Sunday-Feb. 17.,2010
Back to the ship. I stayed in my cabin for the next two days trying to get rid of my cold which has now turned, as usual, into bronchitis. I got some antibiotics from the clinic and hope they work. We sail tomorrow for Ghana, stopping at Los Palmas in the Canary Islands for fuel. We won't be able go ashore which is too bad. The Canary Islands are a great European holiday resort which my father came to often.. I would have liked to have seen them.

I got the chance to get to know some of the LLLs a little better. Some of them have had some interesting occupations. One was chief of staff for a congressional committee and another was a secret service agent assigned to the presidential details of Reagan, Ford and Clinton. His wife, another secret service agent works on board as student security. An orthopedist, several people with their own businesses etc. All of them interesting and no kooks. The community is beginning to come together as it did last time and groups are begining to form.
I went to my classes but otherwise stayed pretty much in my cabin.

Spring Alums: We have at last found out why they keep the air conditioning so cold. It is to keep the mold down. That is also why they clean so thoroghly each day. We have the daily meeting in the faculty lounge, but because there are so many of us, it just seems as if we were socializing. Faculty is also there. Not like last time when we were in a corner and felt like you were missing something! Betty is a very knowledgeable and efficient coordinator If she, or Chris, a graduate student in environmental sciences, have a notice or someone has something to say, they take the mike and say it, but it is no big deal. It seems to run smoothly and I like it. The medical staff is much younger than ours and don't socialize as much with us. Deans both nice. David Geis seems to have learned everyones name on the ship!! Our Ghana presort last night was hilarious. The med staff always puts on a song and dance show to a song of "take you malaria meds, use condoms and don't drink too much" They are great. Last night my marine biology prof., Tim Wood, gave a dead pan talk on how to use a pit toilet that had no toilet paper. I wish I had taken my camera for both of those th

ings.

Arrival in Ghana Wed. Sept 22

I had signed up for a Drumming and Dance Workship under the direction of the Afrique Dance Ensemble, a professional and well known group. As I was still suffering from the bronchitis I elected not to participate but just watch. This was a mistake, because even though I enjoyed the music and dance part, not participating is boring. I got some good ..pictures though.

On the drive though Takoradi the poverty is striking. There is not a single house or building that doesn't appear to be in need of repair. In spite of the talks given us by the preport lecturer and student, explaining the history and current progress of the country since independence which sound very positive, the reality is that this is a very poor country in need of a lot.