Ghana, Togo, Benin

Ghana is a funny place, but isnt everywhere? How to describe it? Well, very dirty. All streets are lined by two-foot concrete ditches filled with garbage and waste (yes, waste). You have to look down at all times or else you might fall in and break a leg. The food is horrible. They have seven different blobs of grain that you dip into various soups and eat with your hands. Also, they have rice. Its all carb with little fat or protein. That said, the Ghanans are friendly, but trying. They yell "yaboo" at you all day (thats foreigner or tricky dog) and get offended if you ignore them. I spent new years with Nick and his Peace corp friends at a "bar" (some tables at the side of the road) in front of an Accra brothel. I next went to Nick's village. Its a beautiful location with palm trees, chickens, goats, women carrying everything on their heads and families wanting you to take their children to America. Nick must be very, very bored.

Nick and I crossed into Togo and noticed the French had done a much better job than the English. The country has better roads, closed sewers and people leave you alone (except the kids who yell yaboo bon sua). Togo's landscape, like Ghana's is stunning with miles of untouched beach. They cant really swim here and the undertoe would kill them anyway. I went by myself into Benin and caught a car to Abomay, where I'm going to check out some skull throne or something before heading home to Ghana. The Beninese are noticibly active compared to the lounging Togolege and Ghanans. Who would have guessed? Not knowing French is tough.