Last travels of 2009

I've obviously been more than a little negligent with this blog over the past few months (more on that in a little while), so I thought I'd post a "quick" recap of my travels during the last couple months of 2009.

September: Ghana

After a day in Ada and a few days working in Accra, I was able to spend a weekend exploring the Ghanaian coast west of Accra. I spent a day in a town called Cape Coast, where there happened to be a festival going on, so the entire afternoon was spent sitting in the sun, drinking beer and people-watching.

Fishing boats on the coast

Crowded streets during the festivalLocal chief on paradeYes, we can!

While in Cape Coast, I also visited the Cape Coast Castle, which is an old European castle used during the transatlantic slave trade. It was an incredibly somber experience to tour the castle with a group of West Africans and to hear the history of the slave trade from a different perspective than the one presented on the opposite side of the Atlantic.

"The door of no return" through which slaves began their journey to the Americas

After a day in Cape Coast, I spent the night at a little backpackers on a nearby beach. Early the next morning, I walked down the beach, passing children and fishermen along the way.
I then headed north to Kakum National Rainforest for a canopy walk through the forest.

After visiting Kakum, lunch was at a nearby restaurant, which is set in the middle of a pond filled with crocodiles. Weird, I know, and kind of terrifying, but kind of cool at the same time.

October: Switzerland

In October, I met a friend in Switzerland and spent a long weekend in and around Geneva. It was a perfect escape from Egypt!

November: Rwanda

November saw what has become an annual return to Rwanda for Thanksgiving and, this time, to show some friends around the country I used to call home. I spent a week traveling around the country and catching up with old friends over good times like Thanksgiving dinner and moto polo.

December: Egypt & Israel

At the end of the year, I was able to take some time to travel when my mom and brother came to visit for two weeks. We spent most of our time in Egypt, visiting some of the most impressive sites in Cairo and Luxor, and were also able to spend a few days in Israel, relaxing at the Dead Sea and seeing Jerusalem and Bethlehem. It was a wonderful, wonderful time!

And that pretty much sums up my travels at the end of 2009. I'll try to be a little better about keeping up with the blog in 2010!