Food!

We've been enjoying a big variety of Ghanaian foods. Here are photos of a few...Sean draining a coconut (then the hard shell is cut open and you scoop out the soft white inside), a dish of fufu in palm nut soup with goat meat, a girl tending the huge outdoor bread oven near our hotel in Cape Coast (we bought bread there every day), and me about to dig into a plate of red-reds (fried ripe plaintains with black-eyed peas in palm nut oil sauce.

Visiting

We feel really lucky to be visiting with Ghanaian friends, old and new. Here are just a few pictures of some of the folks we're enjoying seeing....Sean with Emma Agbley, a friend of the Bowditch family (her husband worked with Nate in Cape Coast. He is now working in Mozambique so we didn't get to see him); out to dinner in Accra with the SIT crew: Yaw, Fuseina, Kokroko, and Yemi (Susie used to be a codirector of the Ghana SIT program with Yemi); former cook and family friend Martha and her son Nathaniel; and Sean at his former Cape Coast home with Mr. Mensah, Evans, and Kojo.

Brenu Beach

For Sean's birthday, we went to Brenu Beach, where Sean used to spend Sundays with his parents. At that time, it was nothing but open beach near a small village. Now, there is a restaurant and five small hotel rooms available. There were so few people there that we felt like we practically had the place to ourselves! We walked to the small village nearby one day, and watched the variety of fishing boats going in and out. The ocean breeze was sooo nice and refreshing...

Around Cape Coast

During the 10 days we were in Cape Coast, we took three days of Fante language lessons (about 5 hours total), visited the Kakum National Forest and did the canopy walk, toured two colonial-era castles with their chilling roles as centers of the slave trade, and visited the home where Sean lived with his parents and admired it's beautiful view of the city.

Beads in Krobo-Odumase

While in Accra, our friend Yaw took us about an hour outside of the city to the small village of Krobo-Odumase and a bead maker. He gave a demonstration of the whole process, from making the clay molds to crushing the glass to firing. I was, of course, in heaven! And there were plenty of beads to peruse.

Kumasi

We've made it to Kumasi, the historic center of the Ashanti kindgom. Here are some photos of our streetside breakfast spot this morning. While not Ghana's capital, Kumasi feels really alive (and maybe a bit cooler than Accra and Cape Coast!)

In the next couple of posts, I'm going to post pictures of some of the highlights of Ghana so far...

In Cape Coast, Ghana!

We arrived in Accra last Wednesday night, to be met at the airport by two different people - friends of Sean's parents (who lived in Ghana for 7 years) who were excited to welcome us warmly. We were in Accra for 4 days, staying at the home of the SIT (School for International Training) director and employees. A couple of people there, Yemi and Yaw, were especially wonderful in teaching us how to get around the big confusing city - definitely a skill to learn in a city with almost no street signs! We visited the National Museum, the huge Makola Market, the University, and many points in between. And packed in a number of visits to Bowditch family friends who were overjoyed to see Sean all grown up and meet the new Mrs. Bowditch.

We are now in Cape Coast, where Sean lived for two years as a teenager. It is an amazing place - hot, alive, and colorful. Again, there are many people here who are very excited to welcome us home. People are so friendly and helpful, and always love it when Sean speaks to them in Fante. I've learned a few words, but tomorrow we're both going to start a few days of language classes so even I will be able to impress folks! I've tried and liked many Ghanaian foods - fufu, banku (which I liked better), peanut oil soup with goat, jollof rice, roasted plaintain and groundnuts (peanuts), plaintain chips, and, of course, Club beer. I'm learning to pace myself in the heat, and carry a sweat kerchief in hand for frequent dabbing, and take cold showers several times a day.

We just visited the Cape Coast Castle, which served as one of the hubs for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is quite chilling and horrifying to see the site, and to be reminded of what humans can do to other humans. And, I am afraid with current events, still do.

Pictures will probably not be posted until next week...Thanks for reading!-Nancy

In NYC

We've been in NYC for 5 days, regrouping and enjoying the city. We stayed with Chris O'Falt (a Wesleyan friend) and Maggie Engelhardt, the best hosts ever - totally committed to showing us the city and teaching Sean how to use an X-Box. My parents came in to the city on Sunday to be here with us a few days (in the midst of our mid-trip chaos, including doing our taxes!), enabling us to drop our big duffels of camping gear for South America and exchange them for carry-on backpacks - we're super excited to go light! Thanks so much Mom and Dad!

So, we're getting on the plane in a few hours...a stopover in London, then on to Accra, Ghana. The next post will be from there...

Last two days in Chile

We made it to Valparaiso for dinner at the fabulous Cava del Mar (owned by our friend Alberto, and it's just been opened 2 weeks!). They renovated an old 19th century mansion in a very cool way, and served great Chilean wines and food!

Then, one last night in Santiago, with my friend Cecilia, who I hadn't seen in over a decade. So great to get to reconnect with her!

And then...back to the U.S.A.!

Last week in southern Chile

We took this groovy double decker bus 30 hours from Punta Arenas to Puerto Varas, on Lake Llanquihue. We relaxed there for a couple of days and then went to Ensenada (also on the lake) and camped there for a few days. Some amazing sunsets with Volcan Osorno and the lake. And Sean even got in a day of fishing on the Rio Huenu-Huenu.