Ghana

I think its about time that I updated this blog. Lots has happened since the 23rd, for example Im in Ghana at the moment. But I think its best if I start from Christmas eve.

Myself this other Australian I met at Q bar, and a Tanzanian friend (who I met in South Africa :)) took the ferry to Zanzibar, unusually for me I didn't get sea sick. We met these two Danish girls who didn't really know where they were going, so they stuck with us, and stayed at the same hostel, which is basically hidden in stone town. Interestingly enough quite a large amount of the locals remembered me from when I was there earlier in the year. We spent most of the day walking around, and then relaxing at a beach side restaurant,before moving onto a beach side bar. One of the Danish girls had been feeling sick for a while so we took her to the hospital, which didnt have any doctors as they were at prayer, we tried a further two clinics, but they were both closed.

Christmas day was more of a relaxing affair. Many of the restaurants were playing awful Christmas carols, we asked one to change the music!. I was feeling quite sick (from food) so I went to the pharmacy, they gave me a few different things, but I only recognized one, and that seemed to help. We had lunch at this amazing Indian restaurant, probably the best Indian food I have eaten in Africa! We actually went back there for dinner it was soo good. The thing about stone town is that the beaches are packed, its not actually tourists who really pack them, more of the locals, who play soccer and perform acrobatics on the beach. Thus on boxing day we went to the northern most point of Zanzibar which is about an hour and a half drive. The beachers up north are much more touristy, and the beaches are better for swimming with a large number of hotels overlooking the shore. Funnily enough even in these parts sea urchins hid in the water. Myself and my friends were quite weary of them, from our previous enjoyable experience, unfortunately many of the tourists were not looking out for them, and when lying on the sand you would often hear the screams of some swimmer, who would come out of the water holding a foot. This one angry South African had two barbs in his ankle, and he was complaining like a baby (I had at least 5 in my foot still). Again we spent most of the day relaxing on the beach! and for once in my life (although this might be the second time) I got burnt, my back neck and shoulders were red!

I got back to Dar on the 27th and my friend Hank took me out to dinner, as a going away present. I also had a few drinks with my cricket friends. My plane to Ghana left at a terrible time 3.15am! Alas I didnt get much sleep. Ethiopian airlines was ok, nothing special, well until I got to Ghana and I realized my bags were not there. At this stage they are expected to arrive tomorrow (hopefully) Im getting quite sick of wearing the same clothes and my music and phone are about to run out of batteries.

Ok! Lately I have been catching up with a few friends. Yesterday for example I had lunch with my old Swahili teacher, he was very impressed I still remembered quite alot of Swahili. On Sunday we played cricket. It was a 50 over match and my team was bowled out for just under 100 I didnt do well at all, but neither did anyone else. We basically though we would loose quite badly as our opposition was the number one team. Surprisingly we had them at 7 for 80, with a real chance of winning, but alas we couldnt get anymore wickets.

I have spoken to a few lecturers in economics at the University of Dares salaam, I would like to meet some of them and discuss their research, its actually quite interesting some of them have degrees from really good universities.

Yesterday I went to the beach and was just walking through the shallows when I stood on some sea urchins, now these things are painful, they have large spikes that puncture your skin. Im luckily I only stood on them with one foot, I counted about 10 puncture woods in my heel, so I think it might be difficult to walk today.

Tomorrow I would go to Zanzibar for Christmas, it will be packed with tourists but I think it will be better then staying in Dar.

Tanzania has been great! I went to a place called bagamoyo a few days back with a friend. Bagamoyo is the main port where they traded slaves and it used to be the old capital city, its kind of dump and very underdeveloped. My friend and I had chips mayai which is basically an egg omlette with chips inside, healthy! I played cricket yesterday, but we lost! Anyway Ill write a bigger blog tomorrow, as I need to go into town now

Tanzania

I arrived in Tanzania last night! surprisingly the flight was great! and no problems this time catching my flight! Its probably best that I update on what I have been up too in South Africa.

I spent most of the past week in Pretoria, just relaxing really! the people that work there are awesome, they have many good stories to tell. One of the guys that was staying at the backpackers in Pretoria was an exiled freedom fighter during the 1960s, he has been jailed four times, he lives in Canada and has been for the past 25 years. The guy reminds me of Tabo Mbeki although he seems a lot smarter (Mbeki couldnt resolve a conflict between two dogs!) , he told stories about how the ANC used child soldiers from South Africa to attack the ruling party.

On Sunday I decided to do something more interesting rather then just sitting around the backpackers. Myself and a French guy took a bus into town. We wanted to see inside the parliament buildings, but the ANC were running some discussion. Some of the ANC members invited us into the building, we thought it would be a good experience so we sat down and listened to some ANC people give a speech about how they need to place running water in this township, otherwise the township wont vote for them. After about 15 minutes, some of the ANC members decided we shouldnt be listening to the discussion and they kicked us out!. Some ANC guy come out afterwards and apologized,he told us we should tell everyone back at home how open and transparent the ANC is. We then ventured to the Paul Kruger Museum, I personally didnt know much about the Anglo Boer war, but the museum really informed me about the conflict, I guess most people generally focus on the apartheid history of South Africa.

On Tuesday I left to go to the Joburg airport. I decided to fly as the tickets were not that expensive and actually cheaper then taking a bus. The tickets were booked over the internet. When I arrived at the airport I realised my credit card I needed to show was back in Joburg in my bigger bag (I left I big bag at the backpackers) and there wasn't enough time for me to go back and make the flight. So as you could imagine I was not too happy. So I decided to just change my flight to Thursday. I called up the backpackers and arranged a pickup.

When I was waiting at the information desk, I started talking to these two Ghanaian guys, one was actually an Australian citizen. The other guy was a journalist and as it happened he had a meeting with the consulate general on Wednesday. I told them about my Ghanaian visa problem and how they wouldn't give me a visa in South Africa. We exchanged numbers and he said he would call me later that night. At this stage I wasn't thinking much of it, he might have just been trying to scam me (cynical I know).

I spoke to him Tuesday night and he asked to meet me Wednesday morning outside the Ghanian embassy in Pretoria. I didn't really have much to do, and Pretoria is not too far plus one of my favourite backpackers is located near the embassy. I arrived at the embassy quite early, while the Ghanaian journalist arrived late. He basically took me straight inside the embassy to meet the consulate general. They spoke in their language and the consulate general said the journalist needed to guarantee me while in Ghana (basically to say that he knew me and was inviting me into the country), and he needed to fill out all these forms. The Ghanaian journalist apparently told the consulate I was helping him and was a great friend of his. It took around 1 hours to fill out all the forms. We went to the receptionist to hand in the forms and she said I was unable to get a visa as I was Australian.

We asked to speak to the consulate general and while we sat in his office (he was just laughing and talking to the journalist) he filled out my visa and stuck it in my passport. This process usually takes 3 days!. It was awesome! I was ecstatic after getting the visa! and took the journalist out too lunch! It was just one of those crazy days!

It took me quite a while too get to Jane Furse on friday. I spent around 2 hours waiting in a taxi untill it became full. I then stopped half way to Jane Furse to buy flowers, you would not believe how hard it is to find flowers away form the city.

The funeral for Modzi's mother was on Saturday. The funeral service started at 6am. We arrived at Modzis house around 6:15, the family had set up a tent out the front of her house and there was already around 200 people. The ceremony at Modzis house went for around 3 hours their was no priest as the mother was part of the ZCC which is the Zionist Christian Church. A few people gave speeches and there was alot of singing. The group then went to the cemetry which took around 1 hour to get too. Another ceremoney occured at the cemetry this time only for around 2 hours. Although I couldnt understand anything anyone said the funeral was very heartfelt, they also had another ceremony on Sunday where they killed a cow and ate its head but that wasnt really my thing.

I went back to the school on Sunday but their was no students left (they all finsihed on the 30th of November)
At the moment I am back in Joburg as im flying to Windhoek tomorrow :)

Joburg

My plane flight over was ordinary, the turbulence was terrible the majority of the flight from Malaysia to South Africa. I arrived quite early around 6am and went straight to a backpackers in Joburg. I was quite content with just bumming around the backpackers for most of the day but this Italian guy I met wanted to see the city. We took a taxi to the city center in Joburg and spend a few hours walking around Hilbrow and the surrounding areas, the Italian guy really wanted to eat Pap so we stoped off at some restaurant.

By some stroke of luck the Joburg art gallery was just around the corner so we went and had a look. They had a photo exhibition with photos spanning 1950-2010. The photos of the apartheid and pre apartheid era were really interesting but also very sad! I would try to describe some of the photos but its one of those things you really need to see.

I went to the Ghanaian embassy today to get my visa, but they wont give it to me, so ill have to get it either in Kenya or Namibia.

I'm off to Jane Furse tomorrow to catch up with some friends!! otherwise I have nothing much planned