In which we successfully locate Bob’s other childhood home in Accra, fly to Morocco, take the train to Marrakech (just like in the song!) and make our way home to North Carolina in time to celebrate the holidays.
ACCRA REVISITED
As planned, all four of us left Casa Kumasi for Accra on the same flight. It was good to spend one last day at the Lavender Lodge with BJ and Jay before parting ways. As we drove to the hotel from the airport, Bob thought he saw his childhood home. We had looked for it unsuccessfully during another trip but this time he was determined. So we walked a few blocks over and found it! See more pictures from our last days in Ghana at Last Trip to Accra
TRAVELING TO MOROCCO
Up at 1:30am to catch a flight to Casablanca and from there a train to Marrakech. It was a long day of travel but we saw a whole different Africa from the one we’d been living in for seventeen months. You don’t want to miss this trip From Accra to Marrakech
MARRAKECH
We stayed for five days in the Red City of fame, resting up for our big re-entry into the United States. Check out more photos of this beautiful place by clicking on: Marrakech
STAYING IN THE MEDINA
Bob did us right by booking us into a hotel inside the Medina, the oldest part of the city. With its narrow streets, donkey carts abounded. We had a lovely time Inside the Medina
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Camille got teary-eyed when she heard the New York accents and saw this lineup of Christmas trees at JFK.
BACK TO REAL FOOD
When we arrived home, Haruka had stocked our refrigerator with fresh vegetables off their farm. Every Friday since then we walk next door and pick up another box of organically grown produce.
Our December 13 CSA Box featured turmeric, harukai turnips, cilantro, coco yam, carrots, butter head lettuce and sun chokes.
SORTING THINGS OUT
Amy arrived a few days after we landed and we all spent days sorting through our stuff. Nauzley came for the weekend a few days later and we got to share some good Ghana stories.
ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
There was a bit of yard work to take care of when we returned and we were fortunate to have the help of Lyle, Amy and Nauzley. The big projects were removal of an oak tree from the garage and trimming back a hedge which had grown up higher than the house. For more on this story, please go to: Facelift
PLANT TOUR
Bob, Nauzley and Amy drove over to The Plant on a Sunday to take in Lyle’s weekly free tour. Here they are standing in front of the biodiesel pump house where Co-op members fill their diesel tanks with Piedmont Biofuel fuel.
On the left, a green house under construction which will use bio char to heat it in the winter and on the right, the enzymatic skid, a new process for eliminating waste.
Inside Screech’s hydroponic lettuce operation. He also grows tomatoes and cucumbers in other green houses.
BYNUM DAM
Andy stands on the dam across the Haw River in Bynum. On the right is the power house. He and Bob are working on a project to restore the Mill to produce hydroelectric energy.
MR. GREETER
Nauzley received a proper welcome from Spot after decking him out in his holiday bow as did Matt and Shannon. See all the Spot pictures for the year at Spot Photos 2013
GOOD FRIENDS FEEL LIKE HOME
All is right with the world when you are around your best friends. Amy was very pleased that Shannon was able to stop by for a day and we were quite happy to join Haruka and Jason for our traditional Christmas dinner.
CHRISTMAS DINNER
Haruka baked a delicious lentil Shepherd’s Pie for Christmas featuring parsnips in the topping. We brought sweet potatoes and greens and for dessert Jason and Haruka surprised us with lemon tarts and chocolate eclairs. We sat and talked, played cards and sang for a long time before walking home with full hearts and bellies.
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THIS MONTH’S QUOTES:
“If the local people don’t invite you there, you are not supposed to go there! Because the first principle of aid is respect. And why would they invite you? Do something magnificent in your own community. Do something fantastic in your own culture. Do something fantastic in your back yard. And then the word will spread around, ‘Really? You can do that? Wow! Can you come and teach us please?'” – Dr. Ernesto Sirolli
“Sweeping cobwebs from the edges of my mind, Had to get away to see what we could find, Hope the days that lie ahead, Bring us back to where they’ve led” – Graham Nash
“I’ll do it later” is the mantra of the procrastinator and the earmark of someone who is comfortable living on the edge of failure.” – Camille Armantrout
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