Trek to Mole

Hello all!

This weekend was incredible. We traveled to Kumasi (the second largest city in Ghana) in the Ashanti region and to Mole National Park in the Northern region. Aside from the immense amount of time spent in the car, it was an amazing trip. Kumasi is a nice city, much more organized than Accra and home of the largest market in West Africa. The market was very crowded but a good experience because we were rarely hassled (which is amazing) and the prices were much better than Accra. While in Kumasi, we had to the opportunity to vist a Kente weaving village (Kente is the traditional Ghanaian cloth used for special occasions), an Adenkra village, where we learned how Ghanaians make ink to stamp symbols on cloth, and a woodcarving village. It was all very nice, but we were hassled in these villages, which is to be expected. We are all mastering the art of bargaining. It is fun for a short period of time and then I just get really frustrated.

We also visited the Ashanti palace, which was less than thrilling because it is just a big house builty by the British, which has now been turned into a museum. The Ashanti tribe was the most powerful tribe in Ghana because they owned most of the gold until the British fought them and captured the gold. The tour was interesting, but the real thrill came on Sunday. We were fortunate enough to be in Kumasi on a day when the Ashanti King holds a ceremony, which happens every 40 days or so. I'm not sure the exact purpose of the ceremony but I think it is basically a tribute to tradition, especially now that the king has very little political power. He is more a symbol than anything. We saw him and many others dressed in traditional Ghanaian cloth. The king wears colorful Kente cloth, in addition to loads of gold jewelry. He is so weighed down by the jewelry that he must be carried in on a platform by four strong men. During our short visit, we saw men offering gifts, such as expensive liqueur, to the king.

We also traveled to Mole National Park in the Northern region. We stopped along the way at Kintampo Falls, a beautiful spot but not quite as cool as Wli Falls. It was a nice break from the 8 hour trek from Kumasi to Mole. We were instantly bombarded by a group of Ghanaian men who wanted to take pictures with us. This happens a lot. We just smile and go along with it. It's quite amusing. The trek to Mole is long and arduous. The last 88 kilometers are unpaved and full of ditches. ( Don't ask me why they still have yet to pave a road to a major international tourist spot. ) We spent two days in Mole, relaxing and searching for animals. We saw elephants, warthogs, baboons, and antelope. The place was gorgeous and it was nice to spend a couple of days in such a remote area. My friend Margaret and I had quite the adventure on the second day. We chose to take motorbikes to a nearby village to go on a "canoe safari". The motorbikes kept breaking down along the way, so it took us two hours just to get on the canoe. The ride itself was beautiful, but we didn't see any animals and we got stuck a few times because the water level was so low. It might have been more enjoyable if we had remembered to bring bug spray. We were eaten alive. Despite these frustrations, it was a fun day. Everything in stride.

Northern Ghana is primarily Muslim, so there is a marked difference in culture. We visited the oldest mosque in Ghana in the small village of Larabanga. We were not able to enter because we are not Muslim and they told us that women under the age of 60 are not allowed to go in as well. The mosque is very small and simple but the architecture is interesting.

All in all, it was a good trip. We finally spent some quality time with our supervisor, Abigail, and that was very nice. If time allows, we will travel back to Kumasi. I will try to post pictures as soon as I get a chance because there are some really good ones.

I started my second official week at the Catholic primary school today and it went pretty well. I went over multiplication problems with the children and we practiced some reading. Sadly, the children are not up to par with their reading. My teacher was telling me that the children struggle with reading the most and a few of them have had to return to the third grade because they could not handle the fifth grade reading level. There are some very bright students in my class, but there are no resources for an accelerated program. There are barely enough resources for the normal level. I enjoy the children very much. They are so cute and very intrigued by me. I enjoy working at the school, but it does not make me want to be a teacher. It is hard work indeed.

This Sunday I will be attending my roommate's choir performance in downtown Accra. She is in a 300 person Gospel choir and I am very excited to see it. She has invested hours in rehearsal, so I imagine it will be very good.

Hope everyone is well. Ghana is great. I'm not missing the snow one bit. ;)