My journey began late last night. After a couple of days of stomach trouble caused by a lack of liquids I was feeling much better. I had taken some rehydration salts and was eating much more fruit.
On my way home Wednesday night, I had gotten a ride from Janey on her bike to see the American ladies before they left. Janey is doing well on the bike, but I have to admit – I hesitated before I said ‘yes’ to her offer of a ride on the back of her bike. Really, my hesitation was a mixture of the style of driving here and the voice of a collective conscience made up of my friends and family...kind of like ‘what would they say if?...’
Anyway, we arrived safely and Janey left me to my visit with Lilly and Abeena (the American Ladies). I enjoyed listening to their stories about family, the US and their time here. Listening to their thoughts about the life that Ghanians live, I have to admit, was surprising (even though misperceptions of Africa are so common).
Their purpose for being here was to teach people food preservation techniques to reduce food wasted by rot and to extend the life of crops throughout the dry season. What was highlighted was the stark contrast between life in Northern Ghana and life in North Carolina (where they are from). I have really seen how one’s experience shapes one’s views...the following may not go over well, but I listened and I am sharing something real.
Above: Abeena on the left, and Lilly on the right.
As Abeena described Tamale as “a prison”, Lilly added “thank God for slavery or else we would still be here”. Not that they were bitter about being here, but they really felt like the people they had spoken with and taught and worked alongside were trapped. Adding to her comment, she continued by describing the African Diaspora as “the people of the rainbow spread around the world”. Abeena and Lilly traded turns speaking and the conversation spiraled into talk of staying in touch, remembering each other in prayer, and Abeena’s grandson who moved to Los Angeles (who I reminded her of). Eventually we found our way to the topic of Cape Coast and the Castles that were used for the ‘evil trade’ (the slave trade) – we were both going to be visiting the castles on the weekend, though we were not going there together. Speaking on the emotions that one can feel at such a place, Lilly put her earlier comment into perspective. Just as plainly as she had ‘thanked God’ for what had happened, she said, of those who suffered in those buildings, “I thank them. They paid the price for us”. Without breaking down the huge historical oversights that were left out in such a view, I was grateful that they could be honest and open with how they felt. At that point, I wished them well and added that, “they paid the price for us” was definitely the word of the day.
My visit with them meant that I got home late for dinner, which was fufu. That was a mistake that I plan to never make again. I spent most of the night in pain, feeling like I had cement in my intestines. While I felt better in the morning, my insides were still aching for the next day or so.
After very little sleep, I was up at 4AM to get ready for the day. The day before, I had purchased my ticket to Kumasi and made plans to meet Jayme at Luv FM. I was not sure where I would meet Pierrette, but I was relieved when I got a call from her the night before I left. While our intention was to meet in Cape Coast, it turns out that we would both be in Kumasi on Thrusday where we would meet.
So at 4:50AM, Mr. Fresh drove me to the bus station. Stepping out of the house was exciting and a little bit like, ‘wow’. I was going on my own to travel around Ghana. True I would be meeting Pierette, but my three weeks in Ghana was senior to her three days here (though I must say that she did her research!).
While waiting for the bus I sat by a Danish lady named (I think) Magdelaine (who I later saw at Cape Coast Castle as I was leaving and at the bus stop as I was leaving). I enjoyed our conversation because yesterday, after having lunch with a couple of Canadians, I was feeling really out of place. Two of them were from Guelph and were doing various research and volunteer related travels, and would be doing some sight-seeing shortly.
I got the weirdest look from them when I asked, “so, why are you here?”
They indicated that Ontario is boring.
As the minutes ticked I felt more and more like, “I’ll be going now”.
When I was leaving from the restaurant I said to them, “Safe travels and I hope you down get stuck in any torrential downpours like we had today”.
I really, genuinely meant it.
One of them, the lady, responded, “if we do, so what! We’ll get wet, then dry off”.
See, her traveling partner had also been describing Ghana as a paradise compared to his two years between Rwanda and Papua New Guinea. It all made me feel really unoriginal and soft...I mean this all has felt really big to me.
Now I thought about it and considered them indirectly downplaying what has been life changing for me, and I am not shaken by that. However, speaking with Magdelaine was refreshing as I could tell we saw much more eye to eye on some things. We spoke of anthropology (which she had left her job as an optometrist to study), history, culture and appreciation for ‘home’.
Just to answer what many of you might be thinking, I know that downplaying my experience is nothing to pay mind to and that everyone can not appreciate the treasures I am finding and the treasures I have to offer.
So, as I said, leaving the house this morning had an exciting feeling to it. Boarding the bus had that same glow. This is my first time venturing out on my own through the countryside of Ghana.
Above: This was the bus I took (though the picture was taken later in the morning...it was still dark when we boarded in Tamale).
So I began the bus ride which was a combination of sleep, the thick green forest and slopes that makes the Ghanian countryside, Nigerian movies, the book of Mark and Ecclesiastes and thoughts from a book recommended by Professor Michelle Johnson at York (A Short History of Progress). It was quite an experience to speed through the roads on this big bus, dodging smaller veichles, animals and pedestrians while contemplating the questions about humanity that ask “who are we?” and “where are we from?” in order to assess “where we are going?” in a world that marks progress as the ultimate goal, even though much of our progress has amounted to the ability to destroy the planet that we live on.
Next stop, Kumasi.
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