First, I apologize for the sloppy writing style and typos in the last post. My time spent on the computer is limited, so these are a bit more rushed than I would like. But, it is better than no internet. A group of us went in on a mobile broadband "stick" to use with the laptop I brought. It was a little over 80 cedi, but splitting the cost made it cheap; the only downside is that my laptop isn't just mine to use anymore, and prying some girls off of facebook can be a laborious task.
So, wounds and illness:
Future volunteers, the placement sheet you get right before you go will tell you to wear close toed shoes. This is not necessary and I recommend going with nice sandals unless you have very comfortable shoes you'd rather wear.
I wore an uncomfortable pair of close toed shoes my first day of placement thinking I had to. I figured no big deal, if I get a blister I can just put a bandaid on and that'll be that. No. My ankles were both rubbed raw, and sure it wasnt a big deal, just a normal situation us ladies often find ourselves in. But this is Ghana. Almost any wound, sore, raw skin you have will get infected. the flies are ruthless and will be on a sore in a heartbeat, and they are not phased by normal swatting; you have to touch them or flick them to get them to move. So, both my ankles became incredibly infected. I'll spare you the details, but it has not been pretty.
That being said, you can go to any pharmacy and pick up penicillin etc without a prescription for about 12 cedi (about 7 USD) for a weeks worth, no insurance, nada. Makes you really question the pharmaceutical companies in the US...I was also given hydrogen peroxide, methylated spirit, and iodine, all three bottles for 10 cedi, or about 5.50-6.00 dollars.
In the midst of all this, I fell slightly ill, vomiting etc. CCS took me to a clinic in Ho to see a doctor, which cost 15 cedi, and I was given medication for another 6 cedi.
So my advice is this: Pack neosporin and bandages, wear comfortable shoes, but should you suffer any injury or illness, do not worry, you can get what you need for very cheap. The staff at CCS is very concerned with our health, so even if you think its food poisoning or something, they will take you to a doctor to make sure its not malaria, cholera, typhoid, etc. But if you do get malaria, Ghana's the best place to have it. It is common with the locals here, and is looked at with no more concern than we would have over the flu.
Ok, fun stuff! My day!
I'm not sure whether to start at the end or beginning. How about the end...
So my day ended with trudging through razor grass down a mountain in a torrential rainstorm, praying not to get hit by the lightening that was touching down all around us, and gaining an understanding of flash floods, as my mountain trail soon turned into a raging creek several inches deep within minutes.
The day started with the expectation to see ancestral Likpe caves, which we did, but not in any way I'd envisioned. I was thinking of big, easily accessed caves that you walk into, look around, say "neat", and leave. What it turned out to be was essentially rock climbing, hiking for hours, and walking on narrow ledges of rock on the side of a cliff.
Just a few of us went. On the weekends, we are left to do whatever we want and the others had either stayed home or gone elsewhere. I'm 100% sure our day beat theirs. I wish I could have taken pictures to do any justice, but I couldn't capture how steep and at times ridiculous it was. Like I said, we went rock climbing, unexpectedly, just using bare hands, and our tennis shoe-d feet to grab and stand on what we could. It was a bit scary, but exhilarating and exciting. At times, we'd look up (or down), and stare asking "we're supposed to go there?!" Oh! I didnt even mention, they're bat caves! You crawl into this tiny holes, that I barely get through, and the inside of the cave has bats just flying all around. Very neat. It was an awesome experience I highly recommend for those of who travelling to the Volta Region of Ghana.
On the way down the mountain is when the rain started. We heard it first in the distance, unsure if it was a nearby waterfall, or what. Then it came. So refreshing (then soaking)! But then the lightening came, as we were IN the clouds. The lightening struck and lit up the air all around us (Not above. Around.) So neat!
Well this concludes my rambling. I am visiting a church tomorrow with Mowsi, a local who works at the deaf school with our volunteer Mary, then going back to the Wli waterfalls in the afternoon. Should be a mellow, but fun day.
No comments:
Post a Comment