Down to the Wire: The final week in Ghana…

The time is nearing the end of my stay in Koforidua. Just a few days short of my 12^th week since I arrived in Ghana, I am struggling to grasp where these weeks have gone. Don’t get me wrong, while for the most part it seems like I have only been here for a few weeks, there have certainly been moments which made me feel like I’ve been here several lifetimes. The desire to stay is growing more and more every day, as I begin to say my good-byes to the friends I have made during my stay in this stunning country. And again, don’t mistake me when I say I am reluctant to return to Canada. I miss home (or whatever that now is), and the many friends and family I left behind three months ago. But, this may very well be my final post until I return to the East Coast.

So, what’s the final week been like? Well, thankfully fairly quiet. Yesterday we had our final activity, which means that the remainder of our time here will consist of finishing up activity reports, attending a series of debriefings, packing up our things, and enduring the difficult task of saying good-bye.

It is with anticipation of seeing all of you wonderful people that I miss so much back home, and a heavy heart at the thought of leaving the life I have become accustomed to here in Ghana, that I shall say so long for now… unless of course something truly awesome happens in the next few days. Otherwise, until I have safely returned to the other side of the Atlantic…

-the Orange Canadian

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Okay, so the title of this post is a bit misleading, as it has nothing to do with lions, tigers OR bears. In one of my first posts upon arrival (possibly the very first), I had mentioned we were looking into going to the northern part of the country. It didn’t work out when we were originally planning to go, but this past weekend we had great success!

Our one last big adventure started at 8:00 am at one of the Koforidua trotro stations, where we were heading to the Accra airport. No, we weren’t headed home. We were actually headed to a little place called Mole (pronounced mo-lay) National Park. This is about a 2-2 ½ hour drive outside of Tamale, the destination of said flight. The drive itself was pretty spectacular, as it featured different landscapes, mud huts, and a horizon as flat as good ‘ol Saskatchewan. What wasn’t so spectacular, however, was the fact that the aisle seats featured a delightful metal bar that seemed to cling to my leg fat, like a small child clings to an adult’s legs at the most inconvenient time when they want something… But, given the weekend I experienced, it was well worth it!

 

The entrance to Mole National Park

When we arrived in Mole, nearly 12 hours had passed since out departure from Koforidua. We were all quite hungry and tired, so we checked in and grabbed one of the few options for dinner that night (it was basically a choice of 3 varieties of spaghetti or mac and cheese). As I’m pretty sure I didn’t taste it due to the rate I scarfed it down, I cannot give an accurate comparison to the spaghetti I had in Cape Coast. It was food in my belly, and that’s really all I cared about! This was quickly followed by a much needed night’s sleep.

Okay, now picture it…it’s 5:45 am. The group is slowly beginning to wake up to get ready to head to our first safari. So, how do you quickly wake up 5 girls struggling to get out of bed? Well, it’s easy – you get a hungry baboon hammering on your door trying to get it. And this, my friends, was the moment I realized I was living in a National Park filled with creatures most of us have only read about in books or seen on television.

Once the baboon departed, we discreetly exited our room, and were greeted by a few warthogs. Most people seem to think these delightful little guys are somehow ugly, I happened to think they were quite cute…perhaps a by-product of not having them attack me. Anyway, we made our way to the meeting point where we waited…and waited…and watched more warthogs (including a baby!).

Shortly before 7 am, we were greeted and the groups were divided. We were assigned to a guide by the name of Robert, who told us he’d do his best to find us an elephant, but unfortunately for me, lions are not easily located in the park anymore. Regardless, we climbed up onto the top of the jeep and headed out into the park. We saw a variety of deer-like animals, monkeys (including more baboons), various birds, and a range of incredible vegetation. And then we stumbled upon it – a big heaping pile of freshly produced elephant dung (don’t worry Mandy, I got pictures for you!)! Yes, this means we were on the path to finding elephants, and boy did we ever! We came upon a popular watering hole where three male elephants were bathing (oddly enough next to some crocodiles that are apparently terrified of elephants!). They. Were. Incredible. We snapped more pictures than necessary and then stood and just watched these gigantic mammals just doin’ their thing. Safari #1 – success!

Young waterbuck

A group of kobs - this was the animal we saw most frequently!

An ant hill…that looks strikingly like an elephant!

It didn’t take long for this girl to get bored, so I went on a little adventure by myself to see the “museum” (which basically consisted of various bones, hunting tools, and a 20 year old elephant fetus), the gift shop, and then I inquired about other activities we/I could do during my stay. Had it been a better time of year, I would have spent the following morning bird watching for 8 hours. Luckily, it didn’t work out.

Two of us decided to spend the afternoon undergoing a walking safari. Thinking I wouldn’t require the use of sneakers, I didn’t bring them with me. So all I had with me were a crappy pair of flip flops and some athletic sandals. The latter are apparently an issue, because of the reptiles found in the park. I was informed that I should put on a pair of socks, which I reluctantly did. But, within 5 minutes of the safari a snake appeared, so I was glad to have my “snake-repellent socks” on! 

This safari wasn’t as great as the one we did earlier, but I was more interested in the walk at that point. We did, however, see a herd of antelope on the run. They were pretty amazing to see, particularly as there were over 100 of them! It kind of reminded me of the scene from the Lion King when the wildebeest charge down the canyon, except these were antelope, and I wasn’t in a cartoon. (video to come at a later time!)

When we returned, we went for dinner, which consisted of Guinea Fowl, and then once again crawled into bed.

Morning number two wasn’t as eventful at the start. Jenna and I got up at the same time as the day before and made our way to the same meeting point, where Robert once again agreed to take us out on safari #3. This one was once again a walking tour, so I was sure to have my safety socks on! However, they didn’t protect me. Within 5 minutes of entering the woods, I tripped on a rock and fell. Classic Emily. This led to Robert quoting something about Jesus to me, and then we continued on.

Again, we saw various deer-like animals, warthogs, birds, and then it happened again…the infamous pile of freshly fallen elephant dung that I have come to know and love appeared. And… we… booked it! Within minutes we were surrounding a forest-like area where we could see the outlines of two male elephants! We joined several other groups and essentially chased them out of the woods and into the open. They were magnificent! We all stood in awe as we watched them feed on the trees and make their way to the same watering hole we had been able to successfully view them the day before. And this is when it got even more exciting… there were three other male elephants already in the water bathing. Don’t worry folks, I have enough photos and shaky video to last me a lifetime, and I can’t wait to share them all with you! Jenna and I returned to the hotel happy as could be and ate our complimentary breakfast (an additional contributing factor of our happiness…free breakfast!)!

Robert, our guide!

Later in the morning, three of us nabbed one of the cultural guides, and made our way to a local farm and village. I tried my hand at tilling the land, and I’ve gotta say, I could get used to that!

 

This is the farmhouse…a little bit different from what we'd see in Canada! 

I gots me some peanuts...

After speaking with our guide for a while, he asked what we were studying and what our interests were. When I mentioned I was passionate about water, he offered to take us to his village to show us the water supply they use. Friends, I have seen some things since I arrived 11 weeks ago that have broken my heart and truly made me appreciate growing up where I did but this… this made me feel sick. Like pit of my stomach sick. Not only were there crocodiles swimming in the water, but he told me that many other animals come to the same spot to defecate. And, at the risk of sounding like I’m trying to be humorous or make light of the situation, it was no wonder the water was the colour it was. It seriously looked like chocolate milk. But, it was water, and I watched as children gathered it to consume and wash their clothes with. The next time you turn on your tap, take a second (preferably with the tap off) and just consider that for a minute. Think about how easily we have access to CLEAN water, any time of the day, any day of the week.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we took an hour to collect ourselves before the whole group went out on what we thought would be another exciting safari, but was really just a pleasant 15 minute canoe ride down part of the Mole River. Not the most riveting experience of my life, but it was lovely just to have a peaceful, but shaky trip down the river, while taking in the sights.

And this, my friends, concludes the tale of how I did 4 safaris in 48 hours for under $40 Canadian. Ghana has been good to me, and this was one freakin’ fantastic last big adventure before we return home!

-the Orange Canadian

SO MANY GOATS!

Okay, so during my time here, I have witnessed a ton of goats, but realized I had yet to take a picture of any of them. Well, my friends, yesterday was the day, and check out this adorable little guy!

Puppies, bread making, gaining street-cred in Accra, and getting’ hitched!

Well, it’s been an interesting week, filled with many things that will make my overall Ghana experience pretty colourful. To make this update a little more exciting, I’m going to deliver it in a Stewie Griffin-style ‘Compliment Sandwich,’ where I tell you some happy things, throw in a subtle not so fun thing, and then end on a high note! This is far different from my usual way of spilling the beans on something less than ideal, which usually consists of me telling some obnoxious fact about myself that is untrue, and then following it up with the real bad news! So, let’s see how it goes…

Puppies! Who doesn’t love puppies?! I certainly do. And we have been fortunate enough to have two litters close by. The living arrangement for the five of us is done so that we are divided into two different houses. Three of us live in the main homestay, while the remaining two live a house down from us. It is at the other house that these puppies are living. The first litter consisted of seven puppies, while the second one had five. They are all pretty freakin’ adorable, as I’m sure you can imagine! A few of them look like German Shepherds and I’ve taken to one in particular (he’s super rambunctious, but also the most precious little creature ever!). I was informed that to purchase one would cost me approximately 20 cedis, which is the equivalent of about $7 or 8 Canadian. So, Scott, you may have a four legged friend heading your way…

Now, at this same house, the Mama of the house makes and sells bread – and it’s quite the production. I, being my mother’s daughter, therefore making me a bread maker, decided I’d like to give it a try sometime. I was really excited and felt fairly confident going in, but that quickly disappeared as how I make bread and how they do are quite different. Despite this, we had many good laughs, and I’m certain they were thankful when I was called for supper. Each time they make bread approximately 200 loaves are baked, and their production level was surely slowed with me on the assembly-line! Mom would have been thrilled to witness this!

Warning: the following tale is a tad frightening, but being as I am writing this, I am more than okay. As the title of this post suggests, I’m going to tell you shortly about getting married (and no, this is the “tad-frightening” part I was warning you about!). To get to the wedding, we had to switch trotros in Accra…at night. The driver was kind enough to offer to escort us to the trotro we needed to be on, but warned us to keep close. We had also received an email from DFATD (Department of Foreign Affairs) warning anyone in the Accra region that there has been a rise in theft, particularly at night. So, with this in mind, away we went. But, it didn’t take long before a young man was telling me he wanted to come back to wherever I was from with me. And from there, he put his arm around me, basically preventing me from moving forward, while 2 guys searched my pockets and another grabbed me by the hair (upon reflection later on, I’ve come to realize that they made it further than most of my past boyfriends, so there’s that! Also, sorry Mike, Scott, Grammy and any others who probably didn’t want to know that fun fact about me!). Luckily, all I had in my pockets was a cedi (30ish cents Canadian) and my cell phone. The whole think lasted maybe 2 or 3 minutes, and as you can imagine left me pretty shaken up. The unfortunate part of this was that that phone had pictures I hadn’t been able to transfer from my final weekend with Mom, and of childhood memories we decided not to hang on to from when we were selling the house. But, they are in my mind. And the cell phone is just a cell phone. I, on the other hand was not harmed in any way (which could easily have not been the case being as I had my pocket knife in my backpack!). This, I think, earned me some street-cred.

And now for the leaving on a happy note!

With three weekends remaining in Ghana (yeah…you read that correctly…THREE weekends, which have now turned into TWO!), we arrived in Winneba to attend our friend Fred’s wedding. Fred was the first Ghanaian I met upon my arrival, and I felt delighted to not only have been invited to his wedding, but to be in attendance. Okay, so maybe not so delighted after hour two, verging on three of the ceremony, but it was still quite the experience, and despite the length, I was pretty excited to be there!

The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 10 am, which means it actually began closer to 11 am, and included a lot of dancing, singing, and even an offering (which made me feel uncomfortable, as to me, it seemed really inappropriate). Aside from that, I felt the process was pretty much the same as what we’d see back home, except for the fact that he invited about 300 people, but about 800 showed up! There were so many people in attendance that there weren’t enough seats at the reception. But, lucky for us obrunis, we were provided with VIP indoor seating and a “fast track” to the buffet line! Thanks, Naana (I know you read these!)! My freshly made dress fit, the food was good, the weather perfect, and the BP oil logo even made an appearance in the program, making it an all-around good day!

The remainder of our time in Winneba included a lovely chat over tea for about five or six hours with our group and some other volunteers working in different parts of the country, but from the same organization. In the morning I went for a walk to the nearby beach and took in the sights. Like my first experience in Cape Coast, there was lots of garbage in the water and intertwined amongst the sand, but the smell and sound of the ocean was not unlike what I’d get back home. This made me fill with an awkward mixture of pure joy at the thought of home and seeing so many of you lovely people that I miss so much, and utterly sad at the thought of leaving this beautiful, garbage-strewn country.

There is still one big adventure left before I depart for Canada. I am hopeful that this will make my experience here go out with a bang! But, as I reflect on the past two and a half months, I am amazed by what I have learned, the mistakes I have made, and the amount that I have grown. If only I were able to tell you every detail and have you all truly grasp what life has been like for me while in Koforidua! And, as things begin to wrap up, I am most certain my opportunity to ponder and process all that I have been exposed to will only add to the tales I will tell you once I return home.

-the Orange Canadian

Hope Blooms...Ghana Edition?

So, here’s a random burst of excitement to share with you all:

Over the last few weeks, we have been delivering several workshops to twelve junior high schools in Koforidua. The subject of this series of workshops is two-fold. 1) We tackle the basics of land, air, and water pollution, with a brief introduction to plastic waste. 2) With the hopes that the first section might spark some interest in the students, we moved on to discuss club formation. Later, we have and are continuing to return to these same schools to do a schoolyard clean up with them. For me, this is pretty much my element. Well, the club formation part is a bit dry, and means I have to talk finances, but the first section is pretty much catered to my personal interests.

Today we visited a particular school, were the class I was presenting to was filled with enthusiasm. I felt so energized by these kids – it was awesome! After the workshop (which ran a few minutes into their break), a few of the students chatted with me. One mentioned a garden they have been working on, and I, being a fan of growing what I eat, promptly requested to see it. And what they showed me was amazing!

Amongst the rows was a smattering of tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, onions, okra, garden eggs (what we would refer to as eggplant back home!), and a few other veggies! Perhaps what made this experience even more exciting was the fact that the few students who took me to see it, were absolutely thrilled to be showing off their hard work! Seriously, it was impressive to see what they were growing, and refreshing to be witnessing the pride and dedication they showed towards maintaining the plot.

When we returned later in the day to assist in the school clean-up, I claimed the rights to bring my group to the garden area (which unfortunately was covered in plastic bags and other garbage). Thinking it was a competition, my group (the same students form the morning), filled up our bag in no time! Seriously, I think they filled it in 10 or 15 minutes. To reward their efforts, we planted a tree (part of the clean-up exercise) near the garden, which was no waste-free. This, my friends, is why I came here. I am inspired. I have hope. I can’t wait to see what these kids do in the future!

Avoiding Deportation and the Kid with the Grass Goatee

So, it’s been a while since I actually updated you all on how things are going here. The last time I actually talked about work-related things, they were less than perfect, but on the mend. Well, things still aren't perfect, but they are certainly better than what they were.

The last week has been filled with multiple in-school workshops about pollution, plastic waste and club formation. These have been interesting, as I am becoming far more comfortable in the role of facilitator/presenter, and seeing the difference from school to school has piqued the interest of my inner-researcher. So far (as we still have several more of these workshops to complete), I have noticed mostly that afternoon sessions involve more yelling from us and less focus from students. To any former teachers/professors that may be reading this that had me during an afternoon class where I was unfocused and failed to participate (even to the extent of showing signs of life) – I am sorry. A new appreciation has been gained.

On Thursday we traveled to Asamankese to support our partner there in the HIV/AIDS testing and counselling event. This was … well, I’m not sure what the word is. It was held at a P-9 school, and I had to give a talk about STIs without any preparation. This uneasiness was amplified as I assisted in the condom demonstration, by holding a wooden penis that was so detailed it was almost disturbing, whilst a crowd of 6 or 7 year-olds sat to my right, just wanting nothing more than to listen to the white people talk. And yes, David, since I know you’re thinking it, my face reached multiple shades of red…

On Saturday we visited a cocoa farm. It was really neat to see how it is grown, fermented, and then dried. The fruit surrounding the beans was delicious and tasted slightly like mango. We were even able to try a few of the beans, which tasted like a bitter, dark chocolate. Also, fun fact: the husks and rotting beans are what are used to make soap, lotions and other beauty products!

Afterwards, I met with a few fine gents to discuss a project we are working on outside of my volunteer obligations. I’m not going to share any details on this, as nothing has been made official yet, and I want to make sure that things are in place before I let you all in on this. But, I’m kind of excited about this side project!

Today (Sunday), I attended the church of my program coordinator. This one was of the Presbyterian variety, and I’d like to entitle the following paragraph as “Why I Could Never Be a Church-Goer: Round 4.” I’m not looking to have a religious debate here, but the church that I went to when I was a small child was quiet and reserved; peaceful even. While this particular church was not the experience I had in my first week here, it certainly wasn't the calm, relaxing one I was hoping for. Listen, to be fair to William, he told me there would be music and dancing. But, when I think of dancing during a church service, I think swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music. What I don’t think of is pelvic thrusts and booty pops. To make matters worse (?) the music reminded me of a cheesy 1980s game show, with the dance moves of Soul Train! It was weird. There was also a lot of touching throughout the service. Shake hands here, hold hands there, hug everyone, and now get out! I know it meant a lot to sir Billiam that we all went, as it did when I went to the other two churches of people I know, but I just don’t get it. In particular, I don’t get the over-emphasized plea for money! At one point, the minister/pastor/whatever interrupted the session we were in, with “okay now, let’s talk about money!” Weird. Weird. Weird.

But, that wasn't even the weirdest part of the day. Jenna (a fellow volunteer) and I went for lunch. This marks maybe the 5^th or 6^th lunch I've had since arriving 2 months ago (that’s right – I arrive in Halifax one month today!). We ate at a place we went to one of the first days we were in Koforidua. I went with the intention of having my favourite local dish called Red Red (because half of the plate consists of something that is red, and so does the other half), but I saw a club sammie on the menu and thought - I must eat this. So, I ordered it. Now, I know what you’re thinking – how could this simple thing possibly go wrong? Well, I’ll tell you. It came out on a plate. One piece of bread cut into four. In the middle was a hay-stack of cabbage, onion, carrot, chicken, backed beans, ketchup, mayo, and a boiled egg. Weirdest combination ever, and yet, it was pretty good. I mean, the boiled egg alone was enough to make it a win. The ketchup thrown in there on the other hand was… not something I would ever desire to do again! But, what can you do. I happily ate it and enjoyed the visit with Jenna!

Well kids, it’s now time to transition into the next and final tale to tell. It’s about that time I was slated for deportation. To be fair, this would have been (and still kind of will be should it happen this coming weekend) welcomed. After some miscommunication from a particular colleague, our applications could not properly be processed, due to a missing letter I had requested several days prior. And Emily. Threw. A flipper. That’s right, folks. At 29, I pretty much threw a temper tantrum – the result of being over-tired, suffering with the usual consequences of straying from my allergy-friendly diet, and an overwhelming bout of missing my Mom and therefore grieving. Tomorrow I will attempt (for the third time) to get my Visa extended, and if not, I’ll see ya’ll next week! But to leave you on a positive note, I channeled my anger/upset into the first run I have completed in over a year. Okay…so by run I mean, I ran maybe a kilometer with three walk breaks and then walked the rest of the way home, only to wake up the next day with a knee so sore I was instantly reminded why running with good shoes is so important!

So, that’s all for me! I’ll try to write again soon…unless I’m get sent home, in which I’ll be visiting you all soon!