Going, Going, Ghana... that was the saying posted on the podium during my Global Studies class the morning. We left Ghana last night after 5 long days spent learning (and sweating) in a country unlike anywhere I have ever been before.

The first day I was thrust into a big part of Ghana’s history as I toured two Castles & Slave dungeons, Elmina and Cape Coast.  These were not what you would typically think of as castles. These ancient structures were homes to thousands of slaves sent from their tribes to be shipped off to the Caribbean into slavery.  It was very eerie being the pitch-black room that was described as being at one time covered by 24 inches of human feces.  We got to see the doors “of no return” which led up to the boats.  It was sort of a sad and somber experience.

Another thing that I experienced during this trip was a little bit of the persistence of the people trying to sell their goods to the American tourists. The second we got out of the bus we were swarmed by men coming to shake our hands and ask our names and where we were from. I felt like a celebrity but little did I know what I would run into on our way out. The guide warned us that they would be asking for donations for their “schools” but that it was really just a scam. As we were walking out of the castles the same men came up to us again with shells which read “to my friend Cassie, and their email address.” They were telling us take this, I made it for you but then immediately after handing it to you would say well what can you give me? Make a donation to my school? I did not have Ghana currency at this point but was but I probably wouldn’t have paid them anyone because I was super freaked out and culture shock than anything else.  I refused to take it because I had nothing to give in return and then they made me feel extremely guilty. Many of my friends experienced this same thing and as we were pulling away the men with the shells continued to shout at us and bang on the windows. I was really happy when we finally got on the road.

Because the night life on the ship is pretty limited everyone is super excited to go out in port. People were even more thrilled to find out that there was a duty free shop feet away from the ship that sold cheap beer, and other alcohol. We turned it into our own bar known as simply “Duty Free.” It was a blast, and then we all ventured to another outside bar called ocean bar which was just as much fun! After a long night of partying made it back to the ship in time to watch the Superbowl which was being broadcasted on the ship! Considering we are now 5 hours behind we were up pretty late watching the game. We had a great time!

Another thing Ghana is known for is their beaches! We got to go to a beautiful one the second day called Bussua beach. We hung out at a surf shack, played our ipod and ate fresh coconut and avocados. I got to meet a family that lived in a hut next store and the kids were adorable. The guys that worked teaching the surf lessons came swimming with us and were a lot of fun. They were also so good at gymnastics and were showing off all there flips and minute long handstands! It was unbelievable.

The next day we had another trip set up my Semester at Sea. We took a bus ride to a small village a few hours away from Takoradi for a “village experience.” We got a performance of drums and dancing and got to participate in a naming ceremony which is common in the villages in Ghana. It was very touristy but still interesting. My favorite part of the day was getting to meet the children. They were all standing around our seats and coming up and saying hi. I made friends with a 5 year old girl named something that sounded like Ashton. She sat on my lap for the remainder of the day. The village was extremely scarce. The huts were barely covered and had dirt floors and no running water or electricity. The children were all in clothes that looked like had been wearing for a month straight.  We stopped by a school, which was a little bit more organized. However, the teacher did not show up! So the kids were all running around and attempting to do their own studies. It was sad and  really made me thankful for all that I have. Its interesting because I always knew that there was poverty in Africa, it was not something new to me however seeing it and being there definitely puts a different spin on things and really opens your eyes to what is really going on.

For lunch we went to the Coconut Grove Resort. It was only ten minutes down the road but felt like a different world. A beautiful  Americanized resort that looked like the perfect setting for a wedding. It was right on the beach and had a gorgeous buffet, pool, and many little cottages for guests to stay in. It was unbelievable, but definitely felt out of place.

That night we decided to check out Axim Beach because we heard that’s where everybody was hanging out and had gotten beach villas. The ride there was terrifying! The driver was silent the whole time and it seemed super sketchy. It also didn’t help that it was at night and we didn’t know where we were going. The two boys traveling with us were even more scared than us girls! Finally after an hour and a half, three police checkpoints which officers armed with ak47s and flashlights, and about 50 signs for Axim Beach we made it!! We started to see familiar faces of our classmates and checked into a gorgeous one room hut with a big bed and beautiful bathroom! We were so relieved. That night we all partied at the beach bar and it was such a blast. The next day I experienced another culture shock moment as everyone was trying to check out. All the receipts were scattered around the desk and everyone was confused. It was clear they weren’t use to doing business with this many people. I wanted to jump right in there with my accounting and management skills but I restrained myself and sat back making sure all there math was correct on my mini calculator.  After a car ride home in a car that felt like it was going to fall apart, inhaling red dust from windows that would not go up, I was ready to be back on the ship.

The last two days we kept it local and shopped around in the markets. The whole time it was super hot and humid. Another interesting thing was the smell (which was terrible!!) but actually the smell of the cocoa being produced right down the street. After bearing the heat everyone came back to the ship with some beautiful stuff and as we pulled out from port the ship felt a lot brighter with everyone showing off there new, colorful, tribal patterned garments. Even the guys got into it decked out in African tunics and pants, colored from head to toe! Ghana was an interesting place to visit. It surprised me that it was one of the most developed countries in Africa because the poverty was apparent everywhere.

Today we hit the (0’,0”) mark as we passed the Equator and the Prime Meridian simultaneously! Everyone was pretty pumped to see that on the map.