Hello! This page should serve as a convenient and complete way for me to explain the things that went on during my 3 week trip in Ghana, West Africa. I traveled with a group that was based mainly out of Bowling Green State University (where I am currently a graduate student in Experimental Psychology). The trip occurred from May 23^rd to June 13^th 1998. Our travel agenda changed as we continued through the trip- but that is the only way to plan for Africa, tentively. The purpose of the trip was to learn the music and art of Ghana- but the trip went way beyond that. We each had different experiences, as we all had musical, social and artistic interests going in and different opportunities while in country.

Map of Ghana with short rundown of the trip:

We went through many different areas, from desert-like to rainforest, traditional village to large city. The culture also variated with the different areas. After a long trip through the air and stops in JFK, Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Cote De Ivore), and Legos (Nigeria), the trip began in Accra (the capital of Ghana), when our plane landed at night (Ghanaian time is 4 hours ahead of EST). We then stayed at the Riviera Beach hotel (May 25 to 26) for one night before travelling to Kopeyia (Volta Region near Denu and Aflao) the next day. After an eight day stay, we travelled back west to Accra and stayed at the Riviera once again. The next day (June-4) we travelled north to Kumasi where we stayed until June 9^th. Then we went back to Accra where we stayed the remaining 3 days. The trip home was a quick jump from Accra to Dakar then a very troubled JFK to Detroit (most of the group (but not me) had to stay over in NYC- however my checked box didn¹t arrive with me. TWA was a nightmare for us all.

The content of the trip was highly varied. The focus most of the time was on learning to drum, dance and even a bit of singing. In Kopeyia, we studied traditional Ewe songs with the Agbeli family at the Dagbe Institute which was started by the late Godwin Agbeli. In Kumasi, we studied more northern Ghanaian songs with Habib Iddrisu. Although the days were situated around the two 2-hour lessons, most of the learning that occurred was from interaction with the people and environment that occurred the other 20 hours of the day. We also took some nice day and half-day trips to Bonwire (Kente cloth manufacturing place), wood carvers and Elmina and Cape Coast castles.

Click on the following to learn more about my experiences in Ghana.

All links are on my account- so they are not too big or dull- they are not links to other sites about Ghana tourism or anything like that (* = Has a few of pictures to load- be a bit patient (they are not too large))

Click here to read some quick, basic information about Ghana.

Ghanaian objects*- a few of the materials, objects, and places we saw in Ghana.

The group.

Elmina and Cape Coast daytrip*.

My "Winged bookbag" experience.

The food.

Cultural highlights, most from conversation.

Sounds and smells

My reflections on the music.

Why Ghana means so much to my study of history.

I learned a lot about the construct of "truth" and what it really might mean (or not mean) from my experience in Africa.

My closing thoughts on the experience now that it is all over.

Updated 4-2-99 some good pictures that I hadn't put up before (including my two best).*

Someone else's page with some pretty-much ok information if you are going to Ghana.

© 2001 Mail me if you would like anymore information or have anything to say.

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