TravelStream™ news feed for member sherrypace on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/sherrypace en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:30 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1147082400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1147082400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1147082400/tpod.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:30 -0500 Peace Corps.. " The hardest job you will ever love" Philippines and beyond in Southeast Asia!

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Baguio, Philippines

I first would like to apologize if my updates have been difficult to read due to grammar and spelling. Some of this might be from font changes via the long distance internet connections and primarily me rushing while typing to share as much as I can (indicative of the adrenaline rush I experience here each day). I will do my best to check my e-mails prior to sending, after all as my wise Grandmother said, "you are a Redlands Grad after all!!" On Saturday I experienced my first Ibiloi Cultural event, a Canao (pronounced with the Spanish nyeah sound over the n). This is a celebration to remember the deceased and occur anywhere from a year to three years after their death. Traditionally they are very indigenous events including blessings from Shaman's. In today's modern world many of the native traditions have been lost. The Canao I attended was still very authentic in dance and food but also included a modern evangelical church service. The walk down to the home of the widower was beautiful, views of the neighboring gardens and farms and as we walked I could hear the banging of the drums I would soon be dancing too!! The tradition is for the hosting family to prepare meat to feed the quest while they dance the day/night away in honor of the deceased. The large pieces of cow and pig were brought out and cut up right next to the area where we were dancing. It is also traditional for the leftover meat to be given to the guest in "doggy- bags." I am ready for a break from eating pig, to say the least!! So as my ears were adjusting to new sounds, my eyes to new scenery, my nose was also adjusting to smell of raw and freshly cooked meat directly from the pig's right around the corner. As through all my travels every sense is affected at all times. I also learned to dance the traditional Tawo. Draped in locally woven blankets while the drums wear beating I danced around the circle and all eyes were on me. This dance often symbolizes the courting between a man and a woman so there were plenty of men asking me to join them in the Tawo circle!!(Ha-Ha) I also meet a number of the women from the local co-ops and they are very eager for me to help them with their projects. The handy-crafts produced here are beautiful and I look forward to building relationships with these women!! They are all so welcoming and warm!!Today before heading to Baguio I had lunch with the Municipal Council in Acop. The gender dynamic challenges I will face here really started to hit in. The council is entirely made of men and while I think they will be supportive of my work dealing with constantly being asked if I will marry a local is going to be challenging! While men appear to hold all the power in the community, it is the women who are the motivators and backbone, but don't get the respect they earn and deserve. I think it is going to take a lot of time for me to be accepted as women. I can tell that my job is going to be a big challenge trying to promote tourism in an area where many can hardly put rice on the dinner table is the reality of life for so many here. This combined with the many layers of strong gender roles; I am in for a lot of work and growth. These are all wonderful but difficult challenges to overcome. On the flip side I am surrounded by beautiful mountains and plants and vegetable gardens every where I look!! And while each day is filled with it's highs and low's the breathtaking sunsets and warm simple people of Tublay and you all will all help me get through the many challenges and adventures that lay ahead!All my love you everyone!!PACE Sherry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1255477744/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1255477744/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/pcphilippines/1255477744/tpod.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:10:18 -0400 Peace Corps.. " The hardest job you will ever love" Philippines and beyond in Southeast Asia!

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Denver, Colorado, United States

Hello to all ENCA visitors, supporters, friends and family!I am happy to report that the Cosalan Family (my host family in the Philippines) are safe and sound from the recent typhoon that hit the Northern Philippines, Benguet Province and specifically the Municipality of Tublay that I lived in. The news to report about ENCA Farm is not nearly as good. The river overflowed, demolishing the property down by the river and the paco (fern) planted as you hike up to the main house area of the farm is completely under the mud. Auntie Marilyn (Manager of ENCA and my host Aunt) used the words that ENCA is devastated and back to zero. Additionally the Barangay of Santo Nino, which is located up-stream from the farm, has been demolished. This is where the mine was years ago and sadly due to the lack of vegetation and open pit mining practiced there the entire community is under the mud.All of you that followed my blog closely during my time in the Peace Corps know how important ENCA Farm is to me, the Cosalan Family and the community of Tublay. Over the last five years the Cosalans, myself, and many of you, have poured time and money into the farm and it is so sad to think that much of it is back at square one.  While this is all devastating news there is something we can all do.A few of our past WWOOFer Volunteers have mentioned doing some fundraising and getting the money to the Cosalan Family and I think this is a wonderful idea. Working with Ian Kennelly a WWOOFer who spent time at ENCA last fall we have started an online donation site to help raise money to send to the Cosalans for the re-building and recovery effort not only at ENCA Farm but also in the Municipality of Tublay as a whole.  Please follow the link below and any size contribution you can make will be very appreciated and well used. http://philippinesdisasterrelief.chipin.com/philippines-disaster-reliefPlease take a look at the following article. It paints a poignant image of the destruction:http://www.earthlingorgeous.com/2009/10/typhoon-pepeng-destroys-northern-luzon.htmlIf any of you do not feel comfortable making an online donation you can send checks to me and I will make sure the money is compiled and reaches the Cosalan Family. Send Checks to:  Sherry Manning                            2085 South Josephine St. Apt. #1                            Denver, CO 80210Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions and on-behalf of ENCA Farm we thank you all for your support. Sherry Manning 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1249085574/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1249085574/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1249085574/tpod.html Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:06:12 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Snoqualmie, Washington, United States

Hello to all-After two very long flights I arrived home safely on Thursday evening. I had about an 8 hour lay-over in London before my flight to Seattle so I ventured into the city which was fun. I was in London for a few days the summer of 2004 but the morning rush on the underground and folks in suits off to work was indeed a big change from the streets of Accra. I enjoyed wandering around the Piccadilly Circus area of the city before heading back to the airport for my flight to Seattle. It is always so strange to fly to such a distant place and then in a matter of hours and quite a bit of jet-lag later be in a totally other world. I had such an incredible time in Ghana, soaking in the colors and history of the country, loving the music and dancing many nights away, getting to share in a wedding celebration for a dear friend and learn about her homeland directly through her eyes and from her wonderfully hospitable family. This truly was the trip of a lifetime and it was wonderful to share bits and pieces of it with you all here. I move to Denver on Tuesday and orientation for my masters program starts August 12th. From one reality to another. Love to all and thanks for reading these entries!Sherry PS: I have loaded most of my pictures from Ghana to the entries here, hope you enjoy them!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248017396/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248017396/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248017396/tpod.html Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:50:25 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Kumasi, Ghana

Hello from Accra-I arrived back to the capitol Accra earlier this afternoon after spending our final days in the Kumasi area with Diana and her family. After having a fast pace our first week here it was nice to relax a bit and just enjoy being in her moms village the last few days. We spent another day wandering through the busy streets and stalls of the famous Kumasi Central Market. Vender's adorn the streets selling just about anything you might want. Because of President Obamas visit there is Obama everything for sale; boxer shorts, fabric, soccer jerseys, and a poster of Obama in Ghana with pictures of his visit here. Cell phone repair shops and vendors all around, carts of fresh coconuts, cars honking and all the smells of the people, food and city combined. As always markets are a wonderfully intense experience for the senses. The highlight of the past few days was yesterday evening sitting around the stoop at Rosina's house and having all the visitors break out into song and dance. There has been a consistent group of adorable children that hang out at the house along with many of Rosina's relatives every day since we arrived, and last night was no different. The impromptu Ghanaian jam session was a real highlight. Rosina began by playing the drums and leading a call and response song and then little by little the wonderful dancing began. We all joined in and the adorable children so enjoyed teaching us the various dances and songs. This was a wonderful way to spend our final evening with the family, soaking in the spirit and sounds of their life. We were also sent off by a beautiful song like prayer this morning before we deaprted which was very special.I am back in Accra for the evening staying with some of the other relatives on the trip (Zach and Jesse Diana's in-laws) and head east to the Volta Region tomorrow. There is a small port town called Ada Foah where the Atlantic Oceans meets the Volta River. I have heard it is quite beautiful and I am looking forward to exploring the area. I will then head back to the western cape coast on Wednesday and enjoy a few days relaxing on the beach at a eco-tourism lodge before returning to Accra before my flight on the 29th. My first two weeks here have been so special to travel around with Diana and her family and truly see the real Ghana through their eyes. I feel so honored to have experienced their country in this way and have met so many of their wonderful friends and family along the way. They have been so welcoming to all of us "Obronis" (white people, all the children yell this out when they see us). I have manged to pick up quite a bit of the language (Twi- chwee) which will come in handy the next week when I am traveling on my own.I am looking forward to this next week of adventures and seeing other regions of the country. Hope all is well more to come. Lots of love,Sherry 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248845824/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248845824/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248845824/tpod.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:16:14 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Accra, Ghana

Hello from Accra- I just checked out of my hotel and I am waiting to meet up with Lacey (friend from Redlands) before I fly out this evening. While I am not typically a big city person I have enjoyed my last few days here. On Monday after writing my previous blog entries I headed out to do some shopping. Many streets in Accra are abundantly lined with beautiful wood carvings, fantastic bight colored fabric, football jerseys (soccer), jewelry, masks and beautiful drums. While it can indeed be chaotic and a bit stressful to deal with the vendors overall it is fun to haggle the prices with them and enjoy the shopping experience. Through my other travels I have found that ignoring the demands of vendors as you walk by their stalls is the best option. However in Ghana this is taken as very rude, and even if you do not plan on buying anything they want people to at least take a look at their items. As I was walking through an area of Accra called Osu that is lined with shops and vendors I randomly discovered a fantastic Fair Trade shop called Global Mamas. Global Mamas is a non-profit organization that works directly with female artisans here in Ghana connecting them with markets that ensure they are getting a fair trade price for their beautiful work. They are also connected with the organization Women in Progress that engages in a wide range of community development work in rural African villages and focuses on building business skills for women. I was so happy to discover this store and spent nearly an hour looking through their beautiful items and buying wonderful souvenirs. It is also nice to know that the money you spend goes directly to the person that made it even if the items are a bit more expensive I would rather know the money is going directly to the artisan. Here are there web-sites if you want to check it out: www.globalmamas.org and www.womeninprogress.org Yesterday I spent the day with Diana's cousin Solomon who lives here in Accra. Always nice to have a local tour guide that speaks the language and can help you navigate the chaos of the market. I wanted to buy more fabric before I leave so we wandered all through the stalls of Makola Market in search for what I wanted. For anyone that loves fabric this would have been heaven. Stalls and stalls of bight beautiful colors it was indeed overwhelming but so much fun. We also ate and at a local chop-bar that came highly recommended by other travelers. Being that it was my final full day in Ghana I wanted to have some more local food, I had yet to try fufu which is a very popular here. It is pounded cassava and plantains that turns into sort of a soft doughy, gelatinous texture. To be honest it was not my favorite but I did enjoy the delicious ground nut soup that came with it and for desert delicious fired plantains. The chop-bar had a lot of flare with flags of world all around and local wood carvings. Plus it was fun to be the other foreigner in the place; it was indeed a local experience. This has been such a special trip and I fell so honored to have learned so much about this country through my friend and her family and enjoy some local adventures on my own as well. Lacey and I are off to the National Museum. Love to all, Sherry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662552/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662552/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662552/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:28:44 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Akwidaa, Ghana, Ghana

Greetings to all-I arrived back to Accra yesterday afternoon after four wonderful days at the Green Turtle Lodge (www.greenturtlelodge.com). This eco-lodge came highly recommended and when I arrived last Wednesday I quickly learned why. Set on a picturesque beach near the fishing village of Akwidaa the guide book is correct when they call this a trap for visitors. The combination of beautiful ocean front views, wonderful food, friendly local staff and the community conservation work the lodge does make this a wonderful get away. The lodge is owned by a young British couple and from what I can tell employs at least 30 local staff to run the lodge and lead tours. They have beach front bungalows made of local materials, self composting toilets, solar panels provide evening electricity and they engage in a wide range of conservation work including community education about turtle conservation. Beginning in August turtles arrive on the beach front for nesting and sadly there is a long history of local poaching that goes on during their three month nesting season. I am sad to not be here during the nesting season of the turtles but glad to know there is community conservation work and education going on throughout this area to protect the turtles. The beach was lined with signs reminding locals to not poach the turtles. I met a lot of other travelers while I was there most of them volunteers taking holiday from their projects and enjoying the beach. I spent most of my time with a very nice Dutch gal named Else. She has been volunteering in Ghana the last three months as a teacher and heads back to Holland to finish her studies in a few weeks. It was fun to chat with her about her experiences living with a host family and the work she did here. We spent one morning on a very relaxing canoe trip through the mangroves that surround the banks of the river in Akwidaa. Our local guides Emmanuel and Prince where nice guys and while the canoe was a bit tipsy we did see a number of animals on the ride. A salamander, a king fisher and a blue osprey gave us quite the performance as we watched it clean itself and dive its nose in the water to catch its lunch. I really enjoyed talking with our guide Emmanuel he is 20 years old and has been leading tours through the Green Turtle for about two years. He recently finished his first two years of high school and is waiting for his exam results to arrive before he finishes his studies. He was a very friendly guy that clearly enjoys his wide variety of interactions with foreigners. On Saturday morning he led Else and I on a hike to Cape Three Points which is the southern most part of Ghana. There is a historical lighthouse at one of the capes that we hiked to. As we hiked the lush tropical lined road we had some very interesting conversations. Emmanuel asked us many questions about Arnold Swartzenager and if all men in America want to be what he called "Commando" meaning tough and strong. I laughed a little when he said this and then told him that the movies only portray one aspect of the US and often times a very unrealistic image at that. Through our conversations about gender roles it was very interesting to hear him say that men are strong and women are weak. Else and I both got a bit upset by this comment but I quickly reminded myself that the level of critical thinking taught here is different then what I was raised with in the US. We asked him questions about his own mother who he said is a very strong woman, but then he still insisted that men are stronger then women. These conversations with him were indeed a glimpse into what is taught in schools and at home in his community. During my short time here I would say that Ghana is a matriarchal society. Women not only raise the children, but also work side by side with the men in the fields, do the cooking, and from my observations do more of the heavy head carrying along the roads then men do. I think many cultures can seem male dominated and first glance but when a closer look is taken women are indeed the back bone of most societies. Saturday was my last evening at Green Turtle and we went out in style. There was a bon fire and local dancing, primarily put on for the benefit of the tourist in the area it was a wonderful evening. There is a local Rasta-man in Akwidaa that organizes the cultural performances. It was fun to join in on the dancing and enjoy the magical rhythm of the drumming. The sounds of this country will forever be with me they are indeed infectious. For all you Redlands folks out there get ready for this one. Before I flew here I updated my Facebook status to say I was off to Ghana. About a week into the trip I got a message from Lacey Baldiviez also a Redlands grad, saying she too was going to be in Ghana. What a small world! Lacey and I played basketball together at Redlands and thanks to the social networking of Facebook connected here last night. We met at the Accra Mall of all places which was indeed a shock to walk in to. The mall is certainly for the upper-crest of the country and was a drastic change from the villages I had spent my last days at. Lacey is in Ghana for the month conducting research and testing products in health centers around the country for her PhD through the UC Davis in International Nutritional Health. We sat at a local fast food restaurant called Chicken Inn (random) and enjoyed catching up. It was so fun to randomly connect with a fellow Bulldog while in Ghana. She is off doing site visits the next few days but we will hang out again before my flight leaves on Wednesday evening.   I am off to the art market for some final shopping and local cuisine. I will try to write a final entry before I fly out. Love to all,Sherry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662371/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662371/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1248662371/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:03:22 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Ada Foah, Ghana

Greetings to all! I spent the beginning of last week in a small village called Ada Foah which is in the southern part of the Volta Region about 2 and 1/2 hours east of Accra. The town of Ada Foah and the surrounding villages sit in a very unique place, situated in the Volta River estuary where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean there are many points on the beach where you look one way at the Atlantic Ocean and the other the Volta River. It was a beautiful spot to spend a few days but I was really hit with the level of poverty in the village walking through the day I arrived. As my taxi drove me through the small town trying to find my hotel the streets were lined with abandoned buildings and while there was some commerce taking place it was clear that this was a very rural farming community and most people are either fisherman or subsistence farmers. My first feelings driving through the town where a bit jarring, I am not sure what I was expecting but the abandoned buildings and very quiet feel of the town seemed a bit odd. I spent the first night at a well appointed guest house on the eastern side of the beach. The Dreamland Beach Resort sits a few km back from the Atlantic Ocean and while it was a very nice place to stay (I had a nice bamboo hut for the evening and wonderful local food fish eggplant dish in the local red- red sauce and rice) I was hoping to have a view of the river or ocean. I arrived got settled in and went on a short walk to the ocean only to discover the beach lined in trash. As through most of my travels in the developing world the trash problems are abundant and it is the same here in Ghana. With the influx of disposable packaging and western snacks the level of waste is quite drastic. This is a very difficult thing to find a solution to because until there is waste disposal infrastructure the local methods of burning trash really do seem to be the best option, even with the CO2 air quality problems that arise. Or if communities could return to using the bio-degradable methods they use to (example: plantain leaves as plates and wrappers). Regardless, the trash problem is indeed one of the largest environmental and health issues I have seen here especially in coastal villages where the waste from larger cities like Accra and others end up washed up on smaller villages shores. After my failed attempt to sit on the beach I spoke with Mercy the very friendly lady working at Dreamland and she arranged a motto bike driver to pick me up and give me a tour of the town and take me to the river. Moses the local motto driver spent the afternoon showing me around. We drove on his motto bike through the town and to the banks of the river. Fishing boats lined the river bank painted in bright beautiful colors the scene looks more like something from the Caribbean then you would expect to see in Ghana. Coconut palms line the river bed and as always I was greeted by an abundance of smiling local children that wanted to say hello and talk to the Obroni. As we walked through the village towards the estuary I was filled with many mixed emotions as I observed the way of life there. Children running around in nothing more then underwear and in some cases naked, flies all around, palm thatched homes simply constructed, goats roaming the sand and rummaging through the trash. While the people were friendly and waved and the infections spirit of the adorable children was everywhere, I could not help but wonder what they think about the random foreigner that arrives to their village to camp on the beach for a day or two. Tourism can indeed bring economic growth to a community but I think it is a difficult balance to strike. The challenge of preserving indigenous cultural practices while still developing and growing, allowing visitors into your community to enjoy and learn from but not damage your culture, and most importantly ensuring that the money brought in from tourism goes to the local community that needs it and is used in a sustainable manner. These are all difficult things to attain but discussions that need to go on before and throughout the process of a community opening its doors to tourism.I spent my second night in Ada Foah at the Maranatha Beach Camp. This picturesque beach camp sits on the banks of the Volta River owned by a young local activist and Rastaman. Winfred and his friends run a wonderful quiet beach camp and are engaged in a range of community development work with the local community. About 15 sand floored huts line the beach, the doors painted with bright colored flags of the world. I met three British travelers while I was there and enjoyed talking with them about their time in Ghana and our shared impressions of the village and curiosity of what they might feel about our tourism. Chris, one of the Brits I met there is volunteering with Winfred and staying at Maranatha for about six weeks. Winfred started a volunteer program with the help of another British traveler. Winfred has set up a small school for the children of the village and organizes football (soccer) practices in the early morning and afternoon for the local kids. As I mentioned before most people in Ada Foah are fisherman and once the kids reach the age of ten they are out in the sea helping their parents fish therefore they stop going to school. Winfred with the help of volunteers like Chris is trying to provide the much needed continued education to these kids while still respecting the need for them to help their families with their work. As all community development work it is a slow process but the work Winfred is doing here is a wonderful example of the grassroots locally based community development work needed around the world.I fell asleep in my little straw hut listening to the lapping waves of the Atlantic and was waken by the rhythmic heave hoe and hard work of the local community pulling in their massive fishing nets hoping to have a good catch of the day. Which I learned from Chris sometimes means no more the five fish. Peace to all,Sherry  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1246941031/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1246941031/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1246941031/tpod.html Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:12:55 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Snoqualmie, Washington, United States

Greeting's to All!It is nice to be back on this site writing to each of you. I really enjoyed the last two years sharing pieces of my Peace Corps experience and post SE Asia travels and to be honest have really missed writing these blogs since getting home. I am thrilled beyond words to be leaving on another adventure and get to share it with each of you here.Tomorrow evening I take off for Ghana, West Africa. As many of you know a dear friend of mine is from Ghana and recently got married here in the US. She is having a small wedding ceremony back home in her Mom's village and there is a small group of friends and family going on the trip. Diana first mentioned the Ghana trip nearly three years ago and since then I have been on board to make it happen. So in many ways it is crazy that the day of our departure is here. I am so excited to be traveling to Ghana, but most importantly getting to share in such a joyous occasion for a dear friend in her home country. Diana and her family moved to the US when we were in 2nd grade and while she and some of her family have gone back over the years this truly is a very special reason to return. The best way to travel is to do it through the eyes of the locals and I feel very honored to get to take part in this trip. I will be traveling the first 15-days with Diana and her family. Spending most of our time in the Kumasi Region, which is north of Accra (capitol of Ghana). And then I will spend about a week traveling on my own. I am still figuring out what I will do that final week but as many of you can relate with, travels take on minds of their own and often it is best to let things happen organically once you are there. So that is my plan! I return from Ghana on July 30th and then shortly after (four-days to be exact) I am moving to Denver, Colorado to start a masters program. It is a one year Masters in Natural Resource Law Studies through the Law School at the University of Denver. I am very excited about this next step but for now gearing up for Ghana. I hope each of you have fun plans this next month and more to come soon from Ghana, West Africa!Love to all,SherryPS: President Obama will be giving an address in Ghana on Friday. I am not sure we will get to see and hear him speak but it will indeed be exciting to be there while he is and hear the response Ghanaians have.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247688153/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247688153/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247688153/tpod.html Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:12:09 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Sekondi-Takoradi, Western, Ghana

Akawaba from the Cape Coast!I have been in Ghana for one week now and have already experienced enough to fill at least two entries here so I will attempt to be brief. We have made our home base at my friend Diana's Mom’s house a few kilometers outside of Kumasi a village called Ampabame the last week. Rosina (Diana’s Mom) is such a gracious host and has a beautiful home with plenty of space for all of us and of course a large number of the village as well. Since Rosina only returns to Ghana every few years everyone wants to come buy and visit with her and of course see the Obroni’s (White People, the children call this out at us when they see us) she has brought with her. While Ampame is right near the more developed city of Kumasi it is indeed a rural village. Very rugged iron colored dirt roads with enough pot holes it is better called that then a road and no running water but there is electricity and it is a peaceful alternative to the organized chaos of nearby Kumasi. We spent one afternoon getting a tour of the village with some of the kids and as the guide books tell you we drew quite a crowd of kids when we walked through the center of town. Four Obroni’s cameras in tote are a sure way to draw in the ever curious and smiling children here. By the end of the hour long walk through corn fields and empty school yards there was a crowd of nearly 40 children following us loving every photo we took. Even with the apparent poverty around Ghanaians are so happy and even in this remote village there was a small building that had a play station 2 for the children to enjoy for a small fee. Rosina comes from a line of royalty in the Ashanti Region and because of this we have been exposed to things the average tourist would never get to see. We spent one evening with her brother who is the Bantimahene which is the title given to an Ashanti Chief. His palace is in the center of Kumasi a large concrete structure with a wide open courtyard area in the center and many rooms and apartments surrounding it. While the setting seemed very informal there was indeed formal protocol to handle. The Chief sat at the head of us with two rows of seats on each side; Rosina spoke in Twi and introduced each of us explaining why we all came to Ghana and our connections to Diana and the family. While I did not understand all that was being said I could tell what an honor it was to be in this setting with pictures of the Chief all around the room meeting various dignitaries and officials. His aid also gave us a wonderful history of the Ashanti people and their traditions and how this system is now intertwined with the more modern democracy now ruling Ghana. Tribal Chiefs still play a major role in the governing of the country. There is a council of Chiefs representing the various Regions that communicates directly with the Democratic government and as we learned the Chiefs still hold trials for crimes occurred within their region. The Ashanti Region is one of the largest in the country so getting to meet this Chief is quite an honor. We will be going to visit him again tomorrow for a feast of various Ghanaian dishes. Sunday was the big party in the village for Diana and Stephan’s wedding and boy did it ever live up to all my expectations! While Ampame is a small village there is one hotel and conference space called Brotherman and this is where the celebration was. Women in their beautiful bright colored outfits arrived to celebrate, wonderful drummers playing African beats and they even arranged for local dancers to be there. Diana asked me to be apart of the dance train into the eating area which was a blast. As the drumming began we danced through the courtyard in a single file line through the guest and the amazing rhythm of the drums, cheering of the ladies in the crowd and overall excitement of celebrating a wedding was overwhelming. We sat in front of the guest at one long table and there were a few call and response type prayers and songs and then the real party began. There was a DJ, drumming and dancing and it was a blast. The dance we learned is called Adwoa and it is quite a work out in the thick humid air and on a packed dance space. As we danced people gather round saying ey-ya which means good job and lift and bob two fingers over you, they would also wipe our faces with 1 cedi Ghana bills. The colors, rhythms, sounds and overall feeling of joy, happiness and celebration were just what I expected. So special to get to take part in this celebration!Yesterday we arrived at the Cape Coast and Takroradi which is where the Opong’s lived before they were forced to flee Ghana as political refuges. While Rosina and Diana have beenback this is the first time for her oldest sister Patricia to return after 23 years and her husband and two daughters are here as well so this has been a very personal part of the trip since this region is the last place they remember. Today we visited Patricia’s old primary school and it was quite touching to hear the head mistress introduce her and all the kids clapped when they heard she has a master degree and is married. It was very special for her to speak with the kids and tell them how important the education they receive there is critical to their future success. There is a symbol here in Ghana called Sankofa which is a bird looking back over its shoulder while still looking ahead. For Ghanaians this symbolizes the importance of not forgetting their roots while still progressing and moving forward towards a more stable and successful country. In many ways this trip means just that for the Opong’s as they return to their roots they were forced to leave while still appreciating the opportunities they have had because they came to the U.S. There is so much more I could write but for now I will leave you with this. The internet is VERY SLOW so no pictures yet but I hope to add some soon. Love to all and more to come in a few days!Peace,Sherry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247135433/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247135433/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sherrypace/2/1247135433/tpod.html Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:42:07 -0400 Adventures in Ghana, West Africa

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Accra, Ghana

Akwaaba! (greeting in Twi pronounced ch-wee)I have arrived safely to Accra! After two very long flights we arrived last night at around 8:30pm local time). So wonderful to be traveling with locals we were greeted at the airport by two of Diana's cousins, her brother in-law also on the trip, and their dear family friend Commander Adi. He was in the military with Diana's Dad Joseph for many years and they are dear dear friends. I am trying to pick up some local phrases and am already filled with so much excitement and joy from our short walk to change money this morning. Honking van horns, women carrying baskets of food on their heads, little stores selling anything you might want or need and the organized chaos I would expect from the busy streets of a developing country. I feel so at home and love every second of it!As I mentioned in my first note Barack Obama is speaking here tomorrow. Sadly we will not get to see him speak but there are signs welcoming he and Michelle everywhere and I picked up a copy of the special edition paper about his visit. We are leaving for Kumasi (four hours north) where Diana's Mom is from in a bit but wanted to let you all know I made it safe and am thrilled to be here. More to come, love to all!Sherry 
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