Tuesday was our Around The World Alumni Ball. It was a chance for all of us, faculty, staff, Life-Long Learners and students to get together to celebrate the finale of our voyage together.
Earlier in the voyage, on our way to Cape Town, the alumni association held a fundraising auction. After attending many an auction at the boys' school back home, I had a plan. I found the item I wanted just as they finished laying out the sheets for the silent auction. The opening bid was $50 but I kept silent. I went to happy hour as the auction continued. I knew my limit and kept calm. Chris and I also attended a parents reception that night hosted by the executive dean and his wife. While we enjoyed cocktails and ordeurves, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, I grew confident of my scheme. I timed it perfectly and with 5 minutes left in the auction, I went downstairs and positioned myself in front of the table which displayed my auction item. With pen in hand, I waited patiently and calmly and socialized with all the other people congregating in the area. I glanced at the current bid...well under my limit. I showed no interest on my face. Then they began the countdown...5...whipped out my pen...4...wrote in bid...3...scratched in my signature...2...someone is yelling"No! No! behind me...1...cabin number...0...paper collected from the table!
I won my auction item! The Staff Captain's table for 12 at the alumni ball! My first thought was to invite our extended family and use that night as our final family dinner. But I wasn't expecting any of them to accept just because I figured they would have already had plans to eat with friends. To my surprise, all but 2 accepted my invitation. It was going to be a great evening!
I should have spent the day packing but I decided it was more important to spend time with my friends that I'd made on the ship. We all did. Jeremy went his way, Chris his own and Ben another. It was a difficult thing thinking that we probably will not see most of these people again. But I'd heard one of the speakers at the convocation for the students that you can determine how important something is to you by the effort you put into it. Important...you'll find a way. Not important...you'll find excuses. Brilliant. I set out to collect contact info.
We gathered at the pool for a family portrait just before our dinner with the Staff Captain. It could not have been a better night. Our ship making its way through the Atlantic Ocean. The sun was setting, there was excitement in the air and a comfortable playfulness often found as a family comes together.
Afterward, sat with Chris and I on either side of the Staff Captain at his table. His name is Kosta. He is from Greece. A big man who can command attention when he needs to but who can also turn on his big teddy bear charm. We had a wonderful time. Everyone was dressed in their very best, the conversation engaging, the wine was flowing, and our 5 course meal was so much better than the cafeteria meals we'd all grown tired of ; )
Afterward, there was dancing in the Union. I lost all the boys at that point but joined some of the students for a few songs. I went back to the cabin to find Ben laying down with a slight fever. I gave him some Tylenol and suggested he go to sleep. It was late anyway. But the dancing in the union was on the closed circuit TV and the more he watched, the more he felt he was missing out. So, Chris took him to enjoy it with his friends for a short while. As soon as he got to the union, he was whisked away by some students headed to the dance floor. He danced with the girls and as Chris readied his camera, he looked up and Ben was gone. We later found out from Ben that he'd been "crowd surfing"! The union was so packed with dancing 20-something year olds and when they saw Ben, they picked him up and passed them around the room over their heads!
But once around the room, Ben headed back to the cabin for the rest of the night. I was disappointed for him that he was not feeling well during the biggest get-together of the voyage. It's the college students that made life on ship so special for us and why the end of the voyage is difficult to accept. But in the end, the heartache of leaving is worth all of the new friendships which caused it.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Casablanca/Ourzazat, Morocco - The Trek To The Trek; Part 1
We we're off the ship relatively early at this port regardless of the face-to-face inspection with immigration. All went smoothly and they shuffled all 900 of us through and onto our tour buses in a couple of hours.
We were going on a camel trek through the Sahara Desert. I couldn't have been more excited about the adventure! However, we did have a LONG bus ride ahead of us to get there. It was going to take about a day and a half. I wasn't looking forward the bus trek to the camel trek...
Casablanca is a city from what I could tell from my bus window. Different only by culture, it had every creature comfort you would need. I did hear that some people were headed to "Rick's Place"...the hangout in the movie "Casablanca". I was jealous for about a minute thinking that we would not have time to visit but the. I was told that it was build after the movie's success. Ok, just another Hard Rock , in my opinion.
Transportation in the city has the widest variety I've seen yet. Cars, busses, trains, mortocycles, scooters, bicycles, horse-drawn carriage or side saddle on a mule. Take your pick!
Through Casablanca and to Marrakech, "land of the good". It was here that the nomads of Morocco set their sites as they caravan end across the dry and desolate Sahara desert, through the rugged terrains of the High Atlas mountain range to settle. The plains where the ground was fertile and the living was good. Medina, The Old City, also known as "the chatter of the city" because of its lively atmosphere, was built on the 10th century and remains the hub of this cosmopolitan city.
We had already driven a good 4 hours so I thought I might pass some of the time napping. I settled in as comfortably as I could. I stared out the window to lull myself to sleep but once we entered the climb to the top of The High Atlas, all bets were off. It is probably the most unbelievable mountain range I had ever driven through.
Just outside Marrakech, we crossed a plain and you could immediately see the difference in landscape. The earth was dryer and the vegetation much more space than in Marrakech. As we ascended into the rocky red clay mountain range, the environment became increasingly barren. But the settlers here terraced the hillsides which produce lush green grasses and yellow flowers. The main crops grown here are barley and wheat. Further up the mountain, the terrain becomes even more different. Signs of possible falling boulders dot our path. The red clay is always present but is now coupled with layer upon layer of golden stone, so much that the mountain face reminds me of a well-constructed baklava. Here, the residence grow olives trees, apricots, poppies, thyme, mushrooms, almonds, argon trees, lavender, and birch trees. Switchback after switchback, the mountain range then becomes smooth. These mountain peaks look as if they were poured here. Overlapping mounds of dark greenish-brown soil although barren, safeguard the dense vegetation in their valleys of tiered crop lands. Shepherds and their flocks can be seen throughout the mountain sides, wandering and searching for a place to graze. And always in the distance, the snow-capped mountains reaching 14000 feet.
Hours later, we reached our lunch destination, an authentic Moroccan restaurant. We had learned that the main cultural influences of this country are Berber (originals to morocco), Arabic and French. My palate was looking forward to this cuisine! The restaurant was situated on the mountainside where the view was spectacular of the valley below. We were greeted by a drum band, singers and dancers all dressed in traditional costume to make the complete. We ate a fresh salad and an tangine dish made of eggs. Dessert was a fruit salad. I have to hand it to Chris. The 3 main foods he refuses to eat are raw tomatoes, olives and eggs. All were present throughout the meal and he survived it! It was delicious, but I set my expectations higher.
We continued our drive. Done with the High Atlas, we were now decidedly in drier weather and on to conquer the Anti Atlas - the desert side of this mountain range. Jagged windswept mountainsides. Horizontal grooves in the red clay walls. Here it was much more rocky and jagged. The boulders were bigger and more abundant. Tight switchbacks through the chiseled stone and clay as we climbed higher. The became air was cooler but drier and dustier. But in the distance...an Oasis! A densely covered area of grasses, palm trees and pink blossomed plants. The contrast of the red barren mountains and the green healthy vegetation of the oasis is truly unremarkable. We passed several oasis's throughout our tour of The Anti Atlas which are decidedly a sight for sore eyes!
We reached our destination, Ouarzazat, the quiet city and we were taken to our resting stop for the night, The Hotel Palmarie.
To Be Continued...
We were going on a camel trek through the Sahara Desert. I couldn't have been more excited about the adventure! However, we did have a LONG bus ride ahead of us to get there. It was going to take about a day and a half. I wasn't looking forward the bus trek to the camel trek...
Casablanca is a city from what I could tell from my bus window. Different only by culture, it had every creature comfort you would need. I did hear that some people were headed to "Rick's Place"...the hangout in the movie "Casablanca". I was jealous for about a minute thinking that we would not have time to visit but the. I was told that it was build after the movie's success. Ok, just another Hard Rock , in my opinion.
Transportation in the city has the widest variety I've seen yet. Cars, busses, trains, mortocycles, scooters, bicycles, horse-drawn carriage or side saddle on a mule. Take your pick!
Through Casablanca and to Marrakech, "land of the good". It was here that the nomads of Morocco set their sites as they caravan end across the dry and desolate Sahara desert, through the rugged terrains of the High Atlas mountain range to settle. The plains where the ground was fertile and the living was good. Medina, The Old City, also known as "the chatter of the city" because of its lively atmosphere, was built on the 10th century and remains the hub of this cosmopolitan city.
We had already driven a good 4 hours so I thought I might pass some of the time napping. I settled in as comfortably as I could. I stared out the window to lull myself to sleep but once we entered the climb to the top of The High Atlas, all bets were off. It is probably the most unbelievable mountain range I had ever driven through.
Just outside Marrakech, we crossed a plain and you could immediately see the difference in landscape. The earth was dryer and the vegetation much more space than in Marrakech. As we ascended into the rocky red clay mountain range, the environment became increasingly barren. But the settlers here terraced the hillsides which produce lush green grasses and yellow flowers. The main crops grown here are barley and wheat. Further up the mountain, the terrain becomes even more different. Signs of possible falling boulders dot our path. The red clay is always present but is now coupled with layer upon layer of golden stone, so much that the mountain face reminds me of a well-constructed baklava. Here, the residence grow olives trees, apricots, poppies, thyme, mushrooms, almonds, argon trees, lavender, and birch trees. Switchback after switchback, the mountain range then becomes smooth. These mountain peaks look as if they were poured here. Overlapping mounds of dark greenish-brown soil although barren, safeguard the dense vegetation in their valleys of tiered crop lands. Shepherds and their flocks can be seen throughout the mountain sides, wandering and searching for a place to graze. And always in the distance, the snow-capped mountains reaching 14000 feet.
Hours later, we reached our lunch destination, an authentic Moroccan restaurant. We had learned that the main cultural influences of this country are Berber (originals to morocco), Arabic and French. My palate was looking forward to this cuisine! The restaurant was situated on the mountainside where the view was spectacular of the valley below. We were greeted by a drum band, singers and dancers all dressed in traditional costume to make the complete. We ate a fresh salad and an tangine dish made of eggs. Dessert was a fruit salad. I have to hand it to Chris. The 3 main foods he refuses to eat are raw tomatoes, olives and eggs. All were present throughout the meal and he survived it! It was delicious, but I set my expectations higher.
We continued our drive. Done with the High Atlas, we were now decidedly in drier weather and on to conquer the Anti Atlas - the desert side of this mountain range. Jagged windswept mountainsides. Horizontal grooves in the red clay walls. Here it was much more rocky and jagged. The boulders were bigger and more abundant. Tight switchbacks through the chiseled stone and clay as we climbed higher. The became air was cooler but drier and dustier. But in the distance...an Oasis! A densely covered area of grasses, palm trees and pink blossomed plants. The contrast of the red barren mountains and the green healthy vegetation of the oasis is truly unremarkable. We passed several oasis's throughout our tour of The Anti Atlas which are decidedly a sight for sore eyes!
We reached our destination, Ouarzazat, the quiet city and we were taken to our resting stop for the night, The Hotel Palmarie.
To Be Continued...
Friday, April 19, 2013
Finals Week
This week was the first week of finals. Tell me if any of this rings a bell: cramming, worrying, all-nighters, black coffee, ponytails, pajamas, glasses instead of contacts, sniffles & coughs, just making the deadline, professor conferences and basic irritability. Made me so happy to have passed on taking classes ; )
We decided to have a little study break for our extended family of 7. We invited them all up to deck 7 for what we thought would be a small surprise. When we told each if them that we had arranged for a Taco dinner by the pool, you would have thought we'd just handed each of them a million dollars. I forgot how much the simple things matter to kids under academic stress ; ) To our surprise, they inhaled every morsel of food in a matter of minutes. When the ice cream cake came out, they may as well have cried tears of joy. They were so grateful making me feel guilty that we'd simply purchased the meal instead of made it with our own hands ; )
And if they weren't busy enough, the SAS Talent Show was the day before. None of our family was in the show but it was definitely something you wanted to plan on attending. I think there were 20 acts all together ranging from groups to individuals, singing, dancing, hula hopping, poetry reciting, pianos, guitars, violins, HARPS, and a saxophone. Chinese and Indian traditional dances as well as hip-hop and ballroom. Theater is right up my alley and I was thoroughly impressed!
And if all that wasn't enough of a distraction, they held the first ever SAS Drag Show. Ok...this is where the reigns got pulled in a bit for the Smith Boys. Fortunately, the planning committee was sensitive to the fact that young children were on the ship who would want to see this show. We've been traveling together for almost 4 months now and if you don't know everyone on the ship, you know most of the people in the ship. We are all friends for the most part and interact with each other on a daily basis whether it is to sit down at a meal, attend classes, pass each other in the hall, workout side by side on the treadmills, watch a movie, play cards, or a pickup dodgeball game. So they provided a "family friendly" first act. And that was probably enough. Ben sat next to me and asked about 127 very valid questions. I answered them as best I could under the circumstances. After only 2 numbers, he was done and went to find someone who might want to play ping pong ; ) Chris and I planned to have a family meeting prior to our re-entry into normal life but the topic of Drag Show wasn't on the original agenda. It is now and it's pretty close to the top ; )
So while their college friends are busy this week studying, the little kids have been causing a raucous entertaining themselves. Jeremy and Ben hangout with a handful of kids their age on a consistent basis. Jordi, Julia, Sabrina, Imani and Jack. They started playing pranks on each other a few days ago and got really riled up about it. I caught Ben one day in a hurry because they'd somehow gotten access to the girls' cabin. I slowed him down and said, "Do not hurt anyone, do not break anything, do not make anyone cry." He threw back, "We won't!" and bolted down the hallway.
They rearranged their cabin one day, removed all their pictures and things that decorated their walls and put them on the ceiling on another day. They've painted the toilet seat with something they can't remember and put toothpaste in shampoo bottles. All were successful in thoroughly annoying the girls. Mission accomplished. Ben came to my room one night just as I'd fallen asleep to tell me that he'd brushed his teeth and now his mouth felt numb. "Did your toothpaste taste funny? I think they just got you back." Convinced that it didn't taste different or just refusing to believe he'd fallen for a girl's prank, he went to bed saying he felt fine.
The next day at lunch, Jeremy told me that he spit out the toothpaste because hit tasted different to him right away. He fouls out that the girls had put Ambesol in their toothpaste! ; ) He one upped them by telling them he had an allergic reaction and had to spend the night in the ship's clinic. He had them going until Ben ratted him out. Jeremy's plan, foiled by his own team mate! But somehow, the news got to Imani who was not at the original discussion and did not hear Ben's reveal. I had gotten a call from her mom, Faith, earlier asking if I could talk with her. I had to put her off for an hour as I was just rushing off to do something for Jeremy. When I caught up with her later on that day, she told me that everything was ok, over and done with. I thought I'd missed out on helping her with a problem and felt bad that I couldn't help her when she called. She said she called because she'd found Imani crying in her cabin, upset that the girls' prank had gone too far and caused Jeremy a visit to the clinic! She told me that she let Imani "have it" and the pranks were to stop. OMG...I felt so bad for Imani. Anyway, Faith was so understanding. She'd already heard that Jeremy's prank became a full on misunderstanding. But we decided there and then on a Cease Prank for the remainder of the voyage ; )
We are in Morocco today, on a bus headed to the Sahara Desert to ride a camel. More later.
We decided to have a little study break for our extended family of 7. We invited them all up to deck 7 for what we thought would be a small surprise. When we told each if them that we had arranged for a Taco dinner by the pool, you would have thought we'd just handed each of them a million dollars. I forgot how much the simple things matter to kids under academic stress ; ) To our surprise, they inhaled every morsel of food in a matter of minutes. When the ice cream cake came out, they may as well have cried tears of joy. They were so grateful making me feel guilty that we'd simply purchased the meal instead of made it with our own hands ; )
And if they weren't busy enough, the SAS Talent Show was the day before. None of our family was in the show but it was definitely something you wanted to plan on attending. I think there were 20 acts all together ranging from groups to individuals, singing, dancing, hula hopping, poetry reciting, pianos, guitars, violins, HARPS, and a saxophone. Chinese and Indian traditional dances as well as hip-hop and ballroom. Theater is right up my alley and I was thoroughly impressed!
And if all that wasn't enough of a distraction, they held the first ever SAS Drag Show. Ok...this is where the reigns got pulled in a bit for the Smith Boys. Fortunately, the planning committee was sensitive to the fact that young children were on the ship who would want to see this show. We've been traveling together for almost 4 months now and if you don't know everyone on the ship, you know most of the people in the ship. We are all friends for the most part and interact with each other on a daily basis whether it is to sit down at a meal, attend classes, pass each other in the hall, workout side by side on the treadmills, watch a movie, play cards, or a pickup dodgeball game. So they provided a "family friendly" first act. And that was probably enough. Ben sat next to me and asked about 127 very valid questions. I answered them as best I could under the circumstances. After only 2 numbers, he was done and went to find someone who might want to play ping pong ; ) Chris and I planned to have a family meeting prior to our re-entry into normal life but the topic of Drag Show wasn't on the original agenda. It is now and it's pretty close to the top ; )
So while their college friends are busy this week studying, the little kids have been causing a raucous entertaining themselves. Jeremy and Ben hangout with a handful of kids their age on a consistent basis. Jordi, Julia, Sabrina, Imani and Jack. They started playing pranks on each other a few days ago and got really riled up about it. I caught Ben one day in a hurry because they'd somehow gotten access to the girls' cabin. I slowed him down and said, "Do not hurt anyone, do not break anything, do not make anyone cry." He threw back, "We won't!" and bolted down the hallway.
They rearranged their cabin one day, removed all their pictures and things that decorated their walls and put them on the ceiling on another day. They've painted the toilet seat with something they can't remember and put toothpaste in shampoo bottles. All were successful in thoroughly annoying the girls. Mission accomplished. Ben came to my room one night just as I'd fallen asleep to tell me that he'd brushed his teeth and now his mouth felt numb. "Did your toothpaste taste funny? I think they just got you back." Convinced that it didn't taste different or just refusing to believe he'd fallen for a girl's prank, he went to bed saying he felt fine.
The next day at lunch, Jeremy told me that he spit out the toothpaste because hit tasted different to him right away. He fouls out that the girls had put Ambesol in their toothpaste! ; ) He one upped them by telling them he had an allergic reaction and had to spend the night in the ship's clinic. He had them going until Ben ratted him out. Jeremy's plan, foiled by his own team mate! But somehow, the news got to Imani who was not at the original discussion and did not hear Ben's reveal. I had gotten a call from her mom, Faith, earlier asking if I could talk with her. I had to put her off for an hour as I was just rushing off to do something for Jeremy. When I caught up with her later on that day, she told me that everything was ok, over and done with. I thought I'd missed out on helping her with a problem and felt bad that I couldn't help her when she called. She said she called because she'd found Imani crying in her cabin, upset that the girls' prank had gone too far and caused Jeremy a visit to the clinic! She told me that she let Imani "have it" and the pranks were to stop. OMG...I felt so bad for Imani. Anyway, Faith was so understanding. She'd already heard that Jeremy's prank became a full on misunderstanding. But we decided there and then on a Cease Prank for the remainder of the voyage ; )
We are in Morocco today, on a bus headed to the Sahara Desert to ride a camel. More later.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
A Stop In Gambia
We pulled over in Gambia on Tuesday for refueling and a medical supply pick-up of several rabies vaccinations.
The fuel was scheduled. The vaccines were not.
From what I could gather, some of the students made a visit to a local monkey reserve while we were in Ghana. At the pre-port meeting the warning was "Do Not Touch The Monkeys". As easy as that sounds, I guess the temptation was far too great.
We came back to ship to hear of several of our friends recount their experiences with the monkeys that were "so cute!" ; ) Some had a slight lapse in judgement,, hand-fed to monkeys, were climbed on by the monkeys and suffered slight to minor scratches. According to the shipboard doc, once you experience symptoms of rabies, it's too late and you are doomed. The number of rabies vaccinations the ship is required to carry for the 900 passengers is a whopping ONE.
So, fortunately, the medical team was able to scramble quickly enough to have a supply delivered to the ship in Gambia.
The fuel was scheduled. The vaccines were not.
From what I could gather, some of the students made a visit to a local monkey reserve while we were in Ghana. At the pre-port meeting the warning was "Do Not Touch The Monkeys". As easy as that sounds, I guess the temptation was far too great.
We came back to ship to hear of several of our friends recount their experiences with the monkeys that were "so cute!" ; ) Some had a slight lapse in judgement,, hand-fed to monkeys, were climbed on by the monkeys and suffered slight to minor scratches. According to the shipboard doc, once you experience symptoms of rabies, it's too late and you are doomed. The number of rabies vaccinations the ship is required to carry for the 900 passengers is a whopping ONE.
So, fortunately, the medical team was able to scramble quickly enough to have a supply delivered to the ship in Gambia.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Last Days In Tema
Jeremy I decided to try and get on the SAS service trip to The City of Refuge. Service trips, especially to schools and orphanages, are very popular programs which fill up fast. So, I felt very fortunate to have learned the night before that 2 tickets were turned in because the professor who bought them had a schedule conflict.
The bus to the orphanage boarded at 8 am so Jeremy and I made our way out early to claim the last 2 spots. As luck would have it, the tour company sent a larger bus than originally planned. So a quick call was made and the orphanage agreed to take the 2 of us as well as another 13 students who woke up early hoping to get a seat. Unfortunately, there was no way to get word to Chris and Ben to join us.
It was a short ride just to the edge of Tema where the orphanage is situated. The City of Refuge was built on 20 acres of donated land. Just on the other side of 3 small mountains, which serve as a border to their property, is an army base. Fortunately for the orphanage, this makes for easy access to running water, electricity and Internet unlike much of rural Accra.
We rolled up and were greeted by Stacey (from the US) and her husband John (from Nigeria). They are the founders of this orphanage who moved to Ghana to live full-time just 3 years ago. They met on a mission trip here and realized they shared a vision of building an orphanage here. They married, had 3 children in the US and began their mission in Ghana in 2006. Shortly after it was established, they learned of the child slavery epidemic in the Volta region of Ghana. They found in that, their true calling.
They told us stories about these children and how they are obtained. The Volta region is the area in Ghana where Lake Volta is located. It is the 2nd largest man-made lake in the world and its main purpose is to provide electricity to Ghana. But it has also become a major source for the fishing industry. Lake Volta was not excavated when it was made. They simply flooded this low lying land. So there are many trees just beneath the water which make dragging fishing nets a tedious chore.
The single-mom households have become prey to the fishermen needing help on their boats. They offer the mother, who is often struggling to make ends meet, a price for a child or two in exchange for teaching them the trade. The offer is enticing enough that several thousand children have been sold into this business. But the intention is not ever to return them to the families. It is only to use them for their own gain.
Small children are the prize for these fisherman. As they drag their net through the watery forest, they often get tangled in the tree branches and need to be released. Little fingers are more adept at managing this task. The children are ordered into the water to undo the mess. But these children can't swim. The terror that goes through their minds is unbearable to imagine. If they refuse to get in the water, they are picked up and thrown in or beaten with the wooden oar until they succumb.
Stacey and John have made it their mission to rescue these children. They have had 145 success stories but there are thousand more to try. It's overwhelming.
We ate lunch with the children and enjoyed recess afterward. One of our students from the ship brought a football and he and Jeremy tried to teach the kids some fundamentals of American football like how to throw the perfect spiral. We left the ball behind because it will surely take some practice to perfect the pass but they quickly picked up the tackling aspect of the game ; )
Afterward, the children went back to classes and we were put to work...moving dirt, scrubbing walls, painting their lunchroom, organizing the library, assisting in the classrooms and painting the basketball court. There could not have been a better way to spend a day in Ghana. As heart-wrenching as the stories are that go along with these service trips, I gladly bring my boys so that they can witness, in person, both negative and positive realities in this world that illustrate the power of humanity.
On our last day in Ghana, we joined a group for a half a day and learned about Ghanian music, song and dance. On a patio just off the beach, it was a great way to end our emotional journey through this country. Music is an integral part of the culture. You can not separate one from the other. It is meant to lift your spirits and help you appreciate the joys in every aspect of life. Happiness comes from within. It is no one's obligation to bring you joy other than you.
I like it.
The bus to the orphanage boarded at 8 am so Jeremy and I made our way out early to claim the last 2 spots. As luck would have it, the tour company sent a larger bus than originally planned. So a quick call was made and the orphanage agreed to take the 2 of us as well as another 13 students who woke up early hoping to get a seat. Unfortunately, there was no way to get word to Chris and Ben to join us.
It was a short ride just to the edge of Tema where the orphanage is situated. The City of Refuge was built on 20 acres of donated land. Just on the other side of 3 small mountains, which serve as a border to their property, is an army base. Fortunately for the orphanage, this makes for easy access to running water, electricity and Internet unlike much of rural Accra.
We rolled up and were greeted by Stacey (from the US) and her husband John (from Nigeria). They are the founders of this orphanage who moved to Ghana to live full-time just 3 years ago. They met on a mission trip here and realized they shared a vision of building an orphanage here. They married, had 3 children in the US and began their mission in Ghana in 2006. Shortly after it was established, they learned of the child slavery epidemic in the Volta region of Ghana. They found in that, their true calling.
They told us stories about these children and how they are obtained. The Volta region is the area in Ghana where Lake Volta is located. It is the 2nd largest man-made lake in the world and its main purpose is to provide electricity to Ghana. But it has also become a major source for the fishing industry. Lake Volta was not excavated when it was made. They simply flooded this low lying land. So there are many trees just beneath the water which make dragging fishing nets a tedious chore.
The single-mom households have become prey to the fishermen needing help on their boats. They offer the mother, who is often struggling to make ends meet, a price for a child or two in exchange for teaching them the trade. The offer is enticing enough that several thousand children have been sold into this business. But the intention is not ever to return them to the families. It is only to use them for their own gain.
Small children are the prize for these fisherman. As they drag their net through the watery forest, they often get tangled in the tree branches and need to be released. Little fingers are more adept at managing this task. The children are ordered into the water to undo the mess. But these children can't swim. The terror that goes through their minds is unbearable to imagine. If they refuse to get in the water, they are picked up and thrown in or beaten with the wooden oar until they succumb.
Stacey and John have made it their mission to rescue these children. They have had 145 success stories but there are thousand more to try. It's overwhelming.
We ate lunch with the children and enjoyed recess afterward. One of our students from the ship brought a football and he and Jeremy tried to teach the kids some fundamentals of American football like how to throw the perfect spiral. We left the ball behind because it will surely take some practice to perfect the pass but they quickly picked up the tackling aspect of the game ; )
Afterward, the children went back to classes and we were put to work...moving dirt, scrubbing walls, painting their lunchroom, organizing the library, assisting in the classrooms and painting the basketball court. There could not have been a better way to spend a day in Ghana. As heart-wrenching as the stories are that go along with these service trips, I gladly bring my boys so that they can witness, in person, both negative and positive realities in this world that illustrate the power of humanity.
On our last day in Ghana, we joined a group for a half a day and learned about Ghanian music, song and dance. On a patio just off the beach, it was a great way to end our emotional journey through this country. Music is an integral part of the culture. You can not separate one from the other. It is meant to lift your spirits and help you appreciate the joys in every aspect of life. Happiness comes from within. It is no one's obligation to bring you joy other than you.
I like it.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Waking Up In Tema
I expected to wake up and look out my window to see that we had docked in Tema overnight. Instead, we were still a ways out and moving slowly through the water. Probably to shorten the duration of the holding pattern in which we were eventually placed.
We had a leisurely breakfast then to the gangway to get on our tour bus. We were greeted, just as in Takoradi, with merchants selling their goods. Strangely, they all looked familiar...they were the same guys! They had followed us to our next port. Talk about persistence!
We were taken to a nearby fisherman's village to learn their way of life. The severe conditions of this poverty stricken country is unimaginable. Dense communities of makeshift homes littered with garbage and human waste was a horrific eye opener. That saying about a picture and a thousand words may be true but actually being here you are rendered speechless. There are no words.
The village is called Teshie, a suburb of Accra, the Capitol. The people who live here are decedents of the original Ga inhabitants of Ghana. Here we saw fisherman on the shore of the Atlantic making their own nets and hand-carving their own wooden boats. They go out to sea for a week at a time under the scorching Ghana sun to catch as much as they can. Depending on how you rank in the fisherman community dictates how much of the catch you are allowed to keep as your own and eventually sell. Once back to shore and the catch is divided, it is the women's responsibility to take the fish to market to sell fresh that day. Whatever isn't sold is smoked in old metal oil drums and hopefully sold in that form. The whole village is run by the Chief Fisherman, an elected official who is a respected elder. That's all they do here. It is less than a meager existence. And a very difficult one to improve upon.
What lifted our spirits was a visit to the school this village has built for its children. They are sent to school so that they are able to leave the fishing village. It is the goal of the people here that their children do not follow in their footsteps.
Physically and emotionally exhausted from our tour, we returned to the ship and ran right into a merchant trying to sell us a customized bracelet with Jeremy's name on it. The scam is:
- YOU told me your name
- I made YOU a bracelet with YOUR name on it
- so YOU need to buy it.
No way!! These guys are so aggressive. They greet you with a smile and a handshake but they don't let go. They drag you into their stalls and say "Just have a look!" Then they try to block you in until you are forced to be rude and push your way out.
That night we went out with the boys Spanish tutor, Natalie and Mark and Marissa's family to a restaurant recommended by the hospitality desk. At most ports, a local tour company sets up shop on the ship to answer questions and give advice on the country we are visiting.
Tante Maria was a decent looking restaurant but we were the only customers and they seemed to have run out of a lot of items on the menu. Turns out, it is a more popular lunch spot than dinner. We all found authentic Ghanian food we agreed to try...red reds with fried plantains...banku with tilapia...and goat. With a mouthful of his goat entree, I asked Jeremy if he liked it. He turned slowly, having difficulty deciding what to do with what was in his mouth, he said, "I'm not sure yet." I passed on his offer to have a taste. Everything else that we ordered was pretty good. I don't think I'll ever have cravings for this cuisine but very glad we tried it and survived it!
We had a leisurely breakfast then to the gangway to get on our tour bus. We were greeted, just as in Takoradi, with merchants selling their goods. Strangely, they all looked familiar...they were the same guys! They had followed us to our next port. Talk about persistence!
We were taken to a nearby fisherman's village to learn their way of life. The severe conditions of this poverty stricken country is unimaginable. Dense communities of makeshift homes littered with garbage and human waste was a horrific eye opener. That saying about a picture and a thousand words may be true but actually being here you are rendered speechless. There are no words.
The village is called Teshie, a suburb of Accra, the Capitol. The people who live here are decedents of the original Ga inhabitants of Ghana. Here we saw fisherman on the shore of the Atlantic making their own nets and hand-carving their own wooden boats. They go out to sea for a week at a time under the scorching Ghana sun to catch as much as they can. Depending on how you rank in the fisherman community dictates how much of the catch you are allowed to keep as your own and eventually sell. Once back to shore and the catch is divided, it is the women's responsibility to take the fish to market to sell fresh that day. Whatever isn't sold is smoked in old metal oil drums and hopefully sold in that form. The whole village is run by the Chief Fisherman, an elected official who is a respected elder. That's all they do here. It is less than a meager existence. And a very difficult one to improve upon.
What lifted our spirits was a visit to the school this village has built for its children. They are sent to school so that they are able to leave the fishing village. It is the goal of the people here that their children do not follow in their footsteps.
Physically and emotionally exhausted from our tour, we returned to the ship and ran right into a merchant trying to sell us a customized bracelet with Jeremy's name on it. The scam is:
- YOU told me your name
- I made YOU a bracelet with YOUR name on it
- so YOU need to buy it.
No way!! These guys are so aggressive. They greet you with a smile and a handshake but they don't let go. They drag you into their stalls and say "Just have a look!" Then they try to block you in until you are forced to be rude and push your way out.
That night we went out with the boys Spanish tutor, Natalie and Mark and Marissa's family to a restaurant recommended by the hospitality desk. At most ports, a local tour company sets up shop on the ship to answer questions and give advice on the country we are visiting.
Tante Maria was a decent looking restaurant but we were the only customers and they seemed to have run out of a lot of items on the menu. Turns out, it is a more popular lunch spot than dinner. We all found authentic Ghanian food we agreed to try...red reds with fried plantains...banku with tilapia...and goat. With a mouthful of his goat entree, I asked Jeremy if he liked it. He turned slowly, having difficulty deciding what to do with what was in his mouth, he said, "I'm not sure yet." I passed on his offer to have a taste. Everything else that we ordered was pretty good. I don't think I'll ever have cravings for this cuisine but very glad we tried it and survived it!
The Next Day In Takoradi
We didn't have anything planned so we slept in and got some input from others on what to do.
We left the ship around noon and traveled with Shelly and Brendon, two students who hadn't made any plans either. The agenda we created included tips from Shelly, crew members and our Lost Planet guidebook.
We stepped off the ship and were quickly accosted by street vendors who had set up shop just outside the ship. I was in a good mood, well-rested and ready for a great day. Jeremy got tangled up in bargaining for a soccer jersey and I walked over to help. The vendors love handing you their merchandise and as a sales tactic, will not take it back until a price has been decided on. I heard Jeremy very politely decline all offers and said, "No Thanks". Of course, I was holding the jersey and the sales guy would not take it. I pretended to put them on the ground by his feet which totally offended him! Claiming that I was disrespecting him. I told him that he was the one lacking in manners as he would not accept "no" for an answer. Well...I got a loud earful! I placed the jersey on his shoulder and walked away. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed and it wasn't me!
We took the shuttle to the front of the port and walked about a mile to a pizza place for lunch. I know we should be eating the local food but pizza sounded good to all of us, plus Shelly had it the day before and highly recommended it. We passed goats and chickens in the road and had to keep mindful of the open sewers that line the streets as we dodged taxis weaving their way through pothole after pothole.
The restaurant overlooked the port and we had a good view of the MVExplorer below. The heat was stifling so we welcomed the cool ocean breeze that blew throughout the open-air restaurant and were happy as it helped to quickly dry our clothes damp with perspiration.
After we stuffed ourselves with authentic tasting American pizza, we headed out to the markets. Fortunately for us, Shelly had scoped out the central market and after her vivid description and my experience with the soccer jersey guy, we decided to stick to the smaller market just across the street.
We approached a hut which had many local paintings and wooden masks on display. Just as we arrived, out came a toddler about 2 years of age, smiling from ear to ear, dressed in a yellow shirt and pair of shorts, arms outstretched and yelling "Shelly!" They'd met the day before and obviously hit it off. Shelly's popularity garnered great bargains for us and new friendships with little Michael, Patricia (his mother) and his grandmother (the proprietor). All were wonderful people who were excited to learn about us and share their stories. We all exchanged email addresses and Facebook IDs. When we found wifi later that day and I saw that I had already received a friend request from Patricia ; )
After a pit stop at the ATM, we hailed a couple of cabs to go to a resort we had learned sold a day pass to their pool. We tried to send Brendan and Shelly off in the first cab but it didn't roll 3 feet before we noticed the flat tire. Luckily, the second cab that came along had room enough for all 6 of us if Jeremy and Brendan packed themselves in the back storage space, so that's what we did ; ) The hotel was only about 5 miles away and we covered about 2 of it before running out of gas. Stopped on an incline, the driver open the back and asked Brendan to pass him the milk jug next to him. It was about 2 cups worth of fuel. Of course the car still wouldn't start in the uphill position, so the driver opened the hood, sucked the gas up through fuel line took a mouthful and spit it into the appropriate compartment. I can't explain it in mechanical terms because I just don't know them. I can tell you however, that it absolutely disgusting! He tried to start the car, "click, click, click". So we decided that we needed to push the car to the top of the hill. Ben and I got lucky and were asked to hold the video cameras and everyone else pushed in the sweltering Gahanian sun : ) Another round of syphoning still did not do the trick and the boys hopped out for one last shove and a chance at roll starting. Success!
We rolled into the hotel. The beachfront we were anticipating was about a half mile away, the pool was green and not ready for human visitors so, we did the next best thing. Hunkered down in the somewhat air-conditioned lobby for wifi ; )
A late dinner at the top recommended Captain Hook restaurant by our ship's crew was a great way to end the evening. We've learned that the crew are the experts in knowing what to do at each port. They've already tried everything at least once.
We slept on the ship that night as we traveled to Tema, Ghana. It was the first time that we stayed on the boat during a short relocation. We usually travel overland stay in a hotel. Ghana was questionable to us so we opted for the ship.
We left the ship around noon and traveled with Shelly and Brendon, two students who hadn't made any plans either. The agenda we created included tips from Shelly, crew members and our Lost Planet guidebook.
We stepped off the ship and were quickly accosted by street vendors who had set up shop just outside the ship. I was in a good mood, well-rested and ready for a great day. Jeremy got tangled up in bargaining for a soccer jersey and I walked over to help. The vendors love handing you their merchandise and as a sales tactic, will not take it back until a price has been decided on. I heard Jeremy very politely decline all offers and said, "No Thanks". Of course, I was holding the jersey and the sales guy would not take it. I pretended to put them on the ground by his feet which totally offended him! Claiming that I was disrespecting him. I told him that he was the one lacking in manners as he would not accept "no" for an answer. Well...I got a loud earful! I placed the jersey on his shoulder and walked away. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed and it wasn't me!
We took the shuttle to the front of the port and walked about a mile to a pizza place for lunch. I know we should be eating the local food but pizza sounded good to all of us, plus Shelly had it the day before and highly recommended it. We passed goats and chickens in the road and had to keep mindful of the open sewers that line the streets as we dodged taxis weaving their way through pothole after pothole.
The restaurant overlooked the port and we had a good view of the MVExplorer below. The heat was stifling so we welcomed the cool ocean breeze that blew throughout the open-air restaurant and were happy as it helped to quickly dry our clothes damp with perspiration.
After we stuffed ourselves with authentic tasting American pizza, we headed out to the markets. Fortunately for us, Shelly had scoped out the central market and after her vivid description and my experience with the soccer jersey guy, we decided to stick to the smaller market just across the street.
We approached a hut which had many local paintings and wooden masks on display. Just as we arrived, out came a toddler about 2 years of age, smiling from ear to ear, dressed in a yellow shirt and pair of shorts, arms outstretched and yelling "Shelly!" They'd met the day before and obviously hit it off. Shelly's popularity garnered great bargains for us and new friendships with little Michael, Patricia (his mother) and his grandmother (the proprietor). All were wonderful people who were excited to learn about us and share their stories. We all exchanged email addresses and Facebook IDs. When we found wifi later that day and I saw that I had already received a friend request from Patricia ; )
After a pit stop at the ATM, we hailed a couple of cabs to go to a resort we had learned sold a day pass to their pool. We tried to send Brendan and Shelly off in the first cab but it didn't roll 3 feet before we noticed the flat tire. Luckily, the second cab that came along had room enough for all 6 of us if Jeremy and Brendan packed themselves in the back storage space, so that's what we did ; ) The hotel was only about 5 miles away and we covered about 2 of it before running out of gas. Stopped on an incline, the driver open the back and asked Brendan to pass him the milk jug next to him. It was about 2 cups worth of fuel. Of course the car still wouldn't start in the uphill position, so the driver opened the hood, sucked the gas up through fuel line took a mouthful and spit it into the appropriate compartment. I can't explain it in mechanical terms because I just don't know them. I can tell you however, that it absolutely disgusting! He tried to start the car, "click, click, click". So we decided that we needed to push the car to the top of the hill. Ben and I got lucky and were asked to hold the video cameras and everyone else pushed in the sweltering Gahanian sun : ) Another round of syphoning still did not do the trick and the boys hopped out for one last shove and a chance at roll starting. Success!
We rolled into the hotel. The beachfront we were anticipating was about a half mile away, the pool was green and not ready for human visitors so, we did the next best thing. Hunkered down in the somewhat air-conditioned lobby for wifi ; )
A late dinner at the top recommended Captain Hook restaurant by our ship's crew was a great way to end the evening. We've learned that the crew are the experts in knowing what to do at each port. They've already tried everything at least once.
We slept on the ship that night as we traveled to Tema, Ghana. It was the first time that we stayed on the boat during a short relocation. We usually travel overland stay in a hotel. Ghana was questionable to us so we opted for the ship.
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