EDIT: I'D LIKE TO MAKE A NOTE THAT ALL THE OTHER BLOG POSTS ARE BEING UPDATED WITH PICTURES, PLEASE GO CHECK THEM OUT!
And I will now use those pictures to edit all my previous posts with, so just hang tight. I've been back for a week, and I've just gotten used to the differences between my Ghana routine and my America routine. My post is also quite late due to my mad rush attempt to fill out the VMCAS application for vet school, something that should absolutely not be left until the last minute to do... And yet here I am.
Anyway what I'd really like to relate to you guys is my last bit of time in Ghana, when I said not only goodbye to all the wonderful people I met on my trip, but also that I will see them again. After saying farewell to the Amakom Veterinary Hospital staff (forgive me if I mispell the names, because I will) Wash, Viktor, Grace, and Daniel, I left straightaway with 12 other interns on a trip to Koforidua, a hilly bit of land on the road between Accra and Kumasi.
I believe Koforidua was definitely my favorite weekend trip as the area was not only beautiful, but well taken care of as there was far less trash in this area than Kumasi. The drive out to Koforidua was around 4 hours, and once our group of 13 was there we separated into two different hotels - one that was budget and one that was slightly more expensive. I opted to stay in the slightly more expensive hotel called the Capital View (not the 3 star one... the 1 star one that was only 80 cedi per room instead of 170) along with Stella, Ola, Francesco and Will. The bed was actually quite spacious and the shower had hot or lukewarm water making this hotel paradise to me.
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| I quite like chocolate. These beans are huge! Banana plants were used to shade the new trees. |
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| Ripe vs non-ripe cocoa. The banana plants were used to cover and ferment the cocoa, our guide told us. Our guide also explained to us about the history and origin of African cocoa plant agriculture. |
The cocoa bean started off as an odd, white and slimy nut with a purple interior. After fermentation under banana leaves, the cocoa gained its characteristic brown coloring.
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| We tried eating both the purple unfermented and undried bean and the fermented and dried bean, and neither tasted particularly great. |
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| Separating the cocoa |
The path back to the village
After our tour around the plantation, we took a tro to Boti Falls, where we first took a "45 minute walk" to the Umbrella Rock on the top of a hill. I use quotations because the path to the Umbrella Rock was neither 45 minutes nor was it a walk, it was a fairly difficult and ridiculous climb up some rocky terrain and hills. I would go as far to call part of it rock climbing. By the time I got to the top of the trail to see the impressive Umbrella Rock (with the boys far ahead) I was out of breath and nearly dry heaving. Still, I thought it was one of the best hikes I've ever done and I plan to do even more hiking because of it. The rock itself was actually quite interesting as it did seem to be like to fall over at any time, but was balanced by some odd forces. The view was a breathtaking expanse of African jungle valley, with lush and wild growth of plants visible from high in the hills, illuminated by a sun hiding behind the clouds. It was a sight to behold.
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The path while it was still nice and flat.  What is going on here! The path keeps getting more rugged. Is there going to be an end???  Here is Pride - I mean the Elephant Rock! |
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| And the view (although underexposed) from the rock! Worth it, I'd say. |
We are quite happy we made it up! We were also able to go on top of the rock as well to see the surrounding area. It was stunning. I also sang the "Circle of Life" at the top.
After our difficult trip up to the rock, we made an easy walk (yes, this time it was just down some steps) to the Boti Falls at the base of the hills. According to the guide the falls were 33m, but they were definitely not that large. They were absolutely gorgeous though, the sun had descended just enough to hit the right waterful and make it sparkle, and the surrounding area was quiet and peaceful. Boti Falls are a sacred site to Ghanians and have many rules as to who can swim in the pond beneath the two falls. After initially taking in the falls, a few of us (me included) decided to climb around the side of the rocks to stand behind the large falls (and get soaked). It was wonderful. Luck also had it that a traveling drum and dance group from Accra came down to the falls and not only performed for us, but we also received Ghanian dance lessons! The experience was quite incredible. Suddenly the drummers started playing, and we the obruni stated dancing and suddenly everyone was interested in joining in. It soon developed into a fun circle of dancing Ghanians and Obruni (who only slightly knew what they were doing... several people were taking pictures of us instead of the falls) moving to the beat of the drums. All in all a very tiring and extremely exciting day.  |
| The falls look small here but were actually quite large. I went behind the left fall. |
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| Picturing: Vera, Francesco, Matteos, Kirsten, Will, Stella, Deborah, Me (center) Lars, Rebecca, Ola, Becky, Amanda, and Alex. We had an incredible time, and I already miss you guys so much. In this photo the only vet students left are Alex and I |
So where am I now? I'm home, after my flight and finally readjusted to America.. So many things are different. Africa seems almost a dream to me and while I miss it, I mostly miss my friends that I've met along the way. I've grown into a much stronger person and I've learned so much about the veterinary field from this trip, and I just wanted to say that I had the time of my life.
- Marisa
- Marisa
We hope we get a chance to meet some of the exceptional friends you made along the way. Be sure and invite them to visit us in New Jersey! There's NYC, Philly and Avalon, three of the greatest places in the world!
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