Ghana: TIA BABY

silly boys playing in front of Christ Orphanage

My favorite quality about African kids: their smiles : )

I hand out pencils in every country! www.pencilsofpromise.org

African baby love

“You are welcome” are the greetings that come from the smiling faces of Ghanaians whose white teeth glisten against their dark skin. I love waving at every person I pass on the street because I can’t get enough of those smiles. Ghana is considered a developing country and it is visible among the dirt roads filled with potholes, rows upon rows of shacks sheltered by tin roofs, and young children carrying jerry cans of water on their heads or toting babies on their backs. But the bleak image of poverty fades into the background against the bright patterns of the African garb, blaring beat of the music, and giggles of children that come from every direction.

As soon as I could leap from the ship into “real Africa” (that is, an Africa that has a history of colonialism, an Africa in poverty, an Africa full of little black babies)I felt a shutter of excitement roll down my spine. Eight other SAS students and I jumped on a bus headed for Hohoe (pronounced HO-Hoy) where we would be visiting an orphanage. African time was the norm as it took us ten hours to pass through Accra (the capital) to our destination by bus. I didn’t mind though because the scenery of the Cape Coast, the luscious green of the jungle, and all the Africans going about their day was worth a lifetime of entertainment. We finally arrived at our hotel where we were told we would have to sleep five to a bed (without a mosquito net despite all the warnings of malaria we received from the SAS health team). No worries though, in the morning we would have yummy omelets and in the meantime I would have my first sleepover with a gay guy (who was all too thrilled to climb in bed with 4 girls and quote Mean Girls all night).

Christ Orphanage was started by a young man named Raymond who turned down hope for a better life studying in America in favor of bettering his community by opening an orphanage. After just two years his orphanage is relocating and expanding so that it can better house and teach its 175 students. In an afternoon hike to the biggest waterfall in West Africa Raymond and I jogged ahead of the group and discussed the importance of a community member changing his own surroundings. He and I both agreed that it is passion, which brings success. He also had a firm belief in the empowerment of women and the importance of liberating his students so that they could be anything they wanted. And these children certainly deserve it, just as any child does.

Upon meeting the orphans, I did not experience the chaotic storming of kids that I expected but rather, the exact opposite .The children were in class. I was assigned to the 2nd graders and they all stood up politely as I entered the room. All in uniform and extremely well behaved I watched as their teacher played “sit, stand, sit, sit” with them to get their attention. Their excellent behavior all but vanished as the young teacher said, “Oh they are calling me now for the all-day workshop - here is the lesson book.” And there I was, alone with 35 children giggling at the clueless white girl. I did a pretty good job teaching them math (not my specialty) for about an hour before I lost their attention and began handing out pencils. The kids were thrilled to receive my little gift and I had just barely enough for each student. They ran to get their little pencil-holder bags and sharpeners as they cradled the newest addition to the few things they had in their school bag. It was a very serious matter, the sharpening of the pencils, and each one wanted to be sure his or her pencil had a perfect point.

As the other ‘teachers’ (aka my SAS peers) struggled to maintain their wild children, we decided to play outside on the playground for most of the day. Spinning around on a merry-go-round, flipping over swing sets, sliding down slides, and jumping on see-saws, the energy never left those kids and we were worn out after a few hours. However, there was one child whose energy was never there to begin with. Her name was Ruth and if there was one little black baby I wanted to take home, it was this one. She had on a beautiful African-patterned purple and green dress and was about 2 years old. She never smiled and just walked around not playing, not looking for attention, just lost and lonely. I of course took her in my arms, and as we played hand games with her little black hands in mine, she smiled and giggled and my heart melted.

One highlight was the night we went “out” in Hohoe. I was excited to see what it would be like to be partying and bar hoping in a developing country. It was every bit of the adventure I had hoped for. Not long after setting out from our hotel with our guide, John, (he had picked us up from Accra, and always came around to hang out with us but we never figured out who he was or what connection, if any, he even had to the orphanage) two Africa men stopped him on the street. John turned to our group, and asked, is “Aleice” here? Who me? Yes, me. It was the 2nd grade teacher from the school and his brother who had walked to our hotel to go out with us. I had absently invited him earlier in the day never imagining he would just show up asking for me in the middle of the road! From there we went to “Malaysia” to get some drinks where started raining. Instead of running for cover, we decided there’s no better time to dance in the rain than in the middle of the night in the middle of Africa. So there we were, 9 Americans and 4 Africans dancing in the rain like a bunch of crazies. It was quite the scene. Then the power went out.

Well, TIA, This is Africa. So, we finished our drinks and headed out. But we were following John who wanted us to all take a group photo (soaking wet?) so he lead us around town and through dark alleys looking for a photo shop. Except it was the middle of the night and the power was out...they were all closed. We finally convinced him that we would take it tomorrow. (He showed up the next morning with a professional photographer just so he could get that photo). On the way home we stopped at Obama Gardens (yes, the Ghanaians do love Obama), a bar that conveniently had a generator so that we could continue our African evening adventure.

On a final note, I grew apart of Ghana as I jogged through it every day. Whether it was through the town seeing the locals laugh at me, through the village stopping to play soccer with kids, or through the lush jungle, running really brought me closer to the country. My favorite part was playing soccer with the kids. Soccer is such a universal game that is played all over the world and brings all races, religions, and cultures together. A highlight for me on this voyage is seeing the game being played by children in every single country I go to. Now that is universal love.

Would you tell me please which way I have to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
-Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Camels, Hookah, and Belly Dancing OH MY!

He was the biggest camel of the pack!

Looking rough in our Berber tent!

Out of this world orange juice in Marrakesh with Hannah!

Ah Africa finally! As I got off the boat and walked along the dusty port that was filled with industrial ships and cranes, I wanted to reach down to touch the red earth that I missed so much. Cheesy I know, but Africa really does have this hold on you that cannot be explained. Morocco is just the beginning of Africa, next we have Ghana, South Africa, and Mauritius.

I spent the day in Casablanca, looking at the second biggest mosque in the world (behind the one in Mecca because none are permitted to surpass that one) and watching tons of Moroccan boys jump off the wall next to the mosque into the rocky water 50 feet below. These brave kids make this insane jump then struggled against the waves and rocks to get back to shore. Three American guys made the jump as well (one did a backflip and landed on his back – ouch!) and I was so jealous because that would be unacceptable as a woman in this Muslim environment. We also walked through the “le suk dans le medina” (the marketplace in the center of old town) and I loved how hot and crowded it was. There were tons of people selling spices, scarves, chunks of meat, fake purses, with kids of all ages hiding in the long alleys that led away from the long, winding market. Although we thought we’d never escape, the suk finally came to an end with a sweet English-speaking Arab warmly welcoming us to Morocco. He introduced me to his grandson who was living with him to learn Arabic. The little boy was so sweet and reached up for me to hold him in my arms. What a fabulous way to be welcomed to this country that holds so much mystery for me.

Although I wanted to go to Ricks Café from the movie, Casablanca, it was closed due for the end Ramadan. It’s also not the real Rick’s, which was shot in its entirety in Hollywood. This country closely adheres to its Muslim traditions and I dressed conservatively with my shoulders and knees covered everywhere we went. I cannot imagine being a woman in this or any other Islamic nation. In 120-degree heat, they are expected to be completely covered, fast for the day, and avoid fun activities such as soccer or drinking. Their discipline is something to admire, and it makes me appreciate my freedom as an American woman.

One thing about Morocco is that the people really do not move quickly. Repeatedly I encountered situations where things didn’t happen at the usual “Western” pace. For example, our train from Casablanca to Morocco took 5 ½ hours because it broke down in the middle of the desert. Unsure of what was going on, we spent 2 ½ hours baking in our sweat wondering what was going on. Later in the trip, after spending 12 hours on a bus with 4 more to go, our bus driver pulled over and had a sit-down dinner without telling any of us who were also starving and ready to get home. As crazy and frustrating as these experiences were, it was part of the journey and if everything had run smoothly there wouldn’t be anything to write about! It’s good therapy for Miss Impatient Alex anyways!

Marreketch was beautiful in comparison with the industrial capital of Casablanca. The traditional rust-colored architecture was so unique and I loved seeing kids peak their little heads out from behind it. It was a busy city and the main market was killer at night – filled with snake charmers, monkeys, flirty yet a little bit sketchy Arab men, and tons of delicious food. Moroccan orange juice and mint tea are very special drinks here. They are both incredible and I drank them with every meal that I could. The food was exceptional as well. I tried everything: tajine, couscous, kebabs, with meats, eggs, and veggies in them. At one meal (where we were the only people in the restaurant) we had a special “surprise” that turned out to be a belly dancer with a little pouch of a tummy and a gap in her teeth. For the two nights that we were in Marrakech we stayed in a huge apartment in a nice hotel with a pool and went out to a nice nightclub. Our next two days were a complete 180, but still just as fun and exciting.

We took a 12 hour-long bus ride from Marreketch to the Zagora dunes. This trip included an hour-long delay due to a minor bus accident and lots of “riddles” from our charismatic guide, Yussef. Driving through the Atlas Mountains was gorgeous but there were a lot of painfully close switchbacks. After a long drive, we were thrilled to be thrown onto the camels and lead away into the desert with 6 nomads. After the initial excitement wore off and the sunset faded we were left on uncomfortable camels being lead into the darkness of the Sahara for 2 hours. I felt a sense of adventure letting these people lead me into the dark with no sense of where we would end up. Then suddenly, when I least expected it, we were there! It was pitch black dark and I could barely make out a few white tents. We were lead to into them discovered a small fire-lit lamp alighting a room of small mats and blankets. The tent was a beautiful green and red design and it was pretty nuts to think that it was my home for the night. They served us mint tea, we ate dinner with our hands, and then after a few bug scares we laid down exhausted. I fell asleep outside the tent, under a billion stars with the nomads playing instruments a few tents away.

I awoke to an incredible sunrise against hundreds of sand dunes. I had gone to sleep thinking such a place couldn’t be more magical but waking up to those unexpected dunes (we couldn’t see them at all the night before) blew me away. Another shorter camel trek, a 15hr bus ride, and a beautiful village excursion later and we were back home on the ship. My time in Morocco was just the right amount of adventure, surprise, hospitality, and mishap. I loved sweating through the long delays and digging sand out of my ears just as much as the delicious couscous and amazing sunsets. I learned a lot about patience and discipline here, as well as how to really embrace discomfort. These things make coming back to the boat for good food and a warm shower all that much better and me all the more grateful to be on this voyage.

ESPANA!

Bull fight!

Hanging out in Plaza del Sol Madrid - I think I got lost shortly after this!

My new Spanish friends - the first of many!

Buenos dias from Espana! I have been Spain once before, (Barcelona for two days) but it was only a taste of this flavorful culture. This time I saw what it really means to sit through an entire bullfight - graceful matadors slowly but repeatedly stab and kill nine bulls while the crowd cheers. I tasted the world’s best Sangria accompanied with tapas while embracing the slower, more relaxed culture of Spain. It juxtaposed my summer experience in New York City where everyone is in such a hurry to go, go, go and it was a nice change of pace. I visited the capital city of Madrid, which blew me away with it’s beauty, hospitality, and energy. I was disappointed to find that we couldn’t enter the Real Madrid soccer stadium without paying a hefty price, but regardless the excitement and pride from Spain’s recent international victory in the world cup was still very tangible. El capital was a huge nightclub in the city that had seven levels of drinking, dancing, lounging, and socializing. In Spain the norm is to eat a late dinner around 10 or 11 pm, then go out to the bars between 12-1 and stay out till 4 or 5am in the morning. I adjusted pretty well to eating late since afternoon tapas and a daily siesta are part of the culture as well. During siesta all the stores and business close for a few hours. It is said that you can only find mad men, drunks, and dogs wandering around during siesta time from 2-4m, wonder which one I am qualified as? All of the above?



I visited two smaller towns called Seville and Cadiz (where the ship was docked) that were filled with historical sites and unbelievable beauty. I saw the gorgeous botanical gardens of both cities as well as their stunning cathedrals. The Seville Cathedral was enormous and its tower had an incredible view of the city. It’s pretty cool to think that I have now seen the five largest cathedrals in the world, this being the third largest. Cadiz has miles of killer beaches accompanied by a long bridge that leads to a stone fortress established to protect the city hundreds of years ago. I really fell in love with Cadiz when I went for a run along this coast and ran down to this stone bridge, praying I didn't trip and go flying over the cobblestones. The streets are lined with trees and the botanical gardens that offer incredible scenery alongside the ocean. As I ran across the bridge, there were several young local Spaniards who cheered me on as I ran. It was only a six mile run but to have them clapping and cheering it seemed as if I had completed a marathon (unlike Laura Reed who actually did!). Running is such a great way to see these cities; I hope to be able to do more of it at least once in every port.



What I really loved most about Spain were the people. Everywhere I went I spoke to the locals. Often times in my broken Spanish they would remind me, it’s okay, you can speak English. It also drove all my friends crazy that I wouldn't talk to them in English haha - Lo Siento I would babble in my el crap espanol! But, I loved embracing the language and I think the locals really appreciated the give and take associated with the communication. The highlight of my trip was in Madrid when I was separated from my group for an entire day. As I stopped to take a picture of an adorable Spanish child, his father wanted to chat. We go lost in conversation and I simultaneously lost my group. I didn’t mind though, and I got on the metro to try to meet them at the Prado. I had so much help with directions from locals that I couldn’t help but smile the entire time. On the metro, I met two Spaniards who offered to show me the way to the Prado. After finding it to be closed and my friends nowhere in sight, we enjoyed a beer together and I got to know them. My solo adventure continued when I they took me to a nearby museum that was open, and housed La Guernica! I couldn’t have been happier because Picasso’s masterpiece was the only painting I really wanted to see while in Spain. It was really a mind-blowing piece and other great works of Picasso and Dali accompanied it. When I parted from my Spanish guides who helped me through Madrid, I went back to the hostel to find a note from my friends explaining which train they were getting on to Seville. Although I was thrilled with how the day turned out I was also sad to leave my hostel hostess. She was an older woman who was so mean and bossy that I couldn’t help but love her. She had a fondness for me and every time she wanted to talk to us, she would communicate with me, always thinking that I knew more Spanish that I actually do. Before saying farewell we shared a slice of watermelon together. Engaging with the locals was what really made Spain incredible for me. Whether it was losing my friends in the street or in a bar it was always because I was too busy talking to chatty locals. I hope that I can have such a great connection with the people in every country. I think it is truly PEOPLE that are my greatest passion. For me, this adventure isn’t about buildings, or animals, or food (although food is up there), it is about people and what I can learn from all those around the world. As I get further and further away from what I am used to, I hope to learn so much about how life can be so different but humanity is the same everywhere. KISSES from Spain (on each cheek of course!), Morocco details to follow very soon!