Supriya Uchil

Highlights of the trip so far..

Accra (Ghana) - Visiting the arts market, so many people trying to sell you everything. Sitting by the hotel restaurant and looking at the ocean drinking ginger ale all afternoon. Learning to play African drums in the afternoon, this was a class right next to the ocean, the drums, the ocean, the palm trees, the sole fishing boat in the ocean and the blue skies created a surreal and beautiful moment.

Nairobi (Kenya) - Our visiting team rang the bell at the Nairobi stock exchange, eating lots of Indian food and staying at the most awesome hotel - http://www.serenahotels.com/kenya/nairobi/home.asp
They had velvet umbrellas with ornate designs decorating the ceiling in the bar and a really nice spa. While we were there the comesa agreement was being worked on and the president of one of the countries was in our hotel.

Johannesburg (South Africa) - Checked into an airport hotel late on friday night, we got the keys and went into our room. My roommate came running out saying there was someone in the room. The management had checked us in into an occupied room. The next day we headed off to the pilnaesburg national park and are now staying at Kwa Maritane http://www.legacyhotels.co.za/content.aspx?h=11. Yesterday and today we went for a bush drive, We saw all kinds of animals, a lion with 4 lioness and a cub, elephants, wild beasts, hate beasts, gazelles, all kinds of anteloppe, wildhog, baboons, mangoose, zebras, giraffes. This is my first experience in the wild. From my hotel room, we can see all kinds of wild life, zebras, wild hogs, monkeys. This has probably been my best experience in Africa so far.

After spending three nights in the windy town of Essawara, I am now in Accra, Ghana. Essawara is a super windy city, and is known for wind surfing. It was really cold there, so cold that we had to wear winter jackets in the evening. The wind chills your bones in this city. The town was again a mixture of tradition and modernism. We stayed at a riad - http://www.riadwatier.com/. We actually stayed in the suite on the front page. It was heavenly. The coolest place I have ever stayed at.

The landlord was extrenely hospitable and was in crutches due to an accident. But he tried to find a cool bar for us one night and walked with us till there. Very nice people. Ate lots of tagine and harira soup and walked around the white city with blue walls and doors. Reminded me a bit of the pictures of Greece that I have seen.

We then left for Accra,Ghana as part of the Africa Global Immersion Program with Wharton and have been here for three nights now. We are staying at the http://www.gbhghana.com/lapalm.html. Again a very nice hotel. In Accra so far we have been visiting a lot of companies and learning about the culture. The next two days are free for shopping and exploring the city and I am looking forward to it. The hotel is right by the beach and has really yummy Ghanaian chicken.

What a strangely fascinating country! I have been here for the last six nights and am really enjoying myself. Amit, Urvashi, Keith and I have been in Casablanca, Marrakesh, Essawaira.

We stayed at some pretty cool places called riads, old palaces redone very nicely. At Irenes suggestion we went to Al Fassia, a restaurant run by housewives. The food was superb, had a pigeon pastilla. Amit and Keith went crazy and had sheeps brain and snails on the roadside stall. The medina in Marrakesh is like a a crazy bombay market. Everyone is trying to sell something.

One night we headed off to the mountains to stay with a traditional berber family. There we stayed with a donkey, a cow and some chickens. The family was quite poor but thier hospitality was phenomenal. They cooked the best homemade meal ever. They had a threadbare existence in the snowcapped mountains. At night we fell asleep to a million stars.

I have been drinking mint tea 10 times a day, very soothing in the oppressive heat! We eat tagine at every meal, in the morning its always fresh orange juice and parathas. The lamb out here is excellent.

We are currently in the seaside artistic town of Essawara. Amit and I squabble a lot; he reminds me of my brother Ameet! He did laundry for the first time in his life, it took him several hours to wash a few boxers. The whole bathroom was a swimming pool after that. All is well and I head off to Accra tomorrow evening.

I am off to Africa on Tuesday - morocco, ghana, kenya and south africa. I am so excited. I am really looking forward to it. My first year at school is over. Yahoo!!!!!