Goodbye Ghana...Hello Rome

So its official I am gone. The last few days in ghana were amazing! Mostly I just hung around the house with Romeo and Poppo and did last minute errands but it was a blast. On wednesday night the 3 of us went to Labadi Beach for reggae night which was so much fun. they had a live band and Rastafarian's everyone so we were dying laughing the whole night. Thursday was my last night so a bunch of us went to an American bar called champs for trivia night. It was so much fun and I felt like I was right at home. Our team even came in 3rd place and won 10 Ghana Cedi's...about $10 haha. The new orientation week is just starting and they have 22 people coming so the house was getting packed. Romeo, kofi and poppo had to all be there for this orientation though so it was nice because I got to say goodbye. It was way harder then I thought to say goodbye though. Especially to Romeo who i am going to miss so much its ridiculous. He is promising to come to Canada in the next 2 years though so we will see haha. Another exciting piece of news is that i might have the opportunity to be a country coordinator with Volunteer Abroad in pretty much any place in the world I want. It would be a minimum of year contract but it would be such an amazing experience. Right now ive said no because i need to think about it but I might seriously consider it in about a years time. we will see! Last night I went for dinner with Sylvia and then i flew to Rome where Alè, Dave, Emma and Dylan picked me up at the airport. We drove straight to the beach at Puerto Ercoles which is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life! It looks straight out of a postcard with beautiful houses built out on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Im really looking forward to these next few days and then i leave already on thursday back to Canada. Miss you all and cant wait to see you xoxo

Ja Rule!

So this has been another awesome weekend and the perfect way to end my trip. We didnt end up making it to Ada Foah because we heard of a concert that was in Accra on Sunday. It ended up being a jam for the Ghana music awards and there was a bunch of Ghanaian rappers and then Ja Rule came. Romeo came down with us and Anna's best friend Salomen came also so it was really fun! The concert was on the beach and it was absolutely packed! We were pretty much the only Obruni's so we got alot of attention. First we were interviewed on the news and then when the concert started I met a guy who was the behind the scenes coordinator and he lifted us up over the fence so we were in the VIP section. Then we were dancing in front of the stage and Ja Rule asked us to come up so we ended up onstage dancing with Ja Rule haha. And then he decided to have like a little dance contest so it was anna and I and then two ghetto black girls haha. The crowd voted me to have to go first which was not cool haha. It was really fun though and we were all over the news and people were asking for out autographs and if they could have pictures with us haha. Pretty much a celebrity here now lol. People are always recognizing us on the street and they call us the Ja Rule girls now haha. Then we got invited back to the hotel for the meet and greet and after party but figured it might be sketchy so we went back to the VA house instead. Anna left today to go back to her placement so I had to say goodbye for the last time which sucks. I dont know how I am going to say goodbye to everyone! Especially Romeo! We are just in town now printing pictures off my camera for him. One 4x6 picture costs $1.50...ridiculous haha. But anyways I better get going. talk to you soon xoxo

Baby!!

Today was my last day of work and I finally got to see a baby delivery!!! It was really exciting and I am almost missed it but I ran in just in time to see the baby come out. I can't believe how fast it was! the lady was walking around 2 minutes earlier and then she was gone and the baby was out. It was really weird the woman didnt scream or groan or anything. After they took the baby out I helped wash it in a basin and then they just leave it to lay there for like half an hour while they go do god knows what. Then about 20 minutes later the midwife comes in to deliver the placenta which was the disgusting part haha. The midwife pushed down hard on the ladys stomach and started pulling on the umbilical cord that was hanging out and eventually the placenta came. Then she grabbed a pair of forceps and twisted it out for about 10 minutes. This was the part where I had to leave before I passed out haha. im really excited that i got to see a delivery though.
It was so sad packing up and leaving today. I cant believe my trip is almost over...i feel like I just got here! Plans have changed for me too. I am supposed to be going to ada foah but then we found out that the Ghana music awards are on sunday so we are going to stay in Accra. It sounds really fun though! It is a big beach party and they have tons of artist the most famouns being Ja Rule. Alot of the volunteers are at the house right now so it is awesome that we get to spend some time with them before i leave. Miss you all and cant wait to see you!

Drama

So more or less Nsuta is in shambles haha. Here's the story:
On Sunday night a lady came to the clinic after it was closed at around 8pm and the security guard called the Chief who lives in a house right beside the hospital. However because the power was out (not uncommon at all) the chief told the guard to send her away and refused to come look at her. The women was having a pain in her chest and insisited on seeing the chief but they send her away anyways. So obviously the lady dies and the town went nuts. They organized a riot and we had to lock down the clinic and the chief was advised to leave town. Now heres where the story gets weird.....so everyone here are strong believers in witchcraft because "they have all see it many time" so there are some witches in town that are claiming that they killed the lady because she was an escapee. Apparently somewhere in the hills the witches have caves with cages where they keep a bunch of young men and women and this girl had tried to escape. The pain in her chest is because she was hit with a stick and then I guess they hexed her or something so she died....really messed up but now the trial has gone to the chiefs palace which is more or less like the supreme court. All of the heads of the city had to go before the royal chief today (not the same as our hospital chief) so they can make a decision and more or less the clinic might be screwed. Everyone is freaked out about the witches too obviously so they want to attack us so that the witches wont hurt them....anyways ridiculous!

Its amazing how much I took since parts of the healthcare system for granted like always having light. Another thing I learned today was that the whole hospital was out of surgical gloves and the chief didnt feel like it was a priority. The people in the lab were pissed though because of all the chemicals and stains they use, so luckily I had brought some to leave there. The lab is another story in itself. It is only open one day a week and they have one small crappy microscope and thats it. No computers..they cant even test for malaria! Today I was giving an injection and she was a really heavy bleeder and it started bleeding everywhere. Obviously I backed off because I was supposed to use the cotton ball to wipe it after but not a chance was I getting near there with no gloves. They all laughed at me that I was scared of blood but whatever. I cant believe how unsterile they are. No one ever wear gloves or masks. Im getting alot more authority though. I pretty much do everything by myself. Tomorrow is my last day and we have community outreach so Im looking forward to that.

Also today I am going to the high school to distribute a couple hundred condoms which i bought for $2 lol. One of the new volunteers that I have been travelling with brought 5000 with her and she has been going to the brothels and where the prostitutes hang out and handing out condoms. She says they were so happy they were crying so I figured im going to try to do my part in Nsuta.

Other then that not much is new. Tonight I have to pack up because im leaving tomorrow after work to go to Accra. A bunch of us are going back to Ada Foah (my favourite place on the river volta and the ocean) until monday or tuesday and then I fly out Friday. It is going to be so sad to say goodbye to everyone...especially Romeo...I so wish he could come to canada and you all could meet him...someday!

Anyways I better get going to the high school. Miss you all and cant wait to see you xoxo

Darn Mosquitos

So im sorry I have been struggling again with the blog. I had Malaria last week which was brutal so I have been in bed. I cant believe I actually got malaria. What a waste taking those stupid malaria pills lol. And the worst part is ive likely had it since the beginning of my trip. Ive been sick the whole time but I just assumed it was my body getting used to the food and the heat but then I started getting really dizzy and blacking out so I had to go to the hospital. They gave me a ridiculous amount of pills (about 20 a day) and they made my ears ring and the first few days I was hallucinating. Lucikly I am much better now though! This weekend we went to green turtle lodge which is literally in the middle of no where..about an hour from the next town and it was absolutely beautiful. It was right on the most beautiful white sand beach in Ghana and surrounded by palm trees. The waves were massive about 10 feet at times so it was a little rough to swim but it was also really fun. I went with Anna, Sophie and one of the new volunteers named Carly and then Romeo, Kofi (one of the other employees for a different region) and two past volunteers who I love came too. It was really fun and so nice to hang out with a group of people that have the same goals and beliefs and you. I stayed up late one night with the other 2 volunteers, Britney and Joel and we just layed on the beach and talked for a few hours and I loved it! Im going to miss all these people so much! Britney and Joel are leaving for south africa next week and they are doing a month long safari all up the east coast which sounds amazing!!

I have to say though that Im finally starting to feel ready to come home. I never thought I would want to leave and I was stressing about it but I really miss home and josh, my family and friends! Its amazing how many little things you take for granted!

I will leave you with a crazy story...the other day I saw an almost dead guy laying at the side of the road haha. He was all cut up with his pants around his ankles and he wasent moving but I think he was alive still. When I asked Romeo about it he said he was most likely a thef. apparently here stealing is the worst thing you can do. if you steal and get caught a mob will chase you down and literally beat you to death and then leave your body. He says this guy was probably lucky because they assumed he was dead. Crazy!

Miss you all and cant wait to see you! Im out of here in 11 days and home in 18! See you then xoxox

Mole National Park and Paga

Sorry it has been so long since Ive been on here. Things have been really busy lately and then when I tried to go to the internet last week it was down.

So last weekend we made the treacherous trip up to Mole National Park which is the best place for seeing wildlife in Ghana. Unfortunately it is like 15 hours away and we had to sleep in the bus station. Its really difficult to get there because the roads are so bad but luckily we made it there in one piece which is more then many people have to say. We didnt really get to see the elephants though because they were moving away from the watering hole when we got there and you usually cant see them on the afternoon walk. We did see alot of warthogs though and nile crocodiles along with baboons and alot of different types of antalope looking things haha. Then the next morning at 4am we made our way to Paga which is right at the border or Burkina Faso. I loved it it Paga! It has so much history there and the houses are over 6000 years old and made of mud and cow dung. They have hollowed out roofs where they hid when the british tried to capture them as slaves and many houses are the same. They have two crocodile ponds both with over 200 crocodile and they bathe in the water and fish no problem. The crocodiles were amazing..they were totally wild and not trained but they really respected the people because they have never hurt them. We walked out into a little sand barge and about 5 crocodiles all started walking towards us because the guy was holding a squaking chicken. I have to say I was pretty sacred at first but as long as you didnt cross infront of them so they couldnt see the chicken anymore you were fine. I sat on one of the biggest crocodiles who was 96 years old. It was really cool and I was able to play with it for as long as I wanted lifting its tale in the air and touching its skin. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity so Im really happy we went up there.

This week not much new happened. I gave another injection this time to one nurses which made me nervous haha. It was more difficult too because you had to make sure you werent in a vain by drawing out. Then on Wednesday we went to Kumasi and went to the market and met one of our friends from Ada. He ended up coming to Nsuta with us and then we went over to Annas town to visit all her friends. They were really cool and Im thinking of going back on Monday for a party. Today we travelled to Accra and we are at the Volunteer Abroad house now and we will be going to Kokrobite beach tommoe. Ciao xoxo

The Last Obruni

Sunday we went to Kakum National Park where we went on a canopy tour. They had 350m on Canopies over the jungle with 7 bridges and 6 tree platforms. It was really cool but a little too touristy for my liking. Its amazing how many white people you see when your near the coast. And I have met 2 men from Calgary! One even living in Shawnessy. Small world! The rest of that day we just travelled and I was really sick again so I was glad to be home early.

Yesterday I came in to the internet cafe to update my blog and then the power went out so I had to head back home. The power was out still when I woke up this morning so it was a very long dark night. One in which I decided to go to bed at 7 becaue I had nothing better to do haha. Yes it is much quieter around here now but so far I am enjoying it. Being the last obrunui is a little exhausting though as everyone has remembered my name and I have to stop and talk to atleast 20 people and wave at 60 children on my way to work (usually a 4 min walk but it takes me about 15).

The clinic was crazy today as it was the community outreach day for our town. We had about 300 babies come in so it was absolute madness and you can just imagine the sounds of 300 babies being together and some that are getting needles.... I love the kids though and it was nice to be crazy busy for once.

I have been missing home alot lately and I don't know why it has happened all of a sudden. I love it here and I would be happy if I never had to leave...as long as all my family and friends came with me haha. It's weird because on one hand im dreading that I only have 4 weekends left and then on the other I'm happy because I get to see everyone...oh well can't win them all haha :)

Cape Coast Castle

Friday was Steph and the Swedish people last day in Nsuta so now I'm all alone haha. I think there will be someone else coming in a few weeks though and Romeo will still be around so it's all good. It will keep me much busier at the clinic forsure. Plus I get to move into Stephs room which is much cleaner (It's amazing how your standards of "clean" change haha).

Friday I was feeling really sick so we didn't leave until a little later and then it took us forever to make it the Cape Coast which was supposed to only take 4 hours and ending up taking about 8. We stayed at a nice place on the beach for $8 a night and although I have quite a few bites it was generally good and it had toilets which flushed which is a HUGE deal here haha.

We went to Cape Coast Castle this afternoon which was an English castle where they kept slaves in dungeons before there where exported in ships to Europe and North and South America. It was very creepy walking around in the dungeons which held thousands of slaves laying ontop of their feces and urine that piled up over the years. Every few weeks food was thrown down and it was survival of the fittest to who got it. They also had "punishment" cells for the female slaves who refused to be raped and they were often sent to the Condemed cells and killed. It really was horribly eerie to see and amazing that this all happened not that long ago. The castle is right on the sea and there is a door called "the door or no return" where the slaves passed right before they were put on the boats. Here they were literally packed like sardines all lying down and piled to the ceiling.

After the castle we went to another hotel called Hans Cottage which is on the way to Kakum National Park where we plan to go tomorrow. The hotel is really cute and is centered around a pond that has crocodiles and you can feed them. Its weird because you can walk around the path or over the bridge onto the island and there will be a crocodile sitting right there. You are advised to enter at your own risk haha. It has a pool though which we were pumped about and we are in a room with about 10 beds but so far we have it to ourselves. I better get going though time is running out. Talk to you soon xoxo

Polyclinic

Yesterday I had community outreach and then we all went to the wood carving village and then to Kumasi. The wood carving village was really cool and they had some amazing things! I bought 2 masks and a few little gifts which I am in love with ;) Then we came back to Nsuta and watched Ghana play Mexico city in someones house. There was about 20 of us crowded around the TV because it is one of the only ones in town. The Ghanians are absolutely CRAZY about football! Everyone wears jerseys all the time and you see people playing it everywhere you look.

Today we didn't do anything too exciting because we needed to do alot of paperwork. I did go into the delivery room at one point though because I heard a baby screaming like crazy for about 10 min. It turns out that he was getting circumcised which was quite disgusting. There was 2 nurses holding it down and one was just using a knife to cut it and there was blood everywhere. I don't know what they were doing but it took about half an hour and the baby was screaming the whole time. Pain is very different here then in Canada. The patients are never given painkillers and are never asked how they feel. I can't imagine ever delivering in a country like this! Right after you give birth you are told to walk down the hall to the waiting room where you sit about 10 min and then walk home. Most of the mothers that get to the clinic are already in the process of giving birth and the head is coming out. Another interesting part to my day is that I was working in family planning and a young girl came in with her new baby to get birth control and we discovered that she was pregnant again already. She didnt seen too happy to say the least but abortion is unheard of here so instead of giving her the birth control injection we gave her tetnus for her pregnancy.

Tomorrow I am likely going down to Cape Coast and staying at Hans cottage atleast one night where the hotel is surrounded by a lake filled with crocodiles. Were hoping to also go to Cape Coast castle which is where a large slave industry was run and then to Kakum National Park where they have a canopy walk. I will try to get on the computer over the weekend or definitely monday. Oh yea tomorrow is my Mommys birthday for all of you that didnt know so HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha Love you xoxoxo

Paradise

So I am unfortunately home from Ada! It was the most beautiful amazing place I have ever been in my life! When we first got to Ada we had to take a boat to get to Ada Foah where our resort was. So we get in the little boat and as we start driving along the river bank we start seeing mansions and wakeboarding boats and see-doos and stuff which I did not expect to see in Ghana. Its all white people though ofcourse who have gotten approval from the chief to buy the land. The houses were unbelievable too! All made of wood with straw gazeboes and what not. Then the further we went downstream we hit the cutest little fishing village because it is so close to the ocean that the men go out everymorning in there big wooden fishing boats. The village was all straw huts and the people were so friendly! Our resort was further down and was basically about 20 straw huts built on the sand. It was very basic with only a bed in the room and shared bathrooms (hole in the ground). From our door it was about a 10 second walk to the ocean on one side and a 10 second walk to the river on the other side. It was absolutely beautiful and so relaxing! There was no electricity or anything so we all had little lanterns which was super cute. It was such a perfect weekend to kick back and relax. We swam across the river one day with a surfboard and it was much further then we expected haha. It probably took us atleast 2 hours to get across and back. The resort was also really cool because it was so small and all the guests hung out together. We met some Ghanians who owned a football club in Accra and they were there with some volunteers from all over the word. It was really fun because we played beach volleyball and everyone had a different accent (German,Italian.,Scottish,Australian,English,Irish ect.) which was hilarious! They were really neat people and we might go visit the academy sometime.

Today was also an UNREAl day! First at work I got to give my first vaccine :) which was awesome and then I got to give the Polio vaccine to all the babies (given orally). I am getting more and more responsibility every day which I'm really excited about! The other girl has only given one vaccine ever so the fact that I got to do it so early on is really awesome. This afternoon we went to the caves in a village nearby which was crazy! We crawl into the little black hole and then you feel swooshing everywhere and he shines his light and I swear there was 300 bats! They were absolutely covering the walls and ceiling to the point where you could only see the wall moving. In the cave there was little sitting rocks everywhere where the christians came to pray when they were being persecuted. There was also a little underground creek running through the cave so it was really muddy and at points we had to get on our hands and knees and crawl through tunnels! I cant believe I did that and my knees were shaking the whole time haha. My time is running out though so I will check in again soon! Miss ya!

Easter Weekend

Yesterday we traveled from Nsuta to the Volunteer Abroad house in Accra. It took ridiculously long and I thought I was going to die in the bus! The drivers here are insane! Our bus yesterday was going about 120 down bumpy roads and the bus was shaking and we were passing people like crazy. We almost got in a head on collison about 5 times. I was praying so hard! haha. But we got here at about 1:00am last night and we are leaving to Ada Foah soon. It is only a 2 hour tro-tro ride to the volta basin and then a short boat ride to Ada Foah. I can't wait! It looks so beautiful and my friend who has been here 2 months says its the best thing she has done in Ghana. Other that not much to report so I will write again after the long weekend. Happy Easter!!!

Community Outreach

The last 2 days Steph and I went to nearby communities for community outreach. I love doing this! We set up like a little clinic outside and all the mother come with their babies (about 50-200 per town) and we weigh them on a scale that we hang from a tree and then record and graph their weight. The rest is mostly bookkeeping and doing recors of the children and then we give them their vaccinations that they are due for. I havent done any vaccines yet but I will soon. Last night 4 swedish girls and a guy came and they are staying for 2 weeks. Today we went to Mampong to the market. Yesterday afternoon we went to the kente cloth weaving village which was really cool and then to Kumasi market. the market is insane and is the biggest one in western africa. I will tell you more about that later because i have to run xoxo

Life in Ghana

Last night Romeo, his cousin and I went to my place for dinner (Romeo's mom is the cook and his brothers bring me breakfast, lunch and dinner). Then we walked to the school in the next village to meet some of their friends. That night some of us went to Atomic which is a local pub and I taught them to play the gauntlet (high or low). It was absolutely hilarious because drinking is not popular in Ghana at all. Especially for anyone under 30. So after a beer (about a litre) everyone was singing and dancing haha. I really love this town everyone is so sweet and kind and happy to see you. The children are so excited to see an Obruni and they run after you yelling "Obruni, Obruni!" Stephanie and Chloe came back today but Chloe leaves on wednesday and Steph only has 2 weeks and then it will just be me. I think 2 Swedish girls are coming tomorrow though with a different organization to work in an orphanage. I also got to move houses which I am very happy about considering I went to the bathroom last night and hundreds of coachroaches were crawling up the toilet. My new place is much nicer. It is on the rooftop of a house and I have a room with a fan (thank god because I didnt have one the last 2 nights) a bathroom with a western toilet! (that dosent flush) and a little fridge (that I cant really use since the power goes out all the time) But its definitely an improvement! Im trying to find some stuff to clean the bathroom up but I have been unsuccessful thus far. Today was also my first day of work! Today I mostly learned what I would be doing and then watched and helped with TB vaccinations for newborn babies. We had about 15 babies come in today because they didnt have any vaccine left last week so it was busy. The family planning and maternity ward of the clinic where I will mostly work is usually busy in the morning and then it completly dies down during the day. Today we got off at about 1:00. Tomorrow is community outreach where we go to a small nearby community to weigh the babies to check for malnourishment and give vaccines. I am really excited to go as it will be one of our busiest days other then Thursdays which is supposed to be packed. Because it is easter weekend I was given Friday and Monday off so Anna and I are going to make a trip to the Volta Region. Steph and Chloe just came from a town there called Ada where you sleep on a hut on the beach and the Atlantic is on one side and Lake Volta is on the other. They said it was one of their favourite places so Im really excited to go! Talk to you in a few days xoxox

Nsuta

Yesterday Anna and I travelled 6+ hours to get to Kumasi. The road was absolutely insane! There were potholes and speed bumps everywhere so it was a very bumpy ride to say the least. Nsuta is a small community about 1 1/2 hours from Kumasi and 30 min from the town Anna is staying in. It is very different from Accra and alot like the Africa you see on TV. It is in the middle of the jungle and most of the houses are very run down. There is no running water so we walk down to the creek and fill buckets to shower. There are flies everywhere! I have never seen anything like it in my life. There is also goats and chickens running around everywhere you look. The roads and everything are completely dirt and no one has stoves or kitchens. You cook outside with some hot coals. There is a really nice guy here named Romeo who is the local coordinator and he is Poppos best friend. He is my age so hes really fun to hang out with. His mom is also the cook so his little brothers bring me food 3 times a day. I have just been hanging out with him and his friend today walking around the town and meeting people. Then we came to the nearby town of Mamgpong where I am now to use the internet. Tonight I am moving from the house I am now to the place I was supposed to be staying but the girl took my room. They were out of town this weekend and took the keys so tonight we will figure it out but I think they will share a room. I met one of the nurses I will be working with and we had an awesome night chatting about the culture and what I want to do at the clinic. It is my first day working tomorrow so I will have more to tell you then. Ciao xoxo

The Last Few Days In Accra

Thursday we had some more Twi lessons and then Anna and I went to the beach again boggie boarding for the last time :( We had to leave there pretty quickly though because we were attracting quite a crowd and everyone wanted to get their picture taken with us. Today we did the "amazing race" where we had to race around the city doing different taks which was very crazy. The markets here are insane! Tonight we just hung around for the last night with all of the staff and two of the volunteers that were just ending their trip stopped by. They were a couple and as soon as they got there the guy asked me if I lived in Calgary and after I said yes he asked me if I went to Bishop OByrne because he did to....small world. And then I was talking to his girlfriend about what she was doing lately and she is going to UVic next year to take Biochemistry....weird haha. So we sat out there talking and telling stories for a long time and it is just so bizarre to meet someone from my high school in my grade for the first time in Ghana!

Tomorrow we are heading of to our placements in the morning. It is about a 6 1/2 hour drive to Kumasi and then an hour to Anna's village and then another half hour to mine from hers. I am so excited to finally get there. I met the other girl who will be working there for the first 2 weeks with me and she loves it so Im really excited. She is a really cool girl but her friend just moved up there (because she got kicked out of her placement) and she is definitely not a nice person! And I was all excited because I was told I was getting my own little apartment like thing in a complex with my own bedroom and bath and a small fridge. But now that the girl is in my room I have no idea where I will be living so that will be interesting. I might live with the nurses which will be fine so we will see. Anyways I will talk to you again when I get a chance. There is no internet in my town but there is about a 10 min cab ride away which is about a 10 cent trotro ride so I will go there in a few days. xoxox

Obruni!

Yesterday it was ridiculously hot so instead of going to the market we went to the beach :) I spent most of the time swimming and boggie boarding. The waves are absolutely massive here and you are only aloud to swim in a small area because the rest is too dangerous. The beach is really cool though and they have little shows and people with snakes and stuff. The water is beautiful except for the fact that you see a few plastic bags here and there. My only vice about this country is the litter! The people are so cute here and they are always checking on you and making sure you are happy and ok all the time. I think 20 people asked me if I could swim and then followed me around the whole time just incase haha. I have to admit that I fried myself though but today Im looking quite tanned. The sun is powerful here!

This morning we had drumming and dancing lessons again and then we took a tro-tro for about an hour up the mountain to a botanical garden. It was really cool as they had all kinds of trees and fruit trees like banana, starfruit, pear, mango ect. Inside the botanical gardens was a little village and the kids there were very excited to see us haha. They chase after you yelling Obruni Obruni (white person) and Good afternoon! haha. I love the kids here they are sooo cute! Tonight it rained which was awesome because its a little cooler! Well good night xoxox

Akwaaba!

Sunday Anna, Steve (the owner), Daniel (one of the local staff) and I had a very eventful day! First we went to Lumbadi beach which was crazy! The ocean is beautiful and Anna and I tried out best to go swimming which wasent easy. The men are very touchy here and everyone wants to help the foreigners so every wave someone would pick us up so we wouldnt get wet or hold our hands and it was driving me crazy. They are just trying to be nice but I am so not used to being touched by strangers haha. After the beach we went to a football (soccer) game at the stadium where they just held the Cup of Nations (Africa cup). They stadium was beautiful but really crazy! The two main cities were playing Accra vs. Kumasi so the place was packed. Trying to get tickets was crazy because there was a mob of people all screaming and pushing eachother and then the cops were trying to break it up and handcuffing people which didnt help much. It was organized so bad and they only had one gate open at a time so people were going nuts and trying to climb the walls and stuff. It was probably the craziest thing I have ever seen and I tried to stand as far as possible away. I was just waiting for the tear gas to get thrown like I heard it did at the africa cup games. Luckily once again they love to help white people so we had our own brigade helping us to get in. That night I went for an awesome dinner with Sylvia at a beautiful restaurant. The food was so amazing and Im gunna miss it! Sylvia is so awesome! We had such a great chat and its nice to have her close incase I need anything. We talked alot about how much of a life changing experience this will be no matter what which I am really excited about. I am hoping to see her again when I get back from my project if not sooner on a weekend trip. Anna and I have alot of weekend trips planned all over Ghana so I am getting excited about that! Yesterday we started Twi language lessons which is not easy! Then we went to the local museum (which is about the size of my bedroom hah) and then to the art market where they have alot of carvings and masks and what not. All of that stuff is amazing and so well made! I am getting a handcarved drum made for me with my tribal name 2 local symbols and Ghana 2008 carved in it for $60 which is pretty amazing seeing that they are 100% hand carved and made with real cow skin. Yesterday was also the first day of our drumming and dancing lessons. They were both so much fun and I will have to videotape the dancing because it is hilarious!! Today we have some more language lessons and then we are going to the huge market which will be insane. Love you all and miss you!

Africana

So they have a computer in our house which is awesome and since there is only 2 of us we can use it anytime! Last night we all went to watch a performance of a drumming and dancing group called Africana. They were unbelievable! I have never seen so much talent and energy in my whole life. The dancer went hard jumping and running around for an hour straight. Then they brought a bunch of us on stage and we did a dance off which was hilarious! I cant believe how hard it is to move your body like they do. I am actually happier then I have ever been in my life right now. Just sitting there and watching the performance I was so moved and there is nowhere in the world that I would rather be. This country is so incredible the people are amazing the food is great (really really spicy though!) and the best part is that its so hot there are hardly any bugs! The only thing I have seen is ants and I haven't seen a mosquito yet even though we sit outside all night. Every person you meet wants to be your friend and welcome you to the country and when you walk around you have children following you everwhere yelling Obruni which means white person haha. Today the group of 20 left so it is just Anna and I and we are going to walk around with one of the guys today and then go to the beach later. The beach is supposed to be amazing and they have shows and acrobats all over the place. Tonight I am going for dinner with Sylvia so I am really excited to see her again! Ciao love you and miss you xoxo

Ghana!

So today is my first full day in Ghana. I got here late last night and was suprised by Sylvia (Ale's sister) at the airport. It was really awesome to see her again and we are going to lunch tomorrow! I am staying in a house with one other volunteer and a group of 20 high school students. The high school students are only here until tomorrow and then it will be just me at the other girl Anna. We are on different placements but our villages are only 30 minutes apart so we can travel most of the way together. Last night we walked to the beach which is honestly a minute walk from my house and it's absolutely beautiful! You can only swim in it at certain times though because the rip tides are so dangerous.

I am getting so excited about my placement! I've been talking to the girl who is the country coordinator (who actually went to UVic and came here a few years ago and never left) and she is so excited about my placement because she can't say enough good about it. She said that they will teach me to do vaccinations and to draw blood and there had been cases in other clinics where the doctors let the volunteers completely deliver the baby! She said it is also amazing because we travel alot to the surrounding villages and get to meet all the locals so by the end they will all know me. They also said it is even safer then Canada because everyone knows you and is really protective of you and they dont often get tourists. We will be living on the top floor of something like an apartment complex and there is 6 other families in our compound who we will be really close to. There is another girl at my placement now and she will be there for 2 weeks with me and then another girl will come. Anyways thats as much as I know for now but during orientation this week I will be learning all the details so I will let you know.

Today we came to town and walked around downtown and met some of the locals. Its very crazy and busy here and we have crowds follow us everywhere we go. The coordinator said it is just because of the big group though and we wont get harrassed at all when we are in small groups. Tonight we are going to a concert to watch one of our coordinators friends play so Im really excited. As for the heat I am dying but I am managing haha. It is hotter then ever and it never cools down even at night. Luckily I got the top bunk right at the corner of 2 windows and under a fan so I was actually cold last night! Well I better get going! I will talk to you all soon. Miss you and love you xoxo

The Countdown

So it's almost here...2 days and counting! I can't believe it's finally here. I've spent alot of time talking to Dave and Alé about their time in Africa over the last few days and I have to say that I finally getting a little nervous. I know that this is going to be a really challenging experience but I don't think that I anticipated just how challenging it's going to be. I think that these feelings are good though because I hoping that I will be happily suprised if I lower my expectation's. I have to admit that the thing I am most worried about is probably the least of my worries...the bugs and the heat haha. Right now it's almost 40 degrees everyday and it dosen't cool down at night and obviously our hut dosen't have AC so it will be quite uncomfortable! The other thing that I am worried about is getting too attached to the patients...but I think that is inevitable. Well anyways that's how I'm feeling so now I will tell you what I have been up to lately.

The last couple of days I have been hanging out with Alé running errands and chatting. She has become such an amazing friend and I can talk to her about anything. We pretty much chat any chance we get about absolutely anything. She is such a great role model because she is so strongwilled and she isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. I love that she couldn't care less about what anyone thinks. We've talked alot about Africa and her challenges there and she definitely dosen't sugarcoat it but I think that is exactly what I need right now.

Last night we went for dinner in an area of Rome called Trasverste and it was delicious. I am really enjoying the slow pace that we have lately because it is preparing me for the laid back environment of Africa plus getting prepared for Africa is never ending as I always think of last minute things I need. Today was an outlet adaptor because I got one for italy but not Ghana so now I will attach my chargers to an italy adaptor and then a ghana adaptor. Way too difficult if you ask me! Why in the world would different countries have different plug-ins is beyond me haha. Anyways I better hit the hay. Miss you all a ton xoxo

More Pics!

The Best of Rome

The last few days have been jam packed so I will give you a little play by play haha.
On friday night I got in late so we went and watched Uncle Dave play hockey with his new team because they are preparing for a tournament in Northern Italy so they have practice 4 days a week. Yes believe it or not there is hockey in Rome but I have to admit there is a few on his team that even im better at skating which is sad. Saturday we drove out to Capena to Nono and Nona's (Ale's parents) country home. It was absolutely beautiful and there house was amazing. The built a huge spanish style villa that has 3 floors, 2 full kitchens and 5 bedrooms on a 4 acre olive tree farm. They make their own olive oil and Alé always cooks with it and it is amazing! The countryside is incredible and there are olive trees everywhere. That afternoon they took us to an animal market where there were hundreds of animals for sale including chickens, peacocks, goats, cows, fish, horses, puppies, kittens, turtles..pretty much anything you can possibly think of. It was really cool and the kids loved it. Emma and Dylan got 2 fish although they wanted a pony haha.
Today I toured downtown Rome a little more. I started at Circus Maximus where the chariot races were held (and also the site of Live 8) and then I walked over to Bocca della Verità where I put my hand in the hand of truth. Legend says that if you put your right hand in the hand of truth, while telling a lie, it will be bitten off (apparently priests used to put scorpions in there in help it along). Then I walked over to Capitoline Hill and walked through the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum was really amazing and there were hundreds of ancient ruins and 2 massive arches leftover from law courts, offices and temples. My last site of the day was the magnificiant Colosseum where I did a 1 hour audioguide tour. This was really amazing to finally see and definitely one of the coolest things in Rome. It's awesome to stand from above and look down at the subterranean tunnels where the "ferocious beasts" and gladiators cowered prior to their debuts. I spent the rest of the day wandering around downtown mostly near the Spanish Steps which is my favourite place to hang out. Ciao xoxo

Hofbräuhaus

Today Rob and I took the train to Munich and I got yelled at haha. I had my feet up on the seat as usual and some grumpy german man said in bad english "Here in germany we dont put our feet on things. This is not America." I informed him that I absolutely was not american and then I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying anthing worse haha. We spent most of the day walking around the town visiting the local market near city hall and going in and out of shops. Then we wandered over to the hofbräuhaus which is becoming a local hangout for the Heidt clan :) haha. It is massive and they are renovating it right now so it´s cleaner then usual. Personally I´m wondering what I have to do to get my own mug and then I figured that starting to drink beer could be a good start. But today wasent the day and I had a spetzie which was delicious haha. Then I bought myself a new purse because I am suprisingly disappointed with the shopping in Rome and finding Munich a must better place to shop. As much as im enjoying this amazing holiday with my family I am eager to get to Africa! I still reallzy dont know anything about it so im anxious to get in there and start working. Although i know after a few weeks I will be wishing I was back in my comfy bed in Rome :)
Ps. I will be putting more pictures up when I get back to Rome of friday and get the chance to upload them! I cant wait to show you all Lynn!

Germany

Yesterday I was exhausted so instead of going downtown I decided to walk down the appia. Then I went to the catacomb of Saint Sebastian (the patron saint of athletes) where the remains of his body are kept. The catacomb was amazing! Underneath the church the christians dug 7 miles and 3 stories of tunnels where they kept their dead during the time when the christians were persectued. The caves were amazing and there were still leftover tombs from where the bodies were kept. All of the bodies were gone from the graves where we walked but there were hundreds of tunnels blocked off that were the burial site of coffins. Saint Sebastians story was incredible as it included him being shot at by a fleet of arrows when he was executed and him surviving to come back and fight for the christians before he was sentenced to death for the second time. That night I flew to Germany to meet my uncle, his girlfriend Steffi, her son Milo (6 years old) and their new baby Lynn Sopie. She is absolutely adorable! She is only 10 days old and she is the tiniest thing I have ever seen! She is such a sweet baby and she never cries of complains. She only makes little coos and noises when she is hungry. It was really nice to finally meet Steffi and Milo after hearing so much about them and Milo is adorable! Today we hung around the house with the baby and then went to a good german restaurant for dinner. Tommorow Rob and I are going to Munich so I will have more to tell you then xoxox

St. Peters & The Vatican

Yesterday we walked all the way from Dave and Alé's place down the via appia antiqua to town. It took us about 3 hours so it was a long walk. The road is perfectly straight the whole way and takes you to the gates of Rome. Walking along you imagine the thousands of soilders marching down the appia towards Rome. Some of the road has been repaired but the majority of it is the same road that they marched on 2750 years ago.

Today I did my own thing and made my way to town on the metro. First I went to St. Peters Basilica which was absolutly incredible. It honestly was the most amazing thing I have ever seen and the best thing I have seen in Rome thus far. It is massive and every inch of it is beautifully decorated. There are tombs and statues everywhere and all the walls and the ceiling are painted. There is an incredible arch made of bronze that is believed to stand overtop of the grave of St. Peter, the first pope. The views at the top of the dome were breathtaking (and so was the hike up 550 steep stairs to the top!) and it was amazing to see all of Rome from above.

Next I went to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. I have to be honest with you the museums were a little boring and you have to walk through all of them for about an hour before you can get to the Sistine Chapel...but it was worth it. The Sistine Chapel was incredible! You hear about it and read about it but it dosent even compare to being there and looking up and seeing the beauty of it.

Then I tried to walk to Piazza del Popolo on the other side of town and I got extremely lost for about an hour and i ventured away from the touristy area so people were looking at me a little strange but eventually I made it and I wandered around the shopping area near the Spanish steps-just looking not buying :) it is far to expensive around there but its nice to look at all the big names like gucci, prade, fendi, D&G ect. all on one block. Then i made my way home on the metro and the bus and took a very dark stroll down the appia antiqa to find my house. Thank God! Its definitely not easy navigating around Rome as there is no street signs and none of the maps seen to be true....tommorow I am going to Munich, Germany to see my Uncle Rob and my cousins Nick and the new baby Lynn Sophie. She is only one week old so I am VERY excited to see her! Until then,
Ciao!

Rome Pictures

Some Florida Pictures

Feeding birds in the bird sanctuary at Busch Gardens

Josh picking oranges at Nana and Pop's neighbours house

Nothing life a wild safari with a roller coaster in the background :)

Josh and I....miss you xoxo

Rome Day 2

Today was day 2 in Rome. We did lots of sightseeing today which was amazing. Everything here has history! For example it turns out that the old cobblestone road I was telling you about that takes you to Dave and Alè's place is the Appia Antica- the oldest road in Rome. It was mentioned in the bible and was the main road that took you to Rome from the south and it is lined with ancient burial sites. This morning we headed towards the centre of Rome where we briefly saw the Colosseum and Theatro di Marcello but I will have to go back and wander around as there is so much to see in that area. Then we got out of the car and wandered around for hours seeing sites like Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Fontana delle Tartarughe, the market at Piazza Campo de'Fiori and my favourite Fontana di Trevi where I followed the typical tradition and made a wish while throwing a coin over my shoulder. We drove past the Vatican and St. Peters and I am excited to go back there and wander around. I am going to spend a few days next week by myself wandering so it should be really fun! Talk to you then xoxox Miss you all

Rome Sweet Rome

I arrived in Rome today after an awesome week in Florida with Josh and his family. The visit was much too short and I can't believe that it is over already. We had alot of fun in Florida hanging out and playing cards with Nana and Pops and we also went to Busch gardens one day which is a theme park with a bunch of huge roller coasters and also and african safari type thing where they had rhinos, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, lions, antelopes ect. We went to the beach one day too but it was cloudy and cold. Then on thursday I boarded the plane at 6:45pm for the 8 hour flight to london and then a 2 1/2 hour flight to Rome. There I was met by my Uncle Dave Auntie Alé and my cousins Dylan and Emma (who I must add are absolutly adorable!!) I haven't seen much of Rome yet but from what i've seen it's incredible. There is history everywhere you look! The road leading to their house is a hundreds of years old cobble stone road and there are ancient ruins everywhere including a half torn down brick building right across the street from the entrance to the house. The houses in this area are also incredible! They are all castles/mansions that have been passed down for centuries because there are built on archeological ground so you are not allowed to build on it anymore. They all are very European looking and Dave and Ale's place is a beautiful spanish style gated villa with a huge backyard. Inside its beautiful with brick archways and wood finishing everywhere. It is beautifully decorated with the african furniture that they have accumulated over the years and I feel very at home here. I even have my own sleeping quarters that has a seperate entrance from the house and a private bedroom and bathroom. its dinner so i better go...alè has made something that smells yummy!!! Talk to you soon xoxo

Departure Day!

Hey Everyone!
Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I haven't had much new news to tell you since I have been in Calgary. I am finally all packed up and ready to go and I leave for Florida tonight at 12:30. I can't believe today is finally here! Everyones has been wondering if I am nervous and to tell you the truth I'm really not. I think I am too full with excitment and anticipation to be nervous. This experience is going to be challenging but exciting and I can't wait to tell you all about it. Until then xoxox Miss you all already!

Itinerary

Hey Everyone!
I've created this blog for all of you to keep up to date on my travels. I will try to write on here any chance I get so that you can follow along with what I am doing. As most of you know Josh and I are going to Florida to visit Josh's grandparents first so I will be there from February 16th to February 21st. On the 21st I will be flying to Rome and I will be staying with my Uncle Dave, Auntie Alessandra and my cousins Emma and Dylan until I fly to Ghana on March 7th. I am in Ghana for 8 weeks from March 7th to May 2nd and then I will be in Rome one more week until May 9th. It's going to be an amazing and crazy trip and I will definitely try to best to keep in touch.
Love,
Jessi xoxo