Day 14 - Volta Region Trip

Today, we are headed to the Volta region to see Wli Waterfalls, the tallest waterfalls in West Africa.  It is a 4 hour drive from Accra.  First, we stopped at Akosombo Dam which was completed in 1962 and provides more than 60% of Ghana's electricity.  The dam also created the largest man-made lake in the world, Lake Volta.  Today, it is second to the man-made lake created by the Three Gorges Dam in China.  We got a brief tour of the dam and our guide explained all the details about the history behind the dam construction.

Lake Volta in the background

Akosombo Dam on the Volta River.  Turbines and the river in the background.

The Volta Region is very green and mountainous as you head north.  Our final stop was the little mountain top village of Amendzofie where our hotel was.  The ride up was breath taking and a bit scary at the same time but the views were unbelievable.  

Our hotel/guest house at dusk and in the morning

Once we got settled in at the guest house, it started raining which provided such a pristine and natural setting.  We were far from major cities and there was such a quietness to being up in the mountains.  However, the rain brought an unexpected visitor, or hundreds of them to be clear.  Mang Mao insects/bugs come out of the group as soon as it rains and they die within a few hours.  Dozens of them got into each of our rooms thru the cracks in the windows.  They were everywhere.  They are harmless insects that are just a menage at best and people in many tropical environments are accustomed to this.  Geckos are also common in tropical environments.  They are found inside buildings are are part of the natural/human environment.  Although the maintenance people at the guest house cleaned up all the dead bugs, the sight of a few more was just too much to bear for several of our students.  We had three days left.  We had traveled a good distance in Ghana and dealt with bugs in almost every place we stayed in so far.  Some of the students had a hard time sleeping knowing that there were geckos on their wall hunting a few remaining bugs.  It was an uncomfortable setting.  We were towards the tail end of our trip and we were all tired, so we decided that the following morning we would return to Accra to the comforts of a bit more of a modern life.  

Day 13 - Children are Always so Joyful

We've had two of our best days so far, in Cape Coast.  Today, we are on our way back to Accra.  First, we stopped by a K-3 school in the village of Brenu Akyinim to interact with school children and see first hand the school conditions in Ghana.  Ashanti African Tours, our tour company, as part of their "Ethical Travel" philosophy have built several classrooms for this school.  We met with the headmaster who took us to the various classrooms while informing us about all that they do.  It is mind boggling to think about how few resources most Ghanaians have compared to people in the western world, or for that matter, affluent people in other developing countries.  The tiny students in each classroom sang us a welcome song each time we entered their classrooms.  My students were really moved by this kind gesture.  The local students were so happy to see us.  We got a chance to interact with them, play with them, and of course, take pictures.  The kids especially loved taking selfies of themselves.  When they saw themselves in our phone screens, they were beyond jubilant.  Most of these poor children have probably never seen a smart phone.

Jubilant kids seeing themselves in selfie mode

We were able to pool our resources together to collect about 400 Cedis ($100) to donate to the school as a small token of our appreciation for allowing us to spend time with them.  Every small amount can make a difference under these circumstances.

We were sad to leave them because they were so happy and excited to see us.

Next, we visited Elmina Slave Castle which was the largest slave castle in Ghana owned by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and eventually the British.  It was built in 1482 and is the oldest European building south of the Sahara.

Elmina Slave Castle

We grabbed a quick bite for lunch and headed on to Accra (3 hours drive) for the last few days of our trip.
     

Day 12 - Canopy walk, Chocolate, Naming Ceremony, and Retracing Roots

Today was another busy day.  A few students had slight stomach upsets so six of us decided to carry on with our activities as our compadres rested to gain their strength back.  Our first stop was Kakum National Park which is famous for the canopy walk.  The canopy walk is high across trees that are hundreds of years old and over two hundred feet tall.  The boardwalks themselves are around a 100 feet high.  As soon as we step on the walkway, high above the ground, you hear a thud that can be intimidating.  As you start walking farther out on the boardwalk, the bridge wobbles unstably and this was a bit nerve racking.  Once we got past the first bridge, we felt confident.  We completed the seven bridges as we enjoyed the thick tropical rainforests from a beautiful vantage point perched high up in the trees.

Kakum National Park - canopy walk

After the canopy walk, we went to a nearby small-scale cocoa farm to see how chocolate was made.  Ghana is the second larges producer of cocoa and it is a very important part of the country's economy.  Our guide described how chocolate was produced from the trees to the pods to the drying and roasting and eventually grinding and mixing of chemicals to make chocolate.  It was a unique experience.  Next, we stopped by a palm oil production farm where local women were making palm oil from the pods.  This was another unique experience.

Cocoa farm, palm oil farm, petting goats

After this we had lunch at a waterfront hotel that had crocodiles in the pond.  We were actually able to pet a crocodile with the help of a guard.  After lunch, we made our way to Simiw village to experience the naming ceremony of an African American couple from the US.  It was the gentleman's birthday so the village elders decided to give him his Ghanaian name.  There is a whole ceremony and rituals that are involved.  We were lucky to be there so my students also got their African names.  We sat in a hot room with numerous people but my students really enjoyed this emotional ceremony.  This was followed by a drumming and an acrobatic performance by a local performing group.  They were exceptional.

Crocodile petting

Naming ceremony and drums and dance

This brought a conclusion to our day so we headed back to our resort to relax for the rest of the evening.  Sitting on the beach, eating food, socializing with others, and enjoying the dancers perform was a perfect ending to the day.  The last two days were probably the two most fun days so far because of what we experienced and also because we were at a very good resort (Coconut Grove African Village) with excellent facilities.

African drumming and music at night

Enjoying the resort at night

Day 11 - Cape Coast: Slavery, Ancestry, and an Indefensible History

As I sit under a cabana in a wonderful beach side resort, sipping on my so-felt much earned beer after a hot day's worth of visiting historic sites, only one question comes to mind.  How could have slavery existed?  How could man do what he did to fellow human beings?  I can feel the cool winds brought on by the crashing Atlantic waves.  I can hear them roaring and crashing against the rocks and sand.  The only difference is, I am sitting in a resort as a free and privileged human being, enjoying the beautiful setting.  The ancestors of some of my students were locked up in dungeons hearing the same waves that I hear knowing well they were at the point of no return.  Slavery was rooted in racism, justified by the bible, and promulgated by Eurocentrism.  Whites felt that other races, but particularly Black Africans were not equals but rather sub-humans.

Local children enjoying the beach using styrofoam as surfing boards

Cape Coast Castle

Cape Coast Castle

We are headed from Kumasi to Cape Coast - our base for the next two days.  About an hour from Cape Coast, we stopped in Assin Manso, a small village that was a stopping point during the slave trade.  The river here was used to bathe and clean the Africans who were captured by or sold to Europeans.  They were then branded to be auctioned off and taken to Cape Coast.  I wonder what was going through my students' minds as we hiked thru the forest path to the river knowing that their ancestors walked in these same footsteps, except in iron shackles, bonded, weak, and defeated?  Our guide gave us an emotional history lesson about the Slave River.  As a non African American, it was beyond upsetting to me.  It was clearly visible how emotional this was to my students and I simply cannot comprehend how they felt.

Assin Manso Slave River

After the Slave River, we headed on to Cape Coast Castle.  Initially, it was a trading post in the 1400s.  Eventually, it was used to house slaves.  Our guide walked us thru the hallways, the male and female dungeons, holding cells, the church (how ironic), and the entire castle.  Even abused animals cooped up in enclosures had better living conditions than these slaves.  They were often kept in dark dungeons for up to three months, defecating next to each other, urinating and vomiting on each other, struggling next to dead bodies of their comrades, and praying for divine intervention while the Europeans prayed, preached, and sang right above them in their church.  Talk about irony!  The "Point of No Return" was the castle or the door that led to the Atlantic.  Once Africans went thru this door, there was no returning back.  They had to leave behind their families, their friends, their way of life, their culture, their mother land, and their dignity, only to face a two month perilous journey packed like sardines among disease infested neighbors, and dead bodies of friends.  Ultimately, they ended up in a new land - a land of opportunity, a land of freedom, the United States which only applied to whites.

Point/Door of No Return

After visiting Cape Coast Castle, we headed on to our resort right on the Atlantic Ocean.  Today was an extremely emotional day.  The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was one of the gravest sins committed in human history.  As we get settled in, we will have time to reflect on what we experienced today.

    

Day 10 - The Ashanti Region: The Cultural Hub of Ghana

We are in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region - the cultural hub of Ghana.  The Ashanti is the largest ethnic group in Ghana.  They sit on the the second largest gold mine in Africa - the Ashanti goldfields in Obuasi which is where I conducted my master's thesis data collection back in 2004.  Gold is very important in the Ashanti culture.

Dressing up in Kente cloth

It was pouring this morning.  We have not spent much time in southern Ghana, yet, so we have not experienced the rainy season so far.  It rained hard for a good hour and I told my students to carry their umbrellas every single day here on out.  Our first stop this morning was a Kente cloth making center in the village of Bonwire, an hour from Kumasi.  Kente cloth is widely used in West Africa and it is an important part of Ghanaian culture.  People generally dress up in their best Kente outfits for special occasions.  Our guide showed us how they made the cloth from scratch.  We found it amazing that none of the people at the center used modern machinery so no electricity was required.  All equipment was made of simple material such as wood, rubber, and stone.

Next, we headed to another nearby village called Ntonso where Adirinka symbol printing was done.  Adirinka symbols represent various meanings and are mainly used on clothing.  Western clothing generally have no cultural meaning whereas Ghanaian clothing and the symbols on them represent different cultural elements.  Our guide walked us thru all the steps from preparing the dyes to imprinting on the clothing.  Several of my students purchased some clothing and imprinted them with symbols they choose.  This was a fun activity for the students.

Adirinka Printing

We then headed to the Kumasi Mall and had lunch.  It is the only mall in Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana.  In fact, there are fewer than five malls in the entire country.  After lunch, we went to the Ashanti Palace which is where the Ashantehene (Ashanti king) lives.  It is a museum now and our guide gave us a thorough tour and history of the Ashanti people.  This was a great cultural lesson for all of us.  After the palace tour, we headed back to our hotel for the evening to relax and pack up for our drive to Cape Coast tomorrow morning.

Day 9 - Larabanga Mosque: A Different Environment

After yesterday's high of finally seeing an elephant, we were ready for the long drive back to Kumasi.  The nearest town to Mole National Park is Larabanga where the famous Larabanga mosque is located.  It is a Sudanic style building that is over 500 years old. It is built entirely with sticks and mud.  It is believed to be one of the oldest mosques in all of West Africa and purportedly houses one of the oldest Quarans in the world.  A local guide gave us a brief history and tour of the outside of the mosque.  The entrance into the mosque was only reserved for non-Muslims.  The cultural and physical environment in the North is so very different than central and southern Ghana.  Here, in the north, the majority of people are muslim.  They also speak different languages than the in the south.  The way they dress is even different.  Geographically, the environment is dry and you find mostly shrub-land rather than the large tropical trees you see south of here.

Larabanga Mosque in northern Ghana

After visiting the Larabanga mosque, we headed back to Kumasi to start the second half of our trip.

Over the past two days, we've had some down time and my students have had plenty of vibrant discussions about American politics, slavery, poverty and the state of current affairs in Ghana.  It is great to see my students interact not just on a social level, but also from an intellectual level.

After arriving in our hotel in Kumasi, I enjoyed a much needed Ghanaian beer, spicy talapia and banku (traditional dish) and some mangoes (12 for 50 cents) that helped me catch up on our blog posts.  Time for some sleep in a cool, air-conditioned room :-)

  

Day 8 - African Safari at Mole National Park

We've driven so far, all the way up north, two thirds of the country, an area that most foreign tourists do not visit, just to see elephants in the wild.  Mole National Park is one of the few places in Africa where you can see wild elephants.  When you think of safaris, most people think of East Africa or southern Africa.  Nobody thinks of West Africa or Ghana.  During our early morning safari walk, we were not lucky to spot any elephants, even at the usual watering hole.  We did, however, see a Nile Crocodile, several types of deer/antelope, birds, baboons, and other monkeys.  We were very disappointed to say the least.  Generally, people are able to get up close (50 meters) to the elephants in this park.

Early morning safari walk with our armed guide, Robert

We also did an afternoon tour in our mini-bus.  We drove around for two hours hoping to see elephants.  We were able to cover long distances by vehicle so we felt confident we would spot elephants.  Unfortunately, again, we did not see any elephants.  We did see all the other animals from this morning, but, no elephants.  We felt inflated and I could tell frustration was creeping up in my students, and myself.  We decided to do a night tour as well to see if we would have better luck.  The night tours are on the top of a jeep, in the dark.  We knew this would be a different experience but we were not optimistic that we would see too many animals and especially elephants because of the dark.

We did see a some animals in the dark due to their peering and glowing eyes that reflected off our bright flashlights.  Most animals during the day ran away as soon as they saw us.  During the night, they just stared at us, even when we were much closer.  The saying "a deer in headlights" is true.  We drove for over an hour but still had no luck spotting elephants.  I guess it was just not our day.  As our guide mentioned, it is rare to not see elephants in Mole National Park.  We definitely enjoyed the night safari on top of a jeep.  We could see the clear sky and all her twinkling stars, hear the sounds of the night and see the darkness that can really scare people.  As we were heading back to the information building where our tour started, our guide got a call on his cell phone that a local had spotted an elephant near the worker's homes a few minutes away.  The guide told me, but not the students.  We quickly drove in that direction and as soon as we arrive, there it was!  A lone, massive, male elephant.  He was peacefully grazing on the grass in the surrounding area.  His tusks were nearly three feet long.  Our guide told us that it was okay to flash our light at him to which the elephant did not care.  We finally saw an elephant, in the 11th hour.  This was unbelievable.  I could sense the excitement, joy, and relief in all of us.  We watched the elephant graze for almost 15 minutes before he went back into the bushes.  We could not have been happier.  What an ending to our day and visit.  Tomorrow, we drive back to Kumasi.

  

Day 7 - Long Drive to Mole National Park

Hawking or selling on the street while carrying all your supplies is quite common in Ghana.  You can find just about anything on the street and this is part of the informal economy that a large portion of the country depends on

Today, we drove to Mole National Park which is one of the few places in Africa to visit elephants and other animals in the wild.  Safaris are more common in East and South Africa.  However, elephants are also found in parts of West Africa.  The drive took us nearly ten hours, inclusive of stops.  It was not the most comfortable of drives as there are a gazillion speed bumps in Ghana.  We managed and checked into Mole Mole Motel, the only boarding available in the park.  It is located on an escarpment several hundred feet high and it offered beautiful views of the park.  As we were driving to the motel which is in the park, we saw a wart hog (Pumba :-), several bushbucks, and troupe of baboons.  Yes, we are in the wild now.  We got settled into our rooms and are ready for an early morning foot safari to track down animals.

Our bus with BSU decal and all

As we drove north, the cultural and geographic landscape changed.  It is dryer up north and Islam is the major religion in the area.

One final note as I finish up today's post.  Due to a lack of time in London and a lack of powerful internet in the places we have stayed in Ghana, I was unable to complete my blogs regularly (Chromebook depends on internet just to type up any posts).  We are out in the middle of nowhere, here at Mole National Park, and it is so relaxing away from civilization.  Although there is not hot water in the showers, the internet connection is surprising good.  Moreover, I have all the time in the world to catch up and blog.  The night sky is amazing here which is something that is hard to find in urban areas.  Good night!

Day 6 - Finally, in the MOTHERLAND!

We landed in Accra Kotoko International airport last night.  It was a 6 hour flight from London.  We completed immigration, exchanged some money ( $1 = 4.5 Ghanaian Cedis), and met our guide outside the terminal.  I booked our tour in Ghana thru Ashanti African Tours who helped me plan an economically budget trip for our group.  Michael our guide, along with Foster our junior guide, and Ansai our driver will escort us for the next 12 days.

We checked into our hostel and boy were we all happy to finally have AC!  The following morning, we were ready to leave for Kumasi.  On the way to Kumasi, we stopped at TK Beads Company to see first hand how beads are made.  A worker from the company showed us step by step (collecting glass bottles, crushing them, powdering them, preparing the molds, smelting, heating, designing, polishing and finally threading) how to make the beads.  The students really enjoyed this and we also had the opportunity to purchase some of their fine beads.

Step by step demonstration of glass beads making

After the bead factory, we headed into the Akwapim mountains to our next destination - Aburi Botanical Gardens.  The gardens is home to hundreds of species of plants, trees, and birds.  It has always been a cool and calm respite for Accra residents.  We received a wonderful tour from a local guide who explained all the important flaura and fauna in the gardens.  My students had many questions for the quide and the calm and quite environment was a welcome respite for us after living staying in larges cities thus far.

Next, we headed to Kumasi, the cultural center of Ghana.  Kumani is the second biggest city in Ghana and is also the capital of the Ashanti Region which is home to the Ashanti people, the largest ethnic group in Ghana.  The town of Obuasi is located in this region.  This place is very near and dear to me as I spend a whole summer in 2004 doing my MS thesis research at the Ashanti Gold Fields.  We got into Kumasi around 7 pm, checked into Royal Basin Resort.  Dinner, settled in, and preparing for a long drive for one of the highlights of this trip.....

Day 5 - Good bye London! Hello Ghana!

Good appetizer.  Now, on to the main entree.  London was a lot of fun.  Even though it had its challenges, I believe my students got to experience hosteling.  If they ever want to travel on their own, on a budget, they now know what to and how to do it.  

  

My, how quickly do mindsets change once put in uncomfortable situations.  My students were excellent in adjusting to all the challenges.  Nothing serious, but important and unique to first time hostelers.  We are all ready for Ghana which is the real reason for this trip.

Day 4 - Geography Lesson

Today is our last day in London.  We have finally acclimated ourselves to the time change, the culture, location, tube and bus system, and feel comfortable going around.  Yesterday and today have been slightly cooler.  The students were free for the first half of the day to again, explore on their own.  

During the second half of the day, I had several activities planned.  First off, I took them to an imaginary line called the Prime Meridian.  I had planned for them to straddle the line for a pic.  Unfortunately, once we got there, we found out that we had to pay to get in to the area to straddle the line.  The last time I visited Greenwich was in 2003 when straddling the line was free.  Regardless, we hung out in front of the main statue, took pictures and relaxed a little until it was time to go due to the rain.

Group at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London

Next, we headed to the Planetarium and watched a show on solar super storms.  It is scary to think how much panic and chaos a super solar storm would cause.  After the planetarium, we headed down the hill to take a boat to get back to the hostel.

On our way back, we went to Chinatown for dinner.  London's Chinatown is a very entertaining and lively place.  We had dinner and then headed to Trafalgar Square which is one of the largest public squares in all of Europe.  We spent some time being entertained by street performers and we took some pictures before we decided to call it a night.  We took our # 24 double decker bus back to the hostel.  We finished packing our suitcases and backpacks and were ready to leave London in the morning.  Just when we felt like we had gotten used to London, it was time to leave.      

Day 3 - Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego - Free Day

After two days, my students have had enough of a geographic orientation of London that I felt comfortable letting them spread their wings.  For the most part, I was their guide for the first two days.  Now, they get to fly on their own to explore London, discover new places, and enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful city.

While they explored the city on their own, I decided to explore Cambridge and its universities.  Cambridge is home to numerous universities including the prestigious University of Cambridge which has nearly a hundred Nobel laureates.  Scientists like Sir Isaac Newton (what goes up must come down) and Sir Francis Bacon (the scientific method) and world renowned astrophysicist, Stephen Hawkins who is an alumni of Trinity College are all from Cambridge.  I also had to opportunity to see Newton's apple tree (descendant of the original tree). 

My students explored different parts of London.  They went to the Tower Bridge, the zoo, the botanical gardens, Piccadilly Circus area, a chocolate bar, and other places.  When they came back to our hot hostel room, several students seemed very enthusiastic.  Just having the freedom to explore the city made all the difference.  Also, everyone got a good nights's rest and our biological clocks are almost back to normal.  Tomorrow is our last day in London. 

Day 2 - The early bird catches the worm

I slept solidly thru the night and woke up.  When I looked at the clock, it was only 4 AM?  Wait, what?  Yup, that is jet lag.  Most of us woke up between 4 and 6 am, got ready and headed down for breakfast.  Unfortunately, breakfast was not until 7:30 AM.  We were the only ones in the hostel lobby hungrily waiting around for breakfast.  The effects of jet lag can take a few days to subside.  Most of us did not sleep well.  The room was hot since most homes in London do not have ACs.  10 of us crammed in one room with our large suitcases, absolutely no privacy, mini shared showers and bathroom facilities - all very much different that what we are used to in the US.  Our first day was an uncomfortable one.  Mostly, it was the environment and culture shock of staying in a hostel.  In fact, several students wanted to explore the option of checking out from the hostel and checking into a hotel.  I was open to the idea.

Today, we were scheduled for a London walking tour.  After breakfast, we headed out to the center of town to meet our travel guide.  This is a busy time in London - one of the most visited cities in the world.  Since the walking tour was a "free" walking tour, we had more than 70 people.  I've done several of these walking tours all around Europe and none have been this big.  During our walking tour, our guide did a fantastic job explaining all the sights and sounds that we walked past - Buckingham Palace, London Parliament, Changing of the Guards, and other palaces and streets.

Sights of London on our walking tour

Westminster Abbey

After our walking tour which ended by Westminster Abbey, we headed back towards our hostel for some lunch.  The area not far from Victoria station had a plethora of restaurants and shopping.  Students enjoyed some down time to eat some familiar food.  Some students also explored a few hotels to see if it would be feasible to move out to a more comfortable place.  When I asked them if they would, the cost of the hotels, the small size, and a change in their mindset had the opposite effect.  They said that they would just adjust and make the best of what they had.  They realized that London was very different from the US.  Everything was small here - the rooms, bathrooms, streets, etc.  This was a turning point.  Usually it takes a day or two to leave your homely mindset back and adopt a new mindset in the destination you are visiting.  As soon as that happened, it felt like my students were re-energized and they found their exploration shoes.  They were free for the evening and they all went out as one happy family to enjoy a few more sights and sounds of London.

I have a hunch that we will all sleep like babies, tonight......

Day 1 - Hot hot jet laggin' in London

We landed in Heathrow Airport, passed thru immigration in an hour, and headed to the station to catch the Tube (subway in London) which is one of the cleanest, most extensive, and efficient subway systems in the world.  I had pre-ordered Oyester Travel Cards for all of us for travel convenience and cost.  We were exhausted since we did not get much sleep overnight.  We took two trains to get to Pimlico Station, our base station for this trip.  Now, it was time to lug our luggage thru the streets of London to our hostel.

Tubing thru the streets of Central London

Less than 5% of African American students study abroad due to various social, economic, cultural, and other reasons.  As I've conducted surveys in my classes over the years,   I've realized that very few of my students have traveled beyond the East Coast.  Although several of my students in this particular group have traveled abroad, hosteling was a new concept and none of them has ever experienced this before.  I was curious to see how they would feel about it in a day or two.  I've backpacked all over the world and I have always stayed at hostels.  The downside of hostels is that you don't get the luxury of hotels nor the privacy.  However, if you are a budget traveler (most students), the pros far outweigh the cons.  Outside of expensive cities like London, Paris, NYC, etc., most hostels cost about $15-20/night.  Breakfast and linens are usually included.  You will have to share a room with a few other guests depending on how many bunk beds there are.  Toilet facilities are also shared.  Most backpackers tour the city the entire day, use the hostel to socialize at night and get a good nights sleep.  The best part about hostels is that you meet fellow travelers from all around the world during evening social activities.  During my backpacking trips in college, I remember very fondly pub crawling with Australians, Japanese, British, fellow Americans, and others.  

Once we got settled into our hostel (all of us crammed in one room), we headed out for our first set of activities.  We took a quintessential red double-decker bus out to the London Eye for a 45-minute Thames River cruise and a slow rotation of the giant Ferris wheel.  It was a sunny and clear day so we got beautiful views of the city of London.  

We also managed to get a beautiful panoramic picture of the British Parliament which was closed to tourists due to the recent terrorist attack in Manchester.  The security level in London was at critical which is the highest it has been in a decade.  However, to us, the streets looked normal with thousands of tourists everywhere. 

Big Ben is not the tower or clock itself, rather, it is the giant bell inside the clock tower

Jet lag was hitting us.  My students and I were falling asleep every time we sat down so it was definitely time to head back to our hostel.  I could have just let my students rest in the hostel during the first day but the # 1 rule to fight jet lag is to try to get back to our normal circadian clock as soon as possible.  Staying up during the day even if we were sleepy in order to sleep at night was crucial.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a local pub and were back in our hotel.  It was a very hot day in London.  We were exhausted.  A few of the students learned and enjoyed some salsa dancing which was an activity organized in the hostel.  Soon after, one by one, we hit the clouds sans AC.  Let's see how well we sleep and what time we wake up tomorrow morning.....

12 people crammed like sardines in our hostel room.  Salsa dancing.

    

Day 0 - Off to London

We are a group of 10 - 9 students and myself traveling on a two and a half week study abroad trip to Ghana with a few days in London.  Although we are enthusiastic about our upcoming trip, we start off with heavy hearts due to recently transpired tragedies on our minds.  One of our students was senselessly murdered in a possible hate crime (still being investigated) while visiting friends at the University of Maryland-College Park only days before he was set to graduate.  Furthermore, the recent events in Manchester, England where more than 20 concert goers were killed and several dozen injured in an apparent suicide bombing will be close to us as we explore London.

At times, life does bring tragedies.  However, we must move forward to explore and cherish the future while being mindful and cognizant of current and past events.  The most important tool (other than a passport) while traveling is flexibility and an open-mind.

BSU students in front of the Student Center

Teaching my students how to backpack on a shoe string budget

Our provost, dean, colleagues, and several parents gave us a warm send off.  It was great to see the support as I know how hard these students have worked to come up with the funds for this trip.  BWI (Baltimore-Washington International) airport was very convenient due to the low amount of international flights.  Our first taste of England came as soon as we were greeted by the British Airways air-hosts/hostesses with that charming British accent.  

The in-flight entertainment included quite the array of international options including movies in my native language, Telugu

Not much sleep on the short (7 hr) flight.  A dinner and a movie, a few hours of shut eye, breakfast, and bam, we landed in London.