So, I have made it back from Africa safe and sound. It's strange but in the days I've been back, I've been in a bit of culture shock. On Saturday, I had my first hot shower in about a week and finally got to use a blow dryer for the first time in two weeks. I've gotten around to posting some pictures. They can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com
I'll do my best to summarize some major points of the trip here
People: The people in Ghana are amazingly friendly. There is a kindness to their demeanor that is hard to describe. At the same time, the reality is that they are living in a third world country, so they view tourists as a way to potentially advance themselves socioeconomically. So, while I saw incredible kindness and welcoming, I also experienced "the hustle" on occasion. I particularly enjoyed interacting with the children. There is such an innocence to them. I often got mistaken as Chinese and children would yell "Hi White Girl" as I was walking down the street. Also, for the first time, I saw children cry b/c they had never seen a White person in their life.
Food: Ghanaian food consists of lots of carb and meat with few veggies. We were often considered special guest in many establishments so they would break our special foods for us. The problem was that these special foods were always the same thing. Breakfast would be toast with eggs (either scrambled or fried). Lunch and dinner were generally steamed and fried rice, pasta, fish and chicken (with occasional guinea fowl) with the bone on, french fries, cooked cabbage and fresh fruit. They also put gravy on their rices which were very heavy in oil.
Weather: Hot and humid with heavy rain at times. It's funny b/c I went for a run today and when someone said it was humid, I had to laugh b/c it didn't compare to what I experienced. Crazy thing is that it was their wet season, which is generally cooler in temp. I can only imagine how hot it would get during the dry season.
Shopping: This deserves it's own category b/c it's an experience. Merchants expect you to bargain and barter for goods. If you asked someone what the price was they would quote you a price. If you attempted to walk away, they immediately say "Give me your best price" and you go from there and negociate your offer. They also liked bargaining with t-shirts and other items from the states. (I ended with a nice wood carving with my shoes that I was planning to get rid of at the end of the trip anyway). The merchants are relentless and it made shopping a stressful but interesting experience.
I could go on for a very long time but I'll stop there. Enjoy the pics and send any questions about them my way. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Now, it's on to writing chapters of my dissertation and training for my next marathon (and of course planning my next adventure to some far off land!)
