Going, Going, "Ghana"

Visiting new countries always excites me.  I get to experience and learn about the country which also allows me to see things from a different perspective.  Ghana was a new country for me to visit and just this sort of experience. 

Let's face it, Ghana isn't on anyone's vacation destination list.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't go there nor that that there aren't some really fascinating things about Ghana.  Here are some take aways:

The Women Are Strong

And I don't just mean by a little bit.  Ghanaians in general are hard workers and most work is manual labor so in some regards they have to be stronger.  These women would not only carry some crazy heavy load on top of their heads but they would also simultaneously have a kid strapped to their back and another big purse or kid on an arm.  Add to the fact that they would do this for MILES and I was astounded.  I'll admit I was astounded not only because of the weight they carried but the fact that I have such crappy balance I could never carry something on my head that gracefully (okay, or at all). 

I'll note that the men are strong too :)

There May Not Be Lots of Motorized Equipment But Gas Stations are Everywhere

This was one of those funny things to me.  Not a lot of people have cars or motorbikes but you didn't have to go very far in order to find a gas station.  Sometimes gas stations were freakishly modern and nice while other times it was an old hand pump.

Roads are Crap

Very few roads are paved in Ghana.  And even if they were paved you still had to dodge major potholes.  Sometimes a dirt road was better - sometimes you just had to have faith that there was a road that way.  Here's the funny thing...Google Maps has these many of the tiny two tire track roads on their maps.  Kudos to them.

(yes, this really is a road!)

You Can Buy Anything Roadside

Unlike America or Europe you don't go to a store to get something.  At most there is a 5'x5' shed which people operate out of.  Otherwise, its either on the roadside or on their heads (see above about strong women!).  It didn't matter if you wanted a bra (I'd hate to have a fitting for that on the roadside), a TV, a sofa, a coffin, or food. 

(Their coffins are a bit on the eccentric side)

One tasty thing you can buy everywhere is FanYogo or FanChoco's.  These are frozen treats that have an incredible distribution system. You can buy these cold treats on the roadside in the middle of the jungle and they are frozen solid!

And, let's not forget that all of these places have awesome religiously toned names.

 

The Food is Chicken and Rice or Rice and Chicken

Yes, there is a difference.  One has chicken with a side of rice and the other is rice with a side of chicken.  Got it?  It doesn't matter if its lunch or dinner.

 

Menus Are For Reading, Not For Ordering

Nothing cracked me up more than going into a restaurant and seeing a big menu.  It would get exciting to see the options.  You would order and they would tell you they didn't have it.  Okay, I'll go for the local items.  You would order off of that area a few times until you realized it was better to just ask, "What do you have?"  You know the answer....Chicken and Rice.

The Jungle Is Amazing

Ghana was much prettier than I expected.  It truly is a jungle with beautiful mountains and waterfalls.

 

 

The People are What Make It Special

The real treasure are the people of Ghana.  Everyone I met was happy and helpful.  They put up with me asking them funny questions and trying to learn how to balance things on my head or staring at things I'd never seen before.  Plus, I'm jealous of how beautiful their smiles are with their straight teeth!

You can find these pictures and more from my trip posted in the NEW gallery until my next post. After that, you can find them under their respective "location" or "type" gallery. You can view additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase.

"Ghana" try to do good in Ghana

As an engineer I've always been jealous of my medical friends who go do volunteer work in third world countries.  I was always asking if I could go carry supplies or do something but was always rejected.  It kind of hurt my feelings.  I've been looking for a long time to find something where I could volunteer and actually use some of my expertise.  I finally found it in Empower Playgrounds Inc. (read more here: http://www.empowerplaygrounds.org/).  This is an extremely cool organization which improves educational opportunities through providing light and innovative learning for remote villages.  For two weeks I looked at processes and hardware as well as trained teachers on the use of simple microscopes for their students.  It was an AMAZING experience.  Below shows some of the impact from EPI. (and another post will be coming just on Ghana itself so stay tuned!)

The schools lack facilities:  From not enough desks or chairs to rudimentary buildings.

 

But, the students are resourceful and make do.  With some small contributions a library and building are born:

The schools lack equipment:  A stick is used for a pointer, for a measurement device, as a scale and I'm sure lots of other things. 

But, the teachers figure out ways to teach as many of the principles as they can.  And, with a little help they have been given the ability to look at things microscopically and start to introduce such concepts as the scientific method, observations, conclusions, comparisons and data gathering.  My favorite was having teachers look at another teachers hair and then my hair.  They thought my hair was so funny looking! 

The schools lack water:  When asking about how close water was they would routinely indicate that it was close. When you would pry it would come out that the closest water source was over a mile away!  With little to no motorized transportation it is a significant chore to get water - especially clean water.  When it would rain anything that could hold water was used to gather it - even plastic bags.

But, a borehole can provide clean water with just a pump of a handle and start the community towards better hygiene and health. 

The schools lack toys:  First world countries take for granted even something as simple as a ball or toy to play with.  It was always heart warming to see how the kids shared everything and made due with what they had.

But, with a small donation a merry go round not only provides fun and enjoyment it also has the ability to generate power.  Between the merry go round and a few solar panels lanterns are charged so that students can have light at night (it is typically dark between 6pm and 6am - and I mean pitch black dark) to read and do chores so that they may have time to go to school.  The community is over joyed when these are put in and many times join in playing on them.  Oh, wait, that's me!

The schools do NOT lack promise - we can make a difference!:  Many of the teachers, although lacking in education themselves, strive to help their students and communities.  The children are excited about learning and everyone has a smile on their face.  It is amazing to see how such small items can make such a lasting impact on these children's future.  I was blessed to be a part of it for a few weeks and will continue to be involved.

You can find these pictures and more from my trip posted in the NEW gallery until my next post. After that, you can find them under their respective "location" or "type" gallery. You can view additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase - a percentage of the proceeds will go to Empower Playgrounds for pictures from this trip.

To learn more about Empower Playgrounds or to donate please visit:  http://www.empowerplaygrounds.org/

Ultimate Day Trip from Barcelona - Tarragona (or at least one of them)

A great day trip Barcelona is Tarragona which is only an hour away via the local train.  When one reads books and websites they all tell you to go to Girona or Stiges for a day trip.  I'm sure these are great places but I totally fell in love with Tarragona. 

So, why do I think it was so cool?  Let me name a few!

Better weather than Barcelona

For those of you who know me I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the lack of rain in Tarragona immediately put a much better light on this city.  But really, its situated south of Barcelona away from the mountains so it tends to be about 10F warmer and gets much less rain.  It was nice and sunny (albeit way windy) while there.  It wasn't warm enough and we didn't have time to go onto the beach but it looked nice and was easily accessible.

It was so nice to see the sun and blue sky!

Here's a view of the city from the guard tower at the Circus.  What a view!

World Heritage Site

Tarragona is a world heritage site as of about 2000.  It was known as a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces.  It is also known as one of the first cities that was actually planned and then developed and became a footprint for all other Roman provincial capitals.  Add this to the fact that things are well preserved and you get really cool things to see:  Roman walls, the Imperial cult enclosure, the Square with representation of the provincial forum, the Circus, the Colony forum, the Roman theatre, the Amphitheatre, the Visigoth basilica and Romanesque church, the Early Christian necropolis, and my favorite the Hydraulic conduits from Tárraco to Les Ferreres aqueduct (or commonly called Pont del Diable). 

The Forum area 

Definitely a highlight - the Aqueduct I got to walk across! 

What a cool engineering feat!

Here you can see many different "eras" of building up the Roman wall of the city.

Protect this house!  Part of the walls and surrounding fortress at Tarragona.

Relaxed Vibe of the City

Unlike Barcelona which has a lot of hustle and bustle with tons of tourists, Tarragona is somewhat of a hidden treasure.  As a result there aren't nearly as many people and you can get some quiet moments at the various tourist spots.  It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere and slower pace.  The local are extremely nice and helpful - even taking the time to joke with you in their limited English.  You didn't have to wait in line at any of the shops or restaurants which was also nice.  Now, I'm sure as the real tourist season ramps up it will get busier but it will not be like the better known day trip locations.

A great "real" market to go to.

Real as in...here's where the locals come to contemplate their menu for the day.

The locals just sometimes like to check out what's happening on the street.

Heading to school past the Cathedral.

 

You can find these pictures and more from my trip posted in the NEW gallery until my next post. After that, you can find them under their respective "location" or "type" gallery. You can view additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase.

 

Cheat Sheet Tarragona

You can do Tarragona easily by leaving at around 830am and return for a late dinner (which is the norm for Barcelona). Food seemed to be a bit cheaper in Tarragona so you can stay and eat there as well as trains run up until about 9pm.  The city sights are all within walking distance from the local train station.  The tourism website has awesome information on all the sights with maps and English information here:  http://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en. 

You can take the bus out to the aqueduct for 2.50.  You feel a little like you are out in the sticks as you are literally dropped off on the side of the highway but the aqueduct is just a 10 minute walk and well posted from the bus stop .  The busses run about every 20 minutes so the total time for the Aqueducts is about 90-120 minutes.  It is REALLY WORTH IT THOUGH.  Obviously I was totally fascinated by being able to walk across an ancient aqueduct.  The engineer in me was giddy!

Sitting on the roadside did make you a bit nervous about if the bus would come or stop!  It did.

Make sure to hit the Circus and explore all the areas.  At first you think its a 15 minute stop but if you go through all the tunnels and then up on top of the guard tower (its a lot of stairs but way worth it) it can take you between 1-2hours.  The view from the guard tower alone is worth it as you get a picturesque view of the Amphitheatre next to the Mediterranean Sea. 

Here's the view towards the sea from the guard tower.

 

You can find these pictures and more from my trip posted in the NEW gallery until my next post. After that, you can find them under their respective "location" or "type" gallery. You can view additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase.