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Published: June 26th 2007
hello alll!!!! how r we? hope everyone is welll. keep up the contact love hearing everyones goss!! This will be short as the internet is particuarly slow today and unknown to me the internet is closing early today so i will be cut off very sooon.
The week following my Malaria outbreak was pretty chilled. I took th rest of the week off to recover as i was still pretty dizzy and ridicuously tired, as in falling asleep on the toilet and in a taxi. embarassing. Anyways. My aim was to rest and relax but at times this was tired as almost half the village, all the teachers and many of my fellow obrunis wished to visit me. This was a lovely thought yet very tiring and at times frustrating. But i am completley recovered thanks to Mummy Mary and Chelsea for taking care of me.
On the weekend we travelled to the Volte Region. This is the first time we have ventured away from the coast and it was absolutley breathtaking. It took almost 8 hours on a tro tro just to get there so this is not including hair raising taxi rides yet it was worth it.
Our first stop was Kofrodjuoa which is the capital of the region. As we travelled the landscape changed from dry and dusy terrain scattered with brightly coloured houses amongst mud walled houses framed with coconut trees to flat, green plains surrounded by enormous greeen mountains veiled in mist. In Kofrodjuoa we went to a bead market. Markets are always pretty full on. Everyone wants us to look at their stall and talk to us. Everyone is thrilled when we can hold a conversation in Fante - however this does not usually go further than what country we are from. but they are always shrilled that we are attempting to learn their language and keen to talk to them as they seem to think all obrunis are arrogant and stuck up. We spent a night here to break up our travel.
The town was quite different to any we have stayed in before. Aside from being framed by picturesque mountains there there were rubbish bins and a some workers hired to pick up rubbish. Usually rubbish is tossed into the 2m deep gutters which are brimming with filth. There were also pedestrian lights, usually we weave our way through the chaotic gridlock in fear. Our hotel was also very civilised. We were stoked by what now seem like luxuries of a flushing toilet, a tv in our room and free soap and toilet paper. We were looking foward to a quite night and a good sleep however unfortunatley we were located next to a Pentecostal Church. The service was still going strong at 3am and consisted of the pastor shouting and the congregation moaning in response to rid themselves of evil.
We set off at 6am, pretty weary for Boti Falls. This involved travelling up the mountain side. We grabbed some rice and stew from a stall as there was no bread and boarded the tro tro. The tro tro was packed to the rafters with with rowdy funeral goers. A funeral is a celebration of the persons life and is basically a massive party with lots of singing, dancing and appetish which is a locally made spirit. The guests dress in black and red and them men often put bras and underwear over their clothes to make the women laugh and forget about the grief.
The tro tro took almost an hour and we made our way to the top of the mountains we had been admiring from Kofrodjuoa. It was only when we reached the top we realised we had gone miles out of our way. We got another tro tro back to where we were meant to be and then a taxi (To be continued)
On Monday i am leaving my village for 3 weeks of travel. This week is very sad. It is a heart wrenching thought to think that i may never see my family, friends or students again. I have become very attatched. I dont want to leave. I think the going will also be pretty rough. After 3 nights backpacking we are filthy and exhausted. 3 weeks will be full on to say the least yet i am really excited.
I worry about the students alot. We have donated lots of books, some sports equipment and ive left some work for them to do but i wish i could do more. I really hope that i can return to Ghana. I almost want to make improving the school and providing the village kids a future my life project but we will see.
Leaving my family will also be hard as I may never see my mother again as she is 65. I also wonder if i will ever see my brothers and sisters again. Keeping in contact will be hard as mail is so unreliable and they are not very literate but i hope i can. They have welcomed us into their family, shared so much of their culture with us and treated us so hospitably and really made us feel loved. My mother Mary has prepared special meals all week. THese are prepared outside in the courtyward on the coal pot. There is always a huge group of people sitting around helping and chatting, mothers sit around breastfeeding and often Mary is topless. Its really surreal to be able to participate in their culture. On Friday Mary is having a little party for us and then on Saturday we are invited to one of her sons weddings and she has had dresses made for us.
Times running out. I will update this poor effort soooooon.
take care xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Josh R
non-member comment
Sup Kate
Hey Kate... Shit luck with the Malaria. Glad your better. Hope the rest of Africa is awesome. ill see you sometime in the next few months in UK. JOSH