Last trip up north (for the time being)

As of today, I have one month and two days left here in Ghana. I can’t BELIEVE how time is flying by, and I want to make the absolute most of my time left here! I will definitely be coming back to Ghana in the future.

This last weekend, we had yet another NYU trip— up north, to Tamale (pronounced “tam” as in “Pam”, “a” like “ahhhh”, and “le” like “leigh”- not tamales like hot tamales, which would be fun.) I had debated whether to go or not, given that I have been to the north of Ghana twice before and the trip is brutal (minimum 14 hours by bus, not great roads) but ultimately, I went.

We left at 4:00am and drove for the entirety of our Thursday. Inevitably, there was car trouble at some point, so we had about a 16-hour journey total. When we arrived to the guesthouse sweaty, hungry, and groggy, we discovered that dinner had been prepared for us: spaghetti and meatballs! I was overjoyed. I haven’t even seen such foods in Ghana. They don’t even eat beef here very much. It was amazing.

The next day we went on a tour of a Mosque, and we were able to see the inside as well. I haven’t ever been able to get inside of a mosque before, generally non-Muslims are not allowed in, so it was quite the honor to see the whole building. The man giving us a tour happily answered our questions about Islam and how it is practiced in Ghana. We then attended a lecture on Northern Ghana, which gave us some valuable background on this marginalized region of the country.

Then we went to the market, which is always a joy. Markets everywhere look different, this one may have been my favorite so far- small passageways and tons of stalls- it reminded me of Morocco.

The next stop was the highlight of our trip. We visited a clinic that was founded in 1991 for the poor and destitute. There is no charge for services; it is run entirely on donations. Patients can stay for as long as they desire, some for years and years (we met one woman who had been there since 1992!) The people who go to this clinic are generally abandoned by society- lepers, the mentally ill, AIDs patients, everyone. The doctor who runs the clinic was one of the most inspiring men I have ever met. He performs all of the surgeries— they see 60 to 120 patients per day, so that should give you an idea. His whole philosophy is that people need love and care in order to heal. His patients are accepted and given incredible love, which I believe plays an enormous role in the success of the clinic; it isn’t just about the science or the medicine, but about how people are treated. We were able to tour the entire clinic and spend a couple of hours learning from this man. His spirit is contagious.

The next day we went to the grounds of a former slave camp. Earlier in the semester we went to a slave castle in the South, which was the last stop before crossing the Atlantic. This camp transported people from north to south for the slave trade. The day was incredibly hot— maybe 110 degrees— so it was difficult to even stand outside and listen to the history, much less envision it. Yet this gave us all a small idea of how brutal slavery really is. It is difficult to believe that such practices occur today, and important to see the issue. These people were, as the history books will site, treated like livestock. Worse. They were beaten savagely, their spirits broken, their beliefs spit upon. For punishment they were chained to rocks and flogged just two feet away from the shoddy burial site where tens and hundreds of their friends, brothers, countrymen, and fellow captives were irreverently laid to rest. They could see and smell the bodies. Once again we all made a promise to do whatever we could to eradicate slavery.

When I get home, my tolerance for even the slightest bit of racism will be nil. I am interested to see how this will play out.

After the slave camp, we visited a… well I don’t know what it officially was but it can be equated to a commune for widows. These widows support themselves and their children by weaving baskets. We were welcomed with dancing and music, and then purchased some baskets (they do amazing work!), and were given a brief weaving lesson. The widow teaching me kept slapping my hands, I think she was shocked at how poor a weaver I was.

We then went to an art market- to anyone traveling to Ghana, be aware that these are tourist markets. You can probably find exactly the souvenirs you want, but be prepared to barter like a savage. I much prefer the actual markets, even though it is more difficult to find the things you need, because it is less aggressive.

Eventually, we retired to the guesthouse. We had an Indian buffet for dinner, which was pricey but decent, and a nice change of pace.

The next day we left at 5am and made excellent time to Accra. I am really glad that I went on this trip, despite the long journey.