13. Travelling to Volta Region
Most memorable day. Travelling ALL Day on my friend Chloe's 18th birthday. We experienced hurricanes? 5 hour traffic jams, crashes, fights, army, terrorist guns, pringles & chocolate, and retreat to a beautiful riverside LODGE - OH MY GOD.
First of all I'd like to apologise for the quality of video -- I now use a Canon Camera -- and I'd like to make you aware that sometimes the audio is 'fuzzed', it makes mildly dull conditions seem pitch black so sometimes you're just relying of the fuzzy audio. Ah frustrating. But, I'm still so thankful to be fortunate enough to have gone to Ghana, and have some form of footage to look back on and remember the time spent.
Between JUNE 19TH & JULY 9TH 2011 I spent time working, travelling and exploring Ghana.
A group of 18 of us; 11 girls, 4 boys, a male and female teacher and our expedition leader; Rob who was from the company World Challenge who run loads of expedition and act as a support for the organisation and the actual trip. Also whilst in Ghana World Challenge teamed up with a local charity in Ghana called the Sabre Trust who provided us with our amazing Body Rocker Jungle Bus, Our -- hero -Driver William, our trusted guide in the village/school Thomson, and provided some of our working equipment and confirmed our Itinerary.
Us 'kids' had a lot to do ourself though -- we chose our itinerary, decided what projects we wanted to institute in the school, raised our individual £3000 funds by holding a whole massive bunch of events, I and a friend personally managed the whole budget during the trip which was ... a constant illness, we had to go out and decide what food and equipment to buy for the projects, we had to organise our menu's, one of us was the leader each day. Everyone just pulled the whole trip together brilliant we were a fantastic team and made it ... a wonderful memory.
The trip navigated across Ghana from Accra, to our school project at a village called Essaman outside Elmina, into mainland to Kakum National Park, along the western coast to Green Turtle Lodge and up to the Volta Region.
The school we worked at was Essaman United School an overcrowded primary school accommodating kids from 5 to 14 or 15 years old. We worked/camped there for roughly the first 2 weeks. Working on:
-building a new classroom
-painting the outer middle school building and 2 of the inner classrooms
-teaching classes maths, English and even some information about us & our lives
-building a set of swings and the beginnings of a playground
-holding a sports day
But, unfortunately we were the first of a three group programme so some of our work was never going to be finished by us
I loved the school because it made us feel welcome, we had the chance to build relationships and learn and ask questions about how people lived in Ghana which was very interesting. Also the teachers offered to cook us traditional Ghanian food (giving us a list of ingredients to get). That was the biggest benefit; to get a taste of Ghana rather than living on pure stodgy tomato & pasta or BREAD AND JAM -- oh god. Spicy beans and plantain - yumyumyumyum.
So also in our trips we further explored the country. We took an overnight stay in Kakum National Park & walked the Canopy walkway. We took a Rest & Relaxation break at the beautiful Green Turtle Lodge. We travelled up to the VOLTA REGION and we visited Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, conquered -- I guess -- the death walk that was climbing Mount Adfadjato.
During our final week of travels we met lots of new people and experienced a lot of 'crazy'. At one point being stuck in a FIVE HOUR TRAFFIC JAM, unmoving as the army are trying to get past & there were guys with AK47's and wearing Balaclava's.
That same day was actually my friend Chloe's 18th Birthday. A good day for her -- haha.
The trip itself can only be described as crazy -- but in a good way.
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