Ghana Part 1

Hey everyone, Sorry this is so late I have had exams and papers due, things got a little crazy, and I just couldn't get time to write. I will not be able to write all that I learned and felt tin Ghana but I will do my best to hit all the highlights (I need something to tell all of you when I see you in person)! I figured for this trip I would break it up by activity, since I could write a book on each experience.
Accra was, in all honesty, dirty. I don't want to make you dislike Ghana, because I fell in love with it over the week, but I want to paint a vivid picture of what people live with here on a daily basis. Trash is everywhere, you cannot look on the ground without seeing some form of plastic bag or bottles. to add to this the winds from the north were strong and the dry dirt flew through the air, tinting everything the same shade of red. Plumbing is not standard and drawn upon walls are arrows saying "Urinate here" or "Do not urinate here" The gutters are wide and open to handle the water during the rainy season, but now black sludge flows and refuse threatens to fill them. There are fires everywhere, along the roads, in front of shacks, on the beaches. They burn the garbage as a way to get rid of it, the fires give Accra a constant haze and a strange odor. This is the world I stepped into, and this is the world the people of Accra live in each day. The first day went by so fast. and it was a constant mix of excitement and sadness. It was so cool to be in such a different place, but then I would remember that this is not a movie but how people actually live. We got into a taxi to get to Accra, since our dock was in Tema about an hour drive away. A Rastafarian, Kwasi, got into the cab with us and even though we told him we would not be paying him he became our guide and was with us for 9 hours as he showed us all around Ghana. The first thing you would notice when you arrive in Ghana would be the sea of humanity at all the stop lights. People walk through traffic selling anything you could possibly want, from combs, and baked goods to belts, books, sunglasses and chickens. Also you would notice the insane amount of goats and chickens that are just walking around, and then a cow behind the bush. As you can imagine it is a little intimidating to walk through such a place. Luckily we had our guide. He took us to Mekola market, a market that was for locals and not visitors, which got us some odd looks, but it was one of the most interesting cultural experiences of my life. A place where there is stuff everywhere. The path to walk down is just wide enough for half a person, yet two way traffic is not stopped, people just shove and push through. There were pots stacked up 20ft and pans as far as you could see. The textile area went on and on, with thousands of different cloths to pick and then have a lady make you anything with a foot pumped sewing machine. The meat area was my favorite though. Pig hooves and raw pork, and chicken just sitting in bowls. Fish, some smoked others raw laying on trays. I just narrowly missed a lady who had a massive plate of fish balanced on her head as she moved between stalls. Live crabs clawing out of pots and flies on everything. If you tried to take a picture anywhere in the market you would get yelled at, so don't ever do that. I have to go to bed because I am waking up early tomorrow to watch us pull in to Cape town. More will follow as soon as I can. Take care.

Project Update

Katie told me that I should tell everyone about my project so I thought I would take this time to do just that. If you don't know, I am making a documentary about folklore and story telling traditions around the world. We have been telling stories since we were cavemen and I want to understand why story telling is important to different cultures and what the purpose is, to teach a moral, explain nature, etc. So far I have interviewed a librarian in Dominica and a village elder in Brazil. Both told great stories about spirits in the forests and how one must respect each other and nature. I found it interesting that the same character showed up in both places. An evil spirit that has his legs on backwards, so it can trick you and kill you from behind. I want to find out why both places have an identical spirit, and I think it may have to do with the slave trade, so in Ghana I want to find out if they have a similar character. Also interesting is that in many cultures the devil is seen as half man / half goat, and the legs of a goat bend backwards... just another possible connection.
I have set up interviews with people on board the ship to serve as my experts. One is a pulitzer prize winning poet, a man who has written a text book involving cultures. Another is a woman who's accomplishments in English and literature made all of my other very impressive professors want her signature. I think that these people will be more than qualified to speak about folklore.
Thats all I got for now, and I'm happy with where I am, it seems to be taking shape and getting it's focus. Hope everything is good in the States. Take care.

Amazon Continued

     Ok,   so on the second day of the Amazon river boat extravaganza we started out with a hike through the Rainforest.  We hiked with two guides who were born to tribes in the jungle and the man who owned the land we were hiking on who also knew everything that the forest could do.  They showed us how to make rope out of palm leaves and use them to climb up the trees to get the fruit at the top.  we saw them point out poisonous plants, and right next to them something that could cure it.  Every plant there had a purpose, they used everything they could to help them survive.  Including a large tree that was hollow on the inside and they would hit it with a stick and it would resonate for a mile in the jungle to help you find your hunting party, or to alert a nearby tribe that you were passing through.   As we were walking they would grab these palm leaves that were like plastic and make crowns or little animals, one kid got a pipe and there were more than enough whistles.  We licked the gum of a gum tree and ate quinine, which was incredible strong.  They also made some of the local wildlife angry to show them to us.  They gathered us around a tree, and then scraped the tree with a knife.  soon after hundreds of bullet ants, about the length of a quarter (none of my estimates are exaggerations, seriously) came running up the tree.  These ants are called bullet ants for a reason, and when they bit you it feels like you have been shot, and it does not go away for three days.  Everyone was more than happy to get far from that tree. We then took turns screaming into a large nest like object on a tree, and millions of tiny little ants ran out and made the nest look like it was vibrating.  It was explained that hunters use them to mask their sent so we put our hands against the vibrating mass and thousands of ants would instantly bury your hand.  Then before they could get up your arm you smashed them all and rubbed them into your skin, which created a pleasant and natural odor.  Luckily I didn't miss any, but there were plenty of people still finding little ants hours later. The jungle this time was even better than the first time.  Tiny paths that you could barely fit through, the sounds of tropical birds and a few monkey calls that made it feel so far from reality and created an environment that definitely felt like humans shouldn't be there.  They made torches from flammable tree sap and showed us how the natives would make an early form of gun powder that they would use to kill fish.  On our way out of the jungle we got lost and ended up by a swamp.  we hung out there for a bit trying to figure out where our canoes were, all the local people do not get each others attention by calling their name they make animal sounds.  The same for trying to get the boats to us, little screeches and hoots.  We finally walked another half a mile to another area where t he boats found us, and when I asked how they finally got the captains attention the guide just pulled out his cell phone.  We were so far from civilization, but you can not get away from modern life.  

What happened next was probably my favorite time of the voyage as of February 8th at 15:49, I have to be specific because every second provides an opportunity to surpass my wildest expectations.  We went to a small village that does not get many tourists or visitors, just Semester at Sea once a year.  This is a village of about 200 people living mostly from fishing and small farms.  It was such an amazing  time.  First I interviewed the elder of the village, he was only 67 and already the elder, he talked about spirits of the forest and how respect and moderation is how one survives the difficulties of the jungle.  Just as we finished it started to down pour, a real rainforest storm.  This is a normal part of life in the wet season and it did not stop anyone from playing soccer or walking around.  I ended up playing for hours with the little kids of the village.  We couldn't say anything to each other but that didn't seem to matter.  Me and three other SAS kids just ran around in the rain with them.  We played tag and then invented a game where they would get on our backs and we would run after each other and tickle each other as soon as we could while screaming "Attack" in Portuguese.  Then we swung them around and around making their feet leave the ground and they would fight over who was next.  I chased bikes and learned to count and tickled and was tickled more than ever before.  The smiles and the laughter never stopped and it was amazing to be with these kids and have such a great time and understand each other so well even though we could not speak.  It was an unbelievable experience.  Then we had to leave, muddy and sweaty and tired we had to just go, I wish I could have spent days there.  As we left the kids asked us when we were coming back.  It was hard to say that I didn't really know when, but I said someday in the future I would visit.  And I will, there is no way that I could not go back to this small village that opened its doors so readily for us. 

It was odd to go from this back into the boat and then they took us to a surprise Luau on this secluded beach with music and food and dancing and games.  It was a really fun party but it felt odd, we were just playing with kids who's houses, up on stilts, were missing roofs and had floors with holes that dropped to the water below.  To go from this to a beach party just brought up a lot of thoughts about what it was I was doing and it reminded me that this adventure was for us, which I didn't like.  So in the future I want my excursions to be about the people who I meet and getting to know them and what life is for them, and not just stopping in, playing for a few hours and then leaving to go to more comfortable settings.  

On the last day I swam with the dolphins again in the same location, just as cool.  Then we went to a mans home and saw what life was like in the jungle.  He had 15 kids all with the same wife.  And they showed us how to process manioc, which has cyanide in it, but edible after cooking.  We learned about the medical plants they use and the crops that he has including cocoa and Acai berries.  It was such a cool time.

     I will never forget my time in the Amazon and I will never forget my experiences.  They say that people may forget what you say but they will never forget how you made them feel.   I know that I will always remember how blessed and joyful the people of the Amazon made me feel, and I hope that my presence was able to do that for them.  Take care.

Neptune Day!

Today was Neptune day! It is the day that you cross the equator in the Ocean. You have to ask Neptune for permission to sail in the southern seas. So they woke us up at 7:30 with drums and whistles and cymbals then marched us all out to the top deck. There we met Neptune, (Our Executive Dean in green body paint) and we had to prove our worth. So fish guts (yes real ones) were poured over us, then we had to kiss a fish and Neptune's ring. Then we officially went from being Pollywogs to Shellbacks.
Another activity of the day was to shave your head. A ton of guys did it, and 7 girls shaved their heads. Unfortunately I was not able to do it because of continuity in SAS's videos (it would look weird for me to have hair in one shot then not in another). Also I have to go up to pulitzer prize winners and Harvard professors and ask them for legitimate interviews for my project, and it seems more professional if I have hair. Oh well, I'll just shave my head later I guess.
It was also my roommates birthday today, he turned 21 on the high seas. So we had a pretty good party for him, we went to the fancy diner that you have to pay for. It proved that they are capable of feeding us delicious food, but don't.
Right now I am in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, this morning we crossed over the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This is crazy!

The Amazon!

This place is amazing! There are so many things to talk about and so many amazing experiences that I am going to take it one day at a time and just throw out the highlights. On the first day in the Amazon I went swimming with pink river dolphins. These dolphins are one of only four fresh water dolphins in the world and they do not have a fused neck vertebrae like bottle nose dolphins so they can move their head allowing them to eat in between the roots of trees in the flooded forest. After that I was able to fish for the Pirarucu, the largest fresh water fish that can get over 9 ft. long. I was able to get one, but they were in a cage underwater, and they are protected so we didn't have any hooks, but it was still cool to feel the power of a 9 ft fish. That night for dinner we went to a Brazilian steak house, apparently they have these amazing places in the states, so I would check it out, but there is unlimited meat and all kinds of delicious foods that had us eating for three hours. Manaus is a unique city because it is a huge urban center right in the middle of the rainforest, it is duty free so a lot of companies ship their raw materials there to be manufactured. It can get a little sketchy but all in all it was a safe time, especially because I was with one of the three people who spoke Portuguese in the ship. On the second day I got on my river boat which was to be my home for the next three days. There were 34 of us on this river boat. The layout was as follows, One big empty area on the first deck, a small galley in the back and and a wheel house in the front, and the top deck was covered and just one big open deck where we all hung our hammocks to sleep in. It was so much fun. We had two fantastic guides Antonio and Coronado. We went to the meeting of the waters and saw the two rivers come together but never mix until miles and miles down river. After we witnessed that wonder we went and walked through some jungle to find the giant lilly pads. They really were giant. they can get over 6 ft in diameter and create a haven for Caiman, a close relative of the alligator. I was able to see several adult caiman eating and swimming around, and dozens of vultures up in the trees waiting for their turn to dine. What I found odd was that we had traveled two days up the Amazon, and another 5 hours up the Rio Negro, where peoples houses were floating and the nearest village was miles and miles away, and yet at the small floating souvenir shop, they still took VISA.
Later in the day we went fishing for Piranhas. Don't get your hopes up, I didn't catch anything, but a girl in my boat was able to get one! On our way through the winding canals and tributaries that form a small lake one of the guides saw a Sloth in a tree. SO we floated quietly up to the tree and we were all looking at it and taking pictures. Then the guide jumps out into the tree, climbs a good 50 ft up and starts to wrestle with the sloth trying to tear it from the branches and bring it down to us. Through some amazing acrobatics he was able to get the sloth in the boat after a few close calls of dropping the sloth. It wasn't to happy about this, but sloths are pretty easy going it seems because he just sort of hung out on the front of the boat as we cruised away and he finally got off at another tree when we were fishing. The boats that I am talking about here are actually canoes with motors on them and there were four of them that carried us around to the different Piranha hot spots. I was in the last boat, that also was lucky enough to have the defective motor. So as we are careening through the ever narrowing paths our engine stops, and the other boats carry on into the distance. The smoke coming from the motor was so thick you couldn't see through it. So we were in the middle of the Amazon, it is starting to get dark, and the motor dies, who know how far from anything. I don't know why but for some reason I was less nervous about being stuck in the middle of the Amazon at night then I am when I get lost in Rochester. Quite a while and a few Portuguese cures words from our navigator later and we were on our way to looking for caiman. I was able to hold a speckled caiman, about one year old. The speckled caiman are smaller than the black caiman also found in the area, but I was cool with that since the black caiman get over 9 ft long. Everything in the Amazon can grow to over 9 ft long. When we got back to our boat we had delicious food that I will never be able to pronounce, or spell. When you asked what something was the answer was usually, it is a fruit/fish/spice from the jungle. We all slept in our hammocks. which were a little close for some people. It was like a giant Newton's Cradle, and if one person swung a little, they hit the person next to them and it carried all the way down the line. But it was very comfortable, and I didn't get a single mosquito bit. I will talk about the other two days in the next post. Take Care.

Lets talk bugs.

Before I go ahead and post anything about how fantastic and amazing the Amazon is, let me say a few words about bugs in the Amazon. Bugs in the Amazon are massive. I am not talking about "oh wow look at that beetle isn't it large." it's more like "WHOA, that bug just knocked that guy over!" They are the biggest things I have ever seen. There was a moth larger than my hand. The beetles, ad there are many of them, are twice the size of my thumb. These things are no joke. There are motion sensors on the doors to the outside dinning area, and I saw a bug fly in front of the sensor and open the door. Some of these creatures I have never seen before and they look like some sort of alien or science project gone wrong. Luckily we spent most of our time on the Rio Negro which is to acidic for mosquitoes to lay eggs, so there were not to many of those around. But hundreds of beetles and billions of gnats. It seems that most things in the Amazon are either huge or tiny, anything normal sized is just not here. I just had to get that off my chest to start with.