asomdwee

It is me again i just had a few things to say. We were staying in Cape Coast at a beach resort called Green Turtle Lodge, and I really enjoyed it there. I got to swim relax, eat really good food and meet a lot of new people which was nice. I stood in a hut with mosquito nets which was exciting. I think I got the best sleep of the whole trip there. What I liked about the hut was laying in bed with the front doors to the hut open and just relax and listen to the waves crash against the shore. While we were there we drove to a canoe port in the open savanna, and took an hour long canoe through marshes, and mangroves, and little patches of dense forest before finally arriving to a big open lake and getting closer to the stilt village and taking a tour there. I think i got a little rush the whole canoe ride to the village knowing that there were crocodiles in the water under our canoe. I also got to row, and the whole time i risked falling into the crocodile infested water, because a certain person kept rocking the boat but that only added to the thrill. Once we got to the village i was very excited but the overall environment felt a little to touristy, but i had fun.

After cape coast we traveled to a town called Swedru where we were going to do our homestays. I was very nervous the day we got there because I did not know what to expect. But when we were dropped off at our new homes our new family was very welcoming and friendly so I felt comfortable. We had dinner and then presented our gifts to them which they really liked. During the homestays I got to learn how to make fufu and observe how a typical middle income Ghanaian family lived, and I also learned how to wash clothes Ghanaian style, and I got all of my clothes spotless. Ryan and I were paired up to the homestay, and we got to go out and see the city and meet our host families family, and experience Ghana from the street instead of the bus. I had to dash busy taxis and trucks at the same time avoiding accidentally falling in to a sewer. In Ghana there is open sewers and that is going to take a little getting used to.

while we were doing our homestays we began our work project which was pretty intense. I learned to juggle heavy pans of sand on my head and be bombarded by kids yelling obruni which means traveler, and asking a million questions, at the same time being exhausted. By the time the week was over the whole school knew my name. We also went to an orphanage and did chores as well as donated supplies, the kids were extremely happy and it made me feel good inside. to end the week we played a soccer game which was the U.S. vs. Ghana, and although i fell and scraped my knee i had a lot of fun and the final score was 3 to 0 and we ended up losing but it was fun.

thats all for now.

bye Robert Z

We finally left Accra and I’m really glad that we are starting to travel within the country. I went to the beach and it was such a great experience to just relax read a book and not have any worry in the world. I got to eat lobster and swim in the ocean and I really enjoyed myself. Every time I close my eyes I imagine being back in California and I think it is so weird that when I open my eyes and look on the side of the road I see such sheer poverty. It is like such a parallel world from my own and I could not imagine having to live this way I feel really fortunate to have the life that I have.

We went on the canopy walk today and it was a lot of fun it was so high up in the air that you could not see the ground which was a little scary but the view was incredible and I really enjoyed it. Occasionally someone jumped on the bridge and made it shake so it was a little hard trying to hold on to the bridge and juggle a video camera at the same time. Overall I have been waiting to do the canopy walk and excited to do that for such a long time and now I can say that I actually accomplished that amazing walk. One of the only 4 in the world.

Afterwards we went to the cape coast slave castles, which was very eerie, because I could just imagine all the millions of slaves that were at that exact spot bound for a horrific life. The views of the castle and the ocean was stunning. I got chills up my spine when we entered the pitch black slave dungeons and took a tour. It is a very eerie and creepy place, and I could just see the faces of suffering slaves and imagine their presence. The whole experience was intense and especially when we went and saw the tunnels which led to the door of no return, and just knowing that millions of people passed through those tunnels bound for the Americas, was a little mind boggling. Overall I had fun and learned a lot at the castle. This is my 7th day of cold showers and we are on the road again tomorrow so hopefully our next hotel has warm working water.

Bye for now I’ll write later.

I have been in Africa for 2 days yet it has felt like 2 weeks since I’ve been here.

Once we left the airport I was really excited when I saw people that looked very different from what I was used to, and I began to actually feel as if I were in a different country, and I know that the whole trip is going to be a great experience. Driving through the dark city streets of Accra was an adventure in itself and there were different smells and views that I have not yet encountered in my life. Smoke from fires, combined with the smells of the big city and other smells I cannot explain spilled into our bus and overcame my senses.

Once we arrived at the pink hostel which is going to be our home for the next week, I was a little uneasy, and I also got my first mosquito bite which freaked me out a little just because I know they carry malaria, and three days later I still have the bump. There were also the noises of what we were told to be bull frogs and from what they sounded like I could imagine that they are huge. We ended the night by settling into our rooms.

The next morning when i awoke we had breakfast and got on a bus to tour the city. In Ghana you have to get used to rustling traffic, and people trying to sell things to you from your window in traffic. I am still amazed by how people can carry huge quantities of things on their heads. I had my first taste of African food and I think that some of it is going to have to get some getting used to, but i am open to trying new things.

We toured several museums so far and I am beginning to get immersed into the culture,and I like to meet new people and learn more about African culture. I am excited about the rest of the trip and hope to take a lot with me as far as the culture and broaden my horizons on world cultures. I am a little homesick and missing home in California, but i will get used to it I hope. Thats all for now i will write more later.

-Robert Zuniga

As the time approaches to depart from Sacramento I am growing more and more anxious to embark on this life changing experience in Africa. I have been preparing for this trip all year and I’m thrilled to finally be able to go there and actually experience Africa, and the country of Ghana in particular. I think that all the hard work Asomdwee has put into fund raising will really pay off once we get to Ghana, and do a lot towards helping NGO’s there and impacting people’s lives in positive ways. I think that we have really grown as a team and it will definitely show once we put our team work to the test in Africa. I have never been away from my family for so long and I will really miss them, especially my dogs which are like my other half. I have many goals for this trip and hope to fulfill each one to the fullest. I want to explore Africa and see tons of animals, and I also want to interact with the people and learn about the culture, customs, and traditions. I have learned about Africa in Text books and watched videos but actually experiencing it in person is going to be incredible. I also want to taste authentic African cuisine, fulfill my desire to travel the world, broaden my horizons on world cultures, take plenty of pictures, but most importantly have fun!!!

~Robert Zuniga