The Traveling Tigress

So, this is it.  I’m going home tonight.

What have I learned from my trip?  Quite a lot about fiber arts, for one, but also a bit about Ghanaians.  My experience has been that Ghanaians are quite friendly and welcoming – even someone passing by is likely to call out “You’re welcome!” (meaning, you are welcome) or “Good morning!” in a way you totally would not expect in the Western world.  They also seemed genuinely interested in helping me get where I wanted to go, and making sure the obruni didn’t get lost.  I really enjoyed my trip, although I’m glad to be going home.

I learned that Ghanaian infrastructure is sometimes lacking – the scheduled blackouts every five days were irritating, as were the unscheduled ones at all hours of the day.  I saw thatched mud huts, tame crocodiles, gorgeous weaving, brass-casting, and all kinds of textile crafts.  I rode in cramped, hot, airless tro-tros and air-conditioned long-haul buses. I ate nutria rat (tastes like goat) and smoked rat (tastes like ham).  I even learned that you can fit two people into the front (bucket) seat of a taxi!

Most of all, I’m reminded that Third World travel is enjoyable in a totally different way than Western travel – a bit rougher traveling, but more than made up for by the friendly people and the diversity of experience – everything from mud huts to sophisticated city life, and all sorts of handicrafts long dead in Western areas.  I love it, and I can’t wait for my next trip.