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Published: September 11th 2006
Yammie, Joseph and Mary Swimming
This was Josephs first ever time in a swimming pool!Well, it's been a long time since our last blog entry! We've tried a few times, but internet access has been so difficult in Ghana we've waited till we got to Dubai to add this. Either the internet has been so slow as to be useless, or the keyboard has had most of the letters rubbed off, or the symbols written on the keys bear no relation to the symbol that appears on the screen, or the best explanation we've heard for the non-availability of service has been the weather. The internet in Ghana apparently doesn't like it too hot!!
Luckily the web in Dubai is obviously made of sterner stuff, and is prepared to brave the 37C and 50% humidity, for probably longer than we are, in the non-airconditioned internet cafe just round from our hotel.
Arrived back in Ghana after our unexpected trip back to the UK to an enthusiastic welcome from everyone, especially the children. We were disappointed to find that Catriona and Aoifa, two long term volunteers that we had previously met, had both moved away temporarily to work in a Catholic Hospital in Apam, nearer Accra. Sister Pat had already left to travel to
Danni and Jennifer (front)
On the way to the Stilt Village Uganda, joined just after we arrived by Sister Monica, so Ahotokurom seemed very quiet compared with our first two weeks there! We soon though settled back into life there. Most days we played with the children, and took many of them three at a time swimming to the Coconut Grove resort, in Elmina. Many of them had rarely, if at all, been swimming before. Joseph especially loved it, and threw himself straight in, his one leg not holding him back on his first ever swim. In preparation for the school moving down into Atonkwa village, we also finished painting some chairs and tables that will be taken down there.
Some new arrivals though were Jennifer, Daniella and Chris, two medical students and a Psychologist from Aberdeen who were staying at the nearby Seminary, and who came to visit Ahoto. We ended up spending a fair bit of time with them and would sneak out to meet them at one of the local petrol stations! Local Ghanaians dividing their drinking time between Shell and Mobile! To be fair, they are a bit more than just petrol stations, at night turning more into alfresco nightclubs, with the added attraction that the
In The Jungle, the Mighty Jungle
The lion sleeps tonight (hopefully!)
On Route to Nzelezo 24 hour shop sells proper Snickers! You really need to taste Ghanaian chocolate to appreciate that!
Nzelezo Stilt Village One morning we got up about 5 to make the long journey over to Nzelezo, a village built on wooden stilts, near the Cote d'Ivoire border. Apenteng, who is part of a longterm Ahoto dynasty, drove and we were accompanied by Helen, his daughter. On the way, we picked up Jennifer and Danni. The journey was about three and a half hours in the car, and then an hour in a canoe through some amazing mangroves. Given paddles to help, we reakon we were deluding ourselves that we were making much difference, and we think the poor boatman did most of the work!
Starting along a narrow man made canal (built by the Dutch), we ducked under raffia trees and palms and the channel eventually opened up into a large lake. Half way across, Apenteng flagged down a passing fisherman and did a bit of dodgy dealing which ended with a couple of dozen gasping fish being dumped at Jennifer's feet, much to her disgust! Across the far side of the lake we got our first look at
On the lake
Thanks Jen and Danni for pic Nzelezo. Now home to about 500 people, actually mostly farmers rather than the more expected fishermen, this village has been here for (I think the boatman said) about 400 years. Stories vary as to their origins, they moved here from either Mali (to the North), or Togo (to the East), to flee a tribal war. They continued moving until their Gods told them that it was safe to stay, moving several times over a number of centuries. They have finally settled here for 400 years, although they still consult their Gods and another move is always possible.
It felt a bit strange looking round the village, almost voyeristic. It was obvious that the villagers were well used to obrunis (white men) looking round their houses, and as we would probably feel ourselves in a similar situation, were not always too enthusiastic about it. To be fair, we wouldn't be too hot on living as a permanent tourist attraction, either. Some were friendly, but most just pretty much ignored us and got on with their lives. Completely understandable, but it was certainly a different atmosphere to other villages that we had visited. The majority of the children there had none
of the familiar friendly inquisitness about them, and at the sight of a sweet absolutely mobbed Claire, pushing her and thrusting their hands into her pockets and bags. They showed an aggression that we saw in no other children in Ghana.
The village is built around a central 'high street', reinforced to prevent overweight tourists from falling in! Then side streets often owned by a single family branch off. At the far end of the village there's a meeting hall, and even a football pitch although their football season lasts for just one month, January, before the pitch floods for the rest of the year! There is even a small school for the younger children up to the age 6, the older having to row themselves to the mainland, a two hour roundtrip, every day. Contrasts a bit with many kids in the UK who won't walk, or who's parents won't let walk, five minutes to school!
The children are obviously very well used to their life above the water, a four year old we watched paddling a large tourist canoe with his bare hands, expertly parking it between two other boats. A toddler we had to look
away from, crawling and then just managing to stand himself up before falling down again, just inches from the three foot drop into the water. One baby had a living cuddly toy in the form of Pete, a tiny monkey, which was taken from the jungle the far side of the lake. Pete also seemed quite at home, dangling under the walkway and reaching his head down for a drink.
Snake Encounter! "You've not been to Africa until you've had malaria", we've been told. Well, Claire managed to outdo that! Stepping out of our room to talk to the children, she yelped and shouted "something's got me!". She said she felt like a large elestic band had been fired at her foot. Looking down there was no sign of anything on the ground that it could have been, our first thought was that it could have been a scorpion. On her foot though, were the clear marks of a snake bite, marks from a pair of fangs! Sending her to Sister Rose, a nurse, who was luckily sitting nearby, I carried on looking for the snake so we knew what species it was, and so it could be
killed. All snakes found in the compound are killed because of the danger to any children playing in the grass.
Meanwhile, Rose was treating Claire. They use a weird "black stone". Father Giles, a local priest who originally comes from America but has lived in Ghana 29 years, gets it sent to him from some monks in Belgium. Its a bit of a secret what it is made of, but is though to have been discovered being used in the Congo years ago by a doctor, who took the secret back to the monks and gave it to them so they can produce it and give it away to those who need it. They don't want the secret to become known as then somebody would start making it for profit. It's thought to be a type of bone that has been burnt. Looking at it, it is jet black, very fine texture with no markings or airholes or anything. Although it is supposed to be burnt, when rubbed on paper it makes no mark. It seems to be attracted to venom, and sticks to the wound, only easily being removed when all the venom has been absorbed from the
bite. Claire said she felt it being attracted like a magnet when it was applied. When the Sisters first came across it, years ago, Monica pricked her finger and tried the stone, thinking that it must just be attracted to moisture or blood, but it wouldn't stick at all. They've used it many times, on scorpion stings as well as snake bites, and are convinced that it sticks to venom. Claire can certainly testify that it stuck to her bite!
Hello! Claire here! - Tel gave up on the typing yesterday probably due to heat stroke! You'd think an internet cafe would have decent a/c!
So this morning we have been to one of Dubai's many huge shopping centres, this one apparently is the biggest outside of USA, complete with indoor 'real snow' ski slope! We managed to get our Ghana photos put onto disc so I will have a go at adding them on.
Dubai is a strange place, easially the most multicultural place we have ever visited. It is a world away from Ghana.
Last night we fancied a beer and found a bar, no easy thing to do in Dubai! We sat drinking
a pint of draught Fosters (bliss) and watching the world go by as it slowly dawned on us that we had actually stumbled into an oriental knocking shop! Anyway, if anyone knows what ever become of Tel, if they could let me know!
Anyway, got to sign off for now, it's taken 2 hours to upload these few photos so we are going to give up and add somemore when we find a decent connection!
Love love love c&t
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Nicole
non-member comment
Hehe
your niece here!! dad said did you name the monkey after him?? but i said it was to cute to be named after him!!! hehe!! im really missing you!! cant wait to give you a big hig!! sending love and kisses Nicole x x x Keeley x x x Pete x x x and x x x Dawn x x x