Want to help bring some goodwill to Africa? At the onset of my trip, I asked Karim, my 11 year-old nephew, if he could help raise money through his school and soccer team, to purchase soccer balls and shoes for underprivileged African children. To this day, he`s raised over $300 for that cause! I will be buying soccer balls everyday to give to children in the villages and find a young team to sponsor when I get to Accra at the end of my journey. If you wish to contribute to that effort, please use my Paypal account.
Thanks for helping spread the joy!
UPDATE: Last week, I distributed 7 soccer balls in a poor neighborhood of Wa, in the North of Ghana. Tomorrow, I am buying soccer shoes to 18 school kids in the small fishing village of Takwidaa on the Southern coast. (See slide show)
Soccer Balls and Shoes for the Kids
Emerging from the Dust, March 31
Sponsor a Local Ghanaean Band!
I`ve had the pleasure to meet some young and talented musicians in Accra whose band "Sea Water" is trying to cut their first CD. I attended several of their rehearsals and was deeply moved by their sincerity, heart and discipline. They work with minimal equipment (I had to buy them an electrical power strip because theirs was worn out!) and they borrow most of their instruments from friends. I wish to help them buy some decent equipment, in particular a keyboard, an amp and mixing board for their vocals, and a drum kit. I should be able to purchase all that they need for less than $750. If you wish to help contribute to this drive, please send check to: Mali Piottin, 1552 N. 128th St. Seattle, WA 98133 or use my Paypal account. See the band and hear some of their music (video clip 1 and video clip 2) Sorry about the poor quality of the videos but their rehearsal place has no light!
The Darkuman School, Accra, March 25
I visited the Darkuman school one more time before leaving Accra, and got to dance and play music with the kids. That day, they were not singing with enough passion, so the teachers stopped the prayer and lectured them pretty heavily, threatening them with the stick! (corporel punishment is still used in the schools!). I spoke with Fiona, the young teacher from Whales about the possibility of coming back to Ghana in the near future, and getting $ sponsorship for a children project. She was very receptive. Maybe we could get Casper, the other teacher from England and our beloved Morgan and Chas from Atlanta, to join us on such an endeavor (see slide show of school visit)
Krokrobite beach on Easter, March 24
Back in Accra, I unloaded some 8 pounds off my back, stuff I most likely won`t need such as sleeping bag, sleeping mat, water pump and some clothes that were just too hot. I also got myself some nice clothes for my evening strolls through towns. On Easter day, Nana, Tuba and I went to Krokrobite beach and I had never seen so many people in one spot. There must have been 200,000 people swimming, playing and even boxing on that beach. Later in the afternoon, we went dancing at a beach club playing Ghana hiphop. I had so much fun with the boys as men love to dance together in packs! I invited some girls to dance with us and it got pretty steamy! Only after we left did Tuba tell me that these were "club girls", out to get the tourists! The trotro ride back was absolutely nuts, on a road packed with honking buses and cars (see video clip)
On my last day in Accra, I realized that I`ve had enough of the city, its noise and pollution. As much as I have had a wonderful time with all the people I met and hung out with, I feel like I got a bit distracted from my purpose.
So I am back in Ho, in the Volta Region, and heading north from here towards Burkina Faso. My heart is doing well and I am having many insights about acceptance and being in the moment-the true gift of Africa! I keep trying to "plan" my journey but everything seems to point in the direction of just trusting and opening to what everyday has to offer. I feel softer and gentler by the day. Maybe Africa is really doing me! (see slide show of the day)
In Paradise, Tokor, Ghana, March 21
Today, I hesitated again. Someone told me that on Monday there would be a large gathering of revelers, musicians and dancers near some waterfalls some 2 hours North of where I am. I also wanted to go back to Accra to unload some of my camping stuff as my pack is too heavy (28lbs) to travel in this hot climate. I chose to stay around Ho for another day and go visit the villages around the mountain of Adaklu. I boarded a trotro that took an hour to load before departure-it was filled with women with babies returning from the market. I got off at a little village at the base of the mountain and started walking along the dirt road (see video clip), stopping at a couple outdoor church services along the way. Soon after leaving the village, I spotted a tiny walking trail going towards the mountain and decided to take my chances. I wanted to go around the mountain and hopefully get to some remote villages. I walked passed cultivated areas and the trail ended. I then entered a thick jungle and found a trail not too far after following a dried-up creek. The trail started going up and around a corner I met a very young girl trying to load a huge hardwood log on her head. I gave her a hand and was blown away that she could carry a 20lbs chunk of wood like that. She was not older than 7 or 8. After a while I asked her if she wanted me to help her carry the log and she agreed. Walking uphill with that amount of weight was hard for me! (see video clip). I got to the small village of Tokor (see video clip) (population 300) and immediately got surrounded by young children. I sat down with them under a big tree and was soon greeted by a gentle man named Bismark. He took me to his house and we chatted under the porch. He works for an NGO based in the US that sponsors projects such as water catchments, libraries and schools (see video clip). The little village was the cutest thing I had seen so far. Clean, organic in every sort of way, with mud dwellings, no electricity or running water. With a constant breeze and tucked on the side of the magnificent mountain, the place felt like paradise to me. I wanted to stay and inquired about that possibility. Bismark was open to the idea and introduced me to one of the village elders as he accompanied me out of town. At the next village at the bottom of the hill, I stopped for a cold drink and was greeted by some pretty drunk young men who lectured me on God and heaven. I told them I had just visited paradise but they did not get it! A rowdy young fellow of no more than 17 or 18 was having a fierce argument with some other men, yelling and cussing. I walked a mile out of that village before being picked up by a cab. Guess who was in the cab-the rowdy fellow, still yelling, obviously pretty pissed about something. The ride back was interesting... (see slideshow of the day)
Yaouzieee! March 21 Abutia Kloe, Ghana
I had a late start today after spending three hours online changing all my passwords because of the loss of my flash drive. I booked another night in Ho and decided to spend the day exploring the surrounding countryside. I hesitated between three very different destinations: a circle of some 40 villages at the foot of the tallest local mountain (butte?), a weavers` village or a nature reserve. The later won, and I took a cab shortly after noon to cover the 12 miles to the little village of Abutia Kloe, and walked the remaining 2.5 miles on foot-without water. Not only do I dress like a tramp but I travel like a dork! The walking on the dirt road was a treat of quietness and greenery (see video). At the park entrance, I was greeted by a 10 year-old girl who was cooking yam over a camp fire. She fetched her uncle who woke up from a nap to put his worn out ranger uniform and rubber boots, and grabbed his 1950 shotgun. He took me on a nice walk through the savanna where we spotted over 100 grazing kobs (horned antelope), and through the adjacent forest where I got to meet my first giant native trees (don`t know their name yet). It was a real treat after being in the city for 10 days! We passed near a man-made water whole for the serve animals and it was full of fish! I asked how the fish got there and the guide told me that God put them there and as long as there was fish, there will be water in that hole. So fishing isn`t allowed of course! The park manager gave me a ride out of the park on his motorcycle (see slideshow)
After getting a cool drink in the tiny village of Abutia Kloe, I hopped into a cab but jumped out a 100 feet further as I heard live music and saw a gathering under a tree by the roadside. My lucky day? Yes, I was up for a feast! I hadn`t sat down for more than 5 minutes that a girl grabbed me to dance with her. It was her and me and the whole village watching, cheering and cracking up. As much as I was happy as a clam to finally find myself where I wanted to be, I was also terribly self-conscious, and awkward about not knowing their dancing customs. They obviously have some kind of protocol where the woman controls the dance but I really couldn`t figure out how it all worked. An impressively big man hugged me and asked me to go dance again. I grabbed the girl next to me and the whole circle went berserk! I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I smiled and shook it as good as I could, but couldn`t shake the discomfort of being caught in a flirting/mating dance without knowing what I was getting into. Well, when the girl grabbed my face and gave me a juicy kiss, I knew I was getting into more trouble than I was ready for, so I stepped away from the dance to regain my bearings. I went to the corner store and bought a case of beer for the musicians. One of the elders came over to me and gave me a big hug and kissed me on the cheeks. The young men were pouring themselves shots of gin and were getting a bit rowdy. I thought it was time to leave as dusk was falling so I jumped into a trotro and sadly said goodbye to the girl who had so kindly given me a kiss. What a lovely day I had! (see dance video 1 and dance video 2)
If you Found my Flash Drive
Out of Accra, March 20
Finally out of Accra and into the countryside. On my way out of town, I saw thousands of fruit bats hanging from trees and took it as a good omen for this new leg of my journey. I headed for the Volta River delta where I heard it was mellow. Yes it was indeed! I was the only one at the beach resort, the last guests visited two weeks ago from what the register indicated. I walked for a few miles on the sand to get to the resort, as I did not want to take a boat ride there, and got a bit harassed by a horde of kids asking for money. I had to do a bogeyman dance to scare them off. Along the way, I got to speak with some local fishermen who were supervising the building of their new canoe. After I told them I had been a fisherman in my youth, I got to ask them lots of technical questions about their ways of fishing.
After much needed rest (my pack is heavier than I thought!) I decided to head further East on the other side of the delta. Instead of going on the beach, I decided to walk through the fishermen`s village and it was a treat! (see slide show). There were no roads, no cars and no electricity. Just women cooking and washing, and kids playing. And the children, maybe in the proximity of their relatives, were sweet and not overwhelming like the day before on the beach. In the trotro out of town, I got so engaged in a conversation with a young Canadian that I missed my stop, and not willing to get dropped off at the border (Togo) town of Aflao, I decided to head north to Ho. I am now enjoying this quieter town, and had dinner with two young women, volunteers from Europe, after rescuing them from a local hustler who followed their cab to the restaurant.
Carrying my backpack feels strange. Now I am one of them tourists, sweating, wearing funny clothes and standing out like an eyesore. Everyone here dresses very sharp. I almost want to buy some fine clothes because I really feel like a tramp!
Slowly Being Cooked, Accra, March 18
Last night, after a crazy day walking through town in a scorching heat, I arrived at the Nkrumah circle trotro station to catch my ride back to the hostel around 7PM. The station was jam packed with buses and people. What amazed me was the peace I felt in the lines of people waiting for their bus. There was no pushing, cheating or yelling. In the midst of what appears like complete chaos, with hundreds of trotros parked withing inches of each other, I felt a calm unity in this mass of people, and my body relaxed, surrendering to an energy that makes everything work here, maybe not to western standards, but it works. Today, while walking through the Makola market, acutely aware, as always, of being an "Obruni" (white man), a woman`s smile inspired my face to relax. I immediately felt a wave of smiles all around me, as if my energy affected the whole market. After 10 days in the city, I am beginning to feel like a person, an earth being, intricately connected to the web of souls here. It feels good to shed a bit of that sense of separation. Tomorrow, I will go to the neighborhood school to dance with the children. They`ve been asking about me so I have postponed my departure to the beaches to go play with them again. Their joy is so nurturing, it will charge me up before I head out of town into the country side (see video clip)
Green Apple and Dance Church, Accra, March 17
I finally went to the local beach the other day but the sight of overweight westerners drinking cheap beer was less than appealing. I have been enjoying my young friends at the hostel and I took two of them to another rehearsal of Nana`s band last night.
Sunday morning, three of us from the hostel went to a local church-a 3 1/2 hour service! I went because I heard they danced but the dancing and singing was short and sweet, while the preaching was a hammering blitz that squeezed the devil out of me for a few hours at least. The sound must have exceeded 110 decibels and three preachers took turn demanding that the congregation (of a mere 30 or so people) come to service at leat 3 times a week to truly call themselves good Christians. I loved the dancing, but man, do they pound it on these poor souls!
Today, I got a multiple visa for Togo, Cote d`Ivoire, Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso, just in case the wind blows me accross borders. I am ready to get out of town, the heat and pollution are overwhelming. Accra has been good to me and I have made good friends. I won`t be hiring a guide afterall as I don`t want to spend 24/7 with someone I don`t really jive with. The fellow I really wanted to hire did not respond. I got that when these young men return to their villages, they are often asked to stay as shrine keepers or chiefs. But they have created their lives in the city and like it that way. I`m sure I`ll meet the guides that I will need along the way.
A Power Strip for Nana, Accra, March 14
In Love with the Kids, Accra, March 11
This morning, the young teachers from England, who are staying at the hostel with me, took me to their school in our neighborhood. Wednesday is prayer day and for that occasion, they drum, sing and, you have guessed...dance! My kind of church! Within minutes, I was dancing surrounded by children and my heart went bonkers. I haven`t danced for months and had been waiting for that time. I feel so happy. The young kids, the girls especially (8-12) were all over me, even pulling the hair in my armpits! The sight of an Obruni (white man) who could dance was a treat to them. The joy in these kids was outstanding, and the music, played by excellent musicians, was just what my soul was longing for (see slide show).
Yesterday, I returned to the University of Ghana, where my friend Daniel had told me musicians and dancers hangout under a large Baobab tree. And they were there indeed, so I asked for Selasi, whom Daniel studied with, and one of his dancer friends went to get him at the rehearsal hall. We spoke for nearly two hours, joined by two other musicians. I told them my story, the visions and my desire to seek healing in the village dances. They have agreed to take me to their village shrine in a couple weeks. Franklin, the other young man I met with Hammond also agreed to take me to his village in the Volta region near Togo.
The Ancestors are finally smiling upon me and opening new pathways for my journey. I am so happy to be here and love the people so much. I need to learn about kindness and the people here are it!
Accra, Ghana, March 10
Second day in Accra which means I survived my first one! I am staying at the Crystal Hostel, a budget hostel run by a Christian family in Darkuman, a funky but fun neighborhood North of the city. My roommates are Mathew, an American student on a scholarship, making a documentary on football, and Casper, a young British student who teaches English in the city.
I spent my first day getting acquainted with taking tro-tros (small buses), sqeezing myself amongsts the colorfull locals who are adorable and incredibly willing to help a lost tourist. I went to the University of Ghana where I was told musicians and dancers hang out. It was Sunday so no one was practicing but I met Double, a young Ghanean playing a two-string guitar under a tree. We had a little chat and he let me use his cell phone to contact Hammond, the young student that my friend Danielle, who spent a few months here studying dance, recommended I meet. Hammond and his side kick Howard, both twenty and computer students, came late last night to the hotel to meet me. We are meeting again today in an Internet Cafe and meet Franklin, a friend of theirs who is more familiar with the dance culture around the country.
See video clip
Back from the Woods and Turning 50, March 7
Then I met with this wild creature called Lionel, one of my friend Pascale’s budddies, who heals both men and horses. He gave me some interesting perspectives on healing and shielding oneself from negative energies. Yesterday, I went to visit some old friends of my parents who live in a farmhouse outside of Lyon. They are the finest and sweetest people, and very loved by my entire family. I took a long walk in the woods and laid under a tree, facing the sun. I reflected on my intention for my journey to Africa-healing. Healing my sense of being separate from community, healing my anger about events from the past, healing my mistrust of people and healing my body.
As I have shared previously, I have had a rough time preparing myself to go to Africa, to the point of often feeling so sick and unprepared that I wished to turn back. I have had to face so many aspects of my being that I have not had to ever face so fully. I almost felt like on my death bed, revisiting my life, and experienced terror at the amount of incompleteness, negativity and bitterness that I carry in my being. It was frightening to feel so unprepared for death.
So now, I am finally 50 and smiling. I feel ready, calm and yes, at peace with myself. Several talks with my lover, whom I mentioned in my last post, brought me back to balance after falling into some dark places. I climbed back with dignity, courage and even a lot of compassion for her and me. As a teacher of mine used to say: « spiritual progress is not measured by whether you loose your center or not, but how quickly you come back to center after being thrown off balance ». The fire I burnt in this time wasn’t nearly as hot as many others I experienced before. I was aware of reactivating undigested/unforgiven past events, and ritualized a letting go in order to pull myself out of a dangerous spin. It worked because my energy shifted noticeably and things improved quickly towards taking the pain onto the journey. It was another test of spirits before my departure. As strange as everything has been for the past several months, I am still here even though I contemplated vanishing from this Planet because of the intensity of my sorrow, and a debilitating sense of confusion and physical weakness. I had never gone so low without using something to distract myself or numb the pain.
So I celebrate this first half century with an appreciation of the wild and creative existence that I have had. I have never been in such debt and been so uncertain about my future, but I can say honestly that I look forward to becoming younger and wilder everyday! I give thanks to the Spirits and friends who love me, believe in me and guide me along my healing journey.
Burning Hot, Lyon, March 2
I had a feeling last night that it was time to cut loose on this blog and not mind so much about being naked with my heart, body and mind turmoils. Who reads this darn thing anyway? These last few months have been such a crazy wild ride of battles, surrenders, heart openings, blissful attainements and kamikaze bomb dives into despair and depression. Chemical imbalance? Madness? Cancer? Karma purification?
