GHANA time!

Only one more class until Ghana!  Thank gosh.  After 7 straight days of class from the end of Morocco until now, I am ready for a “break”.  We left Morocco on 14th and classes started up again on the 15th.  Classes really got going this week.  It hard because we have each class every other day.  One must really prioritize their time well to get everything done in time.  On the 16th I woke up for breakfast before global studies and ate outside.  The ship was stopped in the middle of the ocean just off the shore of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.  A fuel tanker was next to us refilling the ship. I think fuel was expensive in Morocco so we opted to get fuel there.  I wish we would have gotten to go to the Canary Islands for a day, but it was cool even to see from far away.

I also got my copy of “Made for Goodness” by Archbishop Desmond Tutu signed!!! It was great and I even got a picture with him!  I was so excited after I got my book signed that I almost fell down the stairs! (Again… haha)  ☺

Tomorrow we arrive in Takoradi, Ghana!  I’m actually really excited.  A week ago I would have told you I that I knew nothing about Ghana and I was really apprehensive for this port.  Now, after talking to the inter-port student from Ghana and going to a couple of cultural lectures, I feel better.  The inter-port student, Rebecca, told us that Ghana is relatively safe and transportation is fairly reliable.  She said that the neighborhood villages in Ghana have great hand made crafts (unlike the mass produced “crafts” for sale in Morocco).  There are a lot of interesting places to visit around Takoradi and I’m hoping to do a couple of them.  I am going tomorrow, for one of my classes, to the castles and slave dungeons.  We’re going to Elmina castle and Cape Coast castle to tour the slave dungeons and the grounds.  I’ve heard it’s a great tour and it hits you hard.  (The Obama family recently visited these 2 sites in Ghana and they were very moved by the experience.) One thing that I know I must do while I’m here is visit Kakum National Park.  It is a park in the jungle where there are over 550 species of butterflies and birds and you get to walk along suspension bridges on the top of the trees.  I also want to visit a water village (I guess it’s called the Venice of Africa) where the only way to get around is by boat and all of the houses are on stilts.  Ghana also has great beaches and I would love to relax by the beach one day for a bit.  I thought it was interesting that Ghanians do not do many things with their left hands, like eat, wave, shake... because the left hand is associated with non sanitary practices.  I need to keep that in mind in public. 

I started taking my malaria medication today in preparation for Ghana.  I’ve heard it can give you really crazy, vivid dreams or night terrors.  Hopefully it won’t affect me too much.

Well I have to go to class now!  Maybe I’ll be able to Skype in Ghana if I find an internet café. 

Miss you guys! Email me!  mlrogers@semesteratsea.net