I apologise but thus far Ghana has mostly been about settling in, classes and interning; I may be abroad but I am still a student after all. This weekend, however, we took a little trip to Elmina, on the coast and I wanted to document the experience for you. I've filmed the whole trip for a vlog (are you subscribed?) but here is a sneak peek.
Kakum National Park is a huge rainforest, with a canopy walkway strung high above it. We wandered across these bridges, scaring each other as they swung back and forth with each step. I am not a natural lover of heights, as regular readers will know, but the sights offered were spectacular. Dense, leafy trees towered above and below us, green as far as the eye could see. We walked and walked, across bridge after bridge, taking wobbly steps onto the tree platforms in between. Photographs were snapped in all manner of poses, as we desperately tried to make the most of our stunning scenery. Fear crept into my body, but I determinedly stepped one foot after another, eager to enjoy this rainforest experience.
There is so much to Ghana. Other parts of this trip have been far less frivolous, today's visit to a slave castle a somber reminder of a past that we hope never to repeat. I didn't want to include any photographs of that, nor really to dwell upon it here, but I have to write about it for my creative writing class and the task is daunting. How to convey in words such a horrible history? I feel guilty on behalf of a nation that I love, for the brutality they inflicted upon the ancestors of friends who stood beside me and wept. To communicate that in writing feels beyond my capabilities, but I suppose that's what education is for, to test and push you, tackling painful topics.
I am learning so much from being here: about Ghana, Africa, my perceptions, and about myself. But sometimes it's fun to just bounce over a bridge.
I hope you're having an amazing time in Ghana, the pictures here are stunning! x
ReplyDeleteJodie // Jodie Loue
Thank you Jodie! xxx
Deleteaa good blog,with the weariness of some of your recent ones left behind, and the energy and curiosity rising to the surface.
ReplyDeleteWriting about the slave castle sounds like a difficult task but perhaps your words can shed some light. Happy travels! :]
ReplyDelete// ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Ghana is sounds like such a cool country. I have a friend from Ghana and he makes it sound absolutely amazing. It's definitely on my list of places to see someday!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to a slave castle, but I visited a holocaust internment camp and it felt like you still feel all the pain that happened there. It's a very eerie place and I imagine a slave castle would feel much the same.
Good luck with your paper and studies in Ghana!
- Courtney
courtneylthings.blogspot.com
Thank you for your comment Courtney!
DeleteI too have been to a concentration camp and the feeling of pain was very much the same. I'm sure you know the wrestling match of shock and shame and horror that such visits cause within us, and I appreciate you're understanding of it.
Liza xxx