Scenes from February



Erin, Shay and I at Welcome Back Durbar




CSU girls at Durbar (2/4/11)




Peter and I




Kokrobite (2/12/11)





ISH (my dorm) during a storm 



              Fume Fume Dance {We actually learned this one in dance class but we weren't allowed to record it :( }

Calmness in the Storm

22/2/11                10:42 pm

(I wrote this last night during a blackout so bear with me)

As I sit here in absolute pitch blackness, I realize that one of the things that I will miss the most about Ghana once I leave is the thunderstorms. There are literally nothing in this world like them. The wet season is kicking into full gear again and it got off to a great start with the nicest rain storm in the 7 months that I have been here. That’s not to say that it was gentle at all. Around 8 pm we started with some light rainfall right before the thunder rolled in and the torrential downpour began. We hadn’t had electricity all day anywhere on campus and now that the storm started we knew that it was only a matter of time before we lost it again despite getting it back around 6. Usually when these storms come around they last a few hours, if that, and the rain stays pretty constant, but this time was different. The thunder and lightning were relentless and the wind was howling like no other. It wasn’t long before water was flooding the hallways and leaking into my room but i didn’t mind because this really is my favorite part of the wet season. I just ignored all the screaming and yelling coming from the all the oboronis (internationals) running around in our courtyard, closed my eyes and listened to the rumbling that practically shook our hostel.  Around 10:30 pm our generator finally gave out and we lost power so now the only thing that was visible was the lightning ripping through sky. This brings me to now. I’m sitting here on my doorstop, looking up at the sky and admiring something so beautiful. I watch the lightning streak through the sky every few minutes, crackling and giving us little glimpses of light. Despite all this commotion, I’ve never felt as calm in these past months as I do right now. It’s for moments like these that I came here to Ghana. I love that I can walk out my room in still darkness and look up at the sky and see this. This is what makes it worth it.

(The video seems like nothing but keep watching and you'll see how lightning looks in a blackout)

Pictures of Senegal

Here's a mini album of pictures purely from Senegal

Dakar Coast

Place de L'Independance

Monument de la Renaissance Africaine

Inside the Persidential Room

King's Throne

California Girls and Allasande

Activists for African Rights

Île de Gorée

Île de Gorée

Des and I

Freedom

Maison des Esclaves

Men's Chambers

West African Road Trip Part II: Mali and Senegal

Streets of Bamako

View from Hostel



Half of the Group



After a few days in Burkina and a 27 hour bus ride we finally arrived at Bamako, Mali. It was quite obvious that we were in a more prosperous country than Burkina. I wished we would’ve been able to spend longer than 2 days there. Our first day we were there we wasted on pointless trips to the Ghanaian embassy and whatnot. We did meet the ambassador of Ghana to Mali but I would’ve rather spent that amount of time getting to know the country than having pointless small talk. We did get to go to the market which was my favorite part. It was a much different atmosphere than Ghanaian markets. It was much calmer, not that it was calm at all, but at least calmer than markets over here. There were no hawkers grabbing you on the streets or anyone calling out to us. We were able to shop in peace and look around at all the different crafts. Also, it helped that I didn’t understand that much French so I was able to tune things out. All in all, Mali had the potential o be really great if we had more time.

Niger River

The longest trip of all was getting to Dakar, Senegal. Bamako is in central Mali and Dakar was at the very western tip of Senegal, essentially the tip of West Africa. It took us roughly 31 hours to get there. Senegal was very different than Mali and Burkina. Much more developed and industrialized, there was an obvious European influence. The first day was spent at the university at Dakar (another pointless trip) and then after a few of us ventured off and found a small market. The next morning our group found out that the group coordinators had mismanaged the money that all of us paid to go on this trip and they were running out so instead of being there 5 days we were leaving after 3. Everyone was pissed and especially me and Desiree because we paid the most in visas and fees than everyone there. We were fed up and decided to take things in our own hands. We told the coordinators we were not going to spend another pointless day going to embassies and waiting for everyone to get ready and waste even more time; we were going on our own. The main leader threw a hissy fit and took it personal and basically disowned us the rest of the trip but the other coordinators understood why were so angry. That day was probably the best day of the trip. We didn’t have to go around in a group of 40 and we did what we wanted to do. Yeah, we didn’t speak French but we managed to get around just fine. We had a map and months of experience in a sometimes adverse environment in Ghana and we had a great day. We had breakfast at a really good patisserie, walked around the main streets of the city, looked around at the market and just had a good time. Eventually we met up with another girl from our group, Farita, who also left the group and some of the guys that we met at the university offered to show us around. They took us to the Monument de la Renaissance Africaine. This was a newly built statue that was now the highest point in Dakar and weighed over 120 tons to commemorate the African struggle and movement forward. Inside was an exhibit to honor those that fought for African rights and unity and we were even allowed to see the room where the president meets foreign diplomats.

California Girls

The next day we reunited with the group and spent the morning at the market. After the market we tried to take a ferry to the Île de Gorée but as usual we were late and had to wait for the next ferry an hour and a half later. Île de Gorée is a small island off the coast of Dakar where many slaves were kept and transported from during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We visited the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) where they were all kept and no matter how many times you see it, it’s still astonishing to actually get to see where hundreds of slaves were housed. The rooms were tiny and they were nothing but just concrete walls and dirt. It’s a very emotional experience, except for some who chose to make fun of it. After the island, we were told that the panafricanist student group we had met had arranged for us to meet President Wade of Senegal at the airport where he was giving a speech. Once we got there, no one really thought we were going to get it. After going back and forth and trying to get in different ways, they finally succeeded in getting us in. Of course once we got in, I was told I couldn’t meet him because I was wearing shorts and they starting scolding me like I should know better than that. Hello, we were told about this meeting 30 minutes ago and we were just on an island, of course I wouldn’t be dressed to meet a president. I was so heated that I just agreed to stay and watch the bags. It wasn’t even that big of a deal anyway since it was more of a photo op and they were literally in there for 2 minutes. Anyway, we got back to the hotel and started packing up to leave when we found out that the president gave us $20,000. They decided to let us stay another night, which was the least they could do. We left the next afternoon and 3 days later we were back in Accra.

Typical mode of transportation in Mali

My home for 2 weeks

Group Shot

Overall, the trip had its ups and downs but I had fun. I got to meet people I otherwise would’ve never met and made some pretty good friends. I made some pretty good memories and will always have that to look back on. My only regrets are that we didn’t get to spend enough time in each country and that I did this in a group of 40 whose coordinators didn’t know how to prioritize when traveling. I would definitely visit these countries again on my own.

West Africa Road Trip Part I: Ghana to Burkina



Day 1: Des, Denise and I

                                       





Ghanaian spot in Burkina





That goat was alive an hour ago

















150 hours. That’s about how long I spent on a bus traveling from Ghana to Senegal by road total. When I first got the idea to sign up for a 16 day road trip traveling through Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal, I thought it would be easier and less tiresome than it actually was. I knew that it would take a lot of patience and sleepless nights but I figured I had my best friend Des coming with me so the two of us would make it fun and make it all worth it. The plan was to leave Sunday, January 9^th get to Burkina Faso on the 10^th, spend 3 days there, take another day to get to Mali, spend 2 days there, take another day to get to Senegal, spend the rest of the time there and take 3 days to come back to Ghana. During the time in each country we were supposed to see what the country had to offer. I should’ve known that plans don’t really ever work out, especially over here. Either way, it was going to be an adventure.

Sly, Suzie, Des, me & Farita

Mosque



Effects of food deprivation



Since we were traveling in a university bus filled with about 40 people, it was going to take a little longer to get everywhere than usual, especially when everyone runs on Ghanaian time. This means that when we are supposed to leave at 9, we leave at 12 and when there is only supposed to be a 20 minute break, it turns into an hour. From Accra (which is on the coast of Ghana) to the border between Ghana and Burkina Faso, it took us roughly 19 hours. It was supposed to be a quick transition to get all our passports stamped and processed. We ended up spending 4 hours there. This is how we knew things weren’t going to go according to plan. Since Des and I did not get a visa to Burkina Faso in Accra beforehand, we had to get it there at the border. The only problem was that the price was tripled what it would’ve cost if we had gotten it before and it was going to wipe out over half of the money we brought for the whole trip. So we tried to negotiate to try to lower the price or get some way around it but it did no use and since we couldn’t necessarily go back because of all the time and money already spent, we had to pay it. Not a great way to start the trip but hey, we were in Burkina Faso now.



Memorial for all Martyrs



What you have to know about Burkina is that it is ranked the 3^rd poorest country in the world. This being said, I wasn’t expecting to see the urbanization you see here in Ghana. It took us about 8 hours to get from the border at Dakola to the capital city and where we would be staying in Ouagadougou. During that time we saw nothing but desert-like plains, the occasional donkey drawn carriage, and hazy skies caused by the harmattan winds.  Once we got to Ouaga, it was a completely different story. It wasn’t as busy as Accra but it was busy. I was looking forward to touring the city. That’s when again, the plan went awry. The trip coordinators were hell-bent on wasting our time and money by taking us to useless places like a recreation center and a mall. This is not what we wanted to see, at least not what the four of us California girls wanted to see. However, since our knowledge of French was lacking and there was no concrete plan for each day, they refused to let us go on our own. We complied and went along with it, but unfortunately we didn’t get to see Burkina like I would’ve like to. During the time we did spend in the city, I loved it. Yeah, I knew only basic French but it was enough to help me communicate and the Burkinabe people I did meet were very friendly and welcoming.  I just wished we would’ve had more time to spend there.



My favorite Ghanaian dish: Fufu in light soup



Useful Advice?

December in Istanbul

This is long overdue but better late than never…

New Mosque

The all powerful Zeus and I

        Of all the places in the world, I never thought I would end up in Istanbul, Turkey. Africa, yes. Turkey, not really. Nonetheless, when the time came to choose a destination for the starting point of my winter break excursions, an opportunity presented itself in Istanbul, Turkey and I thought: why the hell not? So I booked a ticket for an 18 day vacation in one of Europe/Asia’s most historical cities. After months of anticipation and a 9 hour plane ride I finally arrived on December 12^th, 2010 at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.  Istanbul was in one word, beautiful. I wasn’t expecting it to be as developed as it was (partly because living in Ghana for 6 months had made me kinda forget what industrialization looks like). Another shock was for the first time I was going to spend time in a country whose primary language wasn’t one that I even remotely understood.  Despite all of this, I fell in love with it as soon as we landed and was already dreading the day when I would have to leave again.


Blue Mosque, Egyptian Obelisk



Inside Aya Sofya





Basilica Cistern

Galata Tower

I’m not going to go through what I did every single day but I am going to talk about what I feel is important. I’d like to think that Erik and I visited most, if not all, the sights that Istanbul had to offer. Here’s a list of everything we saw. If you want a better description, google it.

-          Yeni Camii (New Mosque)

-          Spice Bazaar

-          Grand Bazaar

-          Aya Sofya

-          Hippodrome (Egyptian Obelisk,  Serpent Column, German Fountain)

-          Cevahir

-          Basilica Cistern

-          Topkapı Palace

-          Istanbul Archaeological Museum

-          Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

-          Istiklal

-          Galata Tower

-          Chora Church

-          Dolmabahçe Palace

-          Ortaköy

-          Maiden Tower

-          Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

View from Maiden Tower

Mosaic: Judgement Day

Entrance to Archaeological Museum/Topkapı Palace

Baklava :)

Pretty much everything we saw was amazing. I couldn’t get over how beautiful the mosques were and how they made the city even more unique than it already was. They were literally everywhere and blended in with the rest of the architecture yet still stood out. This was my first time in a predominantly Muslim country so it was different to hear the prayer callings over the loud speakers spread throughout the city but I loved it. There was something so soothing about waking up first thing in the morning and being able to hear it from top floor of the apartment complex. The bazaars were like nothing else. Grand Bazaar was a huge labyrinth filled with identical looking pathways with salesmen yelling out greetings in as many languages as they knew in hope of luring in the mass amounts of tourists around. All you would hear is, “Hello! Hola! Bonjour! Ni Hao!” and so on and so forth. It was actually pretty entertaining because that was the extent of the different languages that they knew so I wonder what would actually happened if someone actually responded in one of those languages. Spice Bazaar was my favorite of the two. It was much smaller and therefore hassle-free. It was not only filled with the spices of your choice (including Turkish Viagra), but also with all the touristy souvenirs you could need. With some patience and good bargaining skills you could get pretty cool things for a decent price.  Chora Church was like no other because it was one of the few Christian churches in the city and even though it was small, it had a lot to offer. Although there were only about 5 main rooms, it basically told stories of the bible in about 50 very detailed mosaics on the walls and ceilings. Of all these places I visited, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum was my favorite. I may be bias because I’m a Greek/roman mythology buff but that place was great. I could’ve easily spent the whole day there looking at sculptures and artifacts from hundreds of years ago. They had artifacts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, etc. It was definitely worth every lira I paid to get in there.

View from Eminönü

My namesake, Dionysus, and I

So I can’t talk about Istanbul without talking about the food. Oh my goodness, the food. If I wasn’t already in love with this place, the food would have definitely done it for me. I don’t think there was anything I tried that I didn’t like. Well besides the Turkish yogurt drink, ayran. My first taste of Turkish cuisine/pastries was baklava and holy crap, if it wasn’t as expensive as it was, I would’ve eaten it every day.  It is this flaky pastry filled with pistachio, chocolate or whatever else flavor they had. Normally I would oppose to eating lamb intestines but how it was prepared as a sandwich called kokoreç made me want to eat it every day.  Iskender doner, pide, islak, and mantı also made my “must eat again” list in life. My favorite Turkish food though had to be my delicious, flaky pastry called börek. Filled with cheese, it literally melted in your mouth. I would’ve eaten every day if my wallet and Erik didn’t stop me from doing so.  I even tried to order it twice by myself but failed miserably both times so I gave up on doing so.

Rose and I at Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

Pide. Enough said.

Overall, I had one of the best times of my life in Istanbul. The city is so alive and full of culture, there is nowhere else like it. The people were so nice and warm and you can really see the amount of respect they have for one another, especially toward the elderly. There was always something to do or somewhere to see that you can never get bored. The only downside is how expensive it can all get but with proper money management, it should be all right. All in all, I would for sure go back and maybe possibly live there for a few months. It’s safe to say I made a very good choice in deciding to go there.

Dolmabahçe Palace

Sunset at Maiden Tower