The world has been turning rather fast lately, but that's quite alright. Happy belated Easter all. I heard the family had a nice lamb feast back home. I spent my Easter Sunday putting up bamboo roofing for ten hours. It was actually quite a nice Easter. Plus, I got fufu and we all know how much I love the stuff.
Working with Viktor in Akwidaa (pronounced Ak-wa-dae)and living at the Green Turtle has probably been the best time I've had in Ghana. The beautifully scenic fishing village replete with stunning estuary, brightly painted pirogues, and charming thatched huts dotted along the hillside is a joy to work in (it's also fun trying to convince the villagers that I truly farm).
As well, my free time in the Turtle is always new and always interesting. Each day new faces come and go leaving fun stories of fantastical travel experiences in their wake. I've found myself bartending, practicing my drumming, reading, playing volleyball, and chatting it up with regulars and visitors alike. I've hit it off quite well with the current managers, Dave and Maria. They were volunteering in the Volta for six months and when they came to the Turtle Tom and Jo buddied up with them and asked if they would run the joint while they had their baby in London. The first few weeks were a bit rough going for them as it was some of the busiest times the Turtle has ever seen, but now things have begun to level off and they seem to be enjoying themselves. Dave and I have a tentative date to go surfing in Busua and the three of us eat dinner under the stars nightly.
Another fun idea on the pipeline is a youth football tournament that Viktor agreed to organize with me. It will be scheduled for Sunday May 7th for kids 6-9 and 10-12. Anyone from Akwidaa and the surrounding villages can register to play--especially those kids not in school--and the winners will get some yet undetermined prize. More on that to come...
I thought I'd pass on a few stories I've heard since I've been at GTL for your reading pleasure.
"You stole my penis" - From a PeaceCorps in Guinea
This particular PeaceCorps happened to be walking into an IDD (international direct dial) with a friend from the village when a dispute erupted between a customer and the owner. It was later broadcast in the next day's national newspaper.
-You must pay!
-No, I will not pay!
-You must pay!
-No, I will not pay!
-Pay!
-Shake my hand.
-What? No!
-Shake it!
-NO!
-Shake ittt!
-No!
-Shake.
-Okay.
The two men grasp hands and immediately the store owner's (the shake recipient) eyes go wide with fear. He stares down the man standing across from him and attempts to remove his hand frantically.
-You stole my penis!
-That's right. I stole your penis.
He and a consortium of colleagues go into the corner to inspect the useless void underneath his pants.
-Give it back!
-No. I will not.
-Give it back!
-No!
The gang of men now assembled begins to beat the "penis thief" to no avail.
-GIVE IT BACK!
-NEVER!
-Give it back! *punch, kick, punch, kick*
-NEVER!
-You must give it back!
-Okay, but first you must go to (some guy on the edge of town) and bring back (some obscure root used in medicine)
So the collective tramps off to procure the root and three men remain to pin the phallus snatcher to the floor.
When they return the man observes the root, shakes the penisless man's hand once again and, after a careful inspection once again in the corner of the room he declares:
-It's back!
It's a great story, especially considering that it was in the NATIONAL NEWSPAPER the next day. The villager that was accompanying the PeaceCorps man insisted that the man truly had lost his penis and that he would never make up such a story because now no woman in the village will sleep with him. Apparently that sort of thing happens every once in a while in Guinea.
"Chili pepper surprise" - Brought to you by Viktor
Hundreds of years ago when the first Portugese explorers alighted onto the shores of what would later become Western Ghana the land was ruled by tribal chiefs. One of these men, revered for his ruthless policies and the power he summoned from the hat he eternally wore, heard about these ghost-like men on large ships and sent his soldiers out to comandere a few of these peculiar beasts. They managed to capture two of them. When they were presented to him he declared:
-You men are obviously very sick. Your skin is so pale. You must have malaria.
The Portugese has no means of communicating with this man, but they did know that his soldiers had sharp spears and they were in for something. To return these ghastly, infirmed souls to their "original" hue the chief ordered his soldiers to smear the men in chili powder and tie them down on the beach so that they can bake like goat meat in pepper stew. He left them there for two days and they nearly died of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Needless to say, when given the chance they took flight and those two were never seen again by that tribe.
"Motorcycle Diaries" - Brought to you by an Aussie geologist and his old BMW bike
This isn't exactly a wild incident, but a general fantastic life journey. There was an Aussie (whose name I regretfully forget) that stayed with us for about two weeks. His ATM card was cancelled by its Aussie issuer and he had no means of acquiring more cash. So, he drank beers with us obviously. He bought an old beat up BMW motorcycle, fixed it up and shipped it to Southeast Asia. He then spent the next two years meandering around Asia and Europe from Thailand to Scotland, from Moscow to Mumbai. After those two years he ran out of loot so he took up a job on an offshore oil rig in the North Sea putting his geological knowledge to use testing the product. Now, after a year of that he's back on the bike doing a year following the coastlines of Africa. He's looking for greener pastures now, hoping when he finishes to find a job in a warmer climate and then doing a motorcycle diaries-esque tour of the Americas.
At one point, while he was attempting to cross the Iranian border into Tajikistan he had only $7 in his pocket and no access to proper banking facilities in Iran. The border guard wanted a $60 bribe to enter the country and his visa was expiring in Iran so he did what anyone would do: camped in the no-mans-land between the two nations and made an omelette. Also, he's been to Kazakhstan...so I love it.
Another couple I met, a Brit and an Aus living in Scotland, are overlanding Africa in 18 months in a suped out Landy. They've already been to all seven continents, including Thailand thrice, NZ thrice, and have travel advice for pretty much any conceivable tourist destination. When they're not travelling they pretty much continually are receiving guests at their house. Friends, and friends of friends and friends of friends of friends typically. Thus always making life a bit interesting.
Yes there are cute Dutch girls and quirky Scotsmen, overlanding, pizza-making Italians and volunteers from all corners of West Africa. With eight huts, one dorm, and five tents the place is a hotbed for travelers of all sorts and it's really wonderful listening to all they have to say about the things they've seen and the places they've been. Granted there is interminable amounts of orientation procedure: "How long are you in Ghana? So you're a volunteer? Do you like fufu? I hate it! Ick! It's so hot here! Everyone is always so pushy, gosh!" But some of the more seasoned veterans ignore that completely and thus I am perpetually enthralled by the huge human resources I have before me every day.
In the next month and a half-two months I plan on doing a few things.
-Farming a lot
-Finishing the bamboo roof on Viktor's school
-Geting the football tournament together
-Acquiring some juju amulets for luck and counter-juju.
-Playing as much volleyball as I can
-Figuring out my life after Ghana
It should be a fruitful, rewarding time and I couldn't ask for a better setting to my story. For all of you who were jealous when I was travelling and when I came to Ghana, that was nothing. This is when you should REALLY be jealous.*
*Hatemail can be sent to Fishman@GWU.edu
I hope spring is in full bloom for you all and the world is blooming around you. If not, have patience and it will come (also, have patience and perhaps I'll rememeber how to write again).
Much love to everyone,
Andrew
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