Half way!

Hey y’all,

So I suppose we have a lot to catch up on. Still having a wonderful time, still learning every day and feeling excited and exhausted by life here in equal measure. I have had quite a relaxing couple of weeks, and am looking forward to some busy ones ahead.

There are so many strange things that happen to me on a daily basis that I almost forget how strange they are. I had to  laugh at myself this morning for being totally unfazed by a group of about seven young children sprinting up to me holding enormous rusty machetes and shouting “GOODMORNING OBRUUNIIII!!!” whilst flinging their arms (still holding said machetes) around my waist and giggling hysterically. Beaming smiles and huge machetes seem to cancel each other out, though. Aaah, another #standardlifeinGhana moment.

I took a few days off to follow a friend’s recommendation to check out a place called Green Turtle Lodge, which is about 3hrs west of Cape Coast. The journey there was certainly interesting – I was exposed to my first trotro ride. And my second. And my third.  

Don't worry, Mum. This wasn't the trotro that I was travelling in.

A trotro is essentially a vehicle that is normally driven with a spanner rather than a steering wheel, and should normally take about 8 passengers, but actually takes up to 25. Some are converted ford escort vans, made more comfortable with air con, and less comfortable by the volume at which Nollywood movies are blared out from an overhead TV screen. Others are the skeletal remains of old camper vans with rows of seats made from empty bottle crates, where you can literally taste your neighbours sweat because it is so overcrowded. The first trotro we took was of the more comfortable variety, although things quickly changed when the movie started playing. The same way that I would never choose to watch ‘Snakes on a Plane’ whilst flying (and not just because it is a shocking display of Samuel L’s slippery standards); I would never chose to watch a movie that could aptly be named ‘Armed Robbery and Rape on a TroTro’ whilst in a trotro. Anyway, I managed to avert my eyes by staring at my kneecaps, and Jenya kindly lent me her iPod so I wouldn’t need to listen to the screaming. As much as I love her and welcomed the gesture, an hour of Usher at top volume didn’t exactly cushion the blow.

It was all worth it when we eventually got there – around 6 miles of completely deserted beach lined with palm trees and the occasional fallen coconut. We stayed in a little mud hut which stayed surprisingly cool, and for the first time in a month I had RUNNING WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, FROM A TAP. 

Unfortunately we weren’t lucky enough to see any leatherback turtles, which frequently come to the beach to lay their eggs. However, we had the most wonderful time falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves and crickets, and waking up to the sound of crashing waves and weaver birds singing. Ah, paradise. Thanks, Molly :)

Last weekend Jenya and I were supposed to be taking a 9hour trotro trek to the Volta Region in the east – amazing waterfalls – but she was called in to work at the last moment so we had to cancel. To make up for it Bianca and I decided to take ourselves off to a five-star hotel near Elmina (about 15kms away from Cape Coast) for a day trip to use the pool. When we got there we realised there was a stable on site so for the first time in six years I got back on a horse! I have to admit it was a seriously emotional experience, and if it wasn’t for being scared that Bianca would beat me up, I may have had a sudden episode of “Oh it’s nothing, just a fly in my eye”. The instructor, Hassan, seemed to be really excited to ride with someone who didn’t need a lead rein, because he said I should come back regularly and he would only charge me 7 Cedies an hour rather than 20 – an hour beach ride for £3 is pretty good value. I am going to start going a few times a week after work, so my ‘happy bar’ should be fully recharged by the time I get home!

Speaking of home, I have decided not to extend my stay beyond the 2 months that I originally planned. The main reason for this is that my parents leave on their road trip (Cape Town to Oxford) in April, and I really want to be able to spend some time with them before I don’t see them for a year. So you can all expect to see my silly mug when I get back on March 16. That is SO SOON!

Things at work are getting more dynamic and exciting. This week we are giving talks to five different junior high schools about sexual violence against children and how to break the silence. I am excited and nervous in equal measure – Titi will be giving the first two presentations and I will do the following three. The thought of having an audience of 300-500 teenagers scares the life out of me, but I have been told they will be paying 95% of their attention to my British accent, so that makes me feel a bit better. Maybe I should lay it on really thick, just to try and milk that extra 5%.

Next weekend all of us girls will be heading to Accra to stay with Nana’s family. Her step-father is a government official, so I have been told to expect air conditioning and running water at their house. I CAN’T WAIT. Nana and Bianca are both getting really excited about hair-weave shopping, so I might take some time to myself to find some dairy. There has to be some somewhere.

Big love x