Ghana - First Impressions by Joanne Lloyd-Triplett

With eleven new vaccinations and malaria pills in hand I set off for my first visit to the continent of Africa. After vigorous sprints through Atlanta and JFK airports to catch connections with minutes to spare I finally touch down in Accra, Ghana, luggage and all. It seems that many of my fellow Delta travelers have similar reasons for visiting Ghana: a missionary group here to build a maternity ward; a gap year student volunteering at a local orphanage. The wave of heat that hits me as I exit the plane is a far cry from the three inches of snow I left behind in Louisville, Kentucky. I take a moment to look around and take it all in. The ride to the hotel is not that long but offers a feast for the eyes; groups of people sitting relaxing under trees, a football match (the British kind), roadside stalls offering freshly cooked foods; a lady carrying a huge basket on her head, full of what look like bananas. We pull onto a dirt road and the hotel appears on the left, the building reminds me somewhat of Buckheads on the river with its roofline imitating mountain peaks. The lobby is right out of a 1980’s Spanish hotel; small, marble and without AC. I’m already in love with this place. The room is very spacious and clean and as I start to unpack I hear singing coming from the conference rooms below. Before we get to work on AUPAP (African Urban Poverty Alleviation Program) there’s time for a quick look around……

Morocco to Mainz; the Holidays abroad

This is my first contribution to the Sister Cities of Louisville blog during my stay here in Mainz, but late is certainly better than never! I have been living in Mainz for a little over four months and have become rather accustomed to things here - and I have to say that a warm bed and a hot shower at my place in Mainz are a welcome sight after a few weeks of backpacking.

I just returned last evening (well... actually about 1:00 this morning) from spending 8 days in North Italy. My friend Liana (from Columbia) and I flew down to Venice (thank God for budget airlines!) for New Year's Eve, and I have to say that midnight in Piazza San Marco was certainly 'once in a lifetime experience,' in no small part due to the foot of ocean water covering the ground; you see, Venice during the winter has this wonderful little characteristic of, well, flooding. Now, when I say "flooding," I do not mean sporadic puddles of rain, or the occasional overflowing canal - I mean real, unadulterated, unquenchable flooding - and my salt stained covered shoes can attest to this dreary fact. That memory will last a lifetime!

I spent my New Year's Eve in Venice, but that wasn't the first stop during my brief winter break. I spent a few days backpacking in Morocco with my friend Danae from the U.S. I have to say that as different as Germany can be from home, Morocco is worlds away. Seeing snake charmers in the streets of Marrakech and the Arabic words "God, Country, King" inscribed on the side of a mountain in Agadir really makes an impression! It was a very interesting experience, and I really can not wait to return to Africa. We returned from Morocco on the 24th of December, the first day of the three days of celebration in Germany. I was lucky enough to spend the three days with a wonderful couple from the Mainz Friendship Circle, Frau Ursula Bell-Koehler and Herr William Bell. It was a wonderful time, and I really appreciate the time I was able to spend with them - not to mention all of the wonderful home cooked German food! It certainly was different from my usual Christmas at home with the family, but I enjoyed myself and the wonderful company all the same!