India

Leading up to India there was probably more build up on what to expect than any other country we have visited so far. I am not sure whether this is good or bad but I found that there is simply no way to prepare someone for this amazingly complex and resilient country.

Me and some friends barely got past security before we were hit by 5 people trying to give us rides in about three different modes of transportation. We finally negotiated a price for a car later to find out that what he had promised us was just to get us in the car. We eventually resolved it and only paid a fraction more than what we had originally said. I didn’t do much besides shop and get a feel for Chennai that first day and that was completely exhausting. The heat and humidity was intense and we were all sweating profusely. The driving was something I could have never imagined. All sorts of vehicles weaving around each other with no regard to lines or other rules. If they saw even the smallest gap they would drive right into it. Sometimes they would drive into oncoming traffic just to get around someone right before they were stopped by heavy traffic anyway. It was literally insane yet to them it seemed perfectly normal.

It was on the second day that I met my host Kiron for a home stay I had signed up for that was organized through SAS and a connection with a Rotary Club. This turned out to be one of the best things I have signed up for through SAS. I was paired with another SAS student named Jon who was unfortunately sick through the majority of our time with Kiron. After meeting we immediately went to a restaurant to get something to drink and get to know each other a bit more. He asked us what we had planned for the rest of our stay in India and I told him how I had booked a last minute flight up to Delhi to see the Bahai lotus temple but I didn’t really know what I would do once I got there. He immediately said don’t worry you will be taken care of once you get there. I was excited to hear this but I didn’t find out till later exactly what he meant.

We also met up with another host Paris and the two SAS students he was hosting. Kiron was good friends with Paris so we formed a little group. We chatted for a while and then headed across the street for some traditional Indian cuisine. Served in many tiny little coups we mixed different sauces and side dishes with rice and crispy bread on a banana leaf covered tray with our hands and then shoveled it into our mouths. It was flavorful, spicy, and delicious. I ate till I just could not eat any more. We then headed over to Paris’ house to watch a Bollywood movie and just relax till the Rotary program later on in the evening. I didn’t realize that almost all Bollywood movies are musicals with ridiculous music video type dance routines. They can also be up to 5 hours long. The plot of the movie I watched was serious but everything about it was absurd so I couldn’t help but laugh. For instance two of the main characters were played by the same actor and it was not even well disguised.

Anyway after we watched part of the movie we had to head out to the Rotary meeting at a hotel where they had put together a little program for all of us students and the members of the club that were hosting us. We heard from the main organizers as well the two what we call inter-port students for India which had been selected through this Rotary connection. They also had two amazing Indian dance performances for us which was just fantastic. I had no idea they were so big on dance in India and it was nothing like anything I had ever seen. First a pair of dancers and then three of them doing two very different types of India dance originating in two different geographical regions. I would soon find out that this was just the beginning of my evening.

Once this program was done we headed over to another hotel where the Rotary Club presidents were having their annual meeting which turned out to be more of a party. Before I knew what was happening there was crazy Indian dance music blaring in my ear and an outrageous dance floor with fog machines and lasers. I danced, dabbled at the buffet and hung out with a bunch of drunk businessmen. Needless to say it was nothing short of an interesting evening. We eventually headed back to Kiron’s flat sort of near the beach where I crashed for the night. He has a wife and two kids which I got to meet briefly but unfortunately his two sons had some sort of infection so he didn’t want me to be in to much contact with them.

The next morning we had to get up bright and early to go on a sight seeing tour of Chennai that had been organized for us by the Rotary Club. We would have rather stayed with our hosts but it was already arranged so we went. We saw some of I think the most famous landmarks in Chennai such as the Shore Temple, Krishna’s Butter Ball and a heritage village. It was a day of get on the bus get off the bus which is not really my favorite but it was cool to see all of these well know places. We also stopped at an alligator conservation place where I think they literally had thousands of alligators of all different types. One of the people that worked there let me and a couple other students hold a baby alligator but for just enough time to take a picture because we think he wasn’t really supposed to do that. All I remember is that it was weird how cold it was but I guess I should have expected that because they are cold blooded.

Later on that night we went shopping for some Indian clothing and Kiron bought Jon and I both shirts which was just so cool of him. His hospitality was greater than I ever expected from someone I had just met. In fact it was greater than the hospitality of people I have known my entire life. After we got our shirts we all went out to dinner including Paris’ wife and son as well as some visiting family members. We chatted and ate for a couple of hours and it was there that I found out just what Kiron meant when he said I would be taken care of when I got to Delhi the next day. He had contacted a friend there who was going to have his personal driver pick me up at the airport and take me to a good hotel that he had booked in advance and make sure I was completely taken care of for my stay there. Wow talk about hospitality I had only known this guy for about a day and the guy organizing everything for me had never even met me, all he had to know was that I was a friend of Kiron.

After dinner we went to go get some ice cream just down the street which turned out to be a bit of an experience in itself. I had a little cash on me and everyone was just hanging out outside the shop so I bought myself a couple of scoops. I found out later that I had made a big mistake. Paris was completely upset that I had paid for myself and I think a little insulted. The thought didn’t even cross my mind but I realized later that as a guest I was not to pay for anything as it would be an insult to my hosts. Let me tell you I will never do that again.

The next morning we got up and Kiron took us to a sweets shop where he bought us all boxes with a variety of Indian sweets in it for us to take back to the ship. We also had some fantastic coffee there. They made it like tea where they would mix the strong coffee with milk by pouring it back and forth between two large cups which made it so nice and frothy. We then headed back to the ship where I got ready to go on my trip to Delhi while the other students gave Kiron a tour around the ship. He said that the ship was way to small for him to live on months at a time and he didn’t know how we could do it. I told him it was difficult at times but you kind of get used to it.

He then was nice enough to take me to the airport to see me off. My flight was great and everything worked out just as he had said it would. I had a driver waiting for me at the airport holding a sign with my name on it, which was actually something I had always dreamt of. We then picked up Punkaj who was Kiron’s friend that had organized everything. He checked me in to a very nice hotel and even insisted on sending food up to my room. I didn’t know what to do with myself everything was going so perfectly.

The next morning Punkaj made sure I had transportation to the lotus temple where I spent the entire day. Seeing the structure close up was inspiring and so I just walked around for a while before I decided to enter the structure. I was slightly surprised at just how many visitors there were, not just from all over India but also all over the world. After sort of observing for a while I decided to enter the temple. Inside the air was cool and it was quiet for meditation and prayer. Waves of people were coming in and out through my entire visit. Some stayed longer than others but I didn’t pay much attention because I was focused on my own prayer and meditation. It gave me some much needed time to just sit and reflect on everywhere I have been and where I am going after this trip is over. After sitting for a while I got up and walked around the outside of the structure and read the 9 quotes that they have in the 9 corners of the lotus structure. It really is amazing to look up and see the curved pedal of the lotus structure seemingly unsupported. I don’t know exactly how much time I spent inside but I guess it was a while. When I emerged I introduced myself to one of the volunteer youth. He was from Nepal and had been there for about a month now. I told him I was from the United States and he told me that there was one youth also from the United States named Marcia so I went over to her post and introduced myself. We talked for a little while but then she had to go on lunch break so I walked back to the visitors center where I learned all about how the idea for the design of temple came about and how it was built.

The story is nothing short of amazing. Just the pure unified effort over the years it took to build this structure that seemed almost impossible at it’s time. Artisans and construction workers came together from all over India. Many language barriers had to be crossed due to the necessity for large coordinated efforts in order to pour the concrete correctly in the lotus shape. The story of how the lotus shape was chosen as the design was also a fascinating story. The architect in charge of coming up with the design had been deliberating for many months on what would be an appropriate expression of the Bahai’s of India. He had a passing conversation with a young man who had told him about the lotus but he did not give it much thought until he started to see the lotus blossom symbol everywhere he went. He couldn’t ignore it anymore and he found out it was recognized by almost all religions as a symbol of peace and unity which would be perfectly appropriate. He soon began to draw up the designs and it took some cutting edge architectural software to make sure the structure would be sound but his design is displayed almost perfectly in the final structure.

After leaving the visitors center I introduced myself to another volunteer youth who was from Brazil. We chatted for a while about her work at the temple and life in general. She had been there for about a month but unfortunately she had not really explored India at all because her work at the temple kept her so busy. It wasn’t long before she had to move on to her next post and by that time it was well past noon and I had not eaten so I decided it was probably time to go. I tried to tell the driver to bring me somewhere to get food but I think he must have misunderstood me because he brought me to a textile shop instead. Sort of confused I decided I would take a look inside. Like many other places I have been the sales people would not take no for an answer. They took me into a private room where I could sit comfortably as they pulled items and displayed them in front of me. At this point I kind of just wanted to get out of there but then I saw an outfit that I really liked and they got me hook line and sinker. Then as I discovered there were many more parts of the store and I had even more sales people telling me “just look, just look. Looking is free!” I ended up getting a few other little things and then booked it out of there. I thought it best to go back to the hotel to get some food and figure some things out. I thought I might go and explore the city of Delhi in the evening but it is so large and spread out and I was so tired from the day that I just crashed out. Also my contact Pankaj called and said that unfortunately he could not show me around because it was a special festival where wives fast all day to honor their husbands so he needed to be home.

I woke up the next morning not feeling so great but I got a ride from Pankaj to the airport and was met by Kiron. It took a while but I finally got to the port but then had to walk from the gate to where the ship was actually located. It was interesting to see all the work going on in the port as I walked towards the ship. Once I boarded the ship I was so exhausted from traveling and trying to process everything that I pretty much slept until the next morning. India was definitely a place unlike any I had ever been and almost impossible to explain. I know I only scratched the surface and to tell you the truth I will probably never totally understand all the complexities of that place.

Mauritius and Update

Don't forget to check out the rest of my South Africa Post before you read about my time in Mauritius.  Sorry I have been so behind on my postings but my work on the ship keeps piling up.  I have been in India as well as Singapore now and I will arrive in Vietnam in the morning so I have some catching up to do.  Thanks for reading and I am working on my stories from India and Singapore which were both fantastic.  I hope you all have been enjoying my pictures as well.

There is not really much I can say about Mauritius besides it is a beautiful island that reminded me a bit of home and it is also an example of a success story in the African continent even though it is sort of off by itself.  Its economy is largely sugar based like Hawaii was and a large part of its population is Indian because they were imported for labor after slavery was outlawed.  They were colonized by the French as well as the British but they are now independent.  Oh and the main city is named after me!  Just kidding but it is named Port Louis which is probably remanence of the French.  I didn’t really get to see the city because it was surprisingly hard to get to from the ship and we wanted to go somewhere to snorkel and relax.  We ended up getting a cab to the northern part of the island, a little passed a place called Grand Bay which is one of the popular tourist destinations.  We hadn’t made any hotel reservations but we didn’t really want to go back to the ship so we sort of looked around until we found a nice little hotel on the water called the Hibiscus.

Once we checked in we got our hands on some snorkels and swam around right in front of the hotel and saw some cool fish.  The water was a bit cold but it was still really enjoyable.  One of my friends had never been snorkeling before and the other is a bio major who is really enthusiastic about sea life so it was fun to explore the reef together.  After that we just relaxed and napped on the beach for the rest of the day which was just fantastic.  Then we had a delicious three course meal at the hotel which was included in our stay.  The first course was a marlin fish salad which was light and tasty.  Than came the asparagus soup which was surprisingly delicious as well and made me think of my mom who despises asparagus.  It was so good in fact that I ate some of my friends as well.  By that time I was pretty full but than the main course came, beef stroganoff with noodles.  Tasty as well but I was too full to finish it.  I could have passed out right after dinner but my friends wanted to go and see if there was any sort of night life around where we were staying.  We walked out of our hotel and on to the street and there was literally no one out and about.  We walked toward where we had seen some restaurants and stuff earlier but didn’t find much.  We eventually sat down in a little restaurant where we got something to drink and then to our surprise we were entertained by some local dancers.  It was a very cool form of dance that we had never seen before and they were all dressed up in what I assumed was the local performance garb.  They did a couple of dances which we enjoyed very much and than we headed back to our hotel for the night.

The next mourning we packed up to to back to the ship but we stopped at a beautiful beach right next to the hotel for a swim and some delicious food before we headed back to the ship.  It wasn’t home but it sure felt a little like I was back in Hawaii.  I really wasn’t looking forward to getting back on the ship and going to class everyday but I was excited that India was right around the corner.

South Africa Continued

After I got back from my safari I had about two hours before I had to be ready to leave for my township homestay so I barely had time to recover before I was leaving the ship again.  We drove for about 30 minutes before we got to the township where we were staying.  As usual I had no idea what I was in for.  Once we got to the house of the woman who sort of ran the homestays she told us which “Mama” we were staying with.  Mine was Mama Beauty who was at the main house so after meeting her for the first time she led me and another guy, who happened to be someone I know from Chapman, back to her house.  It was nothing fancy but it had every convenience of most houses back in the US which surprised me in a good way.  She was very nice but she didn’t talk much.  We talked a little about where I was from which I think was sort of abstract for her because it is pretty much on the other side of the world and she had never left South Africa.  I tried to learn about her background but she wasn’t totally open.  She was happy to share about her sons who were very successful. 

Her youngest still lived with her and he was nice enough to give us a tour around the township.  He told us how he would get to school each day on the train and that his favorite subject was history.  He liked the area where he lived but he also showed us the area of the township not so far away that was more run down and he explained how drugs had become a big problem.  We actually saw a child about 5 years old holding a cigarette which was quite shocking.  Some people saw us and came right up to us asking for money most likely because we were white.  We eventually circled back to Mama Beauty’s house for some traditional African dinner.  Don’t ask me what it was but it was good.  The only thing I recognized was the chicken and it was so tender and juicy.  I know all I do is talk about food but hey food is culture and I love food.  Anyways it was an interesting evening of chat and watching South African soap operas on the TV.  Soon it was off to bed but the funny thing is we could not find the light switch to save our lives.  We searched the entire room to no avail.  I thought we were just going to have to sleep with it on but I guess Mama Beauty herd our struggle and asked if we needed help.  She told us where the switch was but it still took us a while.  It was behind a stand up mirror and a curtain so ya we would have never found it.  We finally got to sleep and the next morning she had a great breakfast for us before she sent us on our way.  I can’t say it was an especially moving experience but it was one I am glad I had.

The rest of the afternoon I spent wandering around cape town with a friend of mine.  As we were walking we met a very nice gentleman named Moses who worked at one of the hotels near by.  He showed us to the central market and told us about all the hotels in the area.  After we told him we were sailing around the world on a ship he told us he had just applied to work on the Caribbean cruise liner and he was excited to hear back from them.  He was a very kind man and made sure we knew exactly where we were going and that we had all the information we needed.  I hope to possibly have future correspondence with him in the future.

As we wondered around the market the people in the stalls were very insistent that we have a look at whatever they were selling.  I was caught by a hat salesman that finally convinced me to buy one of his hats but for much less than he originally priced it at.  We eventually escaped the market and started walking around the city until we ran into a grocery store where we got some much needed snacks for the ship.  As we walked around I found Cape Town to be not much different from any city I had been to in the US or Canada except that they drive on the opposite side of the road.  Plenty of sky scrapers, stores, and hotels littered the landscape and the remanence from the world cup was clearly evident in new infrastructure as well as signage. 

The next day I got to go on a trip to a sort of Cheetah reserve where they are doing their best to help this endangered species.  I was already quite fond of these majestic creatures but I got to learn so much about them and their struggle to survive.  They are actually non aggressive creatures as show by their flight rather than fight instinct but they do sometimes prey on livestock such as sheep so they are killed by farmers when spotted.  To help eliminate this practice in South Africa and other places where cheetahs live this organization gives farmers a special breed of dog as a puppy at no cost to them for a year as a trial period.  Then as the dog grows up it essentially becomes part of the heard in its mid so it protects the heard.  I know your thinking well a dog isn’t going to stand much chance against a cheetah but actually a loud bark is enough to scare them off as well as many other predators.  Almost all of the farmers that have gotten dogs have been very happy and have kept them after the first year trial period.

Learning all of this was nice but the highlight was when we actually got to pet a cheetah.  It was being held by the head trainer but it was still really cool to put my hands on such a powerful creature.  It was not very soft but it was purring which was so cool to feel on such a big cat.  I was sad to see it go back to its enclosure but then we went on to the next place right next door which was a conservation area for birds of prey.  Right when you walked in there were two owls that you could see really close up and even pet for a while.  I believe one of them was named Ollie but I can’t say for sure because I was so caught up in petting an owl that I forget to listen.  These owls had all been rescued and domesticated but some birds were rescued but then going to be set back out into the wild.  There were so many different types of birds around the compound, from eagles to vultures to something that looked like it could be a dinosaur.  We also got a really awesome show with a couple of birds where one of the conservationists showed us some of their hunting skills and we got to hold a rather large owl on our hand.  Watching them fly around freely and catch tiny pieces of meet out of the air was really quite spectacular and I didn’t want it to end.  We walked around a bit more before we had to leave and I got to see even more different types of birds but it was so sad to see them either in cages or tethered to a stand where they really couldn’t fly.  Most of them were rescues that were hurt so bad they would not survive in the wild and I think they let them loos to fly around for a while but it still doesn’t seem right.  I don’t really know what I am talking about but it is still hard to see such amazing creatures tied down for people like me to look at.  But, all in all it was a great visit especially after being on a safari earlier in the trip.

The next morning I was off early in the morning to visit Cape Town University for my higher education in the global economy class.  We arrived a bit early so we took a stroll around the campus which is at the base of the magnificent table mountain.  After our walk we had a meeting with some administrators from the international office who told us a little about the university and showed us a video about the different programs offered.  Then we had some coffee and got into the more interesting stuff which was the problems facing the higher education system post apartheid.  Two student ambassadors  also joined us and pretty much laid out every issue they are facing in a very eloquent manor.  We were all very impressed by how in tune they were to the student body at their university as well as the higher education system in South Africa as a whole.  I won’t go into all the issues here but let me tell you there are many.  I found the main problem is that the secondary education system is simply not preparing students for higher education so they are having to admit students that are not necessarily ready for upper level classes.  This creates a variety of different problems that they are having to adapt to.  After our meeting we got to have lunch on campus at a sort of small cafeteria restaurant with one of the students which was great.  After that we headed back to the ship where I had time to do a few last minute things around the port before we sailed to Mauritius.  Oh and for all my film friends they were shooting a commercial right near the bow of our ship on a yacht they had pulled up to the dock.  I wanted to steal some crafty but I couldn’t blend in all that well.

Overall I had a great time in South Africa and it is definitely somewhere I’d want to go back to some day.  I didn’t get to the top of table mountain or robin island which was a disappointment but it just gives me all the more reason to go back.  Next up Mauritius for a little R and R.

My First Safari and Hopefully Not My Last!

After my personally moving time in Ghana getting back to ship life was hard so it was a relief to finally reach South Africa.  The best part of the sail was the several talks given by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  He shared personal stories about growing up in South Africa during apartheid but never in anger or hate for the injustice that he faced.  Always laughing and sharing words of wisdom it was a pleasure to hear his ideas about South Africa as well as the world.

Cape Town is such a beautiful port that me and some friends decided we would get up a 4:30 am to watch us come in but of course that was wishful thinking.  I fell back asleep only to be woken up at 5 am by a loud squeaking noise outside my cabin.  I look out my porthole and HELLO there is the pilot boat.  I think they were about as surprised as me but we waved and then they took off.  It was a pretty fun way to start off the day even though I was dead tired and a little anxious about not missing my trip to the Kariega Game Reserve.  My first safari that I was so looking forward to!  We were to be the first ones off the ship and because our flight was moved up they would not wait for anyone if they were late.

Of course everything worked out great and before I knew it I was in a plane to Port Elizabeth and then in the back of a truck looking for Africa’s big 5.  But of course we had lunch in between and it was a tasty treat after eating ship food.  I tried some Ostrich meet for the first time and it was delicious, I hope we will have some on the ship.  Anyways, we went for our first game drive soon after that and met our wonderful ranger Julia from Sweden.  In no time at all we saw all sorts of animals including lost of giraffes, different kinds of antelope and birds but the most stunning were the heard of elephants we found after a little adventure on one of the more traitorous roads.  Lets just say we bit off a little more than the vehicle could chew and got stuck next to an embankment that would not have been fun to slide down.  One of the other rangers came to help us out and we eventually got out of there fine.  It was just a little added excitement and I love off-roading so I was just having a blast.  Seeing the elephants just roaming around was so cool.  Julia told us all about the herd and they were not afraid to walk right up to our vehicle.  We drove around a while more before we stopped in a safe area for drinks and a snack.  Looking out over the South African plains at sunset it sort of hit me that I was living my dream.

Then as sort of a side story, when I left the ship I was so bummed because my clean laundry had not yet arrived so all I had was my big jacket to take with me but like my grandfather always said, “don’t worry everything will work out for the best.”  As it turns out it is unexpectedly very cold at the park so I would have frozen to death without my big jacket.  In fact most people had to buy extra clothing at the store just to try to stay warm.  By the time we got back from the game drive most of us could not feel our feet so we were happy to see a nice fire burning in the fireplace.

The next morning we got up at about 5:30 am to go on a drive before breakfast.  The sunrise was just beautiful and in no time at all we found a family of rhinos grazing on the open plane.  We observed them for a while and then we found some ostriches with lots of little babies.  From there we spotted some Blesbok which I have to say are some of the coolest looking animals I have ever seen.  Then it was off to see the hippos which we did but we also found some monkeys as well as a fish eagle on the way.  It was awesome to see all of them in their natural habitat but also learn about their patterns of behavior.  The monkeys were not looked so kindly upon by the rangers because they like to run on their roofs all night and keep them awake.  We all thought they were hilarious so we stayed and watched them for a while.  Then it was back to the lodge for some of the most delicious breakfast I have ever had.  Meats, cheeses, eggs and bread, what more could I ask for.  Oh and some fruit to.  After eating all that it was time to pass out and nap for a couple hours.  Oh its lunch now, thats convenient.  We grabbed some food and went out for our afternoon game drive to find the elusive lion.

It took us a while of driving around in every which direction but we eventually found them.  At first it was just the mom and one of her older sons just napping in the protection of the trees.  After a few minutes of waiting the juvenile male stood up and the two cubs wandered out of the bush.  It was amazing!  We watched them sort of play around for a while but then we left because Julia did not trust the juvenile male lion because it had been really aggressive recently.  He had actually tried to kill the cubs recently just to show his dominance over his father.  I was kind of hoping to see them hunt or something but we were lucky to see them move at all because they sleep for about 18 hours a day.

It was going to be hard to top the lions but we still drove around for a while and saw some pretty cool birds that I will never remember the names of.  After a while we headed back for the lodge for......you guessed it....dinner.  Once we finished dinner and were just sitting around talking the staff broke out into some traditional song and dance.  It kind of caught me off guard but it was so cool.  Once they finished we moved out to the fireplace to talk about all the cool things we had seen.  No one wanted to leave because we were having such a good time.  The next morning it was raining and we didn’t have time to get breakfast but they had prepared some boxed breakfasts for us which were a disappointment compared to the breakfast we had the day before.  Then it was back on the plane to Cape Town.

The rest of my Cape Town experience and a little bit on Mauritius is coming soon.  I am now on my way to India so I will be at sea for the next 6 days.

Ghana Days 1 and 2

I left Ghana tired dirty and sunburned but happier and more content then ever before.  I am eternally grateful that I was able to visit this place and be with such amazing people.  It is going to be very difficult to fully express my experience here in words but I will do my best.  It is a bit long but there is just a lot to say so hang in there.

My time was limited to only 4 days and it was divided into two distinct but wonderful experiences.  The first two days I traveled around the city of Winneba as a member of a delegation representing Semester at Sea, the Virginian city of Charlottesville as well as the entire United States.  This was a role I was not accustomed to and was not completely prepared for but I found it quite enjoyable.

I should give you a little background before I dive into this amazing experience.  Semester at Sea is academically sponsored through the University of Virginia which is located in the city of Charlottesville.  Now the Ghanaian city of Winneba recently became the sister city to Charlottesville and so they have established this connection.  My professor who was leading the trip was also the former mayor of Charlottesville.  So as you can see there were a lot of dynamics involved in this trip and although all of us were not there in some official capacity we were treated as such.

As we soon learned Ghanaian time is somewhat slower than we are used to, even in Hawaii.  After waiting for hours for our guests from Winneba to come they finally arrived and we were off to Winneba.  It was about a 3 hour bus ride and I got my first taste of Ghana as we drove through towns and countryside.  When we arrived we were greeted by the Mayor as well as the Chiefs of Winneba in a traditional ceremony of sorts.  Then it was off to the University of Education Winneba where we were greeted by a brass band as well as 75 or so students.  Earlier in the day I had volunteered to sit on a panel to represent the students of SAS but I was not sure what it would entail.  So as things got underway at the university I soon found out that I had to essentially describe to these students the entire Semester at Sea program.  Wow I was so not ready for that one but I guess I had explained it to so many people before I even got here it was sort of easy.  Than we listened to some students from the UEW talk about their university and answered a few questions.  I found their college experience to be somewhat similar to ours in the US but they lack sufficient access to new and relevant resources.  Considering most resources are online now it is very sad that they do not have high speed connections for the University.  Anyway they were very excited for our visit and they all wanted to know how they could get on SAS, I don’t blame them.

The next day we started early but it was raining hard so we were taken to a local courthouse to observe some proceedings.  There were some civil cases but then we got to see a wedding that took place in the courthouse.  We were not expecting that but it was fun to see.  From there we were rushed off to go meet with the Chief fisherman and his counsel.  We learned how they settle disputes as part of the legal system but out of the courts.  A very interesting integration of the old traditions with the new.  From there it was off to a local market to meet with the Market Queen.  At first we sat awkwardly in the center of the market with everyone staring at us but after a little dialog they immediately accepted us and started shaking our hands and dancing around.  We were told later that that was not normal at all and that our visit was truly exciting for them.  This is a theme that would continue throughout the trip which was just amazing for me as well as everyone else.  Usually we are the hated tourists even though we try not to be.  Everywhere I went in Ghana the people there wanted me to stay longer and that is just something you don’t often see.

After about 15 minutes in the market we had to leave to go present a indestructible soccer ball to a local elementary school.  The school was nothing more than a couple of rundown concrete buildings with a small dirt courtyard in the middle.  As we arrived the students were peeking out of their classrooms and as soon as the headmaster told them they could come out they rushed out into the courtyard.  They swarmed each one of us and they wanted to know our names but most of all they wanted their picture taken so they could look at themselves on the screen.  Then they wanted to press every button on the back of my camera to see what it did.  Even though most of them could not speak English we had a great time and I hope we brightened their day too.

Then it was back on the bus and back to the government center where we had gone the first night for our official send off.  The Mayor as well as the Director of Transportation was there to present the delegation with two gifts representing the connection we now had.  We were also presented with local hand made bags from a local youth organization which was just amazing.  They so appreciated our coming to visit them and our interest in their city.  Their kindness and generosity was overwhelming even though they clearly had very little to give.  It was truly refreshing and uplifting to be around people like that because I think we have really lost sight of this in the United States.

Ghana Days 3 and 4

Now before I knew it I was back on the streets of Ghana but this time in the city of Takoradi with my Bahai contact Eddie.  We had been emailing for about a month about my visit so we were both very excited to meet.  We only had two short days together but lets just say we are like brothers now.  First he showed me around the streets of Takoradi and then it was off to his Aunties store, which is basically a shack along the side of the road where she sold school supplies and homemade notebooks.  We talked for a while to wait out the rain which was coming down pretty hard.  I shared pictures of the ship as well as my home.  We got to know each other very quickly and he had many questions about life in the United States.  He wanted to know everything about “my place,” as he referred to it.

Once the rain died down he took me to the house where he and his other family live.  We got around by Tro-Tro which is one of the most interesting forms of transportation I have ever been in.  It is essentially a bunch of people driving around in vans picking up as many people as possible and dropping them off.  Not in any organized fashion but it got the job done and it is the most economical way to get around.  I was just glad Eddie was there because I would have been totally lost trying to get around.  Anyway he showed me his home which was very simple and nice.

Then it was back into town where we went to the local hospital to meet up with his friend who is a nurse there.  I guess he had told her that I was coming so he wanted show her that I actually came.  I think she was happy we came so we talked for a little bit about what she does but then we had to leave.  The hospital was not as bad as you might imagine but it was nothing like what you would find in the US.  I don’t think the rooms even had A/C and it was quite dirty for a hospital.  Eddie told me that it is still the original hospital and they have not renovated it in quite some time even though it serves Takoradi which is the second largest city in Ghana after the capitol Accra.

Next we ventured over to a sort of conference center in Takoradi to meet with Auntie Christy, another Bahai, who was waiting to give a presentation on behalf of Ghana’s EPA.  The whole conference was about how Ghana should manage the production of oil which was just recently discovered off shore in a way that will benefit the most people.  We talked for a little while about what I was doing in Ghana but she was quite busy so we just enjoyed listening to the talks and sitting in the air conditioned conference room, sort of a novelty there.  After the program ended for the day we chatted a little more and she was nice enough to give us a ride to a restaurant that Eddie wanted to show me called Harbor View.  As you can guess by the name it overlooked the harbor and even though it was dark by then it was a very nice view.  We just had some drinks and talked there for a while before we headed into town to eat some local cuisine.  I am not really sure what I had because it was dark but it was delicious and filling.  One thing I did find out is that they like to put hot sauce on everything so you got to be careful.

It had been a long day so we went back to his place where I met his cousin and some other family members that lived at the house.  We watched some Ghanaian TV and chatted about life.  They of course wanted to know about the US and I wanted to know about Ghana.  Most of them including Eddie were working as part time workers for the census which was just around the corner.  Eddie had actually requested the day off to show me around but the next day it was off to some pretty remote villages where he had to do some prep work by numbering houses.  I was happy to go with him and it turned out to be a real adventure.

First the car we got to take us to the village on some dirt road broke down and they had crammed 6 of us into this ancient VW Passat which as I found out was pretty normal.  We had no cell signal to call for another car so luckily after a while some sort of mechanic called by the driver walked out to where we were and got the thing started.  So we piled back in and off we went.  Once we got to the village we met up with his supervisor and the other workers which were all very nice and had absolutely no problem with me tagging along.  As I walked around I started to accumulate this group of kids that were just fascinated with me.  It was really weird to be the total center of attention.  I would take their picture and give them the thumbs up and they would do it back and just laugh.  Like the kids at the school they also like seeing their picture on the back of my camera.  Even some of the adults came over to look.

At first the kids were curious but they were still a bit cautious to get near me.  None of them really spoke english so I couldn’t really say anything to them but after a couple of hours they got a little more used to me and I think it was after I got one kid to high five me they really started to warm up to me.  I tried to speak English with one of the kids but he new very little.  Then I showed them that my watch had one of those rotating dials on it and they went crazy.  They all had to have a turn spinning the little dial.  It was really fun to finally connect with them and it was unfortunate that we had to move on to the next village so soon.  Little did I know it would involve riding on the back of a motorcycle for several Kilometers and then walking for a good 45 minutes along the beach, all with my 30 lb backpack.  Most of the time I had little to no idea what was going on but I was enjoying myself and taking it all in.

We grabbed a quick lunch before the walking portion at a beachside village.  I think what we ate was called Citi or something like that which was essentially a wet dough like thing dipped in some hot sauce and then some fermented fish on the side, whole.  True local cuisine and let me tell you we were hungry after walking around in the heat for about 3.5 hours.  As it turns out we would need the energy to make it to where we needed to go next.  Also as a side note I had to be back on the ship by 6 pm and it was already past 3 pm by the time we got there so I was stressing out a little.  As we arrive they immediately got chairs for us, offered water, and gathered the elders of the village.  After listening to them talk for a while Eddie told me that the people in this village are sort of right on a boarder line between the Western and Central regions and they did not want to be counted in the Western region anymore because the Central Region has done much more for them.  They were quite upset because politicians would come to their village to campaign and promise them things that once they got elected they would never do.  This seemed to be a recurring problem for these remote villages.  There is no infrastructure being built for them.  We told them we understood, shook hands, and asked the best way to get back to Takoradi.

Luckily there was a village not so far away that had a road where we could get a taxi.  It took us a little while and I got a little muddy but we made it to the road, we got a taxi, then a tro-tro, then another taxi so I could get to the port on time.  Unfortunately the ship was docked a good distance away from the edge of the port so Eddie, who had worked at the port for a year, had to get his friend to drive me to the ship on the back of his moped.  Lets just say it was an epic journey and I did make it back on time which was sort of a miracle.  The worst thing is that I only had about 30 seconds to say goodbye to my new brother who had shown and taught me so much is such a short period of time.  He called me as I was boarding the ship to make sure I had gotten there alright and to say goodbye one last time.

What else can I say, this place truly changed me.

I told you it was going to be long so thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Next is South Africa!

My Time in Morocco

The first country to recognize the independence of the United States was Morocco.  Something most Americans don’t know, and yet it is something most Moroccans are proud of to this day.

I am leaving Casablanca now and it has been a very different experience than Spain and in such a short amount of time.  I didn’t really know what to expect in Morocco but I wanted to come with an open mind.  Walking the streets and small corridors of the old Medina market the first day was almost overwhelming.  Traffic going every which way with no discernible pattern, horns going off everywhere, people walking through the streets, and people sitting outside of their shops trying to sell you almost anything.  It felt like the true definition of controlled chaos.  Nonetheless I found myself more comfortable as the days went on.  I have learned to adjust very quickly on this trip which is something I thought I had before but I was wrong.

Unfortunately I became sick with a cold on the way from Spain so my days in Morocco were not as adventurous as I was hoping but they were still amazing.  My time was mostly spent in Casablanca which is quite an industrial city and is in fact the largest in population as well as the economic capitol of Morocco.  It is not the most beautiful city but it is bustling with activity.  The most amazing landmark is the Hassan II Mosque which is the third largest mosque in the world with space for over 100,000 followers inside and outside.  It is an awe inspiring structure when seen close up.  The most amazing part of it is that over half of the mosque is built over the Atlantic Ocean and it has the most amazing glass floor and sliding roof.  This was inspired by a verse in the Qur’an that states, "the throne of God was built on water.”  A gift from the late King Hassan II after an earthquake struck the area, the mosque is a big part of the city and a true place of community.  People were sitting all around the mosque while many were going in and out.  Children and youth were playing in the water nearby while some people had set up small food stands.  You could tell how proud everyone was of this place and what it meant to their community.  I have never seen anything like that in the United States or Europe.  While we might meet up with our friends at the shopping mall they do it at this beautiful mosque.  I just felt lucky to be an observer of this culture that I think has been very distorted in America.  And although Islam may be the main faith of Morocco it is also a country of tolerance for other faiths which is great progression for being an Islamic country, but on the other side peoples of other faiths seemed to be very segregated from the main population.  This is just my observation at least.

Despite being sick I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Rabat in the company of Archbishop Desmond Tutu who as many of you know is accompanying us on this voyage.  What a joyous spirit he has, always happy and laughing about something.  Although I did not have much in the way of in-depth conversation with him all it took was a hello and a fist bump to make my day that much better.  Oh ya he likes to fist bump it is great.  I have also been laughing with my friends because while we were visiting a mausoleum for Hassan II in Rabat, Desmond pinched me in the side as he passed by so my friend told me I got “tickled by Tutu.”  I can only hope that I will be able to speak with him more in depth one of these days and I will of course keep you all updated.  I have started to read his book “Made for Goodness” and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

All in all my adventures in Morocco were not vast and wide but the experiences that I had were meaningful and they have left me with a desire to return one day.  Now we have a 7 day voyage to Ghana for which in my opinion cannot go fast enough.  I have heard so many wonderful things about this country and I can’t wait to discover them for myself.  For now life on the ship is as usual and I will be focused on classes at least for a little while.  I hope everyone is enjoying my posts and I enjoy hearing your comments and questions.  Unfortunately I could not get any photos uploaded for Morocco so look for those photos in about a week when I get to Ghana.

Thanks for reading!