2 days, 3 Continents, 4 Countries

Hey Friends! Long time no blog. Since I last saw you I have been working hard. I built an ESL Program at the American International School, continued teachingat the University, visited Ghana and Benin and prepared for my upcoming trip... What't that? You say....

Yes. Tomorrow, I leave Lome, Togo for Accra, Ghana. Around 9, we catch a red eye to Amsterdam. We'll spend the day in Amsterdam and head out for DC in the afternoon. I hope Amterdam gives me a stamp. I love stamps.

All this is because I am going to take the Oral Exam for the State Department on St Patty's Day, March 17. So if you pray or meditate or what ever you do - please do it for me on this week.

Alright - blog you soon.

~kb

Grave Hunting, Nachos and Big Milly

Internet has been down for days. Got a message this morning that the problem has been identified...

After a rowdy evening of dancing, singing and drumming at the local Jazz club, we woke up at 7am in Saturday morning and took a cab to the Togo/Ghana border. Four hours on the beach road in a tro tro (Ghanaian taxi) we arrived in Accra (the capital of Ghana). Our mission. To find a grave of a brother of a friend to a brother of a friend -- it's too complicated to explain. We found it. Took some photos. Greeted the groundskeepers and headed for nachos at Champs (you can't get Nachos or any kind of Mexican food in Togo). Turns out we sat there for four hours watching soccer on a big screen, another anomaly. Spent the night in Accra and headed for the beach at Kokrobite Sunday morning.

Sitting at the beach reading a book, The Village of Waiting by George Packer, I started goofing off with these kids. I gave them my camera and taught them how to use it. This is the best photo they took.

East Africa!

been off the radar lately. here's the run down:

12.22 went to work. packed. drove to Accra Ghana. ate nachos.
12.23 woke up and ate nachos again (they were very good). flew to Nairobi Kenya.
12.23 Woke up in Nairobi. spent 3 grueling aitport hours looking for an atm. flew to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
12.24 booked a safari. walked around dar. had a drink.
12.25 woke up rough. took a ferry to Zanzibar. went dancing.
12.26 chilling in Zanzibar. great indian food. sent postcards. :)

In the coming days:

• im leaving zanzibar tonight, back to dar
• East African safari
• back to ghana on the 29 through New years?
• Lome Jan 1

The whole thing has been very exciting (and exhausting) Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear! I'll post some photos when i get back to Lome.

From Ghana to Coco Beach

Let's face it. I can lounge around with the best of them, but being the Brown family birthday week (sorry e.b.) I hopped on my scooter (see below) and drove down to the beach road. Right? Left? Gouche? A la Droit? Definitely... a la droit. I took a right. So in fourth gear I sped along the coastal highway until - wait! There's Ghana! I didn't realize it was so close. I stopped at the border because I don't have a Ghanaian visa yet. Gotta work on that. U-turn in the middle of a dusty taxi filled border crossing and took off again. All through town, beeping and yelping, I found myself on the other side of Lome and something in me whispered keep going. So I did. Straight out of town until I got a little tired and afraid I might actually reach Benin - which is not a good thing because I have to work tomorrow. A quick break on the side of the road to decide what to do. Oh snap! I was sitting in front of the road to Coco Beach. Coco Beach is where all of the Americans go because the water is safe and clean to swim in (no sewage) and there is security (so you don't get robbed). Once again, I found myself cruising down a dirt road - and before I knew it - I decided to strip off my jeans and t-shirt (all the way down to my J Crew Vespa Boxers) and jumped in the ocean. It was so nice and refreshing. After an hour or so of swimming, I took a petite Coca and made my way back to town.

These were the best photos of the day.