101 thing sold by street vendors in Accra

As I mentioned in one of my first posts, street vendors are everywhere in Ghana. The array of items that they sell is just mind boggling. So, to give you an idea, here is a list we compiled over the last week or so. We made it into a game to spot different items while stuck in traffic. The "rules" of the game were that new items could only be added to the list if they were not previously seen AND the vendor had to be wandering in the traffic essentially risking his/her life. We did not include vendors on the side of the road that were stationary. So, here goes:

Tea towels, newspapers, coat hangars, shoes, sunglasses, peanuts, small tables, African masks, African drums, dog leash, cell phone cards (airtime credit), magazines, trousers, sewing machines, ice cream, bowls, plantain chips, DVDs, snacks (gum, Mentos, etc), CD cases, disposable razors, various kids' toys, plush animals, various framed religious pictures, toilet paper, road hazard markers (triangles), biscuits, dried fish, bread, drinking water sachets, laptop bags, tissues, doughnuts, apples, turkish delight, dictionaries/thesaurus, works of William Shakespeare, matches, mosquito coils, wallets, t-shirts, world globes, tummy trimmer exercise machine, key rings, car mats, steering wheel covers, wildlife pictures, wooden statues, wind shield wipers, super glue, wall clocks, reading glasses, toilet seats, African hats, bouncy balls, TV antennas, bathroom scales, electric hair trimmer, baseball caps, watches, battery chargers, mobile phone cases, maps of Ghana, socks, bananas, soft drinks, BBQ lighters, African masks, hair brushes, conference style name badges, neck ties, Ghana flags, wash cloths, kindling, adapter plugs, football/soccer balls, sponges, foam blocks, shoe polish, onions, remote controls, sheepskin coats, brooms, socks, game consoles for your computer, bath towels, walking canes, scissors, watermelon, place mats, throat lozenges, paint brushes, DVD cleaning kits, wash cloths for the shower, cuff links, helmets, garden shears, belts, coat hooks.

There's actually more but we had to stop at some point, lol!

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"Rules" of the road in Accra, Ghana

Driving in Accra is...interesting, to say the least. Although I'm sure there ARE rules, they are not evident when observing the practices on the road. With that in mind, here are some observations about what the common practices are:

1. There are no rules.
2. Pedestrians take their lives into their hands every time they cross the street.
3. Speed limit signs are only decoration.
4. Red lights and stop signs are only suggestions.
5. Your horn is the most essential piece of equipment on your vehicle.
6. You need only be concerned with the front of your vehicle. Cars behind you must adjust accordingly.
7. Motorcycles/scooters can drive anywhere they want (between lanes, side walks, etc.)
8. In construction, see rule number one!

Travel Day

Yesterday (Wednesday) was our travel day. There were no scheduled activities planned. After breakfast, we packed until lunch time and then waited for the bus to return from the airport to bring us to the British High Commission to spend the rest of the day while we waited for our flights. The BHC was nice enough to open the kitchen for us so we could order food while we relaxed. Unfortunately, we arrived much later than expected and didn't have as much time there as we would have liked.

The French cadet was the first to leave. The US contingent was on the same flight as we were and we were leaving a half an hour later than the UK contingent so we all went to the airport at the same time.

The Kotoka International Airport has some infrastructure issues. The check in process seemed very confusing and the boarding lounge was only about half as big as it needs to be for the size of aircraft that is flying in there now. However, we got through it and boarded on time.

Fortunately, the winds were favourable in the air and we arrived in Washington (Dulles) International Airport about an hour early! The down side is that the Customs hall was not fully staffed because we were early so it took a while to clear. After that it was another two hours before our flight to Montreal and here I sit at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport. The two cadets that I was escorting are now being looked after by the Movements Staff and I am having lunch as I type this entry.

It was a great trip and the two cadets that were with me conducted themselves with distinction. I couldn't be more pleased with them for their conduct.

I still have a couple of other entries to make on this blog, just some amusing observations so keep watching over the next few days.

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Last day before travel

Very light schedule on Tuesday. We met the Minister of Education first thing in the morning and presented our official gifts to the host country. The Ministry of education is the dept that is responsible for the Cadet programme in Ghana. Following that we visited the burial site of Ghana's first president.

For lunch, the cadets were dropped off on Oxford St to explore and have lunch "on the town". In the afternoon we spent some more time at the British High Commission.

The evening was filled with the official farewell dinner hosted by the Base Commander of the Accra Air Force base. A few more mementoes were presented and some of the cadets displayed their talents with the bongo drums that they bought. :)

On Wed we leave for home!

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Military Academy

Well, Monday was the last day of tours. We have other things scheduled for Tuesday but no tours as such.

We started the day touring the Military Academy Training School. This is where almost all of the training for the Ghana Armed Forces takes place. We started with the usual Powerpoint presentation explaining the many courses they deliver and then we were shown some of the equipment that they train their soldiers on. After a very nice reception, we then boarded the bus and returned to the African market from a few days ago so we could do some last minute shopping.

Then after lunch we came back to get our swim gear and we went to the British High Commission for some swimming in their pool. After getting through the usual heavy traffic in Accra though, we only had about an hour but it was still nice.

The rest of the night was off because we have to have breakfast at 0600 tomorrow to meet the Minister of Education on time.

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Post for Sat and Sun (Jul 31 / Aug 1)

Missed posting about Sat so I'll make this a double post for Sat and Sun.

Yesterday only one activity on the schedule but as is often the case there was a bit of a bus ride involved. We had breakfast a little early so we could get on the road right away. It was about an hour and a half to two hours before we arrived at Ada Paradise Beach Resort. There we were to meet an Army Engineering Company to do a famil with them on their boats. The Engineers arrived late so we weren't able to start right away. Once they were set up we were briefed on the boats. They were a basic motor boat that they used for reconnaissance and transporting armed troops over water. We were told the parts and shown how we would paddle it if we needed to. After being issued PFDs, then we all practiced paddling. After our practice, were divided up into four groups. Three for the regular boats and a few in the safety boat. We all boarded the boats and we went off in a convoy down the river.

They took us to where the river met the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery was beautiful and the ride was quite relaxing. We spent a bit of time admiring the scenery while a local man gave us a bit of the history.

Following the boat ride back, we boarded the bus again and headed back to Accra. Once we got through the traffic, we were dropped off at the Accra Mall. It is a mall very much like you would find in North America or Europe. Almost seems out of place with what we've seen on this Exchange. Then it was supper and some much needed time off for the rest of the evening.

Sun morning started with a visit to the Military Cemetery. We learned that among all the fallen soldiers there were 8 Canadians buried there. We found all eight of them and they all died on the same day. That would lead me to believe that it was one aircraft crew that was shot down since they were all Royal Canadian Air Force.

Following the visit to the cemetery, we attended a church service at Royal House Chapel. From what I could gather it is a non-denominational, christian-based church. The service was quite long (over two hours) but the music made it seem more like a concert at times. A couple of cadets expressed discomfort with attending a church service and they were allowed to excuse themselves as we would never force cadets to attend church.

Following the church service we went on a tour of "British Accra". This was an area that was settled by British soldiers coming home from the war after WWII. We walked around for a bit with a local man and he told us a bit about the history. It is mostly a fishing village now. We saw one lady who showed us how they smoke fish among a few other places.

After supper we had a "Cultural Night" where each country represented here on IACE had to sing their national anthem and do something distinctive about their country. It was a lot of fun.

That's it for the weekend!

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Relaxing Day

Friday was a bit more relaxing. We started the day with breakfast at 0800, which is later than our usual 0700 time. Afterwards, we boarded the bus and went to Labadi Beach for some fun in the sun. Too bad it was cloudy. Despite the clouds, there were a few cadets that got a little sun burned even though the escorts reminded them to put on sunscreen, but nothing too serious.

After lunch at the beach, we went to a craft market so the cadets could practice their haggling skills and buy some souvenirs. They came back with lots of African masks and some other things. I had to go to the bank to change some travelers cheques so I missed the shopping time. Barclay's bank is the only bank that will change them and you require the receipt from when you purchased them to show where you bought them. Apparently there was a huge counterfeit travelers cheque bust in Ghana a little while back which is why it is so difficult now. My recommendation, if you ever go to Ghana, don't bring travelers cheques at all. After finding out there is only one bank that does this and figuring out the receipt requirement, it took well over an hour to get through the line and there were only four people ahead of me.

A bit of social time for the cadets in the evening and off to bed for a bit of an earlier start tomorrow.

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Thursday's Activities

Thu started off a bit more formal. We had to be dressed in our full International Air Cadet Exchange uniform which means shirt, tie, and jacket. In this weather, that is not very comfortable and the locals tell us that it is actually cooler than normal!

So into the bus we go and we are off to the Headquarters of the Air Force to meet the Chief of the Air Staff. A very personable man who was happy to receive the cadets. He told us how he came from a poor family and joined the Air Force as a young man. He also mentioned that he is still an active pilot. This is very different than a lot of other Air Forces. In conversation with some of the UK contingent, the very senior ranks of the Royal Air Force (and the Canadian Air Force) very rarely fly in any other capacity than as a passenger.

After meeting the Chief of the Air Staff we went to the air base for a little tour. We chatted with a couple pilots about what role they play in the Air Force and then we toured some of the aircraft. We saw one fighter (the A-8). We also saw a couple of helicopters, an American Bell 412, a French Alouette 3 and one other helicopter that I cannot recall the name of.

Following the tour we proceeded to the British High Commission to meet with the High Commissioner. As it turns out, the High Commissioner himself was unavailable so the Deputy High Commissioner greeted us and told us about the role of the BHC.

After the BHC, we were permitted to use the pool at the BHC Club which is normally reserved for BHC staff and their families. It was very nice and some cadets even enjoyed a hot shower for the first time since arriving in Ghana! I elected not to because I would find it that much harder to go back to cold showers, lol.

After the pool, we went back to the campus for supper and then social time for the cadets in the evening.

Free time and beach for Fri!

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Jungle Warfare School

So today was a really long day. We had to be ready to load the bus at 5:15! Then after arranging for an early breakfast at 5:30, we then boarded the bus and drove 4.5 hours to the Jungle Warfare School. They were very hospitable and really seemed to enjoy having the cadets there which is always nice.

As usual, we were given a brief about the courses they run and then we moved right to the demonstrations. They brought us to the firing range first and showed us a couple of the ranges that they have set up in the woods. Certainly not your standard 25yd range!

After we had lunch, we were shown the obstacle course stations and the cadets tried each one as a group not as a race. The cadets had a great time. There was a 12ft wall to climb, barbed wire to leopard crawl under, some hurdles, a rope swing over a barrier and finally, a high rope climb over an "alligator" pond (no real alligators, of course). About half the cadets did the last one and only one of the UK girls. Finally, they showed us some typical jungle booby traps. They actually set them all off for us as part of the demonstration. Lots of loud noises, lol.

Then it was supper and back on the bus for 3 more hours back to Accra.

More formal day tomorrow, we visit the Commander of the Air Force and the British High Commissioner to Ghana.

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Kakum National Park

Today we visited Kakum National Park just about an hour north of Cape Coast.

When we got there we were briefed by our guide on the park and some of it's features. Apparently, there are a great number of animals in this rain forest such as elephants, several kinds of monkeys, lots of snakes, leopards and many more. Unfortunately, the guide told us right away that we won't be seeing any of them. He explained that most of them only come around at night. He did say, however, that camping sites were set up around the park and that visitors could camp there overnight. The guides would then take the visitors out at midnight with a high powered flashlight (and rifle for safety) to spot some wildlife. I think that would have been an awesome addition to the program if we did that. I think I will suggest it for next year.

After the introduction we started to climb the hill to the start point of the canopy walk. When we got there our guide explained that it was actually the handiwork of two Canadians who built it with the help of six Ghanaians and that we would be 40 metres above the ground. Then we started the walk. It was pretty high. Normally, I don't like open heights but this didn't bother me for some reason. In fact, it was my favourite part of the Exchange so far! I took some awesome pictures and there was someone taking video that will be shown on TV3, the local station, on Saturday when a couple of cadets will be interviewed (http://www.tv3.com).

On the way back from the Park, we stopped at the school for the deaf again to see a performance of drumming and dancing by the students there. Some of the musicians were blind students and the dancers were all deaf. It was an amazing performance of African dance and they even got the cadets up participating.

After a tiring day, the cadets were given free time the rest of the day with an early curfew because we have an early start tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow, the Jungle Warfare School. This should be interesting, lol.

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Cape Coast Castle

Today our main visit was to Cape Coast Castle. On the way we stopped by a beach and briefly watched some fishermen pulling in their net. We didn't stay long because the Castle was opening soon. It was very interesting to see but it was too bad we couldn't stay to see what they did with a massive net full of fish. It was several hundred metres long!

Cape Coast Castle was one of (if not the) main slave trading posts in Africa. Like our tour of Fort Amsterdam on Sat, it was very somber and quite sad to hear the story of the Castle. By today's standards it seems unimaginable that this ever happened but the reality is that it did and it is a grim part of the history here. Thankfully, slavery was abolished long ago.

We saw all parts of the castle including the slave dungeons, the "door of no return" where the slaves went through to board the ships for the Americas and the Governor's quarters among others.

Following the tour, we stopped (again very briefly) at the fishing community next to the Castle.

After lunch we went to the Cape Coast School for the Deaf. After a brief presentation by one of the staff, we toured the grounds. It really is a nice learning environment. In addition to the regular school curriculum, they have a farm where they grow vegetables and raise animals such as chickens, pigs, and rabbits. All of the food produced is either used in their kitchen or sold. I think that is a wonderful idea and maybe more schools should do that! We passed out more pencils, pens, and balls but this time we gave them to the staff to hand out. The students even "sang" a song for us in sign language! We took lots of pictures of the kids. They just love to have their picture taken with a digital camera and shown the picture on the screen.
Then it was off to the beach for some fun in the waves for the rest of the afternoon and more social time for the cadets in the evening.

On Tuesday, a visit to Kakum National Park and a canopy walk above the jungle!

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Cape Coast

Today we arrived at Cape Coast after a long bus ride (again). Along the way we stopped at a small village to tour an old fort that was settled by the British and then the Dutch and then the British again. Somewhere in the story the Germans, Portuguese, French and a few others were involved but I lost track. Inside the fort we could see the dungeons where the slaves were kept. It was very sad. A small room about 15x15 ft at the most could have up to 100 slaves. We heard the stories about the "chosen few" African women who were selected to be the "consorts" for the English/Dutch Governors and Officers and how if they had a baby they would be lucky enough to be put up in a house to look after the baby and so on.

We also brought some pencils, pens, stickers and such for the kids of the village. They loved them and smiled so much when we gave them out. But then we ran out and then it was really sad because we couldn't give them any more. The kids just kept asking and we kept on having to say no. :( But when we left, we left them with a couple of soccer balls courtesy of the UK contingent.

Then tonight was more social time for the cadets.

Here in Cape Coast we are staying at the University of Cape Coast. Let's just say that as far as the accommodations are concerned, we will be happy to return to Accra. Supper was pretty good though. The cadets had fries for the first time since arriving in Ghana!

Tomorrow, Cape Coast Castle.

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Post for Saturday, 24 July 2010

Today we had a football match against the Ghanain cadets. Given Ghana's history with football and recent performance in the World Cup, We fully expected to get slaughtered, lol. We actually held our own, though! In fact, IACE scored the first goal! The game ended 4-3 for Ghana. Quite a respectable showing. That was all for daytime activities.

Following supper, we went to a Ghanain movie that was being shown at a local TV station. We only got to see about 20 mins of it and had to leave to see a live music show featuring Ghanain artists. They had the crown up dancing and clapping and we actually had a lot of camera time because we were in the first three rows. In fact, one of the UK cadets was chosen to go up on stage and compete in a "crazy dance" competition and he won! It was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we take the show on the road to Cape Coast.

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Post for Friday, 23 July 2010

Early start today as usual. Breakfast at 7-ish, depart at 8-ish...I think "-ish" is on the clock in Ghana. Precise timing don't seem to be a big concern here.

First on the schedule, a visit to the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. We started with a briefing by the CO on what they do there. They run two main courses, a Junior Phase for Captains and a Senior Phase for Majors. It was interesting to note that Ghana trains officers from many different African nations and exchanges Directing Staff with Nigeria and their Staff College. After the brief we toured some of the buildings and then had refreshments in the Mess.

Following the Command and Staff College we were going to visit a school but they were not ready for us for some reason. So instead, we went to watch a graduation of a pre-kindergarten. They had a mini Sea Cadet Corps that was going to put on a parade. It was so cute to watch a little four year old parade commander say commands, do drill, including sword drill, and not make one mistake. There was a General Salute, inspection, march past and presentation of awards. Pretty close to what we would do but with tiny people, lol.

Following the parade we waited for a tour of a Ghanain Navy ship that was used as a back drop for the parade. The ship's Executive Officer reviewed the parade. That finished late in the afternoon. Then back to the Hostel.

In the evening we visited the local TV station (TV3) to watch a live show called “Boogie Down”. Basically, it is a Ghanaian version of “So You Think You Can Dance”. This was the final episode where they decided the winner and the cadets really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow, a football (soccer) match between some Ghanains and the IACE cadets! Guess who is going to win?

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Post for Thu, 22 July 2010

Today we started out the day on the bus. We drove a fair while until we reached a place called Kloem Mountain. The schedule said "stop over". Apparently, "stop over" means "to climb" in Ghana, lol, because that's what we did. We climbed the mountain. It was more of a hike but it was a work out in pretty hot weather. Very nice view from the top and every one completed the hike.

After our hike, we drove some more and visited Akosombo Dam and power generating station. This station provides 65% of Ghana's electricity needs. The dam holds back lake Volta. The world's largest man made body of water. Interesting tour but a long drive. Two hours each way. On the way back we made a stop along the Volta River that flows from the dam to look at a bridge that crosses the river.

That was it for today.

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Post for Wed, 21 July 2010

Today was our first day touring Accra.
Breakfast was pretty good. It consisted of a boiled egg, sausage, bread, a sweet roll of some kind and a choice of two kinds of porridge, oats or rice. I tried the rice porridge which was pretty tasty.

We started the day with a schedule change. The tour of Parliament that was supposed to be later in the week was moved to this morning. Not so bad because we were told last night and we could dress appropriately. We drove for quite a while and although we weren't told so, I am pretty sure the driver was lost since at one point we double backed and when we arrived at Parliament it was at a place we had already passed. Once we passed though security we entered the building and were briefed by the staff there. Unfortunately, they weren't allowing pictures in the chamber. When we went in the chamber we sat and waited quite a while before anything happened. In the meantime, the escorts were asked to speak with a reporter from a Ghanain TV station. It was a short interview. Again, back inside and we waited some more. Finally, the ceremonial mace was brought in with the speaker of the house. We watch the debate for a while and then were brought out and briefed by the Public Affairs person about the structure of Parliament. After the tour, back on the bus.

We then proceeded to the Ministry of Education where we met the National Cadet Coordinator. He went over the schedule for the week and what we should wear each day. I already have a couple of recommendations for next year's kit list, lol. After a light lunch there we left and walked to the Independence Arch. We walked around there for a bit and then boarded the bus.

They drove us to a nearby currency exchange for some of us to change money. On the way and at the location, there were many, many street vendors. Some of the cadets and myself were badgered to buy things. They just wouldn't take no for an answer. In some cases the cadets bought things and our Ghanain hosts tried to ensure that we were getting fair prices. We then drove a little bit further to a market area where everything under the sun was being sold on the street from shoes to jewelry to fake designer sunglasses to food to dvds and anything else you can imagine. It was really crowded and crossing the street was hazardous to say the least. This walk through the market was not my favorite part of the day.

Then we headed back to the University to have supper and the evening off. I went down to the little market to buy a sim card for my phone so I could pay local air time rates to call home. Incidentally, I paid 1 Cedi for the sim card (less than $1 CAD) where they cost about $45 CAD at home. Now I just have to figure out how to work their system, lol.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

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Post for Tue, 20 July 2010

After a very long journey, we've finally arrived in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The voyage to get here started at 1130 on Mon when we left Carelton University in Ottawa. Our flight left Ottawa at 1435 for Washington, DC and we had a six hour layover there. After meeting up with the US Civil Air Patrol contingent in Washington, we boarded the plane for our 10.5 hour flight. Oh, did I mention that we sat on the runway in Washington for an hour due to air traffic congestion?

When we arrived in Ghana we were promptly met by . After a rather adventurous drive we arrived at Legon University.

We are staying at the International Student's Hostel. The rooms are sparse and the building is old. The Escort Officers have single rooms and the cadets are sharing rooms, two per room. The washrooms are down the (outside) hall. It is much like a motel where the rooms exit outside. Something that struck me was that you have to supply your own toilet paper and bed sheets! Something to add to the kit list for next year.

After a bit of exploring around the campus, we settled back in our rooms and relaxed or took naps. We had a late supper and experienced African cuisine for the first time. It was quite tasty and there was a spicy sauce that we could put on that I rather enjoyed.

That's it for today. Tomorrow we start our tours.

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Technical Difficulties

Sorry for not posting regularly. I was having some technical difficulties that I think are resolved. I will repost what I sent that was not updated since our arrival in reverse order (most recent first).

Thanks for your patience.

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Ottawa - Final Day

Today was the final day of the Ottawa portion for myself and the cadets going to Ghana.

We were up bright and early to tour the Parliament building first thing in the morning. The tour guide was really great and the cadets asked lots of good and interesting questions. I think they only stumped the guide once or twice. Because it was Sunday, we were able to get the full tour including the Parliamentary Library. Following the tour of Parliament, we proceeded outside to watch the Changing of the Guard. Coincidentally, we are sharing Carelton University with the Ceremonial Guard. It was a great show as always and one of the members of the Guard actually mentioned he saw us in the crowd. We're hard to miss, though, 65+ people in the IACE uniform.

After that, it was a short walk down Wellington St to the Supreme Court of Canada. I wasn't sure that this would be all that interesting for the cadets but I was pleasantly surprised. Again, the guide was great, very knowledgeable. She is a law student and knew a lot about procedure and the building itself. She even got the cadets involved in a mock trial which was probably the highlight of the tour.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon at the Canadian War Museum. Not having been there before, I was surprised at the sheer size of it. I knew that I wouldn't have enough time to see it all, so I skipped right to a couple of galleries that peaked my interest.

The evening was a bit more relaxed. We went to the IMAX at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, PQ to see the Hubble 3D movie.

Tomorrow most of the cadets are leaving Ottawa, including us. Only the US contingent are staying until Tues. The days have been long and tiring, but a lot of fun. I'm sure from the interactions that I have seen that the cadets have made a lot of friends even in two short days. Their departures tomorrow will no doubt be bitter sweet. Sad to leave their friends but excited to start their journeys to the various countries.

Tomorrow we leave for Ghana and are traveling all day. Probably no update until we get to Ghana on Tues.

Touring Ottawa

Well, day one of the Ottawa portion is done.

This morning we had briefing by the staff from the Directorate of Cadets and the Air Cadet League followed by an individual briefing by each Escort Officer with their cadets.

The afternoon was filled with a boat tour down the Rideau Canal where the various sights were pointed out by the guide. Following the boat tour, the cadets were given some time to shop in the Rideau Centre and the Byward Market area.

After returning to Carelton for supper, we went back downtown for a Haunted Walk tour. The guide told us various stories about ghost sightings and haunted locales in the downtown core. Some of the cadets were actually spooked by the stories. The guide was pretty good at her job.

The evening was supposed to end with a sound and light show on Parliament Hill but it was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Just as well though, a lot of the cadets were pretty tired.

Tomorrow, Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, the War Museum and IMAX.

Arrival at Carelton

Well, today is the day. All of the cadets and Escort Officers arrive at Carelton University for the Ottawa portion of the IACE. The cadets seem very excited as you can very well imagine.

The accommodations are ok. Typical university residence. Double rooms with shared bathrooms. By summer camp standards, this is luxurious for cadet accommodations!

Had a couple of briefings. One for the Escort Officers and a short one for the cadets just to give them basic ground rules until they get the full briefing tomorrow.

Tomorrow we start to tour Ottawa!