the entire way... I was so impressed with myself. 

On Friday we had a packed day. After a quick breakfast we departed for Tamale Town and explored the central Mosque of Tamale. The Northern Region of Ghana is predominantly muslim, which was interesting to see, as the south is almost entirely Christian. We entered the mosque in our long pants and long sleeves in the 100 degree heat, and we watched each other melt as we were toured around. After a fainting incident we decided it was time to go and shed our layers.

Following the mosque, we traveled to the central market of Tamale. I found the market to be like every other market in Ghana, however this market sold shae butter. Northern Ghana has tons of shae nut trees. Local women smash the shae nuts and make unbelievable shae butter. I purchased lots of it. The woman in the market filled a large tub for me, which she sold to me for GH 2.00 or $1.25.

After lunch at the Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies (where we were staying), we headed out to  visit Dr. Abdulai's Clinic. Dr. Abdulai is, hands down, one of the most amazing and selfless human beings I have ever met. He was one of ten children and the sole survivor of all of them. His parents were lepers who died of starvation when he was very young. His siblings deaths quickly followed the parents, but somehow Dr. Abdulai was able to survive on a diet of trash until he was taken in by a priest. 

Dr. Abdulai, thanks to the charity and kindness of others, was able to grow up and attend school, later attending university where he studied to be a doctor so he too could help other people someday. Once an established surgeon, Dr. Abdulai found himself unsatisfied. At this time, those that could not afford life saving surgery were left to die. Dr. Abdulai decided he could not go on working like that for any longer, so he quit and started his own small clinic where patients would be treated absolutely free of charge. It is a miracle that the clinic has grown as it has and that Dr. Abdulai has continually been able to provide medical care free of charge to as many people as he does. The clinic just celebrated its 20th anniversary. He thanks god for this. 

The doctor was all smiles as he talked to us. He is an adorable man who is constantly laughing and making light of situations, as you often need to do working in such an environment. He explained to us that his clinic is not simply about meeting peoples medical needs. He said that the clinic was about love, about loving those that needed to be loved and loving them on their terms. A lot of the patients at the clinic are mentally ill, and while none of them are medicated they all seem to be quite happy where they are. This is probably due to the fact that they are there by choice. Everyone is welcome at the clinic for as long as they want to stay. The women next to Dr. Abdulai, in the photo below, has been living at the clinic for 15 years. Dr. Abdulai explained that this women is mentally ill and used to wander around naked putting sand in mailboxes. He shared a laugh with the women (who does not speak english) as they reminisced about how she used to do this. As you can see, she now wears clothes and is generally pretty normal.

"When people feel loved on their terms, then they will want to stay with the person who loves them, always." - The Amazing Dr. Abdulai

Dr. Abdulai introduced us to his patients and told us their amazing stories. The man in the checkered shirt explained that he is carrying a GIANT box of condoms because he is bringing them into town to give out, in hopes to prevent the spread of HIV, as he himself has AIDs. 

The experience at the clinic was extremely uplifting. Despite the fact that I was surrounded by very sick men and women, I was also surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love. And that is what seems to make all the difference. 

After making donations to the clinic, we split up, climbed in the back of several pick up trucks and departed. Myself and ten others arrived at a diviners in a small little village near by. Diviners are a part of the traditional religion in Northern Ghana, so we all wanted to give the experience a go. I met with the Diviner just as the sun started setting. He scribbled in sand and spoke in a foreign language. He had me whisper my name into a bowl which he then placed over several objects. When he lifted the bowl, to my astonishment, all the objects had moved. He then told my translator my fortune. I must say, he could not have been any more wrong, but the whole bowl thing was pretty neat. 

As I waited for my classmates to have their fortunes told, I played with the local children that had gathered outside the diviners door. They got a kick out of our cameras and insisted that they test out each one. They grasped the concept pretty fast, but not before taking a series of ridiculous pictures with my camera. 

On Saturday we drove to Paga where we visited the Pikoro slave camp and cemetery, but not before hitting up the border! Paga is right on the border of Ghana and Burkina Faso. We were able to charm the Ghanian border control into letting us cross over into Burkina Faso for the sake of taking some pictures! Totally awesome. 

Here I am in Burkina Faso!

There was not much left to the slave camp in Paga. Conservation is a huge problem on the continent. But what was left was hard to take in. The rocks above indicate a mass grave. The area was spotted with these piles of rocks, as many died at the camp on a regular basis. It was easy to understand why as we stood in the hot sun. 

After a quick lunch we headed for Bolgatanta where we visited a village of widows that make their living weaving baskets. In this area of Ghana widowed women are forced to marry their deceased husbands brother. If they refuse they are beaten and thrown out of their community with their children. The community that we visited was composed of women who had refused to marry, or have sex with their dead husbands brother. The strength these women have is remarkable. And of course the children of the community were adorable. The little girl below did not speak any english but insisted that she hold my basket for me as she followed me around.

After purchasing lots of goods, as well as donating lots of goods to the village, it was time for some traditional tribal dancing. The women of the community danced for us and then choose those that they wished to have dance for them. Below you can see two of my classmates breaking it down Ghana style.

Of course one of the women chose me to dance. She must have known that I am extremely talented in the arena of tribal dance. I made an absolute fool out of myself and LOVED every second of it. 

At least the village kids got a good laugh out of it.

This is Africa.

It was a great two days in Tamale!

I can not say that the drive home was as enjoyable.

15 hours on a bus and one blown out tire later, I am home in Accra.

...but we have no water... psh, what is another day without showering?

31 Days....But Who is Counting?

Ok, ok, so I admit it... Beyond missing pizza, I miss my loved ones back home. 

So this is my newest creation to remind myself that I will be seeing them soon enough!

I am off to Tamale in Northern Ghana for the weekend! Wish me luck on my 12 hour bus ride....

Did I mention it is going to be 107 degrees there?

I am going to be one hot Tamale... sorry, I could not help but make that pun.

The Sounds of Ghana

I have been told that Africa can only truly be felt through its music... With that said, I would like to present you with the song that has unintentionally become the background music of my every day life here in Ghana. It is a silly song, but it is catchy as hell. I don't think there has been a single day that I have not heard, or had this song stuck in my head.

And perhaps this isn't THE SOUND of Africa, but it sure as hell is one of them.

Enjoy... :) 

Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah is the largest slum in Ghana, it is also where I had class last Wednesday.

An Estimated 80,000 people live in this dense squatter settlement, strung along the banks of the now polluted Korle Lagoon in the center of Accra. As in other Sub-Saharan African cities, rapid urbanization is driving the growth of slums at an astonishing rate. Today over one billion people live in  urban slums worldwide. The United Nations estimate that number will double by 2030.

The name Sodom and Gomorah, an allusion to the Biblical story of a town so wicked that God destroyed it, reflects the popular perception in Accra that the slum is a den of vice and filth. The people who live here, mostly migrants from the impoverished Northern region of Ghana, prefer to call their home "Old Fadama" and contest the idea that their community is defined by crime.

The Growth of slums in third world countries has become a global phenomenon in the past twenty years. Rapid urbanization has resulted in the radical growth of slum populations. In the case of Ghana, 50% of the population is now urban, which is quite large when considering the landscape of Ghana and the fact that globally only 32% of the population is urban. This is highlighted by the fact that currently Lagos is the fastest growing mega city in the world! Of Ghana's urban population an astonishing 72% are living in slums.  The population of Sodom and Gomorrah has sky rocketed to an astonishing 80,000, double what it was just ten years ago. And with no end to urbanization in sight, one has to wonder the fate of slums like Sodom and Gomorrah thats conditions worsen with population growth.

The issue of slums dates back to the early colonial periods, but most slums originated from the 1990's. Even with the world's long history of slums, few cities have slum policy, as the issue tends to fall by the way side because few want to be concerned with it. It is generally thought that there are two approaches to urban regeneration, one can take a human rights perspective, or one can look at it from the stand point of economic efficiency. Ghana is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees rights to housing, clean water and sanitation, education and work. With that said, one has to recognize that, "increased population density in inner cities inevitably leads to diminished accommodations and services. When housing, water, sanitation and other public services do not meet the needs of large numbers of urban residents, as in the case of Accra, their health and well being are at risk".

In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah there are few sanitary facilities and all kinds of waste end up in the lagoon.  Looking at the lagoon today you would not recognize it as a lagoon at all. It is filled with piles of trash and e-waste, which the children of the community utilize as a play ground as well as a bathroom. The health risks of such an environment are overwhelming. Not surprisingly, preventable infections and parasitic diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among residents of the Accra Metro Area. 

Sodom and Gomorrah resembles the images of "poverty-porn" that news stations across the world are flooded with. The area is a major source or pollution and has been described as "a hideout for armed robbers, prostitutes, drug pushed and all kinds of squatters". People in this area sleep in shifts on the ground due to the extreme density of the population. Some of the women in the community sleep in the open and this makes them prone to rape or abuse, which is a common issue within the slum due to the fact that the area is not policed by the government. Being that Sodom and Gomorrah is an illegal settlement, the government refuses to grant it any protection, fearing that would be a validation of their presence on the government owned land. 

Walking around the slum, the first thing you will note is the smell, which renders all other senses useless. Once aquatinted with the stench, you will notice the people of the slum hard at work. Scrap metal works is a huge source of income in the slum, hence there are men everywhere sawing apart cars or other machines for the metal, which is sent to China. The women of the community are cooking over giant fires, or carrying huge bins of items on their heads. The people of the community are extremely hard working. As one Ghanian put it "work, or die". Despite the horrifying look of the slum and its informal economy, it is highly organized, or so I was told. 

Walking down the narrow flooded paths, children are seen everywhere. The high concentration of children is astonishing, I assume this is a result of the lack of birth control and the high rate of prostitution (which makes HIV a HUGE issue). Few of the children are clothed, and all of them are barefoot. The thought of being bare foot in that environment, was actually to much for me to think about. One small little girl had a makeshift weave made out of wires. I had to admire the creativity, but then stopped to think where those wires could have come from and how uncomfortable and unhealthy that must be. 

This Is Africa?

With Hearts of Oak

Meet the Hearts of Oak junior team, who I am filming for my documentary project, which is a look at becoming a professional footballer in Ghana.

The team was pumped to have us filming them and they insisted they get a picture with us....

Today I Fell in Love With Ghana

Today, somewhere in between dancing with villagers and painting a kindergarten classroom, I fell in love with Ghana. 

Working with an organization called Disaster Volunteers of Ghana, my classmates and I  traveled to Abutia Agodeke in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region.  In this small village, our mission was to complete the construction of a 3 block school for kindergartners. 

Early this morning, as our bus pulled down the bumpy dirt road and into the village, we were greeted by an overjoyed crowd of adults and children. With our wheels still rolling, they ran along side the bus, waving and chanting as the men of the community beat their drums. It was the kind of scene that leaves you endlessly smiling. 

Immediately upon stepping off the bus, the women of the community ran to hug as all. We were ushered over to rows of plastic chairs, where we sat and watched as the villagers welcomed us with a traditional ceremony, mostly consisting of dancing. 

Some of the little girls of the community could really break it down.

I got a total kick out of that orange dress the young girl is wearing. Everyone was dressed to the nines for our arrival.

After a period of dancing and introductions, the women of the village decorated our wrists with beads and sprinkled some sort of white powder on our wrists, as a kind and traditional gesture to welcome us.

When some of us shook the powder off of our hands, the women were quick to sprinkle more on. Due to the fact that no one in the village spoke English, or Twi, we relied entirely on make shift sign language and their sign language was telling me not to shake the powder off. It didn't quite matter anyway, I was already covered in dirt and soon to be covered in paint.

We got right to work on the school. Classmates went with the little girls to fetch water (which they carried on their heads) to mix the paint. The paint was mixed with the water by hand. 

I worked along side one of my resident assistants, Kalvin, to paint the interior of this classroom. I was so happy to be working out of the sun and Kalvin served as my entertainment as he listened to his ipod and sang soprano to the top 100 hits. We rolled coat after coat onto the cement walls, but it quickly became clear to me that the walls would never have an even coat and that the cement would always show through. The perfectionist inside of me was tormented. 

I was entirely spotted from head to toe by the time I finished. You can see in the picture above the bracelet that was tied onto our wrists.

At the end of the day, our bus driver, Sammy, decided to purchase two baby goats, which he strapped onto the roof of our bus. We were forced to listen to their little hooves on the roof as we sped down the highway.... At first everyone was horrified and begged Sammy to let us keep them in the bus with us and not on the roof, but he claimed that they would be fine up there and we had no other option but to blindly believe him. Welcome to Ghana. 

We pulled away from the village, looking back the whole way, waving goodbye to the villagers.

Back to Beacon House

After a FABULOUS trip to Morocco it was back to Ghana, but this time I had my Mummy with me!!!!!!!! Very exciting.  We had such fun adventures in Morocco, and I was excited to bring my mother to Ghana and introduce her to the sights and sounds of Accra....I left out smells.... but those certainly exist here too. 

The first day we braved the chaotic Makola Market and the Art Center, where we did some shopping. It was fun to feel like the tour guide instead of the tourist. I was surprised at the fun facts I could whip off and how, for the most part, I really knew my way around.

Wednesday we went to volunteer at Beacon House. It was like bring your mummy to work day!!

It was so great to introduce her to all the kids, who welcomed her with open arms... literally.  

We have some new babies at Beacon House that are quite possibly the cutest little babes in the world...

The kids are all about the pictures. Except they call it "snapping". They all say "Please snap me"...and then of course they want to see it....

I am working currently on getting pictures together of all the kids, as a very kind organization has volunteered to draw portraits of all the kids for them to have!

Hotel La Mamounia

Tonight we walked around the corner to the legendary La Mamounia., the finest hotel in all of Africa! It stands on the site of a residence that in the 18th century belonged to the son of the sultan Sidi Mohammed. It was a wedding gift given to him by his father... beat that Daddio! Many famous people have stayed there including Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon and most recently Hilary Clinton. It is scheduled to host the upcoming Marrakech Film Festival.

 They now have a "Winston Churchill Bar" in the hotel, which my mother and I visited. We made friends with the bar tenders and they gave us free pens and mini leather wallets that say La Mamounia on them... talk about hospitality, these gentlemen were so kind.

You can check out the hotel website below and see how beautiful the hotel is, as these pictures are just of a statue that we thought was slightly scary.... (everything here looks like the dink-dink characters from the movie Space Balls)

http://www.mamounia.com/uk/index.php

Yassine and I in front of the scary statue!

The gang of us having a lovely time...

Pinch Me

My mother and I ventured through The Place Jemma el-Fna the other evening and observed all the crazy things going on. I mentioned in my last blog that the area was very hard to photograph at night, so my apologies for the poor quality of the photo below. 

You might notice in the photo a blue streak in the sky, and I am surprised there are not more of them, as there were street venders slingshotting these light up toys into the air that would then spiral down through the air back to them. Twas very neat. You can also see the bright lights and smoke coming from the food vendors in the center of the square.

We have been having breakfast in our room every morning here in Marrakech. THE BEST.

Below is one of the pools at the hotel, it is totally beautiful. Picture does it no justice...I know I keep saying that, but it is just so true.

Yesterday we toured around Marrakech and visited the Majorelle Gardens designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle. The gardens are most well known for the fact they they were purchased by Pierre Berge and Yves Saint-Laurent in 1980. The gardens serve as the final resting place for the famous designer, Yves Saint Laurent.

After visiting the gardens I decided it was about time I ride a camel. So my mother and I did just that. We found us some camels and rode them around. Loved it.

We rode the two camels around the palm groves in Marrakech. My mother had rode a camel before in Dubai, but it was my first time and I was pretty pumped about it. I could not stop petting the hump of the camel, I was so surprised at how soft and fluffy she was. I must say, I was feeling pretty bad about all the camel leather products I had purchased in the medina. 

Then of course we went shopping in the souks....it is a mother daughter trip after all.

Then it was back to the hotel for some much needed rest. The picture below romanticizes this idea, but in actuality I passed out face down and drooling on my pillow....hot. 

Man oh man travel can be tiring...But today is all about relaxing by the pool for me, hence my time to blog and inform the world of my adventures! Love this life....So I think I shall go live it.

Marrakech Sites and Sounds

 From our rooms terrace we look out to the Koutoubia Mosque, which dates back to 1147....if you can believe it. The minaret is 70 meters high and is the highest building in the city, by law no building is allowed to be higher.

This afternoon we decided to venture around the Place Jemaa el-Fna, a square that serves as the nerve center of Marrakech. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and certainly a site to be seen. In the past, the square had been used for beheading criminals, but today it is a large market by day and a bustling arena of culture by night. In the evenings the air is filled with smoke from grilling meat and the aroma of spices. The square fills with musicians, dancers, fortune tellers, snake charmers and a large number of people looking to make a buck. It is totally wild at night, but incredibly hard to photograph, so I have posted our photos from the afternoon. 

There are snakes just chilling everywhere around the square... It was amusing to watch my mother dodge them all in a frenzy. She is not a big fan of snakes.... to say the least.

There are also monkeys on leashes walking all around the square.....They are creepy looking little-ish guys... they really were not that little. They weighed a lot, but had no problem climbing all over me as you can see. The one on the right was really loving the strings on my shirt.... and the one on my shoulder was big into styling my hair... he did not do a very good job.

Mummy with some water serving men! They were pretty silly.

Sunset in Marrakech! Gosh, I am in Morocco and I have been living in Ghana.... is this really my life?

Pinch me.