less than 2 dollars a day

I read in the paper the other day that most Ghanaians make less than 2 dollars a day. It is true that money goes a lot farther here in Ghana, but 2 dollars is below the poverty level determined by the UN. Because of this, families need their children to work. It is not uncommon to see a 7 year old selling gum for 10 cents at a busy intersection late at night or a 10 year old with selling water out of little sachets for 3 cents. I try to make sure to give one working child 20,000 cedis (about 2 dollars) at least once a day, the hard part is that I cannot afford to help everyone I pass and I have to chose which to help. In the end, I am not even sure that this will make a difference in their lives.
Despite the poverty, I see fewer people begging here than I did in DC or Albuquerque. Those I do see begging tend to be refugees or disabled. Those with at least some capital and physical ability chose to work and make money however they can.

Kakum National Park

Kakum National Park is located near Cape Coast. It is probably one of the biggest rourist atractions in Ghana. The canopy walkway is a cool way to see the park from the treetops. The walkway is about 350 meters long and 30 meters (90+ feet above the ground). It is basically a series of aluminum ladders with boards over them to form the walking surface and held together by rope. These walks are hung between trees with about enough room at each stopping place for about 5 people. If you are afraid of heights or wobbly bridges, you should probably stay away.

Unfortunately, because this place is so popular, there is not a very good chance of seeing much wildlife. I did see a few ants and a butterfly.

If you do go here, DO NOT EAT at the cafe. I have heard from several people about the horrible service the got there. When I went I sat at a table of five. We placed our orders and made bets as to how long it would take before we were all served. Service tends to be slow here. I guesses ranged from 45 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes. No body won the bet. That day we waited for over 2 hours and only 2 people ended up getting their food. After two hours the waiter came to tell us that they did not have the food we ordered. Other people have told me that when they were there the waiter told them they were not allowed to order from the menu because they were students. Instead they had to take the "student special", but would not tell them what exactly that was.

My advice: go there, but don't expect to see a monkey and dont eat at the cafe!

oburoni

Oburoni is the first Twi word that most non-Africans learn in Ghana. Not because it is a useful or important word, but because you hear someone yelling at you about every 15 seconds. Literally, it can be translated in a few different ways. One translation means "someone from the land beyond the horizon," but it also can be traced back as meaning "a bad, mean, selfish or destructive person." Considering the slave trade and colonial history of Ghana, this meaning can be easily understood. Commonly, it is used to describe a white person, i.e. anyone that is not of Africa descent including Asians, Hispanics, Arabs, etc. Sometimes it is meant as an insult, other times not.

Whatever the meaning and the speaker's intention, hearing it REALLY begins to wear on my nerves. First of all, it happens so often. I am not exagerating when I say that I hear it several times a minute. People say it just for the sake of it. Almost like they are just pointing out to everyone that you are different. Laughs and giggles usually follow.

One blonde woman told me that she went into the bathroom once and someone came up to her and said, "you are white." She was not really sure how to respond. She also says that strangers often will pull her hair and ask her if it is real. I was with her once when a random woman on the street reached over and grabbed her breasts. I guess in the end I am lucky that I am at least not blonde.

The strange thing is that Ghana is really westernized and most people in Accra come in contact with non Africans everyday. But they still feel compelled to shout "Oburoni."

people not systems

One thing I don't ever think I will get used to is the smell of open sewers. They line all the streets and are basically big ditches between the sidewalk and road. I think they all lead to one big river I passed over once. It had a thick black skin over it, seemed to bubble and then flowed directly into the sea.
The odd thing is that these kind of conditions exist alongside one of the neatest and most orderly cultures I have ever lived in. For example, consider the plate of peanuts stacked like Lincoln Logs or that the streets and sidewalks are swept every morning or everyone's clothes are always clean and pressed despite the dust and dirt everywhere.
I have heard that people, not systems work in Ghana and think that this may be true.

protected from evil and temptation

Was running late for class and decided to take a taxi. This is the conversation I had with the driver.
me: How much to the geography building?
Driver: Give me 7,000.
me: Fine.
I get in the car and take the money from my pocket.
Driver: You have beautiful hands.
me: huh?
Driver: The money makes your hands beautiful. I beg you, give me a dash (tip).
me: Sure, I will give you 10,000 total.
The driver puts his hand on my leg, keeps it there and begins to pray for my protection from evil and temptation. He says something about casting out demons and then says "Amen." I am not sure what to do.
Driver: Say amen!
me: eh...amen
Driver: Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!
me: Thanks. I'll get out here.

3 days of prayer

After 3 days of prayer I dont think that I would feel Refreshed, restored or revived at all.

a cool place to eat and drink

I ate here after exploring the oldest part of Accra known as Jamestown. In Jamestown there is a place called Fort Usher that was built in the 1600's and over the years little improvements have been made to the building. I would post some pictures of it but it is illegal to take pictures of the place since it is now used as a prison. From the looks on the outside the conditions inside must be HORRIBLE. The beach immediately around the prison is covered in trash and scattered with large pools of sewage.
From this area we walked toward the central part of the city and had little kids following us the whole way yelling "How are you? I am fine." over and over. I also saw a goat with three legs.
We finally made it to the restaurant, had a seat, ate some food and had a few beers -all for about 4 dollars each.

heat

Until this week the weather here has been suprisingly mild. Yes, it has been much more humid than I am used to, but it was certainly tolerable. I am not too sure what happened this week, but the clouds have finally moved on and the sun is shining so intensely that I have begun to feel like the sick bird I put under my lightbright when I was a kid and accidently cooked. At 6 degrees north of the equator this kind of sun should be expected, but that does not mean I have to like it.

I am told that as the rainy season ends (DEC) the temperatures will go even higher.

cape coast, ghana

Cape Coast is a city located about 2 hours west of Accra along a very bumpy road. The city itself is best known for the castle built there by the first Europeans who came there for gold and trade. It is also well known for being one of the busiest stops during the slave trade.
Today, Cape Coast is known for fishing and grows some of the best pineapples in Ghana.

doctors needed

I saw this headline on the country's most respected newspaper and thought that is was a good illustration of the just how the "brain drain" has affected Ghana. Most of the doctors trained here end up in more developed countries like UK or the US. Ghana has a population of 21 million and a total of about 1500 doctors to treat them.

Cape Coast Castle

This castle was orginally built by the Dutch in 1630. Occupied by the British and used as the final stop for captured Africans on the way to the Americas during the slave trade. It is now a registered world heritage site.