I’ve arrived, I’m alive, and I will survive!

May 31-June 9

My first week in Ghana has been like a roller coaster. First and foremost, I must say that in all my travels, this is the first time that I feel I truly am experiencing culture shock. From the food, to the way of life, to the weather, to the people, everything has been a learning experience and a shift in perspective.

After a 10.5 hour flight from JFK to Accra, I finally arrived at 1:30pm GMT. When I deciphered my way through the airport, I found the other people who were also part of ProWorld. Together, we embarked on a 4.5 hour non-stop journey via tro-tro, a small bus, to Cape Coast.

Ghana is very green and vibrant. The terrain is not mountainous; some hills here and there, but not much.  The roads are ample and paved, and there is a lot of unfinished (perhaps abandoned) construction. Women (mostly) carry just about anything (suitcases, food, large bins of bottled water/yogurt, etc.) balanced on their head without using their hands.

A few of the most shocking things:

1)      The weather—the weather is HOT! It is the rainy season here, and it’s supposed to be ‘cooler’, but it is basically a hot summer in Florida, with 80% or more humidity, and no air conditioning. For those of you who know me well, you know I don’t complaint much about warm weather, but I am not lying when I say that the second I step away from a fan, I begin to sweat. Nonetheless, people here don’t complain about it. You will see men dressed in suits not shedding a single drop of sweat.

2)      No stray dogs, just goats—there are a few stray dogs here and there, but far more goats roam the streets. When I inquired about this, one person said that the goats know where they live, so they are let loose during the day and at night they return to their homes. You will see a pack of three or four goats together in the middle of the streets, in the markets… EVERYWHERE!

3)      Waking up at 4am!! This one goes to all of you who call me “grandma” or “abuelita” because I go to sleep early and wake up early! May I say that waking up at 7:30am or even 6:30am is late for the people here! The sun begins rising at 4am, and by 5am you will begin to hear people working, cleaning, and shouting in the streets. I am the lazy one! The market opens way before 8am.

4)      Taxi culture. Taxi is the most common way to get around in Ghana.  Taxis are marked by yellow panels on the back and front of the cars, so it doesn’t seem like there are many taxis on the road because they are not completely yellow, but there are! There are two types of taxis: drop and shared. A drop taxi is what you would consider a taxi in the West; it takes you from wherever you are to wherever you want. A shared taxi is one that runs on a route (like a bus would) and picks up/drops off people along the way. So, you share a taxi with whoever is picked up along the way, and drop you off wherever as long as it’s on the route. A drop taxi is more expensive than a shared one. Before you get into a taxi, you must ask the driver whether you want a drop or shared taxi, inform them of your destination, and bargain a price. The first time I tried to get a shared taxi by myself, the guy tried charging me 13 cedis ($6.50 USD) for a ride that would normally be 1.30 cedis ($0.65 USD) because they saw I was a foreigner! Needless to say, I refused to get in the taxi.

My homestay family has been incredibly nice, patient and caring. I live in a historic house in the town of Elmina, about 20 minutes from Cape Coast. The house was built more than two hundred years ago. My family members: Mama Teiko, Sister Francisca, and Brother Robert. The neighbors are close friends of the family, so they are always here. There are children in and out of the house, which is nice. I have had a difficult time with the food because it’s quite spicy and my stomach cannot take it. In addition, they dishes are quite different from what I am used to. So, I have not been eating much.

Ironically, the last two and a half days I have spent in bed due to something I ate. I was taken to the hospital at the University of Cape Coast last night by my sister and a family friend, Ali. After thinking that I had contracted malaria, the blood test results said it was a stomach infection. So, I got some medication, and today I am feeling a lot more like myself! I am still having some issues with my stomach and the food, but I’m on the pathway to recovery!