CMS-Ghana-08

Photos

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We're back!

Tired but happy... watch this space for more stories and Photos in the coming days... now we have access to a fast and reliable internet service!

Thursday update - Yesterday was another hot day!

... the hottest so far!  Everyone was in schools during the morning... Helen found herself preaching a sermon (with no time to prepare), Bev was being weighed down with gifts, Alison and Joy where learning African Sign language, Val was being measured for a Ghanaian outfit... Anita and I went round three othe schools taking a sports/football clinic (we have just finished doing the last 2 schools) with Emmanuel and Nana.

In the afternoon we headed north for Kakum National Park - the Rainforest Canopy Ropewalk... an amazing experience, not much to see except trees and butterflies but the long views and the soundscape of Birds and Bugs were incredible!

Day 6

It's so hot here... we're all dreaming of cool weather... oh how nice it would be to have some snow!  ;-) 

Another day in schools, Anita and I are visiting all 5 this morning... once again the schedule is worked out minute by minute... that is until Ghana-time comes into effect! (Last night it took over 2 hours for our food to arrive after ordering it... unfortunately this meant John (Anglican Director of Schools for the Central Region) had to leave for a meeting before his food arrived!)... but we're getting used to it.  I think we're all experienceing some culture shock (aprt from our experienced leader that is!)  especially those in the schools... the way people relate is very different (men to women, person to person etc.) we keep having to remind ourselves not to measure the culture here by our norms!

Yesterday afternoon... after the football we went to Paradise!  Imagine miles of perfect sand, crabs skittering around the fallen coconuts, huge waves in a pristine ocean (stretching as far as the Antarctic!) Canoes fishing on the Horizon, Hamocks strung between the Coconut Palms... drink wine and ice cold beer... what else can I say!?  Amazing, none us could really believe we where seeing what was infront of our eyes... so we spent the afternoon sitting under the shade of the palm leaves and splashing in the surf!  Heaven on earth!  I tried to explain to Nana and Emmanuel (our hosts) how this was an ideal in the west... something we think of as paradise but unless we are millionaires we will never experience!  Anyway... back to work!  (and did I forget to ask... How's the weather in England!? ;-) I hear it's unusually cool for the

After School we plan to go to Kakum National Park... an area of protected rainforest... they have a treetop rope walk which starts at ground level and then the ground drops away from beneath you (apparently) so we should get some amazing pics and footage of Birds, Bugs, and Butterflys... maybe even some wildlife on the forest floor.

More news tomorrow.

Tuesday... Football in the Sun

We've just finished the football event... The Schools we are linking with played each other (including 2 teams from the School for the Deaf) I(Mark) had to give them some encouraging words, billed as a football forum and ANita had to do a closong speech... as Anita said it was time to flip into School Assembly mode... the others had the first part of the morning in their link schools.

Yesterday we visited all the link Schools... we where treated to the most amazing welcome... singing, danicing, drumming etc. etc.  The Kids where fantastic! Then in the evening we went along the coast to a beach side restaurant in a storm... the waves where awe inspiring... so where the number of holes in the Taxi roof!  We weren't much dryer than we would have been if we'd walked!  Great food.

This is a land of paradoxs - collonial formality contratsed by African levity and fun... The atmosphere in the schools is great, everyone seems to enjoy themselves but there the discipline is pretty strict!  I think we're all sttill getting our heads around the culture!

We have loads of video and photos to upload when we return.

Here we are!

Very very Hot and very very sweaty.... Flight was good.... arrived to temps of nearly 30 degrees in the dark! The days start at around 5am - before the heat kick in fully! So far... we drove from Accra to Cape Coast... an amazing journey - we have video and pics but the connection is too slow to upload them yet. Yesterday we went to the main Slave Castle - Cape Coast Castle - then had dinner at Cannon Kofi's This morning we went to a 4 Hour Service in an oven, though they had us believe it was the Anglican Cathedral! I (Mark) had a meeting with Nana - the Anglican Schools Sports Co-ordinator... tomorrow is a busy day - a meeting with the Bishop, then with the Heads and Senior Staff of the 4 schools and then visits to the schools themselves.

Leaving the Travel lodge

5.30 AM and we're waiting for the suttle bus to take us to the airport feeling unnaturally "perky".... off we go!

This time tomorrow....!

Hi everyone, just sitting at my computer trying to clear my emails and thinking that we'll be at the airport this time tomorrow!! hope the packing is going well - everyone seemed remarkably organised last night!

So...have a good day. Looking forward to seeing you all at the airport! Anita

Links

As you can see I have now put up links to the Schools etc. the team are part of in the UK - also I have made the Itinerary available to download (should any of your supporters want to follow the trip)

Getting very close!

Last couple of days... time to copy the Documents, start to pack and weigh the luggage, get some money, sort out travel to the Airport, check the checklist again, panic about things you have no control over... tomorrow the malaria course starts!  See you all in a couple of days!