January 17, 2010
Today we woke up at 6:30 and left in a taxi because there are not as many Choo-Choos on Sunday. We then got to Cape Coast and rode a Choo-Choo to Kakum National Park. We walked on the bridge that is built right next to the canopies of the trees. We did not see any animals but the scene was beautiful. Pictures could not even do it justice. The trees are so big!!! We then went and saw the Monkey sanctuary. It is a husband and wife who run it with some workers. They are Dutch. They have been working every day, no stops for 6 years. They do everything by hand. Everything!!! And it was HUGE!!! There were monkeys, these animals that are like a mix between a hiena and a cat, so they call them something cat. She said they are very dangerous. They have some turtles. The locals eat the turtles and so they are happy to get them. Along with the snakes. The snakes run wild there and every snake is poisonous. Although, a snake will leave once it feels the vibrations in the ground. There used to be porcupines but a snake ate one and the other one died from loneliness. The lady how gave us our tour was wonderful and very funny. We signed the guestbook, and there were many names there. It was a wonderful place. Oh, on the way to Monkey Sancuary, we took a choo-choo that was already full. So the two German girls shared a bench in the car with two others, and I took the seat of the man that closes the door and collects the money. With Choo-Choos, you have the driver and the money collector and they split the cost at the end of the day. Well, since I took his chair, the car was already going and he was just holding on very casually going 25 or so and then he slid in and closed the door just a little. I was almost outside off the choo-choo so I braced myself. I have a picture of what it looks like in the inside. I will get more soon. So that was scary. On the way back, we got a really cheap taxi. One cedi each. Well, his taxi broke down 3 time over a ten minute drive. In Ghana, there is no rush, so we would just wait. I felt so bad knowing that his car was his income, and it wouldn’t last much longer. Once back in Cape Coast, we took another Choo-Choo to Asebu. I bought another FanYogo. I got the Strawberry frozen yogurt/milk thing this time. It was very good. So we got back and the Incoom family was still at church so the house was locked. I went across the road to Elvis’s place where the other girls were locked out too but only for a few minutes. We went inside and laid on the floor. I got to talking with Annita, who is one of the German girls, about religion. She talked religion in Germany and how she worships and I told her a little about what religion in like in America and about the Book of Mormon. She says that she will someday come to America. Annita and Tereasa have been so wonderful to me. They have taken me under their wing the last few days. I am so grateful them. I hope I can pay them back and let them know how much I appreciate it. I talked to Elvis about working in the medical clinic in town. I hope that works out. It would be nice to see medicine in a different perspective. I also hope that I can teach in the schools too. I am planning on doing a fundraiser when I get back. Places in town and IFHS and BYU-I. I plan on buying things like bracelets, painting, books, music, cloths, carvings, and selling them for a 100% fundraiser for the new orphanage before the community takes back the building. Yesterday night, Mr. Incoom said that he might be getting malaria. So Mrs. Incoom gave him some Tylenol for the headache and asked me if I had any Malaria pills. I told her that they are a preventative. So if he has it it will do nothing now. But these people are so giving, I could not say no. I will have plenty for while I am in Ghana and then I might need just a few more when I get back. Well, it is Sunday, and I am very tired. I ate Banku and Okra today. One is a sticky ball of mash that is okay sweet and okay tasty but very bland. The other is a very hot spicey soup. I started coughing at first but you get used to it. You eat with your hands so they brought out a bowl of water, soup, and paper towel for me. So you tear off a piece and dip it in the sauce and it balances well. Not that it wasn’t good, but once I try new foods here, I lose my appetite. So I could not finish the meal, and I felt like I had wasted so much. I need to do better in ordering food and never wasting after seeing how people live here. They never waste anything. Today at the Monkey Sanctuary, I saw an almond tree. For one little almond, they have to work so hard to crack open one little nut. I also saw a passion fruit. And then pineapples. I new they did not grow on trees but I had no idea how they grew. So they grow in the ground on top of this little bush of leaves and the pineapple grows straight out of it. Well, I think I might go up to the Orphanage for a while and maybe talk with the US girls some more. For the rest of the night, I read a book I bought, I slept longer then I meant to and went over to Elvis’s house to borrow Elisabeth’s internet. It costs .75 cedi per hour and it is very slow. It takes about 2 minutes to load the next page if you are lucky. Elisabeth and Elvis were talking and making plans. Elisabeth is 25 and started her non-profit organization 2 years ago. She now has a board and everything. They build school and orphanages and other things that are in great need. So when she was talking with Elvis, they were talking about budget. She was very realistic about money and management. Elvis was very hopeful that they would get enough funds by donations. They will be starting an internet café to earn some money. And the 6 US people, one of them is a guy I found out, they are building the new school now. Elisabeth said according to the budget, she only wanted to have kindergarten through 3rd grade. Elvis could not see why she didn’t want to have k-5 instead. He thinks that the school should teach more because he will find funds but Elizabeth thinks that paying the teachers starting out and other things, they will not have enough money. They also were planning on boarding needy children. Elvis does not think boarding the kids is important. As I listened, I was also confused why having a roof over your head was not as important as other things but maybe it is cultural and he understands the people more. But either way it was a powerful conversation but it did not get too heated. After coming home, Bertha cooked me fried plantain and rice. I like this dish. I could eat it anytime. And I am not sure if I have already mentioned this but the first day I met the kids, I learned very quickly to not bring anything that you do not want to be broken, taken, or given away. One girl would not give me back my glasses and kept bending them and one lens popped out and I fixed it later but it is no use getting mad about something so small. I need to learn. So I will not be wearing my glasses over there. I might bring them in a case just in case though. Many kids would take off my Breast Cancer awareness bracelet and would wear it in a way to keep it. So while I would have given it to him, another kid looked over and saw that is was not his and made him give it back. So I have taken that bracelet off. The other thing that happened my first day was a dance for the dead. Someone sister had died and a group of people went around the town in white, black and red colors and danced and playing music and sang. They come up to you and ask for money. I did not know what to do so I gave them 1 cedi and they danced and sang for me and moved on. Later, when Annita and Teresea and I were leaving they were coming down the road and we all hurried because they will always ask the white person to donate to help buy the coffin. I think that is all I have forgotten.
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