Day 3 with Efu

I was awaken as a chill ran over my body. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying on a cold, hard rock. My body was stiff and sore, I pulled myself up and was lying next to Efu. I sat there and listened to the waterfall for and hour until Efu woke up. When she woke up she looked startled and in a hurry. She woke the kids up and they ran off. I found myself running in cold dirt until I reached their house. The kids were late for school they grabbed some food and ran off. I lay back down, exhausted and hungry. I was awaken by the sweet smell of Efu's cooking. She walked over and handed me a glass of sweet water, I had assumed it was sweetened with sugar or honey. I walked over to the table and sat down and ate her wonderful food. I thanked her and asked her if I could help her fish today. She turned to me and said, " I would love to have some help!" We walked outside and hoped in her boat. She just pretty much had her head in the water and was scrambling trying to catch fish. I joined in and we fished for a couple hours. After fishing we cleaned the fish and salted the fish. I wanted to do something special for them before I left so I prepared the fish and set the table. After setting the table I wanted to watch the sunset right outside their house. I grabbed my sleeping pad and set it up right by the water and lay there and just let all thoughts flow through my head. I thought about soccer, friends, school and everything I needed to let out, which right now is a lot. At that moment in time I wished I had someone who would listen to everything without judging me, telling me I am wrong or anything. Just let everything flow and let all the stress out. I had thoughts and memories of happiness and sadness of triumph and failure. I was as calm as ever, I felt relieved as if I had the rest of my life to make it amazing! My life is a rollercoaster, sometimes I ride it on the high points and low and sometimes I don't have enough energy to hang on. I try and try but I chug up to reach the top and it seems like right when you get there I find myself flying right back down. I work hard at soccer and work my butt off but what kills me is that one game that I don't play to my potential and ODP and ID2 are there watching me and I just screwed up. I decided as I sat there that today I would go with the punches and put my hands up on the fast downhill and remember that I will be chugging back up to reach the top in no time. I am done with people telling me I am nice, or a good soccer player that is not good enough I want to be the sweetest person you have ever met and the best soccer player. I am ready to live my life and make it how I want it. It was starting to get dark and I walked back to serve dinner when I found that I walked in and there was a line of candles so I followed it. It lead me out the back door and along the water and into a grouping of trees where I reached an opening. The candles ended and there was a wooden sculpture of a waterfall and a fish. Efu appeared and said," Well do you like them?"
"Yes, yes of course I do!" I answered.
"Well they are my way of thanking you for al that you have done for me!" I turned and gave her a big hug and said," Thank you!" She turned and sat down at the table, the only light was the candles. We ate and then walked back to the house where I packed up. I hand wrote a long letter thanking them for an unforgettable experience. I woke up at 4 and was off to the airport, I almost forgot to leave their presents, I had made them friendship bracelets I left them on the table with the note. I will never forget this trip. I learned so much about Ghana, Efu and me.... I am so happy I got the chance to fund and visit thank you John!

Day 2 with Efu

Today I wanted to get up bright and early to help Efu with her morning duties. When I woke up around 6:00 Efu was gone she had breakfast on the table waiting for me. It seemed as if the kid's were gone too. I stumbled outside in my sleepy state. I found Efu siting on her boat paddling out. Her kid's were walking towards me with water on their heads. I found myself wondering who to help. I ran inside and grabbed a bucket and joined the children. We gathered corn and water for the house and then the kids ran off to school and Efu headed back in with a load of fish. She looked at me and said," Today we will go to the store." I looked at her in agreement and went to grab my shoes. As I reached down to grab them and put them on my feet I resisted. I walked over to Efu and handed them to her, she didn't know what to do with them so she had me sit down and started to put them on me. I looked at her and thought wow! So I stopped her and had her sit down and put them on her. She walked around in them feeling them out. Then I said," Ready?" She looked and walked out. She seemed to be walking funny, it looked as if she had bricks on her feet. When we reached the store she opened the door for me and showed me around. The store was a very small room with a cash register, which she bought with some of the loan, and a case for the fish. She opened the case and showed me all her fish. The look on her face when she showed me them was the look of a little girl with a new doll. She knew the names of every one, it was her passion! After learning and "meeting" all her fish we cleaned off the catch of this morning and headed back home. She said she wanted to show me some of Ghana. I approved so we set of on the journey of Ghana. First we stopped at a small street market, we bought salt to season the fish and I bought a couple friendship bracelet that the woman made in front of me. For me the bracelets symbolized the journey to Ghana and the experience in Ghana. We walked the whole street market looking at the stores and talking to the owners. Efu said to me," It would be great to bring my fish here." Right as she said that it became my mission to put her in the street market by the end of my trip. After the street market we walked toward a mountain and found a beautiful waterfall! Efu's smile when we reached the waterfall was priceless! She jumped right in, I joined her and gave a little hoot and I hit the chilled water! She swam down to the bottom and smiled at me as she came up and held up a fish. I could tell she spent a lot of time her.. like I spend time at the soccer fields she spends it at a beautiful waterfall! She was at home swimming around and going behind the waterfall. I wanted to spend the rest of the day there! So I told Efu that and she just smiled and nodded. She stood up and waved me on. We walked back to her house and the kid's were sitting down talking and she walked over and whispered something to them and  they stood up. They grabbed a jacket and a bag with something that looked like food and walked out. I didn't know what to do so I grab a jacket and something that looked like food and followed them. They seemed to be following the trail we took to the waterfall but it looked different probably cause I knew the gift at the end. People in the U.S. ask for presents like clothes and video games but these people just want food or waterfalls, simple stuff. When we reached the waterfall the set down a handmade blanket and we all sat down on it and lay out the contents of our bags. Mine had some fish in it and salt, Efu's had two different kinds of rice and the kids had salsa and chip and other appetizers. The kids bags were not empty when we started to eat. They seemed to have something saved for later! Dinner was wonderful, it was the most peaceful dinner I have ever had. I listened to the waterfall and the stories about school from the kids. After dinner one of the kids handed me a dessert that looked like a brownie. I took a bite and right then and there I could have married that kid. It was a brownie with real sugar and almonds, it was amazing. All the sudden I was splashed with a bunch of water and turned around and Efu was in the waterfall. It was not only cold it was dark, but she didn't seem to care at all! So I carelessly jumped in after her. We swam around under the waterfall with fish hitting my legs underneath the moon. I was getting chilled and decided to get out forgetting that I didn't have a towel. I decided I was going to lay on a rock and hope to get warm when a warm towel hit me. I looked back and there was Efu lighting candles. She wrapped herself up in a towel and lay down looking at the starts, I joined in silence snuggled up next to her. I started to drift off and the last sight I remember after a great day was the moon on the waterfall..

First day with Efu

I woke up this morning and was so excited......I got on the plane and then the car and made it to Elmina, Ghana. 

When I arrived in Elmina I was greeted by a  group of young children who offered to take my bags to Efu's house. She lived by the ocean so that she didn't have to walk very far to fish. The conversations lingered about the United States. They wanted to know everything about my house, family, Santa Barbara.. basically my life story. The soil underneath my feet started to become damp so I knew I was getting close. The soil that I had been walking on for about thirty minutes soon vanished and I was in a hard sand that lead to the water. The sight was nothing like I had ever seen before, the ocean glistened in the sun and the youngster's who stood next to me light up when we reached the water. Before I knew it my bags were on the floor and the kids were running towards the water at full speed. It was as if they had never seen the ocean, they were swimming around in seconds. When I started to look around I saw a woman leaning over a boat exhausted floating on the water. I immediately assumed it was Efu, her boat was full from a long days work. Shortly after she paddled towards the shore slowly. Her boat skimmed across the sand and slide to a stop. She hopped out with a grin on her face and sid, "Hello I am Efu, You are Alea. Right?" I looked at this woman dripping in sweat, "yes, this is she." She leaned in and said, " I will show you to the house. I grinned and followed her. She showed me in and said, " This is your corner where you shall sleep." I looked at her in agreement and set my stuff down. I pulled out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag and rolled them out, oh and how could I have forgotten, then I set my pillow pet softly on top of my sleeping bag. I looked back up and she was gone, I thought to myself she must be at the water. So I walked outside to find her back in the boat at work. She was grabbing a fish and then sliced it open and set it in the boat. I sat on the ground in astonishment not only in her hard work but in everything. Her house is the size of my living room, she has three children to feed plus a husband. She must sit out there for hours each day just catching fish. Her hands must be horrible tired after a long day at work. About thirty minutes later she paddled toward the shore and hopped out. Grabbed the canoe and pulled it up and tied it around a tree. She grabbed a huge looking bag. Big enough to store two humans and slung it over her shoulders. The bag seemed to be bulging out the sides and looked very heavy. So I ran down and helped her out. She thanked me shortly after. And went inside with the fish. She started to cook them when I look noice rang through the house. It was her children. They came in yelling and screaming as if they were millionaires. To have no money and be so happy is one thing but to be barely surviving and be as happy as can be is amazing. The walked in gave their mom a kiss and shook my hand and walked out. My eyes followed them outside. Before I knew it they were in the water sloshing around like the kids who helped me bring my bags to the house. It seems as if the ocean is where they love to be. Jumping around, laughing and have the time of their lives. I walked back into the house to help Efu cook the fish. I walked in and she was singing and humming and dancing around with a salt shaker. She was seasoning the fish. She looked so happy it was great to see. When she realized I was standing there she abruptly stopped and I asked if I could help. She said, " no just go get washed up for dinner." She must have seen my unknowing because she walked over and pointed to the bucket. I sat down next to it, wondering how I was going to do it. I dunked my head in first and washed it then wrapped the towel around my head. Then I washed my body, the water was not very warm though. Then I went to my sleeping spot and grabbed my sweats and shirt, I changed and walked to the dinner table. Efu had the table nicely set with fish and rice on the table. The children say next to each other on on side. The boy got up and pulled a chair out and pointed at it showing me where to sit. I sat and ate and took in the whole essence of Ghana. It was an amazing first day! One I will never forget. I am very much looking forward to tomorrow!

Currency

1 U.S. dollar = 1.82449 Ghanaian New Cedi

5 U.S. dollars = 9.12245 Ghanaian New Cedi

10 U.S. dollars = 18.24490 Ghanaian New Cedi

20 U.S. dollars = 38.48980 Ghanaian New Cedi

100 U.S. dollars = 182.449 Ghanaian New Cedi

10 Phrases

Hello: ayikoo
Good day/afternoon: maaha
Thank you very much: media esa
How are you: hoe gaan dit met jou
What: wat
How are you feeling: hoe noel jy
What time is it: hoe laat is dit
What is your name: wat is jou naam
Where am I: waar is ek
Good day: goeie dag
I used google translate.
From english to afrikaans.

My ticket to Elmina, Ghana

I am driving to LAX at 4:00

Get on plane at 6:20

42 hours and 15 minute flight

Arrive in Accra, Ghana

Get there and drive 2 hours and 12 minutes

Arrive at Elminia, Ghana