With a little raisin bran, we are ready to go!

Well, the children have now moved into exam period which means my work is done until the start of the New Year. I am quite excited to begin my month long holiday and travel around Ghana. I don’t have too much to report on, but figured I would update once more before I started to travel and am not quite sure what the internet situation will be like.

Shanti has arrived in Agogo as of Saturday and we are now preparing for our exploration of Ghana. We are making sure the washings are done, the bags are packed, and most importantly - we have our Ghanaian version of trail mix to accompany us on our way.

Side note - for those of you not familiar with the Ghanaian trail mix (a little invention I must give credit to Betsy, one of our Americans) it includes Raisin Bran that we found in a little shop in Konongo (and weirdly enough it was imported from Canada - the Mississauga address gave it away), peanuts or as they call them here ground nuts, and the last and most important ingredient, plantain chips. Not quite the same as a mixture of dried fruit and nuts from back home - but it will do…

Our Current Travel Plans inlude:
The North (Dec 9-18) - We plan on heading first to the north which is “Muslim country”. The weather is apparently much hotter up north and the culture is very different from the rest of Ghana. It will be interesting to see the Muslim influences in the rest of the country. We plan to start out in Tamale which will be our base. Some highlights we hope to see are the sacred crocodile pools in Paga which lies on the border to Burkina Faso. We also plan on going to Mole Park which will be where we go on a safari to see wild animals - I can’t wait to see the elephants!
The Coast (Dec 22 - Jan 1) - We figured since we won’t be spending Christmas at home - why not spend it in luxury at the beach? (at least for a couple days). We start out by heading to Cape Coast to see Kakum National park and Cape Coast Castle - a fortress that was involved in sending slaves from West Africa to the rest of the world. Over Dec 24-26 we move on to a beach resort where apparently “you don’t even feel like you are in Africa” according to our revered Bradt Travel Guide. We then head further west along the coast to relax on the beach, hopefully do a little surfing and pretty much enjoy the ocean!
The Volta Region (Jan 5-9) - The last leg of our journey involves heading to the lush region surrounding a large man made lake - The Volta. We hope to see some beautiful wildlife and unique natural settings.

On Jan 13, 2009 the new semester begins and we will be on our last stretch before the end of this internship. I can’t believe how fast it is all going!

To keep you updated on what has been happening lately, last week Rabina, Betsy and I headed to Lake Bosumtwi for a weekend of relaxation. Lake Bosumtwi is a natural lake surrounded by mountains which is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We went to the Lake Point Resort which is run by an Austrian - Ghanaian couple. Rather than describing everything in minute detail, I will just say it is the nicest place we stayed so far in Ghana: small thatch roofed huts surrounded by tropical flowers and palm trees, leading to a sandy beach. The weekend didn’t involve too much other than swimming, sleeping, reading, drinking and eating. One thing I must comment on is the food which was AMAZING! I admit - I have been getting a little sick of the regular Ghanaian fare and the omlettes, peanut butter sandwiches, spaghetti, and rice dishes that make up the majority of Rabina and my food. The Austrian influence was apparent in the breakfast of crepes with fresh fruit and GOOD cappuccinos. Other notables included the Jamaican chicken with a papaya and coconut sauce, and the shrimp masala over a bed of rice. I would travel back there just for the dining.

Another interesting occurrence over the past little while has been the election in Ghana to elect a new president which happened on Sunday. Over the past couple months I have witnessed all the campaigning and fervour leading up to the election. Unlike other presidential elections in Africa, this one has happened quite peacefully. We were just warned to be careful around election time and not get involved in any political campaigns or riots. (Obviously?!?) We are not quite sure of the results yet since they are still counting ballots. It will probably be either the NPP candidate (of the current party in power) or the NDC candidate belonging to the next major party. We are told that there should be no violence when the results are announced. (One can only hope!)

I will end this blog with a little bit of information for those of you who are wondering, my braids came out this past Thursday. That was a process in itself. I had about five teacher friends come over to help with the process and it still took almost 4 hours!!! However, I am happy to have my own hair back and have been so happy to finally give my head a good wash. However, I am a little nervous - in the process I probably have lost about one third to half of my real hair. (As I was pulling out clumps in the shower for the first time, I was beginning to get scared as I filled an entire bag with my real hair - an insensitive comparison I know - but it was like I was losing hair after a chemo treatment!) Because my natural hair is very thick and quite curly it is not really that noticeable - however, I can feel the difference! As much as I complain about my hair, I hope this is not a permanent change…

Anyway, the next time you will here from me, I will be well into my travels and back from the north. It is funny to think how close it is to Christmas, since there really has been no indication of a Christmas season. At least not like what I am used to back home. No Christmas parties to attend, no Christmas carols in the stores, no Christmas commercials or television specials - and of course no snow… I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season as I sweat away here in Africa! You will hear from me soon! Till then…

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Part of trip: My African Adventure

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