Akwaaba! I'm Padma Mana, and I visited Ghana this summer on the Ghana: Discovering the Truth about Africa's Past Program. The program studied the Slave Trade and contemporary West African society, but I got this and so much more out of the experience. An African Proverb states that "She who learns, teaches." Of course, nothing can supplement the learning experience of traveling abroad, but hopefully you can glean a shadow of the perceptions I perceived while in Ghana from my accounts below. Thankyou, or as Ghanaians would say, Medaasi!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Day 2: Adventures in Accra


I woke up early this morning planning to go jogging with a couple friends in the neighborhood of our hotel. We all met in the lobby, ready to go, but the minute we stepped outside it started raining! We came back to the mini-gym in the hotel to work out a bit. By that time it had started pouring! It was a sweet, warm monsoon rain. Apparently the rain season has come early this year, lucky for us, so it probably won't be as hot as usual on this visit.

Our plans today included touring Greater Accra and seeing all the different neighborhoods as well as many independence memorials, having lunch at the National Theater, touring more of Accra, and dinner at a cute place called Chèz Àfrique. Touring such a huge city was only possible with a bus tour, but what with jet lag and sitting in a seat for hours together, I couldn't help but fall asleep. Hopefully we'll get a chance to enjoy Accra at a deeper level later.

After dinner, back at our hotel, a local seamstress who had heard we were in town came to do some business...She had many beautiful dresses, bags, and quilts to sell and also took our measurements to make new dresses with. All the ladies in our group ordered from her and we can't wait to receive them in two weeks!

I'm looking at the schedule for tomorrow and it's a longgggg day of driving. We leave in the morning from our hotel, stop for lunch in Kumasi (a city in the central region) and reach Molè National Park in the North late tomorrow night. I'm not looking forward to the long hours in the bus, but it will be nice to traverse the country and see all the different regions. 

Medasi!
Padma

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