Blogs from Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana, Africa - page 6

10:42 I arrived in Africa Last night and got a taxi straight to Frankie’s Hotel in the City Centre of Accra, Ghana. This morning I picked up the hired Land Rover and I’m now traveling up 2 Lake Volta, this should take about 3 or 4 hours. I’ve booked a little lodge on the East side of the Lake because apparently that’s the side where all the interesting things happen. I can’t wait to get out of this stuffy car and explore!! This afternoon I’m going to have a nap (I’m very tired) and try and arrange a boat trip for Saturday.... read more

Well I've been away from the blog for a couple days now and have a few new adventures under my belt. On Friday after a short outreach in a nearby village, I took a cab to the Accra Mall where I was to be picked up by a Czech woman, Martina, whom I had met at dinner on the previous Tuesday. While waiting I went inside the very westernized shopping center and had a very western cheeseburger, fries and coke. This was a nice change from the typical Ghanaian rice and fish. I was eventually picked up by Martina in her company owned 4x4 pickup and was additionally accompanied by Hafen, an atmospheric scientist originally from California. The three and a half hour drive took us outside the hustle and bustle on Accra and into the ... read more

Well yesterday morning began abruptly. I did not set an alarm for my 7:30 wake up time and instead relied on my roommates phone alarm to wake me up. I think I slept through a couple of snooze rounds and ended up waking at 7:58 for a scheduled 8:00 pick up. My roommate, Christian from Dartmouth, was assuring me that we're on "Ghana Time" now and it was alright as I rushed around the room to get my backpack packed for my first outreach. Turns out, he was right. I ran downstairs, walked outside to see the car waiting for me and then waited another 30 minutes before we took off. Everything here is so laid back with a definite exception being made for driving. When not stuck in traffic, taxi drivers here are incredibly aggressive. ... read more

In the last few days of work at the Chronicle before my trip to Kenya, I covered a protest march to stop the violence in the Gambia, I went to a climate change symposium that was more like a 5 hour Nokia promotional meeting and a lecture from a journalism 100 class than an actual symposium, I went to a grant contract signing ceremony at the Embassy of Japan, and I got caught in a mob during a 2,000 person march to protest the recent spike in utility tariffs in Ghana. Just another day at the office :) I was sad to finish with my work at the paper, and I have a feeling I am going to find it quite difficult to sit in a classroom “learning” about the job I have been living for ... read more

Hello! I'm writing this travelblog from the lobby of the Coconut Grove Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The weather is wonderful and I've met a fluffy blond dog named "Cookie", who likes to walk around and make people feel welcome. By the way, "Akwaaba" means "Welcome" in Twi, the most commonly spoken African language in the Southern region of Ghana. When someone says "Akwaaba", it is appropriate to reply, "Medase", or "Thank you". Our room is very nice. The program coordinators are keeping us in rooms at this hotel for two days during orientation. I am pleased to say I have gotten into the homestay program. I don't know my host family yet, but I will be introduced to them on Wednesday. Right now, I am rooming with a very nice girl named Stephanie. She's from Maryland. ... read more