Arriving at Dagbe

July 31,2011

Today started off with a delicious breakfast buffet at the Afia Beach Hotel, thank you Tara for the recommendation!!  I had bacon, waffles, porridge, banana crepes, ginger pineapple jam for the toast, and lots of fresh fruit like mangos, papaya, pineapple and banana. Unbelievable!!  We had to check out of the hotel right away so we could begin our 3 hour journey in the tro-tro (van) to Kopeyia. 

The beginning of the ride was really no different than a road trip in New Jersey, the only thing that I noticed that we don’t have back home is the people coming up to cars to sell things.  We navigated our way out to Kopeyia, through mostly paved roads; once we got close, they turned to dirt.  There aren’t any speed limits in Ghana, so the police set up roadblocks every so often, as a version of a speed trap.  It was kind of funny to watch all the cars suddenly slow down.

Once we got to the Dagbe center, we were treated to a performance of drums and other various instruments as we unloaded the cars.  There is nothing like be greeted by an entire Ewe drum ensemble.  We moved our suitcases into the rooms where we will be staying for the next two weeks.  The beds all have what looks like canopies over top of them.  These are, in fact, mosquito nets.  We have suitcases all over our room, piles of food, and of course bags upon bags of toiletries. 

Lunch consisted of fresh avocado, tomato, onion, bread, and pineapple. I made a salsa with the tomato, avocado, and pineapple, which I put on the bread.  Not too shabby.  I felt like a Top Chef. J

We then had a chance to tour the facility before libation.   Libation is an offering to the ancestors of the center.  It consists of a few steps to allow the group to take part in everything the facility has to offer.  Specifically, we are not permitted to dance or even touch a drum before this ceremony is completed.   Two of the instructors lead the ritual.  Kristen, our group assistant leader, brought forth an offering of money and drink.  The two men poured out some of the drink on the ground to give to the ancestors.  While they poured, they said the names of the ancestors, inviting them to join us for the next two weeks.  The final part of the ceremony involved everyone in the group partaking in drink.  The drink we shared is called akpateshie, which is made of fermented palm wine.  Each member of the group took a drink, then poured a little on the ground after making a wish.

Following the libation, the group began drumming the music for a dance called agbajah.  An older man taught me the moves of the dance and I joined him for a dance.  My favorite part was when several of the children came and danced with me.  They were so much fun, laughing every time I smiled at them.

Following the dance, we were given a tour of Kopeyia.  All of the family compounds surrounding Dagbe were the homes of one or more of our instructors.  Some of the more interesting moments of the tour were having all of the children holding our hands, trying to carry our giant water bottles, and begging for us to take their pictures.  They would light up if you showed them the photo afterward. 

Dinner was rice with a thick red sauce and chicken.  It was awesome.  I can’t believe how good this food is!!!  We went to Emmanuel’s compound for a little while after dinner.  Emmanuel is the director of Dagbe Center.  

A few little things about general life in Africa:

You do not flush the toilet paper.  It is thrown away in a separate container. 

You turn the shower off between everything, so you soap up, then turn it on, turn it off while you put in conditioner, etc.

You have to antibacterial your hands before you eat anything.

We were told to drink a minimum of 4.5 liters of water per day.  Which seems like a lot, but it will keep us hydrated and healthy. 

Do not use your left hand for anything.  Shake hands, wave, etc with only your right hand.

I am having a great time so far, and I can’t wait to continue with dance in the morning!!

Landed in Afia

July 30, 2011

I am officially in Accra, Ghana.  We are staying at the Afia Beach Hotel, and it is absolutely gorgeous!

To back up just a tad:
The plane ride was interesting, we got off to a rocky start when the aircraft lost power completely just before we took off.  They rebooted the system, and we waited for about 90 minutes then we were finally in the air.

I strategically got a window seat. They fed us some dinner around 11:45pm.  Mine was beef with rice and some stuffing-like cous-cous.  Not too bad.  I tried to get as much sleep as I could on the plane, and managed about 5.5 hours. 

When the pilot announced our initial descent, I was actually able to get a birds-eye-view of Accra.

The sights were not what I expected. 

Here we were welcomed off the plane, "Akwaaba!"

Once we landed, we did the customs song and dance, getting through security and baggage, where we met Jeremy, the course instructor. He enlisted the help of some security guards (one of whom carried my suitcase for me) and we got outside to our giant van.  Luggage rode in one van, all of us in another.  Going through the streets of Accra, many people tried to sell us things while we were still in the car.  Any time we were at a traffic light.  Anything from cellphone covers to bubbles.

When we finally arrived at Afia Beach Hotel, we were all flabbergasted.  The hotel was nothing like we expected, truly a beautiful sight.   We went into the hotel restaurant and had lunch.  I decided to go light on my first meal in Ghana and got some simple baked chicken, which was delicious.

After lunch, we got our cell phones and checked into our rooms.  Jeremy did the money exchange for us during that time as well.  I am rooming at Afia with a woman from Canada named Davida.  She and I shared a lot of interesting stories of our past travels and performance experiences.

After we all settled in, a couple of us went for a walk on the beach, which is located just behind our rooms.  The sky was breathtaking!

During the walk, a new friend, Ptahra, and I decided to get a little silly for some pictures.

The views from the beach seem to never end!

Ptahra and I in front of the Star Monument.  This was found towards the end of the walk.  Some of the others went much closer, but Ptahra, Allie, and I decided to stay closer to the hotel since it is only Day 1.

This is another part of the monument which is an interpretation of the Ghanaian flag.

Tonight's dinner is a Ghanian style buffet for all of us to try, which I am very excited for. 

I am finding it more difficult than anticipated to find internet, so I may not be able to post every day.  I will keep the journal for each day on my laptop, and add multiple posts so each day is represented though, so no worries!

Uh Oh Peanut Butter!

July 29, 2011

Here is a little known airport security fact.  You can’t have anything that is in a jar; even if it isn’t an item in liquid form.  So….my peanut butter got confiscated. 

For my students that remember me teaching them the peanut song, here are some new words for it.   

“Oh my peanut sat on the security belt.  

Next to all my liquids,

The checkpoint said, No Jars Allowed! 

So it went through the trash lid….”

On another note, the boarding call time for my flight is at 8:35.   I finished clearing security, sans peanut butter, at 1:15.  Good thing I love to read, and my nook is filled with brand new books!  Plus, my iPOD is set with lots of new music for me to analyze J 

The ride here was… interesting.  My brother, Raymond, and his awesome girlfriend, Ali, kept me thoroughly entertained.  This, of course, included Raymond driving with his visor upside down and backwards.  It really is a shame I never convinced him to do some theater; he would have been hilarious.  Traffic going through New York City wasn’t too bad; I have definitely seen it much worse.  This airport on the other hand is completely crazy, I have never been in an airport this big…that I recall anyway.  London/Heathrow was a little more manageable, as was Hamburg, Germany.  I am curious what the airport in Accra will look like…

The Countdown begins......3....2.....1!

Three days.  I am so excited, and my bag has been mostly packed for two weeks. The final things are being picked up this week. The important things: my snack food!  I am pretty sure I have every version of protein bar ever invented, hopefully they taste as good as the name sounds.  Also in the mix are bags of Goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, dried pineapple (which almost seems redundant because there will be fresh pineapple in Ghana), and other various goodies which were won by my Grandma and Nana at BINGO and given to me for "airplane food." It is unfortunate that I can't bring any chocolate...

Now I am on the prowl for some powdered Gatorade to keep up my electrolytes.  

I started taking my malaria medication on Saturday so I would have a full week of coverage before I leave. Luckily, I didn't have any of the side effects.  

I will say that I find it pretty funny that the majority of my carry-on and a large portion of my suitcase is filled with medication.  It's like I am bringing an entire CVS with me!

Cabella's....a maze of animals and camping gear

So, I took my first trip to the Cabella's store in Pennsylvania.  My plan was to simply get the few items on my list, then head back home.  However, I did not anticipate the store to be as large as it was.  I would have loved a map or some tracks to follow. (Maybe even put some of my old girl scout knowledge to use.)

I walked around for about 15 minutes trying to locate a pair of pants that zip off into shorts.  I settled on a pair of khaki colored pants that have extra sunproofing and bug protection made by Columbia.  They are EXTREMELY comfortable. I also found a few nice workout tanks from Northface that were on clearance.

The real adventure happened on the upper floor when I went to find the camping type gear.  I have never seen so many options!  There were aisles and aisles of just freeze dry food like raspberry crumble and beef stroganoff.   Unfortunately, I was not there for food.  

I got my ultra strength insect repellent for my clothing, a new backpack, and my handy dandy pacsafe.  Best find:  A dual pack of a flashlight and head lamp for only $15.

Cabella's also has a lot of animal displays, one from each area of the world.  I, of course, went to the African animal section.

 
 

I probably won't see many, if any, of these animals while I am in Ghana, but I thought the depictions of these scenes were very realistic!















A few days after I got home, I used the Sawyer Duranon Permethrin spray on my clothes.  It doesn't smell to nice but let me tell you, I saw bugs flying the other way.  Hopefully it will work this well in Africa!

Amazing gadgets!

So I have been looking at my packing list, which is pretty long, but manageable.  There are a few things I have been looking into that look cooler every time I check them out.

One of the items is called "Pacsafe."  They are basically high-tech fanny-packs that have steel wires going through them among other locks and buckles.  The only thing I can't really decide is: do I want to go full out fanny-pack or should I lean towards the should strap bag?  Thoughts?

The other stuff that I am really pumped about is "Sawyer Duranon Permethrin Insect Repellent".  This stuff looks unbelievable!  You basically cover your clothes in the spray.  It stays on them for two months, even if you wash them once a week!!!  So.....watch out malaria mosquitos! I am coming fully prepared to battle!

More updates to come, perhaps including photos from the Cabella's excursion that is soon to come.

The research continues...

So, I have been looking into some of the places I will be staying, and where I will be going.  Everything looks so beautiful!!!

 This is Kakum's Canopy Walk in Kakum National Rainforest Preserve.  It is basically a series of footbridges that go up among the canopy level in the rainforest.  My slight phobia of heights should make this particular endeavor very interesting.  I am very excited  for the chance to possibly see some wild life.

When I found the picture below, I was amazed at how they were even able to create a walkway among these trees.  It is almost as if the bridge is floating!

Here are some pictures of the Afia Village Hotel.  This is where we'll be staying during various transition legs of the trip.  From everything I have read, it is pretty much a beach paradise.  As a beach girl, I am pumped!

There are a couple of other places I will be going to, but I won't be able to put up pictures until I have been there.  One of the things I am most excited about is the visit to Master Drummer, David Amoo's workshop.  Seeing the drums being created will be something that I am sure I will remember vividly.  I am also pretty positive this will be the part my students will want to know the most about. :)

More to come!!!!