Saturday:
We had a lot of things to get in town today for the
orphanage and for ourselves. I thought I was prepared for the walk and the
weather but after about two strides I was drenched and felt like I had lost any
moisture I had in my body to begin with. We found a really cool shop on the way
back from the bank that had an amazing selection of fabrics and bags to choose
from… we will have to revisit this store before we leave.
Going into the Chemical Store was insane… you can buy
straight penicillin in a bottle. It’s all bottled in scary old labels as if you
were in the medicine room of an old hospital. We were able to replenish both
the first aide boxes for the school, and the orphanage so that later in the
month we can do a first aide class for the teachers.
On our way back to the hotel we came upon something
terrifying. The road to the hotel is a dirt road, like most of the roads in
Hohoe, and lined with thick trees and bushes on either side of the road. On the
walk down the road we came upon a group of about thirty worker men with
machetes in their hands walking straight towards us. This was scary and
intimidating on its own but what happen next made it even worse…one of the men
picked up a large snake about 3 feet in length and 5 inches wide and held it in
the air amused by how scared our faces must have looked; Rachel nearly threw-up
and I nearly peed my pants.
Our second trip into town today was just as eventful, first
we were stopped by two twelve year old girls standing outside of an orphanage/
boarding house and harassed by them to write down our addresses for them to
have--- are they kidding? Then, after we escaped them, we were chased by a
small three year old boy who was eye-balling my purse and yelling something in
ewe (the language they speak here) as if he was a seasoned thief, he even was
reaching in their air to grab hold of my purse, though he wasn’t tall enough to
reach….. I suppose he could have been reaching for my hand but I doubt it.
Sunday:
Sundays is the holy
day so everything is pretty much closed down until around 6-7 at night, I like
the solitude I could sit and think or listen to music for hours and not get
bored, though time does go slower when you’re not doing anything. I sat outside
and baked in the sun for a little to get a little tan going but the sun is so
intense I only lasted an hour, if that. After researching some touristy ideas
for the upcoming week and next weekend I found some things that look pretty
interesting we just have to agree on something and pick the days to do them.
OK… the diet is getting to me; I am losing my appetite for chicken
with barely any meat on it and potato fries or rice. Our cook returns tomorrow
and we are going to ask her to prepare us the traditional dish called Banku but
with chicken broth instead of the goat soup on the menu… that will we something
different at least. I notice now how much my mood and life depend on the food I
eat I am a true foodie and being without is going to be my greatest challenge…as
stupid as that sounds. I dream of the restaurants and food I will prepare when
I return… I miss cooking.
We visited the orphanage today for a short while to see a
soccer game between too local teams in an 18+ team league and it was very cool
to watch. Some were decked out in all the assumed soccer gear and others were
barefoot or wearing just socks. I guess it all depends on how you learned to
play.
I don’t think I have mentioned how the women and men around
here carry insanely unimaginably large amounts of stuff on their heads, weather
it be a child, man, women, or elderly person they carry anything and everything
on their head without concentration. Boxes for food or supplies, tree branches to
build, huge bags of rice, bowls filled with veggies or fabric, large plates
stacked high with food for sale they carry it around while still walking and
waving and even dancing like it’s no big deal. My jaw drops sometimes at what
they are carrying as they walk past me.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of our second week here
teaching and we are hoping to get some time to work one on one with the
children in our classes; we will see how it goes. Waterfalls maybe on Wednesday?!!
<3 Jessie
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